Royals Rumblings - News for January 23, 2023

Craig Brown at Into the Fountains reacts to the Johan Camargo signing.

Third base is where he’s at his defensive best. He was worth 3 Defensive Runs Saved in 88 innings at the hot corner in 2020 and another 3 DRS in 90 innings there last summer.

His signing gives the Royals a little defensive depth at third base and flexibility in general. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him break camp as a utility option for the Royals. With Bobby Witt Jr and Adalberto Mondesi chopping up time on the left side of the infield, adding Camargo to the mix should ensure we’ll never have to see Hunter Dozier on the infield again.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter wonders if this means Hunter Dozier is on the way out.

At this point, he doesn’t really fit anywhere defensively, and his bat simply doesn’t have the value to supersede those defensive shortcomings anymore. If he were a 20+ HR hitter, I could see Dozier finding a rotating OF/DH spot, much like Jorge Soler in Miami. That being said, that’s harder to do for a hitter who has only hit 28 home runs over the past two seasons.

I don’t know if Dozier will be traded or DFA’d before Spring Training (though the odds may have gone up now) or if something will happen during the season (which is likely if Pratto begins 2023 in Triple-A Omaha).

But it’s feeling more unlikely that Dozier will be a part of this Royals squad by Opening Day in 2024…

Could we see a deal from the Royals soon?

Will Leitch at MLB.com lists the Royals first in an article about which teams are most likely to go from worst to first.

There’s reason for some hope here. Neither the pitching nor the lineup is particularly overwhelming, but there’s still talent to go around, particularly in that lineup. Lots of teams would be delighted to pencil in up-and-comers MJ Melendez, Vinnie Pasquantino and Bobby Witt Jr. every day. It’s that last name, Witt, who’s the most exciting: A talent like his has the potential to explode into superstardom at any moment. The Royals are probably a couple of years away from competing for the division title, but considering that the AL Central lacks a juggernaut, they are a club to keep an eye on in 2023.

Mike Gillespie at Kings of Kauffman writes why the Royals need to move Michael A. Taylor now.

Former Athletics All-Star Sal Bando - who began his career in Kansas City - dies at the age of 78.

Pedro Grifol says Oscar Colas will get an opportunity to win the starting right fielder job.

The Giants are popularizing the opt-out clause for free agents.

The Marlins tried to acquire third base prospect Brett Baty from the Mets.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. says the Blue Jays haven’t talked long-term deal with him yet.

The drop in starting pitcher workloads isn’t a recent trend, it’s been happening for over a century.

What are the greatest bat-flips in baseball history?

Will the defensive shift rule change how second base is played?

A look at the unimportance of “productive outs.’

The storylines to watch as the next Hall of Fame class is announced tomorrow.

What was going on with the last play the Cowboys ran in their loss to the 49ers?

FOX is alleged to have had insider information to land broadcast rights to the World Cup.

We can use sewage to track the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The population in China declines for the first time in 60 years.

The Netflix heist show Kaleidoscope is in a different order for each viewer, so what is the best way to watch it?

Your song of the day is Parquet Courts with Wide Awake.