Royals Rumblings - News for April 28, 2017

Royals Rumblings - News for April 28, 2017

Dayton Moore will stay the course, writes Rustin Dodd.

“I expect us to have a good week, finish off the month strong and positive, and take it into May and have a good month of May.”

As he spoke on Thursday, Moore said the front office would continually look for ways to improve the offense, a stance that would be true even if the team were seven games over .500. Yet what was true in the offseason is likely still the case. The club is still waiting on the return of Soler. A crew of bullpen reinforcements waits in the upper levels of the minors. But the Royals’ fortunes will depend on the production of their homegrown core, a group of players that helped win a World Series in 2015.

“With this group of players, regardless of whether we’re 20-20 at the 40-game mark, or we’re 18-22 or whether we’re 22-18, my opinion is not going to change much,” Moore said. “As long as we’re healthy, as long as our team is working hard, as long as they’re committed to preparing to win each and every day, I stay with this group.”

Jon Morosi says the Royals need to start winning or begin the firesale.

Which teams are ideal trade partners for Kansas City? Hosmer, even after a slow start, would be a great addition for the Yankees, who have the worst OPS at first base of any MLB team. The Mets need more offense at third base and in center field, making Moustakas or Cain excellent fits there. Cain also could have appeal to the Giants and Dodgers, who have been scouring the Majors for right-handed outfield bats.

Don’t expect Jorge Soler back this weekend.

Soler, a 25-year-old outfielder, is not expected to be activated Friday when the club opens a 10-game homestand against the Minnesota Twins, general manager Dayton Moore said.

“His rehab assignment runs through May 10,” Moore told The Star on Thursday. “And at this point in time, we fully expect to utilize that period of time for him to get some at-bats and get caught up.

Eric Hosmer is looking to go the other way, and it worked in Chicago.

“I’ve been seeing the ball well,” Hosmer said. “I’ve just been pulling off everything a little bit. That’s at least what I feel. I just tried to concentrate on staying the other way today.”

The Royals are looking forward to playing at home.

“I don’t know why we’ve had trouble on the road,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We had trouble on the road a little bit last year, too. But there’s definitely a comfort level at home.”...

“I just think we’re a different team at home,” Hosmer said. “We’re built for that park. Guys just seem more comfortable at the plate there, [the] pitching as well.

“If there’s something that could set it off, it’s definitely a 10-game homestand.”

Vahe Gregorian says the next 20 games are important.

Now, if all those bats have simply gone feeble at once for keeps, that won’t matter much.

If the Royals have gone from a band of rising stars to jumping the shark in less than two years, that will be that.

But in the more likely case that most of the slumps are coincidences or that adjustments can and will be made, the Royals will score plenty more than 17 runs in their next 10 games — all at Kauffman Stadium, where they will play 16 of their next 20.

Patrick Brennan at Kings of Kauffman notes Alcides Escobar is hitting more flyballs.

The problem with this year is he isn’t hitting as many groundballs. Escobar is hitting more flyballs than usual. In fact, he has had the highest FB% of his career, at 42.3%.

The biggest culprit here is his launch angle. Last year it was at 8.3 degrees. So far this season, it stands at 14.9 degrees.

Danny Duffy is not giving up on the season.

Lee Judge says the Royals slump is not all Eric Hosmer’s fault.

Hosmer is the most overrated player in baseball, according to Bleacher Report.

Jeffrey Flanagan looks at the next generation of Royals prospects.

Ryan O’Hearn talks about his hot start.

Jose Bautista met Royals fan Jason Sudeikis and did not care for his hat.

Darin Watson at Baseball Prospectus Kansas City looks at all the football players the Royals have drafted.

What teams have changed their playoff odds the most since Opening Day?

Noah Syndergaard has a “tired arm.”

How long can Buster Posey stay behind the plate?

The Pirates promote the first African-born player to the big leagues.

Tim Tebow is starting to look like a baseball player.

Baseball is ready to take action on the pace of play.

The Chiefs trade up to take Patrick Mahomes, the first quarterback they have drafted in the first rounds since 1983.

Danny Duffy welcomes him.

Red Panda, the NBA’s most popular half time show, has no plans to hang up her unicycle.

Can country music save Pandora?

Is Elisabeth Moss the queen of “peak TV”?

The new He-Man movie may be back on track.

Your song of the day is Portugal. The Man with Feel it Still.