Royals Rumblings - News for August 9, 2017

Royals Rumblings - News for August 9, 2017

Alex Gordon is realistic about his benching.

“Boni is obviously playing well,” Gordon said. “So I’d probably do it if I was the manager, too. I just need to go figure it out and start playing better.”

Gordon declined to elaborate when asked what he might focus on during his pregame sessions with Sveum. Yet he has made no excuses for his struggles at the plate.

Sam Mellinger writes that the benching was inevitable.

If Gordon is not done as a productive ballplayer, his career has at least one more inspiring and surprising twist. There can be no doubt about how hard he will work to find it, and how many both in and out of the organization are rooting for him....

Yes, the end is almost always ugly. Maybe this isn’t the end, not yet, but if Gordon’s productive years are all in the past he’s changed a franchise and city for the better. Maybe Gordon reinvents himself, once more.

Mellinger also wonders how much the Royals will miss Salvador Perez.

Also, speaking of how Perez’s injury impacts things, the Butera love around town is about to dip.

The last few weeks have been full of questions about whether Butera would start for most teams around baseball, but combined with his sudden and perplexing inability to consistently catch pitches, I think we’re about to see why he’s a good backup catcher.

His OPS is 150 points less than Perez’s.

We can talk about Moss underperforming, or Gordon, but guys: Butera’s career OPS is worse than both those guys this year.

Cheslor Cuthbert rejoins the Royals, convenient since Mike Moustakas is dealing with a leg injury.

“It’s draining down his leg and the fluid … makes it a little less flexible,” Yost said. “The trainers work real hard to get the fluid out, but by the end of the day, it’s still draining down in there.”

MLB Trade Rumors ranks Eric Hosmer #4 in their free agent rankings.

Hosmer hit .352/.408/.561 from May through July, boosting his free agent stock immensely. Still, he’s been out-hit this season by impending free agent first basemen Yonder Alonso, Logan Morrison, and Lucas Duda, so the market features cheaper (but older) alternatives. Plus, Hosmer seems a strong bet to receive a qualifying offer from the Royals, dampening his value a bit. Every free agent class seems to have that one polarizing player, and it might be Hosmer this winter. Is this really a $100MM+ player, or will sabermetrics win the day?

Vahe Gregorian writes there were more Royals fans, for a change, than Cardinals fans for the interleague battle.

Eric Hosmer hit a ball twice with one swing.

Lee Judge explains why the Royals have to be the best defensive team.

Chris Young is planning a comeback in 2018.

Kauffman Stadium is ranked 17th in MLB in food safety.

Umpire Joe West is suspended three games for criticizing Adrian Beltre in an interview.

Shortstops are no longer light-hitters.

Here are the top MLB hitters from each state.

Carlos Gonzalez may regret turning down a reported four-year deal last spring.

Reliever Ernesto Frieri is traded for one dollar.

Disney will launch its own platform and baseball will be part of it.

The Brewers want a new spring training facility that ecomomists say will lose money for the city footing the bill.

The Little League World Series will play through the solar eclipse, but hand out special glasses.

The young girls that refuse to play softball in favor of baseball.

Highlights from ESPN’s day with “The Ocho”.

How to win your fantasy football league.

Coal plants may be more toxic than we thought.

David Letterman is returning to television, for Netflix.

The Netflix show Ozark has given Missouri great exposure, but not millions in tax revenues. (h/t Farmhand)

Your song of the day is Glenn Campbell with Rhinestone Cowboy.