Royals Rumblings - News for February 12, 2016

Royals Rumblings - News for February 12, 2016

David Lesky at Pine Tar Press is not concerned about the bullpen workload for the Royals.

I do think this unit has a chance to be even better than what the Royals threw out there last season when they had a ridiculous bullpen. Flynn was the guy who was turning heads in spring training this year and only was sent to AAA to protect Ryan Madson, who turned out to be awesome. I think Duffy and Flynn both have a chance to be good enough in the bullpen to be close to interchangeable with the non-Wade Davis relievers.

Then when you add in the fact that Chris Young will likely take a turn as a long reliever and maybe Kris Medlen too, you can see that the Royals should be able to do a good job of managing the workloads of their bullpen once again. Even Dillon Gee and Kyle Zimmer could see big league time to help ease some strain on both the rotation and bullpen. It would certainly help if the Royals can build a huge lead in the division again to better manage the relievers down the stretch like they did last season. I imagine that’s a tactic they’ll use to keep these pitchers fresh for October.

I’d just be a little more careful with Davis and Herrera.

Rustin Dodd looks for the next low-cost, high-upside free agent signee for the Royals.

If you’re looking for candidates, there are (at least) four pitchers to track heading into camp. Right-hander Dillon Gee, who spent 2011-14 as a starter with the Mets, will head to Surprise as a nonroster invitee after signing a minor-league deal. So will left-hander John Lannan, a former starter with the Nationals who spent all of last season in the Rockies organization, posting a 5.39 ERA as a starter at Class AAA Albuquerque. The Royals also agreed to minor-league contracts with veteran right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, 35, a former Yankees starter who hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2013, and veteran left-handed reliever David Huff, 31.

Of all four pitchers, Gee, 29, appears to have the most upside. He recorded a 3.62 ERA over 32 starts in 2013 and posted a 4.00 ERA in 22 starts in 2014 before getting squeezed out of the rotation by a horde of young, hard-throwing starters who carried the Mets to the World Series last season.

Baseball America ranks the Royals as the 21st best farm system, but sees some hope with Italian shortstop Marten Gasparini.

Breakout Candidate: Gasparini should make his full-season debut in 2016. He has more athletic ability and better tools than anyone in the Royals system other than Mondesi. The biggest question is whether Gasparini will be able to improve the reliability of his defense enough to stay at shortstop. If not, he’d fit in center field as well.

Alex Gordon says that if baseball hadn't worked out, he'd be flipping burgers at McDonald's.

Clark Fosler at Royals Authority flips through some old prospect lists.

Ned Yost joins ESPN to discuss the Alex Gordon signing.

Forty Royals games will be broadcast in Kansas City on Spanish-language KYYS 1250 AM.

Eric Hosmer and Jarrod Dyson took in some NBA action.

@bobfescoe Hosmer & Dyson hanging with Larry Fitzgerald at Suns-Warriors game pic.twitter.com/PWKX0SCeod

— KC Royals Fan (@Luvtheroyals) February 11, 2016

Craig Edwards at Fangraphs points out that two-year deals signed by Lorenzo Cain and other players around baseball are not at a discount for the team.

Mark Teahen is among the best players on really lousy teams.

Season ticket sales are up for the Royals, with 93% of the lower bowl sold out.

Fangraphs got feedback on which pitchers fans considered a true ace.

New data shows the similarities between high school baseball and Major League Baseball.

Twins pitcher Trevor May has a website, and it has cat photos!

Freshman pitcher Sarah Hudek, believed to be the only female playing college baseball this year, picks up her first win.

Fox Sports 1 wanted reporter Colleen Dominguez to get a facelift, according to her age defamation lawsuit.

ESPN has a behind-the-scenes look at the owners discussions that brought the Rams to Los Angeles.

So, what does the discovery of gravitational waves mean, anyway?

Netflix will have a comedy about, you guessed it, Adolf Hitler.

Burger King will add another sandwich to its menu - hot dogs.

Your song of the day is Elvis Costello with "Red Shoes."