Royals Rumblings - News for June 24, 2016

Royals Rumblings - News for June 24, 2016

August Fagerstrom at Fangraphs writes about why Eric Hosmer's defense doesn't rate well in the metrics.

The advanced numbers, the traditional numbers, the video scouts all say the same thing: Eric Hosmer is a perfectly ordinary defensive first baseman, likely one whose below-average range is cancelled out by a penchant for scooping balls in the dirt. How does that equate to three Gold Glove Awards? I’m not sure, and it probably shouldn’t, but my best guess it that those within the game — the managers whose votes make up 75% of the Gold Glove process — appreciate scoops more than the numbers do. Yost literally says Hosmer has "average range," but that his scoops "[save] us countless errors, countless runs, because infielders can grab a ball, and they can turn around and throw it in the vicinity and know that Hos is gonna pick it." What that quote tells me is that Yost believes Hosmer’s scooping ability far outweighs any range deficiencies he might have, though the numbers reveal no evidence of that being true.

Mike Petriello writes that Salvador Perez might be the most irreplaceable player in baseball:

The 2016 version of Perez is clearly the AL's only great catcher -- at least based on what we've seen so far -- in a season where many teams are struggling to find even competence. That Kansas City has a player who has performed not just acceptably, but admirably, puts them well ahead of the game, as well as making Perez a surprisingly valuable player. He's not going to be the AL Most Valuable Player, of course, not with guys like Mike Trout and Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts and Josh Donaldson around, but he may be the league's most irreplacable player.

Jeffrey Flanagan answers many Royals questions, including dismissing the Royals’ interest in Jose Reyes out of hand:

First, there is absolutely no chance they would go after Jose Reyes. The Royals' motto is character first, and they wouldn't pursue a guy with a domestic violence history. The Royals aren't built that way.

Clint Scoles at Baseball Prospectus Kansas City covers A.J. Puckett's professional debut.

Royals second round pick A.J. Puckett made his minor league debut Wednesday night in Arizona, tossing three innings while giving up a pair of unearned runs. Sketchy defense behind Puckett cost him baserunners in the first and third, when shortstop Jeison Guzman made errors in both innings. Puckett was able to work around the problems in the first but gave up a pair of singles in the third to allow two runs.

Jon Heyman thinks the Royals are shopping for an outfielder.

The Royals are looking for outfield help. Jon Jay and Melvin Upton Jr. could be possibilities

Omar Infante cleared waivers and is now a free agent.

Whit Merrifield was on the Jim Rome Show.

Pete Grathoff catches up with recent college grad Jeremy Guthrie.

The Sporting News ranks Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, and Wade Davis among the top 50 players in baseball.

The Royals want feedback on a potential policy to stop people from taking their seat during game play.

Mets manager Terry Collins was kind of a jerk to the Mets PR guy after Wednesday's game.

The Marlins are interested in former Royals pitcher Jake Odorizzi.

The new Rangers stadium is one of the worst for taxpayers.

A community is upset about the Braves plans to run traffic through their city.

Is sports gambling expert R.J. Bell a fraud?

Complete coverage of the NBA draft.

Bill Simmons' new HBO show was a bit too safe.

Colombia could be heading toward a little more peace.

Three decades later, the soundtrack for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is finally getting released.

Pitchfork argues that HBO's Vinyl deserved to be cancelled.

Your song of the day is The Avalanches with "Subways."