Royals Rumblings

Royals Rumblings - News for January 21, 2015

The State of Royals Review is strong.

By Max Rieper@maxrieper Jan 21, 2015, 8:00am EST

Royals Rumblings - News for January 21, 2015

Hunter Samuels at Kings of Kauffman looks at a possible contract extension for Alex Gordon.

There was one player I thought of when looking for a comparable player and contract offer, and it’s a player Royals fans saw quite a bit of at the end of October: Hunter Pence. The Giants signed their right fielder to a five-year, $90 million contract after the 2013 season, just before he was set to become a free agent. ...

Despite their playing styles, there are quite a few similarities between the two players. In the three years prior to signing, Pence hit .283/.342/.470. In the last three years, Gordon hit .276/.349/.436. Neither player is known for his raw speed, but they are both excellent baserunners. Obviously Gordon is much better defensively, but Pence does bring some value there. While the defensive metrics don’t love Pence, he looks to be above average compared to other right fielders.

Craig Brown at Royals Authority takes a closer look at reliever Louis Coleman.

Coleman is a sidearming enigma. He wasn’t good last year and there’s nothing obvious that jumps out as the underlying cause of his struggles. So if you don’t know what’s broken, how do you fix it?

If Coleman has lost his effectiveness against right-handed bats for good, he’s of no use to the Royals. The gamble is to see if he can rediscover his past success. Anyway, with the stacked bullpen, it’s not like he’s going to be counted on in high-leverage situations. Although he could team up with Collins to form some sort of short-man combo (unintended pun using Collins there and Coleman stands 6’4″) in games where the Royals have to go to their bullpen after five innings or Ned Yost needs to keep a deficit manageable in the later innings. Basically, we have a question as to which Coleman will appear this season. The luxury of the current bullpen is, it’s a low-risk, moderate-reward proposition.

Jeffrey Flanagan looks at five Royals minor leaguers under the radar he says can shoot through the system.

ALFREDO ESCALERA-MALDONADO, CF

Just 19, Escalera-Maldonado has impressed the Royals with his maturity and willingness to learn. "His numbers at (Class A) Lexington won't impress you," Picollo said, "but he's someone we think will help us in the future. There are expectations about him." Escalera-Maldonado hit just .221 with nine homers and 38 RBIs. But scouts say he has excellent power potential, can play all three outfield spots and someday could become a third baseman. He was an eighth-round pick in 2012.

The Royals announced single-game ticket sales go on sale February 27 (excluding Opening Day.

#Royals 2015 single-game tickets (excluding opening day) on sale at http://t.co/9sgtXC51OX 10 a.m. 2/27.
— Chris Fickett (@ChrisFickett) January 20, 2015

Opening Day tickets for the general public can be purchased through a lottery system. Register here.

Nori Aoki is off to a good start in San Francisco.

Aoki just said he's going to wrestle Bumgarner when he gets to camp. I would pay $60 to watch that on my television.
— Grant Brisbee (@mccoveychron) January 20, 2015