Royals Rumblings - News for October 2, 2018

Royals Rumblings - News for October 2, 2018

Blair Kerkhoff writes about whether Alcides Escobar has played in his last game in a Royals uniform.

“I don’t know, man,” Escobar said. “I can yes, I can say no. I’ll keep working. Maybe I’ll come back.”...

“Mondy has come on,” Escobar said. “I understand the situation. Mondy is ready to play every day. Ned (Yost) told me I’d play third, outfield. No matter what, I just wanted to play.”

Craig Brown responds to Ned Yost returning to 2019.

For the Royals, the idea of bringing back Yost has always been the right move. Moore pointed to it in his comments and has mentioned it before: Continuity and stability counts. The lineup of the regular season finale featured just two players – Salvador Perez and Alcides Escobar – who were regulars on the World Championship team. And with the baseball gods willing, Escobar won’t be back with the team next year. With an expected cut in payroll forthcoming, there won’t be a ton of moves to be made this winter when it comes to making additions to the roster. The 2019 Royals will probably look a lot like the version we saw this month. This group heads into the winter with the knowledge their leader will be back. The building, and hopefully the progress, will continue.

Jeffrey Flanagan considers the most pressing questions facing the Royals this off-season.

3. Who will play center field in 2019?This could be the most intriguing position battle in Spring Training. The Royals love Brett Phillips’ defense, but he will need to make big strides offensively to claim the job. Brian Goodwin, acquired from Washington, is more advanced offensively than Phillips and is an above-average defender. Can Bubba Starling stay healthy and force his way into the equation? Would the Royals move Gold Glove outfielder Alex Gordon to center field on a more regular basis? Or will Moore seek a solution externally?

Clint Scoles at Baseball Prospectus Kansas City gives his notes on Royals from the Arizona Instructional League.

Aaron Schwenker at Royals Farm Report wonders if Hunter Dozier can become a power hitter.

Grant Brisbee ranks potential World Series matchups.

Shohei Ohtani has Tommy John surgery and will only hit next year.

Polls show fans want a multi-game Wild Card series.

Matt Carpenter had a rare season where he didn’t ground out into a single double play.

The new Rangers manager will probably have a younger club without Adrian Beltre.

What will the Padres do with Wil Myers next year?

Measuring the cost of being a sports fan.

New allegations of abuse against the Maryland football program surface.

There was an invisible economic recession in 2016 that had a big impact.

Alex Trebek will moderate the Pennsylvania governor’s debate.

What’s working and what isn’t working on network TV this fall.

Your song of the day is Saint Motel with Destroyer.