Royals Rumblings - News for March 21, 2018

Royals Rumblings - News for March 21, 2018

Sam Mellinger has questions about the Royals’ plan.

This is one part of the Royals’ Refuse To Tank that I do understand, and agree with. On the frontside, as a front office you do everything you can to give your guys a chance, and who knows, maybe you’re the 2018 version of last year’s Twins. You hang around contention, get a spot, and the Royals are among the teams that’ve shown a wild card is enough for a memorable run.

Then, on the backside, maybe one of these teams that didn’t need a third baseman in the offseason has an injury or something else that motivates them to deal a prospect. Teams are always in need of pitching, so if Herrera and Duffy are performing, you can get something there.

It’s an inefficient use of money, but particularly with how the current CBA limits what teams can spend on amateur talent, yeah, it’s a coherent plan.

David Lesky at Baseball Prospectus Kansas City writes that a lot has to go right for the Royals in 2018.

One of two things needs to happen with the bullpen to make the Royals contenders. Someone has to step up and be a dominant closer with at least three other relievers good bets to put up zeroes on any given day. If that happens, they’ll probably be fine. The other thing is that the Royals need to shuffle through this group pretty quickly before bringing up basically a new crew to pitch back there and hope that pitchers like Miguel Almonte, Richard Lovelady and any number of other possibilities can restore some order back there. I do believe the bullpen will be better in August than it is in April, but if they want to compete, they better figure it out much quicker than that. Of all the questions, I have to say the bullpen is where I have the least faith.

Ned Yost says Alex Gordon will get extra at-bats in minor league camp (probably not starting the year in the minors, as Todd Leabo suggests).

Former Royals General Manager Allard Baird regrets not doing a full rebuild.

“I think the big thing is either you’re all-in, or don’t do it at all,” said Baird, who now works for the Red Sox as vice president of player personnel. “You can’t just piecemeal. You can’t make a surface sign to say, ‘Ok, we’re still trying to win, but we’re rebuilding.’ I think you have to be totally committed to it.

“I hold myself accountable to that, just being able to do a better job of convincing ownership that we needed to rebuild completely. And obviously I did not do a good job of that. Either you’ve got to go full-bore in that direction or, like I said, you can’t do it just halfway.”

Eric Longenhagen at Fangraphs likes Ryan O’Hearn.

The Orioles sign pitcher Alex Cobb to a four-year deal.

A look at the teams with the most dead money on their payroll.

New technology in baseball may be favoring hitters.

Which team should be all-in as buyers this summer?

How Giancarlo Stanton negotiated his way to the Yankees.

Ben Lindbergh writes that tanking hasn’t killed hope in baseball.

The death of Jose Fernandez began a chain of events for the Marlins that impacts them to this day.

Grading the NFL’s off-season moves.

How the Houston Rockets revolutionized Iso-ball.

How to use Facebook while giving it just the minimum amount of personal data.

With Toys ‘R’ Us going bankrupt, KB Toys eyes a comeback.

12 great movies made from bad books.

Your song of the day is The Specials with Gangsters.