***Official 2022 Royals Season Repository Thread***

[ChiefsCountry]

For all things Royals in 2022. #3 minor league system according to Baseball America. The Bobby Witt era should begin this year. Will Salvy still be the homerun king? How does the glut of infield players work out? Will the young pitchers take the next step?

Free Agents/Trades Acquisitions
Zack Greinke, P
Amir Garrett, P
Taylor Clarke, P

Top 10 Prospects from Baseball America
1. Bobby Witt, SS
2. Asa Lacy, P
3. MJ Melendez, C
4. Nick Pratto, 1B
5. Jackson Kowar, P
6. Kyle Isabel, OF
7. Frank Mozzicato, P
8. Ben Kudrna, P
9. Jonathan Bowlan, P
10. Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B

Duncan's Top Royals Prospects

Spoiler!

1. Bobby Witt, Jr., SS. MLB.
This status lasts about another 4 weeks, but let’s take a moment to appreciate having the top guy in the minor league prospects lists for at least a little while longer. Witt has prodigious ability and the question is really just IF he can meet it. They have not had a prospect like this in my lifetime, and really probably ever. Combine insane raw physical skills (right there with Adalberto Mondesi and Willie Wilson in the ranks right behind Bo Jackson) with unbelievable work ethic, a humble-but-confident nature, and already having shown he can struggle and overcome to achieve big success, and you have the tools for a show-stopping centerpiece. Oh, and throw in the former-player’s kid aspect on it on top of things, and there is every reason to believe he’s going to succeed and succeed big.
2. M.J. Melendez, C, AAA Omaha.
I was early on putting him in this slot last year, and I don’t regret it. The power, the ability to be a good defender behind the dish as well as having the athletic ability to play 3B or LF, too, and you have a really valuable overall piece and FANTASTIC understudy for Salvador Perez.
3. Asa Lacy, LHP. AA Northwest Arkansas
Whoa, let’s get crazy again. Lacy has outstanding stuff. Top of the system. He got hurt and lost his command during COVID times, but appears to be back on track so far this spring. If his command sticks, this is a guy who can move quickly. And his ceiling is really second to nobody in the minor league pitching ranks.
4. Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B. AA Northwest Arkansas
Vinnie starts the season back at AA due to the guy who follows him on the list here. He just hits, folks. I love his combination of contact, loud contact, plate discipline, and lack of strikeouts. The Billy Butler comparisons are annoying (in that I will NEVER refer to this man as Italian Breakfast except in the instance that just occurred), but the Billy Butler comparisons are also fairly apt… if you made Butler a lefthanded hitter, AND improved his body/athleticism from a 20 to a 40, AND if you added that little extra touch of power we all wished Butler could consistently find.
5. Nick Pratto, 1B, AAA Omaha.
Hey, let’s stay at 1B. Pratto has flashy power and I love his batting eye AND his hand-eye coordination. The hair he’s been rocking this spring is also pretty sweet. I slot him just behind Pasquantino simply because I think his bat profile is more volatile. The glove and arm are sweet/plus for 1B, though.
6. Jonathan Bowlan, RHP, AAA Omaha
Bowlan is coming back from Tommy John surgery, and this ranking is assuming that recovering is successful. If it his, you’re talking about a big, consistent SP who throws hard enough and has enough of a repertoire to really make things happen. If the recovery goes well, he may be shuttling to the majors in July to reinforce the rotation.
7. Nick Loftin, CF, AA Omaha.
Loftin is a guy who has really grown on me. I saw him as a quasi super-utility guy when the Royals drafted him, The full-time shift to CF (which means they think he has the speed and the overall defensive ability to handle CF in Kansas City) adds a lot of value here. The ultimate positive offensive upside is similar to peak Whit Merrifield, maybe with a touch more early power.
8. Michael Massey, 2B, AA Northwest Arkansas.
Massey was an absolute revelation last year, hitting for power and average and keeping his K rate down while playing a really strong 2B. He has a very sweet, short lefthanded stroke. This is another aggressive rating, but Massey has proven himself through a tough minor league assignment already, and the arrow is pointed up.
9. Ben Kudrna, RHP, Rookie Ball
Kudrna is a big, physical specimen with a lot of upside and potential. The fastball and slider are already nearly MLB-level in terms of velocity and movement (command needs work). Kudrna is a guy who, with luck, and health, and good development, could ascend to the top of a rotation.
10. Frank Mozzicato, LHP, Rookie Ball.
Mozzicato has a curveball that suggests he has a feel for spin. If you want to dream, you hope that the next 2-3 years turn the 175 he weighed when drafted into a rock-solid 220/225 and carries with it an increase in fastball velocity from 90-91, sitting 87-88, to 96-97, sitting 93-94. You pair his ability to spin the ball (which also suggests he should be able to easily master a sweeper slider) with that type of fastball velo and a changeup he already has a feel for, and it’s an exciting profile.

