Royals Rumblings - News for March 10, 2017

Royals Rumblings - News for March 10, 2017

Jon Heyman has many notes on the Royals and their off-season moves.

… One issue with their four free agents all being position players is that, as one agent said, “it is difficult for the Royals to recruit free agent hitters” with that ballpark … There’s little chance they keep Cain long-term, though there’s no obvious alternative. Royals people say, depending on how things go, they may give former No. 1 pick Bubba Starling a shot in center field next year … Here’s exhibit A why players shouldn’t switch agents in the middle of the winter. Jason Hammel wound up with a $12-million, two-year deal with the Royals. That sounds OK except the Mariners were offering a $10-million, one-year deal when Hammel switched agents, going to ACES, according to sources. You don’t have to be a poker player to know that the switch was a tell that things aren’t going as you hoped, it eliminates the team most interested (as the new agent obviously isn’t taking the same deal as the previous one) and calls for starting over. So ACES didn’t do him any favors … KC went with Brandon Moss over Pedro Alvarez because they want a “floating” DH, to give Alex Gordon and other vets a chance to rest

Royals pitchers aren’t too thrilled about the new intentional walk rule.

Duffy feels like pitchers should be required to make those four throws.

“It’s an obligation that we should all have,” Duffy said. “There are so many things that we’re trying to change up right now. It’s like slow down. I’m not trying to be rash or anything. That’s something you should be able to do.

“If you could hit a fly’s butt from 60 feet, 6 inches away, you should be able to throw a 60 mph pitch to your catcher high and wide. It’s logic.”

Hunter Samuels at Baseball Prospectus Kansas City thinks the Royals match up well against the lefty-vulnerable Indians.

On the bright side, there’s a chance the 2017 Royals pitching staff can do a better job of holding down the 2017 Indians offense.

While the Indians had an excellent offense last year, they did see relatively worse performances when facing left-handed pitchers. As a team last season, Cleveland had a .763 OPS against righties and a .748 OPS against lefties. A 15-point difference isn’t huge, but there is a difference.

Royals players are pretty pumped about the World Baseball Classic.

Even if the U.S. team that features the Royals’ Danny Duffy and Eric Hosmer might seem diminished by the absence of the likes of Bryce Harper and Mike Trout, there is no doubt the WBC matters deeply to many for a variety of reasons.

“Yeah. I’ve had to really kind of marinate (in) that for a little bit,” said Duffy, who will leave Arizona shortly to join the U.S. team in Florida. “It’s a huge honor, it’s an incredible thing. The feeling of wearing ‘USA’ on your chest is a pretty big deal.

“I’m taking a bunch of pride in that. I’m going to get everything I can out of it. I just can’t wait.”

The number is wrong, but a nice tribute to Yordano from the Dominican team.

Alex Gordon will try playing centerfield tomorrow.

Don’t forget the Royals will have their first televised game tonight at 7 CT on Fox Sports Kansas City.

Luke Farrell describes coming back to baseball after recovering from his tumor.

Leigh Oleszczak of KC Kingdom writes that Kyle Zimmer has been very frustrating.

Mike Moustakas and Danny Duffy talk about being Lakers fans.

Former Royals pitcher Bruce Chen talks about his World Baseball Classic experience.

Some fans visit Royals superfan Sung-Woo Lee and take in the World Baseball Classic in Korea.

Team Israel keeps winning and having a blast in the WBC.

Team Netherlands has a 7’1’’ pitcher that is turning heads.

The Royals project to have the 15th-highest payroll in baseball.

Should the Mets be embarrassed by Tim Tebow’s debut?

Zack Greinke says his velocity decline is not ideal.

Is fastball mania putting some arms at risk?

A lawsuit by minor leaguers on wages moves forward with re-certification of the class.

Burglers make out with $170,000 worth of goods from the home of Yasiel Puig.

The Texas move the contract of Brock Osweiler to the Browns.

Syracuse is the ultimate bubble team this weekend.

Why sports and elite universities do not mix.

South Korea removes President Park Geun-hye.

Game of Thrones will return July 16, but they messed up the reveal.

Your song of the day is Jesus Jones with Right Here, Right Now.