Royals Rumblings - News for February 6, 2017

Royals Rumblings - News for February 6, 2017

Nick Cafardo at the Boston Globe thinks the Royals may be able to keep the gang together.

The Royals could be a surprise team in the AL. They have hungry players in free-agents-to-be Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, and Eric Hosmer. Lefty Danny Duffy was given a five-year extension and will be counted on to front a rotation that tragically lost Yordano Ventura. They’ve added breakout candidate Jorge Soler and power-hitting Brandon Moss. The feeling is the Royals will re-sign at least one of their key hitters, likely Hosmer. If they’re out of the hunt at the trade deadline, however, look for a major fire sale.

David Lesky at Baseball Prospectus Kansas City has an interesting lineup idea for the Royals.

I wrote back in December that the Royals should use Jorge Soler as their leadoff hitter. It was an unorthodox thought and one that the Royals seem highly unlikely to employ, but after the signing of Brandon Moss, I think it actually makes even more sense. See, before they signed him, Soler looked like one of key power sources in the middle of the lineup. It would have been tough to move that from the middle of the order where he could have driven in some runs. Now, though, Moss is in Kansas City, and he can be a big power source for the Royals in the middle of that lineup. I wouldn’t complain about Alex Gordon at the top either, for what it’s worth, but with Yost loving the alternating construction of a lineup that could go R-L-R-L-R-L in the top six spots without having to think too hard, Soler makes some sense to me. That’s not to say I think this will actually happen. I’m fully prepared for Alcides Escobar or Whit Merrifield to be in the batter’s box when that season opens on April 3rd, but a guy can dream.

Keith Law names a sleeper prospect for each team and highlights pitcher Scott Blewett for the Royals.

Blewett finished strongly, both in stuff and results, and I think he’s ready to make the leap as he moves up to high-A this year. While Josh Staumont and Nolan Watson might have better pure stuff, Blewett has the best mix across the board of repertoire, command and delivery.

David Schoenfield at ESPN names Danny Duffy’s slider as must-watch for the Royals.

One of the hardest-throwing left-handed starters, Duffy had a breakout season and signed a big contract extension in the offseason in large part because his slider turned into a wipeout pitch in 2016 with a strikeout rate of 41 percent.

John Viril at Kings of Kauffman wonders if free-swinging sluggers are the new market inefficiency.

How do sports TV ratings in Kansas City stack up?

Greg Holland’s fate is tied to Rockies pitching coach Steve Foster.

An Astros executive talks about drafting and developing pitchers.

The glory days of baseball and beer marketing.

St. Bonaventure’s loses a basketball game due to a court storm.

Former Chiefs kicker Morten Andersen is a Hall of Famer, and Terrell Owens isn’t.

Is artificial intelligence a threat to Christianity?

The best Super Bowl ads.

CBS is developing an action movie about Nikola Tesla and Mark Twain.

Your song of the day is R.E.M. with Orange Crush.