Royals Rumblings - News for January 18, 2021

Royals Rumblings - News for January 18, 2021

Clint Scoles at Royals Academy looks at recent international signings for the Royals.

The front office believes they have their star already in-house with Adalberto Mondesi, but until we see a full season of All-Star level play, it’s hard to agree with that. A success story from Erick Pena, the highest-paid signee in franchise history, or one from the large group of talented pitchers could improve on that history. The Royals are committed to signing a top talent every year, increasing those odds of landing a franchise changer.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter profiles Daniel Lynch and Asa Lacy.

Lynch may be the next big Royals pitching prospect to debut in 2021, and his performance this Spring will be worth paying attention to, especially if the Royals may be serious about employing a six-man rotation to begin 2021. However, while Lacy has yet to pitch against Minor League competition, the former Aggies pitcher has moved quickly in the ranks in the Royals system, as he eventually made his way toward the Alternate Site to get some work in at the end of the year. In a Recent Royals Roundtable talk on Fox Sports Kansas City, Rex Hudler hyped Lacy as someone who could move quicker than expected in the Royals system in 2021

Mike Gillespie at Kings of Kauffman is fine with one-year deals for Adalberto Mondesi and Brad Keller.

Of greatest concern is Mondesi’s plate discipline. He’s too aggressive too often, and his impatience accounts for a maddening career .284 OBP that renders remarkable his 99 steals over the past three seasons.

Durability is also a factor. Two shoulder injuries robbed Mondesi of much of his 2019 season and required surgery; less serious injuries have nagged him in the past. Although he played all but one game last season, his health battles can’t be ignored.

Billy knows.

The Yankees sign former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber to a one-year deal.

The Red Sox re-sign pitcher Martin Perez to a one-year deal.

Reds pitcher Luis Castillo could be on the move, but where?

Three teams are pursuing reliever Brad Hand.

What would it take to sign Fernando Tatis, Jr. to a long-term deal?

The big takeaways from arbitration deadline day.

Dan Syzmborski writes that the Giants have quietly rebuilt their rotation.

Former A’s pitcher Dave Stewart bids $115 million for a share of Oakland Coliseum.

The Tri-City ValleyCats are suing MLB for being left out of minor league affiliation.

How things went so wrong for the Houston Texans.

The man who took the “Hand of God” photo of Diego Maradona has been erased from history.

The pandemic has led to a growth in “ghost kitchens”, delivery-only restaurants that don’t exist in the shadows.

The fight to win the pettiest wars on Wikipedia.

How the Star Trek redeemed the green-skinned Orions this year.

Your song of the day is David Bowie with Blue Jean.