Royals Rumblings

Weekend Rumblings - News for June 24, 2017

Be .500.

By Max Rieper@maxrieper Jun 24, 2017, 10:00am EDT

Weekend Rumblings - News for June 24, 2017

Dayton Moore talks about the decision to let Chris Young go.

"I said come meet me at my house," Moore recounted Friday after the team announced it had signed Feliz and designated Young for assignment. "We sat and discussed it. It was hard, but it was the right thing to do. C.Y., as I told him, he was perhaps in my mind, the MVP of our pitching staff in 2015. He did everything for us. He was one of the pillars of our team."

Chris Young also told me: "This is a first-class organization and the tone is set at the top. I will never forget my time here."
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) June 24, 2017

As to the future, with Neftali Feliz:

"[Pitching coach] Dave [Eiland] looked on video of him and saw some mechanical things he can tweak."

Moore was in the Braves' scouting department when Atlanta signed Feliz as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2005.

"He was a skinny kid back then with a big arm," Moore said. "I thought, 'Mariano Rivera.'"

Yost, noting that Feliz hasn't pitched in nine days, said he will ease him into low-leverage situations at first.

"He can be a setup guy, for sure," Yost said.

Jon Heyman looks at whether the Royals should be buyers or sellers.

What they’d need to Sell: Among the free agents, Moustakas might bring the most due to his improved productivity and a big-market team with an obvious need at third base (Boston), Hosmer and Cain should bring something and Escobar nothing. Speaking of the trio of top free agents, one rival says, "They’d all have value. Hosmer may be the hardest to move because not too many contenders need a first baseman." Closer Kelvin Herrera would bring a nice haul by relief standards.

Analysis: They have the moxie and some nice pieces (though not as good a team as 2015, when they had more bullpen and outfield depth), so it’s not impossible to see them making noise in a wide open AL. Though they have their nice October history, it’s harder to see them as a World Series contender than a wild-card playoff entrant this time.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post has some....interesting trade ideas for the Mets and Royals, suggesting KC should pick up Jay Bruce or Curtis Granderson.

They should definitely be proactive with Bruce and Granderson because it is hard to find contenders clamoring for corner outfielders. Two teams that might need them now – the Blue Jays and Royals – are dabbling with .500. Wait and they can fall out of the race, or they can stay in as other sellers join the conversation. The best the Mets are going to get for Bruce or Granderson are helpful pieces, so if they can push for that now, why risk it disappearing later? Better 75 cents on the dollar now then nothing later.

Here are my suggestions: Make both available to the Royals and Blue Jays and ask the key piece in return be Nathan Karns (from Kansas City) and Ezequiel Carrera (from Toronto). That both of those players are currently on the DL shows how difficult the Mets’ path is.

Alex Duvall at Kings of Kauffman thinks the Royals should still be sellers.

Bubba Starling nearly quit baseball, but is now a step away from the big leagues.

Teenagers flood the Burlington Royals lineup.

Former Royals infielder Christian Colon was designated for assignment by the Marlins.

Asdrubal Cabrera asks the Mets to trade him.

The Tigers cut ties with closer Francisco Rodriguez.

Jhonny Peralta joins the Red Sox.

The Angels turned down a chance to lock up Mike Trout in a lifetime deal.

Dodgers pitching prospect Julio Urias is out for the year.

The Red Sox retire Big Papi’s number.

Why are there so many coaches in baseball now?

Derek Jeter doesn’t have the cash to buy the Marlins.