Weekend Rumblings - News for March 17, 2018

Weekend Rumblings - New for March 17, 2018

Mike Moustakas made his spring debut against old friend Eric Hosmer.

“I feel like I’m in a good spot,” said Moustakas, who went 1 for 4 with a strikeout in his first major-league game of the spring. “I feel like my timing is coming around. … I feel like I’m gonna get enough at-bats to be ready and we’ll see how it goes.”

Jeffrey Flanagan looks at players out of options, like lefty Brian Flynn.

”I’m not taking anything for granted being out of options,” Flynn said. “I want to be in Kansas City. It’s close to home. They’ve been really good to me here.

”I don’t want to have the surprise tap on the shoulder and meeting at the end of camp. I don’t want to have to go through that whole process. I’m going to keep treating it like I’ve got to make the squad because I definitely didn’t prove anything last year with all the injuries.”

Kansas City Star beat writer Maria Torres answers questions in her mailbag, like why is Hunter Dozier moving to first base?

To increase his value....

Dozier’s athleticism plays well at first base, which is where he primarily appeared this spring before he was reassigned to minor-league camp.

He’s not going to play exclusively at first base at Class AAA Omaha. The Royals plan to rotate him through the corner infield spots and the outfield.

The more positions he can play, the harder it will be to keep Dozier in the minor leagues. It wouldn’t be too shocking if Dozier becomes the next Whit Merrifield-type.

Jon Heyman writes about how the Royals landed Jon Jay.

Jon Jay was close to doing a two-year deal with the Mariners, and in fact was said to have believed he was moving in the direction to sign with them before the Mariners decided to change course and go in a wildly different direction, which was to trade for Dee Gordon to play center field....In any case, reports suggesting Jay turned down a three-year deal before having to sign a one-year deal with the Royals for $3 million plus options were not correct; it was two years, and he didn’t turn it down.

The Royals hire a new social media coordinator from SB Nation.

A new projection system called CAESAR projects the Royals.

Danny Duffy will double-down on his charity work.

Travis Sawchik at Fangraphs talks to Eric Hosmer about swing planes.

Cliff Corcoran of The Athletic lists Mike Moustakas as the biggest victim of the slow off-season.

Ranking the best post-season upset for each team.

The Astros are near a five-year, $151 million deal with Jose Altuve.

Jeremy Hellickson signs with the Nats on a minor league deal.

Is Trevor Bauer changing baseball?

How the University of Maryland-Baltimore County basketball team made history.

The worst moves in NFL free agency so far.

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is charged with massive fraud.

China will ban people with “poor social credit” from planes and trains.

A look at Poland’s version of Saturday Night Live.

Your song of the day is Sonny Rollins with Four.