He has a little more to go in terms of growing into that projectability than Kudrna, which is why he slots right behind him.
11. Alec Marsh, RHP, AA Northwest Arkansas
Marsh missed a lot of 2021 to injury, but the hard-throwing righthander is another guy who could move quickly once the minor league season starts. He’s undeniably got the stuff of a quality major-league pitcher. The question is if he can master enough command to cash it in. This guy is a great example of TINSTAAPP.
12. Angel Zerpa, LHP, AAA Omaha
Zerpa might quickly outperform this slot. His stuff ticked up in 21 and he ended the season making a start in the majors. He’s nice depth to have, and honestly, I’m a big fan of just throwing numbers at pitching. Zerpa definitely helps create the depth you need to generate a top-notch and reliable home-grown rotation.
13. Maikel Garcia, SS, AA Northwest Arkansas
Garcia is a really intriguing hitter, a righthanded hitter who has a nice combination of contact skills and control of the strike zone (this cousin of Alcides Escobar is less savvy with the glove and more savvy at the plate). The Royals protected him for a reason (he’s on the 40-man).
14. Carter Jensen, C, A ??
Jensen is a local product whose bat will probably push him off C (as well as the Royals depth at that spot throughout the organization). This is a future 1B profile, and a nice one. He makes a lot of loud contact and shows an ability to lift the ball. Should be fun to watch this year.
15. Ben Hernandez, RHP, A+ Quad Rivers
Hernandez missed a good part of 2021 but still has that butterfly changeup and a classic pitcher’s profile. He’ll need to find a reliable swing-and-miss secondary to make it in the bigs, but if not, the fastball velocity and changeup should make him a quality high-leverage reliver.
16. Dylan Coleman, RHP, AAA Omaha
Speaking of relievers, Coleman is a hard-throwing righthander who probably spends most of 22 in the Royals’ pen. ½ of the compensation for the Rosenthal trade a few years back, Coleman has a big fastball and nasty breaking ball.
17. Will Klein, RHP, AA Northwest Arkansas
Speaking of relivers, everything I just said about Coleman? Yeah, you can say it about Klein, too. Klein regularly toyed with hitters at high A last year, striking out 121 hitters in just 70 1/3 innings pitched. For those counting at home, that’s a 15.5 K/9 rate. Yep. That’ll play.
18. Anthony Veneziano, LHP, AA Northwest Arkansas
Here’s another big, power arm. Veneziano hasn’t been relegated to bullpen only yet, though. His fastball bumped into the high 90s last year on a starter’s workload. He’s still looking for a changeup, but if he doesn’t find it, you’re looking at a really promising future bullpen fireballer.
19. Erick Pena, OF, A ?
Pena did… not have a strong 2021 full season debut. His struggles look a lot like those of Pratto and Melendez in 2019. Pena has the same type of raw toolkit to work from as those two, with great hands and natural power. He needs to fix a hitch in his swing and calm it down, but so did Melendez. Of this second ten grouping, Pena has the highest upside and could jump right into the top 5 of the org ranks.
20. Darryl Collins, OF, A+
Collins is an international signing out of Europe. I like the hitting package here – good eye and contact skills. He needs to make more loud contact, but if he can, really a nice guy.

