Royals Rumblings - News for March 26, 2018

Royals Rumblings - News for March 26, 2018

Danny Duffy says he is ready for Opening Day.

“I threw at 100 feet,” he said, “then played catch, spun some curveballs, threw some changeups.

”It felt fine. It was good.”

The Royals nearly drafted pitcher Brad Keller out of high school, but he may finally make their roster.

Keller heard from Gibbs shortly after the Royals acquired him and pitcher Burch Smith in the December draft. The text message, Keller said, read: “We finally got you. ... After five years we got you.”

It’s not that Keller comes at hitters with a deceptive delivery or a fastball that hits 100 mph.

But there is something to be said for a towering, 230-pound pitcher who throws at a downhill angle and owns a mid-to-high 90s fastball that sinks into the strike zone.

Others have noticed, too. After an outing last week, Yost said San Diego Padres manager Andy Green remarked, “Pretty good Rule-5 pick you guys got there.”

Dayton Moore discusses the off-season with Josh Vernier of 610 Sports.

The Royals could compete or collapse this year.

”There’s a lot of pieces here,” said outfielder Jon Jay, who signed a $3 million deal with Kansas City and could also be trade bait by the deadline. ”I don’t like to use that word (rebuild), but we have guys that are going to go out and compete. That’s what it’s all about.”

At Baseball Prospectus Kansas City, David Lesky anticipates a 40-man roster logjam.

The problem is that they don’t have any obvious cuts. I think the easy answer is that Bubba Starling gets placed on the 60-day DL to open up the spot. So that’s one, but where’s the other? Maybe they return one of the Rule 5 guys, and if they do that, I’d say Smith is the one. Keller was one who I wasn’t all that excited about, but he looked really good in spring with more velocity than I expected. I don’t think this will happen, but I suppose if a catcher goes down in the next couple days that Drew Butera could be a casualty and dealt after what they saw from Cam Gallagher last season. And, as I mentioned above, I don’t think [Wily] Peralta is a lock to make the team with how horrid he’s been this spring.

John Sickels lists Ryan O’Hearn as a prospect not to overlook in the Central Division. He also ranks the Royals dead last in baseball in organizational strength.

Thunderdog Sports talks to Royals slugger Frank Schwindel about his hot spring.

Joe Posnanski writes about former Royals pitcher Ken Brett, brother to George, and a terrific two-way player.

The Phillies sign infielder Scott Kingery to a $24 million contract before he has made his MLB debut.

The slow demystification of defensive statistics.

The A’s troll Giants fans by charging them more for parking.

The Rangers release 44-year old Gungan Bartolo Colon.

The Braves released Scott Kazmir in favor of Anibal Sanchez.

What happened to Matt Harvey?

What is the next move for minor league players in their labor struggle?

In 1937, a Dominican dictator assembled a baseball team for the ages.

The Schlitterbahn corporation and an employee are criminally indicted for the death of a boy at the amusement park.

How to keep your data safe without deleting Facebook.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg rules that hot dogs are sandwiches.

Royals Review reader Lance Feyh has a novel out, with part of it set in Kansas City.

Your song of the day is Waylon Jennings with Omaha.