Royals Rumblings - News for August 2, 2023

In case you missed last night’s ending:

Always interesting to hear outside perspectives on the (former) Royals, like Ben Clemens’s take on Scott Barlow, at FanGraphs:

I’ll level with you: this one won’t move the needle much. Barlow is a reliever archetype, reliably unreliable thanks to devastating stuff and lackluster command. He had a 3.62 FIP last year and checks in at 3.63 so far this year. Consistent like you wouldn’t believe! But he had a 2.18 ERA last season and has a ghastly 5.35 mark so far this year, so whoops.

That ERA can be attributed to a .340 BABIP and a teensie strand rate, but to be honest, watching Barlow pitch doesn’t give me the vibe of a mid-3.00s ERA reliever. He’s been quite hittable thanks to his lack of command. He’s often so far behind in the count that he’s laying one in there. When he doesn’t do that, he’s often missing his target and leaving the ball over the middle anyway. His slider and curveball are both excellent, and he’s going to get his fair share of strikeouts no matter what, but he feels like a constant implosion risk. Guys like him go from effective to can’t-buy-a-strike faster than you’d think sometimes.

Matt Quatraro said in postgame comments that he’s “99.9% sure” that Alec Marsh will shift into Ryan Yarbrough’s spot in the rotation, and that’s why Marsh appeared out of the bullpen last night.

Max Scherzer aired out the knowledge that the Mets aren’t planning on contending until 2025 or ‘26. So that was already a tough day before the handed KC a balkoff. Scherzer went to the Rangers in a trade, and Justin Verlander reunited with the Astros.

Framber Valdez of the Astros threw a no-hitter last night. Old friend Cam Gallagher was the last out for the Guardians, who have now been no-hit four or five times (depending on how you view a 7-inning no-no) since the start of 2021.

Dallas Keuchel opted out of the minors deal he was on with the Twins. I watched him last week with St. Paul, and he looked like vintage Keuchel.

Tigers left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez invoked his limited no-trade clause to kill a trade that would have sent him to the Dodgers.

The Arena Football League announced a comeback, but all the cities they listed seemed to be surprised to learn they’ll be hosting teams.

BookTok has gotten out of control, with fans harassing a real-life NHL player AND HIS WIFE because he happens to resemble the descriptions of a character in a hockey romance novel.

A workplace conundrum from Ask a Manager: would you fire this employee who took feedback in an annoying/sarcastic direction?

Lori Vallow Daybell was sentenced to multiple life sentences, to be served consecutively, with no parole, for the murders of her children.

I should know better than to believe any famous person is as good as they paint themselves to be, but this one still hurts a lot: some of Lizzo’s dancers have accused her of sexual harassment among other upsetting things.

In a better turn: Taylor Swift gave bonuses totaling $55 million to the crew who made the US leg of her Eras tour possible, from her dancers to riggers and truck drivers.

SOTD: Taylor Swift - August. Because it’s August now! And the bridge is so dreamy.