Royals Rumblings - News for December 27, 2017

Royals Rumblings - News for December 27, 2017

Clint Scoles looks at the pitching depth in the organization.

The real possible competitor here would be lefty Foster Griffin who made major strides last season in terms of his fastball velocity, curveball improvement and overall aggressiveness with his arsenal. The left-hander appeared to be a totally different pitcher last season than the pitcher who took the mound the previous two. If he’s able to take one more step forward in terms of repeating his mechanics and/or adding another tick of velocity then he should be ready for the major league level.

Rusty Kuntz talks about his new role with the club.

MLB.com: What will your new job entail?

Kuntz: "Basically, I'll be roving between the big leagues, Triple-A and Double-A. I kind of did that triangle years ago and I really liked it, back when [Eric] Hosmer, Moose [Moustakas] and [Jarrod] Dyson were down there. When the big league team is in town, I'll be here. When they are out of town, I'll go to Double-A or Triple-A. It's going to focus more on the teaching of outfield play, baserunning. And I really enjoy the teaching aspect. I really miss that aspect. At the big league level, you're just focused on winning and losing."

Royals Farm Report profiles speedy minor league outfielder Rudy Martin.

Rudy Martin reminds me a lot of Andrew Toles who played for the Dodgers. He bats left handed, he’s not very big (listed at 5′ 7″) and he doesn’t hit for much power (career SLG% .416). But what Rudy Martin does really well are two things: get on base, and steal bases.

His defense in the outfield combined with his speed allow him to play multiple outfield positions well. The bat is advanced enough that he should be able to start the 2018 campaign in the outfield at High-A Wilmington with Michael Gigliotti and Khalil Lee. That outfield trio would be a nightmare for opposing hitters and pitchers alike.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe looks at the remaining market for Mike Moustakas.

Hard to see where the market for him is right now, but the Yankees, Mets, Indians, or Braves could bite. Moustakas is from Southern California, but the Angels filled their third base need by signing Zack Cozart and the Giants went with Longoria. Moustakas could fit with the Yankees, who are righthanded heavy.

Kansas City Star sports columnists read mean tweets about themselves.

The Star looks back at the year of Kansas City sports, with Yordano Ventura’s death casting a shadow over the year.

The breakout baseball players of 2017.

The new labor deal and the fake salary cap make the off-season less fun, writes Grant Brisbee.

Former Royals coach Rich Dauer nearly died just after celebrating his World Series win as a coach with the Astros last fall.

Bartolo Colon is interested in re-joining the Mets.

The Reds land reliever Jared Hughes.

How to maintain a high BABIP and create your own luck.

The Mets are shopping outfielder Juan Lagares.

Shortstop Jean Segura accuses Dominican police of assaulting him.

Remembering the worst Christmas Day NBA game ever.

Harry Kane sets a record for most goals in a Premier League season.

The 39 most anticipated games coming in 2018.

NBC’s Mad About You is coming back for some reason.

How Paw Patrol won over kids.

Your song of the day is Andrew Gold with Final Frontier.