Royals Rumblings - News for March 24, 2020

Royals Rumblings - News for March 24, 2020

Dayton Moore talks to Jeffrey Flanagan about reassigning three players to the minors, and what may be next.

“We had made those decisions literally the day before we were shut down,” Moore said.

Another decision that would have been forthcoming was how to handle the opt-out clauses of certain non-roster invitees. In the Royals’ case, that would have applied to pitchers Greg Holland and Trevor Rosenthal, who both had opt-out deadlines set for this Thursday, which would have been Opening Day.

Moore said that while no decision has been made by MLB on extending those opt-out dates, he hopes that will be the case.

Flanny also ranks the top five catchers in Royals history, with no surprise at #1.

Yost often tells the story that when he first saw Perez when Perez was just 19, Yost wanted the Royals to call him up immediately.

Yost told MLB.com a couple of years later, “It took about two days for me to realize he was special. I’ve been in this game a long time. I’ve been at the big league level a long time and seen hundreds of catchers come through. And I’ve never seen one like him. He’s a very rare find.”

Alec Lewis profiles Ryan McBroom.

“Way back then,” said Will’s son Gregg, who is now the baseball coach at George Washington University, “he nicknamed him ‘Boom-Boom McBroom.’ Way back then.”

Even then, McBroom swung his bat and connected against baseballs in ways the other kids did not.

“He was an obvious hitting talent,” Gregg Ritchie said. “And he was a large guy. A big human being.”

Kiley McDaniel at ESPN ranks the Royals farm system #23 in baseball.

The Royals surprised much of the industry by turning to safe college pitching with their bounty of picks in 2018, but went back to their roots with upside bats at the top of the 2019 draft. A number of upside bats have floundered recently in this system, the international program hasn’t produced potential above-average regulars of late (Adalberto Mondesi excepted, 2019 signee Erick Pena has a shot), and there hasn’t been much procurement via trade, so the rebuild isn’t moving as quickly as others.

One local high school kid got to catch Ian Kennedy and Orioles pitcher John Means this off-season.

Jordan Foote at Kings of Kauffman has a quarantine survival guide for Royals fans.

Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro expects a four-week spring training before the season begins.

Where ZIPS projections went wrong in 2019.

Legendary Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully has comforting words in these tough times.

Marlins Park is being used for drive-thru coronavirus testing.

Ian Kinsler joins the baseball team for Team Israel.

in his latest Dorktown, Jon Bois looks at the power-deprived 1979 Houston Astros.

Gerrit Cole’s wife has quite an arm.

The 2020 Summer Olympics will be postponed.

How will the Patriots replace Tom Brady?

Why is it so hard to stop touching your face?

The real history of St. Corona, who is not the patron saint of plagues, as some have asserted.

Westworld gave us the HBO crossover we didn’t expect.

Your song of the day is Phish with Down with Disease.