Overall takeaways:
This is a system with a lot of depth. We could go another 10-12 deep and still be talking about guys with a good shot to make the majors. The changes to the organization’s approach are bearing fruit, as even less-heralded draftees are stepping forward.

The combination of upside (Witt, Melendez, Lacy), depth, and guys you can dream on is fun. It may not produce quite as much as the 2011 group did, but it does offer a more sustainable system, less reliant on a few big-ticket guys.

[dlphg9]

Vinnie pops into the top 100 on Baseball America's top 100. Comes in at 66.

[Great Expectations]

It is time for Save Our Royals

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by dlphg9

Vinnie pops into the top 100 on Baseball America's top 100. Comes in at 66.

Bringing up Vinnie just wouldn't be fair to RyanO'.....

[WhawhaWhat]

Vinnie P did not get called up today.

— Did Vinnie Pasquantino Get Called Up Today? (@VinniePDebut) June 2, 2022

[siberian khatru]

Seven players that should be hiring real estate agents

Spoiler!

Seven players that should be hiring real estate agents

Alex Duvall / 20 mins ago

I wanted to title this article “Seven players that cannot be on the roster on August 1st” but decided against it because I’ve been pretty outspoken against trading guys if other teams won’t match their market trade value. Then I thought about titling it “Seven players the Royals should be actively shopping” but realized that no one who isn’t actively on LSD is going to trade for a couple of these guys. So here we are. Seven players that ought to be actively searching for a real estate agent because they shouldn’t be on this roster August 1st.

Carlos Santana and Ryan O’Hearn

Not going to waste any time here. If either of them are on this roster August 1st I’m going to blow a gasket. O’Hearn hasn’t started consecutive games in almost a month so there may be a light at the end of this tunnel.

Andrew Benintendi

Not a ton that needs to be said here either, I don’t think. Benintendi has been EXACTLY what the Royals thought they were trading for this year. He’s been by far their most consistent hitter and is currently 3rd in all of baseball in fWAR by a left fielder with 1.5 and he’s 2nd in wRC+ at 145. He’s a free agent at the end of the season and if you want him to be a part of your team moving forward you can just pay him in November like everybody else. The only reason he should be on this team in August is if teams aren’t willing to pay a prospect premium for him and you think the comp. pick you’d receive for him in next year’s draft outweighs the potential trade return (that seems unlikely but if he gets injured or something it’s not impossible).

Let’s assume he’s traded. Here are a couple guys that got traded last year that don’t offer perfect comparisons but should help us understand what kind of return the Royals could *hope* to get back for a few months of Benintendi:

Kris Bryant traded for Alexander Canario and Caleb Kilian
Canario was a 21-year old struggling in Low-A when he was traded last summer and FanGraphs slapped a 45 FV on him last offseason, as did MLB Pipeline. Caleb Kilian was a 24-year old tearing up AA last summer and will probably make his big league debut soon. FG had a 45 FV on him as well, while MLB Pipeline put a 50 FV on Kilian.

Javier Baez and Trevor Williams traded for Pete Crow-Armstrong
Javy Baez plays a more important position than Benintendi, but he wasn’t hitting as well as Benintendi is now and Pete Crow-Armstrong was a hell of a get. Trevor Williams was pitching okay at the time, so you’d have to include an arm to get something like PCA in return, but this should be the goal. Buy low on a guy with top-100 ability and see if Drew Saylor and the gang can work their magic when he gets here. Drew Waters, anybody?

