Weekend Rumblings - News for March 30, 2019

Weekend Rumblings - News for March 30, 2019

Sam Mellinger marvels at Brad Keller’s Opening Day start.

Keller is now a central figure of the best version of the Royals’ future. He is 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s. He came to the Royals as, basically, a turnkey relief ace, but the organization wants to see if he can be a middle- or even front-of-the-rotation starter.

Yost has said — most recently after Thursday’s game — that the club views Keller as “a legit No. 1 for us for years to come.” That is the most optimistic view, and would require continued improvement, but at the moment the Royals appear to have found a lottery ticket.

David Lesky considers a Keller contract extension.

While I think it’s probably a little premature, it’s hard to argue with the results so far. In a season and a day, he’s carrying a sub-3.00 ERA with a better than 50% ground ball rate and looks like he’s developing and getting even better. He has five years of team control left, and as a pitcher it’s risky to project out six or seven seasons, but I wouldn’t mind a six year deal for something like $25-$30 million. That has a chance to be a massive value, but even if he regresses and he has to go back to the bullpen, a big dude running it up there at 95 MPH+ and getting tons of grounders is well worth that contract. Of course, he might bet on himself and say no, but it’s interesting at least.

Jorge Soler is ready to be the team’s cleanup hitter.

“I feel good this year, and I worked hard just like I did last year and the year before,” Soler said through a translator, Royals quality control coach Pedro Grifol. “Hopefully this year I can stay healthy and put things together.”

The Royals offer free tickets to everyone that had tickets for Opening Day.

What Opening Day is like for the people that work behind the scenes for the Royals.

Rex Hudler’s Opening Day outfit was inspired by Patrick Mahomes.

Royals Farm Report talks to Northwest Arkansas Naturals GM Justin Cole.

MLB executives had a championship belt they passed around for succeeding in arbitration cases against the players.

Whit Merrifield responds.

Angels outfielder Justin Upton is out 8-12 weeks with a toe injury.

Corey Knebel will get Tommy John surgery.

The free agent middle class is disappearing in baseball.

Baseball is changing - is it for the better?

What is a contract opt-out worth?

MLB Advanced Media sounds like it was a terrible place to work.

How a new era of tech devices like Trackman and Rapsodo are changing baseball.

How the Ricketts family schemed to win ownership of the Chicago Cubs.

A new documentary takes a farcial look at the Alex Rodriguez Biogenesis scandal.

Everything you need to know about the “Frozen Four”, the NCAA men’s hockey tournament.

UMKC has a new men’s basketball coach.

How much homework is really necessary?

The AP Style Book gives approval to the use of the percentage sign.

Fact-checking the new Motley Crue film on Netflix.

Your song of the day is John Coltrane with Alabama.