Royals Rumblings - News for February 27, 2023

Anne Rogers writes about which arms might make the bullpen.

Snider, who tossed live BP on Saturday, is now throwing a sweeping slider as well as his tight gyro slider. And he wants to use his four-seam fastball more to have a pitch at the top of the zone that complements his signature sinker.

“As soon as [pitching coach Brian] Sweeney got hired, one of the first calls we had was like, ‘Hey, this is what I did at the end of last year, here’s where I think I need to be with it in Spring Training,’” Snider said. “Everything I listed to [the coaching staff], they said they would have listed it right back to me. That was nice to hear.”

And she writes that Nate Eaton’s versatility is an asset.

“It’s a huge plus for any roster to have somebody that versatile,” Quatraro said. “It’s very rare to find somebody that can do things at multiple positions very well. … It’s a unique skillset, but one that he’s really good at.”

She also reports that outfielder Diego Hernandez is out 3-4 months after diving awkwardly in Saturday’s game.

Sam McDowell writes about the vibe shift in the clubhouse with Matt Quatraro.

This isn’t earth-shattering, but fewer and fewer want that forced structure. That’s not only a generational preference but more and more a generational expectation.

The players comprising the Royals clubhouse are largely of a a new generation. They have quickly spotted a different vibe than a year ago. And by quickly, I mean on day one. And by spotted, I mean they were specifically told it would be different.

“He was talking in his first meeting. He said, ‘This is your guys’ locker room. We’re all here to help you, but go out there and have fun,’” recalled infielder Nicky Lopez, who added, “It’s definitely different.”

“He talks about everything,” Pasquantino said.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter discusses three early stories out of camp.

Manny Machado will reportedly sign an 11-year, $350 million extension with the Padres.

Players react to the first weekend of games with the pitch clock.

MLBPA head Tony Clark vows to fight any effort to implement a salary cap.

Cardinals manager Oli Marmol says umpire C.B. Bucknor has no class.

Cardinals prospect Jordan Walker will focus on work in the outfield.

The Tigers are staying patient under new GM Scott Harris.

The Pirates are at a standstill with extension talks with Bryan Reynolds.

Dark horse roster candidates for each team.

The Diamondbacks would prefer their next stadium to be in downtown Phoenix.

Pirates owner Bob Nutting doesn’t think the new labor deal helped his team enough.

What hitting prospects are sleepers?

Tommy Fury beats Jake Paul by a split decision.

The Atlanta Hawks give Quin Snyder a five-year deal to coach the team.

AI-generated fiction is flooding literary magazines, but no one is fooled.

Are there too many licensing requirements in this county?

The fourth season of Succession will be its last.

Your song of the day is Jason Derulo with Undefeated.