Kyle Schwarber traded for Aldo Ramirez
I doubt Royals fans would be thrilled with this kind of move, but Ramirez is a super advanced 21-year old with a ton of upside. I like it, but I could see GMDM preferring the draft pick to this kind of return. Coin flip in my opinion.

Cesar Hernandez traded for Konnor Pilkington
Royals fans got a good look at Pilkington the other day and this should be the absolute floor for Benintendi. Pilkington was a 23-year old tearing up AA last year and looks like a legitimate big league starter. This should probably be the type of return the Royals target.

Starling Marte traded for Jesus Luzardo
I think this would be considered best case scenario, and Benintendi isn’t exactly in the range of Marte, but it’s worth mentioning I think.

Alright. That’s a lot on Benintendi and I’ve got four guys to go so I’m gonna quickly throw out a few potential partners and who I’d target back:

Atlanta Braves:
Atlanta currently has a -1.4 fWAR total from their left fielders this year. They’ve had some problems with injuries, but they may owe the Royals one after Jorge Soler won them a World Series last year? I mentioned Drew Waters already, and while I think that’s a little rich, he’s really struggled in the upper levels of the minors and maybe a bullpen arm included in the deal seals it. What about Jared Shuster? The 23-year old LHP is currently tearing up AA and has a big fastball with a great changeup. If Benintendi can get you Shuster, that’s the Konnor Pilkington style return we were talking about earlier.

St. Louis Cardinals:
The Cardinals currently have a -0.7 fWAR from their left fielders and are 8 games above .500 where the Braves are 3 games below .500. Both teams are in 2nd place in their current divisions, so they’re both in striking distance and could both use some help in LF. In terms of a return from St. Louis, I think I’d ask for Michael McGreevy and go from there. McGreevy is a 21-year old RHP who was tearing up High-A and was recently promoted to AA. He doesn’t miss a ton of bats, but he’s a young, super advanced starting pitching prospect and you know the Royals don’t care much about strikeouts. If not McGreevy, maybe Alec Burleson? Maybe the Cardinals are high on him but the industry wasn’t really before the season so…maybe? He’s raking in AAA right now (23-year old outfielder) and…you’d think the Cardinals would promote him before trading for a rental? I don’t know. Can’t hurt to ask.

Toronto Blue Jays:
The Blue Jays are currently 9 games over .500, in 2nd place in the AL East, and have a cumulative -0.3 fWAR from their left fielders this year. Otto Lopez is such a Royals guy it hurts. Low strikeout and walk rates, low power, good runner, super utility defender. How about this though…what are the chances that Toronto would flip Jordan Groshans for Benintendi and a guy like Scott Barlow or Josh Staumont? Every contender needs relief help and the Blue Jays are in great shape for the first Wild Card in the AL. Groshans could immediately pencil in as the Royals third baseman of the future while Bobby Witt Jr. manned SS permanently. Groshans is still just 22 years old and is tearing up AAA with more walks than strikeouts. He was injured last year and the power hasn’t really come back…at all…but I think he could be attainable considering the Blue Jays have Matt Chapman manning third base for them for the next couple of seasons.

Whit Merrifield and Michael A. Taylor

I’m filing these two together because they both have at least one more year left on their contracts, I doubt Dayton Moore and company want to trade either of them, and I have absolutely no frame of reference for what they may command in a trade. I do know this, however:

The Royals started a six-year clock when they put Bobby Witt Jr. on the Opening Day roster and they certainly will not be making the playoffs in 2022. One season down. I can guarantee you this too: they will not make the playoffs in 2023 if Whit and MAT are still on the roster. Two seasons down.

What are you going to do to ensure three or four playoff appearances in the six seasons you’re guaranteed to have Witt Jr. on your roster? Are you willing to make the tough moves? Are you willing to do EVERYTHING in your power to allow Bobby Witt Jr. to help you win a World Series before his rookie contract is up? If Whit Merrifield and Michael A. Taylor are still on this roster on August 1st, the answer you’re giving yours fans is an emphatic NO. No you are not. Because those two sure as hell aren’t going to be big contributors on the next great Royals team.

