Royals Rumblings

Royals Rumblings - News for November 17, 2023

Who will be non-tendered today?

By Max Rieper@maxrieper Nov 17, 2023, 8:00am EST

Washington Nationals v Kansas City Royals

Eric Longenhagen at Fangraphs reviews who was protected and unprotected from the Rule 5 draft in the American League.

I think some of Kansas City’s unprotected relievers present interesting Rule 5 opportunities, especially if teams can identify low-hanging developmental fruit among them. Christian Chamberlain, Jacob Wallace and even Jonah Dipoto have good relief stuff, and it’d be interesting to see what an org with a better recent track record of developing pitching could make of them or a healthy Asa Lacy. Many of the prospects the Royals have traded for during the last couple of years (T.J. Sikkema, Beck Way, Wallace, Devin Mann, CJ Alexander) were left unprotected, which is frustrating when big leaguers were sent packing to acquire those guys. Is this a talent identification issue, a player development issue, or both?

David Lesky at Inside the Crown writes about potential Rule 5 draftees he likes.

I have a theory that I like to mess around with every year and it’s that you can have a decent idea of potential picks and how successful they can be by starting with their strikeout and walk rates. Hitters who walk a lot and don’t strike out much are likely to be able to hang. Pitchers who don’t walk too many and strike out a good amount can generally be contributors. This can certainly overlook talented individuals who need refining, so it’s not a perfect way of looking at it, but I do think it’s a pretty good way to see who can actually contribute as a Rule 5 pick. And it often looks at players who aren’t covered as closely by some others who preview this draft.

Baseball America notes that Asa Lacy was a high-profile prospect left unprotected for the Rule 5 draft.

The No. 4 pick in the 2020 draft, Lacy is the highest unprotected pick since 2016. The Rockies left No. 4 overall pick Riley Pint off their roster four years ago. Only nine top-10 picks have been left off 40-man rosters in their first year of eligibility since this draft format began in 2012.

Craig Brown at Into the Fountains reacts to the latest news on a third potential downtown ballpark site.

Left unknown is how this late entry in the location sweepstakes impacts the timetable the Royals have been presumably working under. A proper study of the site has to be done and infrastructure needs have to be assessed. Of course, some bland renderings need to be developed to gin up excitement. Then, there’s the question of cost. This would presumably be less expensive than building at either of the other two sites. The Royals have stated they were willing to foot the $1 billion bill for the entertainment district, so if they move to a location where said district pretty much already exists, what happens to that billion? Do we just forget about it like it was placed back under a shell and moved around? Would the Royals ask taxpayers for the same amount to fund the stadium at the printing press location?

Here is a video animation of what a downtown stadium would look like in the printing press site.

There is a fan group looking to save Kauffman Stadium.

The owners unanimously vote to allow the Athletics to relocate to Las Vegas.

Where will the A’s play before a new ballpark is built in 2028?

The 2025 All-Star Game will be held in Atlanta, which had the game taken away in 2021.

The Athletics acquire infielder Abraham Toro from the Brewers.

Some interesting non-tender candidates ahead of today’s deadline.

The Angels aren’t rebuilding, they expect to be aggressive this off-season.

The Rays have talked to the Yankees and Mets about trading Manuel Margot.

The Wisconsin Legislature approves $387 million in state funding to renovate the Brewers home stadium.

NFL sideline reporter Charissa Thompson admits sometimes she just makes stuff up.

The WWE and the Big 12 give a title belt to the football championship game’s most outstanding player.