Royals Rumblings - News for May 31, 2017

Royals Rumblings - News for May 31, 2017

Royals fans approved of Eric Skoglund’s Major League debut.

Whit Merrifield loved the Royals’ crowd after he came close to hitting for the cycle on Monday

“Just that ovation I got, that’s something I’ll take with me for a while,” Merrifield said. “That was really cool. It was special.”

Ned doesn’t see a problem with retaliatory pitches, even if it means he could lose a star player.

“I’m nervous every time Eric Hosmer crosses the street,” Yost said. “He could get hit by a car. A bird could poop in his eye, and we’d lose him for a week. C’mon, you can get hurt in a bunch of different ways. I’m not going to sit here and worry about a guy getting hurt in a fight.

“[Getting hit by a pitch] can happen tonight, and it would be totally unintentional.”

As an organization, Yost said, the Royals do not seek out altercations, nor do they try to “start stuff.” But as he spoke, he echoed a common sentiment heard throughout baseball. The game is fine the way it is.

“We’re not going to stand back if something happens, too,” Yost said. “You try to protect your players the best you can. And just pick the right opportunity to pitch inside, and if it gets away, it gets away.”

Mark Feinsand at MLB.com looks at possible trade partners for the Royals.

Finding a taker for Hosmer could be tricky for the Royals, as most contenders are set at first base for the immediate future. The Dodgers are unlikely to cut ties with the struggling Adrian Gonzalez, but the Astros could view Hosmer as an upgrade over Yuli Gurriel, or at least a left-handed-hitting complement for their righty-heavy lineup. If Kansas City can't find an offer that piques its interest, the Royals could decide to keep Hosmer and collect a Draft pick after the first round -- provided that Hosmer signs a free-agent deal worth at least $50 million, per the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Bob Nightengale at USA Today lists many Royals among the top players to be traded this summer.

Vargas has never had more value since joining the Royals, going 6-3 with a 2.39 ERA. Who knows how long it will last, but the Royals would be foolish to find out. This is the final year of the left-hander’s four-year, $32 million deal and he could provide nice depth for a contender such as the Yankees.

Keith Law has the Royals taking New Mexico prep pitcher Trevor Rogers his latest mock draft.

I’ve heard them linked mostly to high school arms -- Rogers, D.L. Hall and Baz -- as well as Jeren Kendall.

I talked about the Royals and their future with Sports Radio Detroit.

Bryce Harper is suspended for his role in a brawl with the Giants on Monday.

Here are the five best photos from that fight.

The mounting evidence of a fly-ball revolution.

Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger is off to a fantastic start.

The National League is actually outhitting the American League, and Alex Gordon is to blame.

Should managers save their challenges?

Jeb Bush drops his bid for the Marlins.

What is Yasmani Grandal’s new skill?

Covering the Baseball Hall of Fame induction of Homer Simpson.

Troubled Cuban outfielder Hector Olivera signs with an independent league team.

ESPN ranks the 100 most famous athletes in the world.

The U.S. successfully destroys an incoming missile in a test.

Uber fires the engineer stealing secrets from Google.

The cynicism in House of Cards is getting old.

Your song of the day is Foreigner with Feels Like the First Time.