Royals Rumblings

Royals Rumblings - News for February 28, 2018

Whit is ready for his close up.

By Max Rieper@maxrieper Feb 28, 2018, 8:00am EST

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Royals Rumblings - News for February 28, 2018

Whit Merrifield talks about possibly moving back to centerfield.

“My first year and a half of pro ball, I was pretty much all center field,” he said. “Other than that, maybe a game or two after that.

”I’m going to take a few bad first steps for now, a few bad routes. It will get better through repetition.”

Jake Junis is fighting for a rotation spot.

“The slider still feels good,” he said. “I can throw that any time I want. But I found out once I had my slider going last year, I kind of lost my curveball. So I changed grips, and I’m trying to get a little more bite on the curveball.

”That’s the thing down here. There’s always room for improvement. My command isn’t the greatest. Secondary pitches could get better. Changeup could get better. You always want to get better.”

Jerry Crasnick at ESPN asks the most intriguing question at each Arizona camp.

Kansas City Royals: Can Adalberto Mondesi take the next step?....

Mondesi has a .181/.226/.271 slash line in in 209 plate appearances with Kansas City. He incurred a 50-game suspension for a banned substance last season, and he has been hindered by back problems, an undisciplined approach at the plate and questions about his maturity and work ethic. But he’s only 22, so time is still on his side. “He’s a dynamic player,’’ Royals assistant GM J.J. Picollo said.

Sam Mellinger gives his reasons to care about the Royals this summer.

Danny Duffy will pitch every fifth day, Sal Perez will catch around 162 games or so, Whit Merrifield could be a star on the rise, Cheslor Cuthbert will be interesting to watch, Alex Gordon will try to beat time, Jorge Soler has the most raw power of any big-leaguer the Royals have had in at least a decade, Jorge Bonifacio may have a bright future, Raul Mondesi could finally be ready for the big leagues, and there are some potential impact prospects such as Josh Staumont and Bubba Starling who could make their debuts.

That’s not nothing.

Mike MacFarlane shared a story about how strong Bo Jackson was when they were teammates in Kansas City.

Mike Axisa at CBS Sports gives his Royals preview.

The Royals are looking for people to sing the National Anthem and God Bless America.

Tim Lincecum signs with the Texas Rangers.

Jeff Sullivan at Fangraphs looks at which teams have the most age 25-and-under talent.

Is “not tanking” the new market inefficiency?

The MLBPA files a grievance against the Rays, A’s, Pirates, and Marlins over their lack of spending.

Noah Syndergaard is throwing some serious heat this spring.

The Blue Jays shut down Marcus Stroman with shoulder inflammation.

White Sox prospect Jake Burger is already out for the year.

Which NFL players are going to get slapped with a franchise tag?

13 predictions for Sporting Kansas City this year.