Josh Staumont and Scott Barlow

I get that there will be fans who hate this. I promise. Here’s the thing, relievers can’t hold leads your team doesn’t have and right now the Royals don’t have enough leads for a good bullpen to hold. Trading Staumont and Barlow now, while they are at the ultimate peak of their value, helps ensure that Bobby Witt Jr. plays in as many playoff games in a Royals uniform as humanly possible. Good relievers can win you a World Series, but good relievers cannot get you to the World Series. Let’s look at these two in particular:

Josh Staumont:
28 years old
Walks have historically been an issue
Never been elite
Strikeouts are way up this year
Under control for three more seasons
Will lose every ounce of value if his velocity drops

Scott Barlow:
29 years old
Been extremely lucky this year in terms of batted ball data
Has been very good for the Royals
Strikeouts are way down this year
Under control for two more seasons
Velocity and usage on his fastball are way down this year…

Scott Barlow has to be traded this year, in my opinion. His fastball velocity dropping so hard so fast terrifies me. He’s throwing his fastball less than any pitcher in recent baseball history not-named Sergio Romo and Romo was a side-arm frisbee slinger. This isn’t normal. It’s working! His ERA is down to 1.64! But he’s also running up a career high 4.10 FIP and I don’t actually know how long he can last like this. Find a team that needs him for this year and flip him before his value crashes. Maybe it never does, but it’s not worth risking for a reliever. You signed him as a minor league free agent. The surplus value he’s provided you is absolutely remarkable. Move on now and extend the value he can provide your organization for the next six seasons or so.

As far as Staumont goes, I could live with holding onto him for another year or so, but you’re playing with fire anytime you don’t trade your relievers. Staumont can’t really get MORE valuable and he loses value with every month of control you don’t trade to another team. Then there’s the velocity thing. If he loses any velocity on that fastball…he’s a two-pitch pitcher with very iffy command…I don’t know, man. I’m just not playing with that fire for a team that’s currently 16-33.

So there ya go. Those are the seven guys I would absolutely be moving on from this year. Here’s how I’d line up from August 1st through the end of the 2022 season:

LF: Nick Pratto
CF: Kyle Isbel
RF: Hunter Dozier
3B: Emmanuel Rivera
SS: Bobby Witt Jr.
2B: Nicky Lopez
1B: Vinnie Pasquantino
C: MJ Melendez/Salvador Perez
DH: MJ Melendez/Salvador Perez
Bench: Cam Gallagher
Bench: Edward Olivares
Bench: Ivan Castillo

Pitchers are flexible. They’ve got enough depth in Omaha for two months.

I know this won’t be popular, but this team sucks, man. You’ve got to find a way to get younger and more competitive, quickly. You prematurely started your six-year clock this spring and it’s ticking, fast. Not that I blame them inherently…treating players like they did with Bobby Witt Jr. is noble at worst. Just saying…it’s going to suck on the field if they can’t make the playoffs until Bobby Witt Jr. is making arbitration money instead of rookie money.

Feel free to comment your thoughts or leave them on social media.

[FringeNC]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Seven players that should be hiring real estate agents

Spoiler!

Seven players that should be hiring real estate agents

Alex Duvall / 20 mins ago

I wanted to title this article “Seven players that cannot be on the roster on August 1st” but decided against it because I’ve been pretty outspoken against trading guys if other teams won’t match their market trade value. Then I thought about titling it “Seven players the Royals should be actively shopping” but realized that no one who isn’t actively on LSD is going to trade for a couple of these guys. So here we are. Seven players that ought to be actively searching for a real estate agent because they shouldn’t be on this roster August 1st.

Carlos Santana and Ryan O’Hearn

Not going to waste any time here. If either of them are on this roster August 1st I’m going to blow a gasket. O’Hearn hasn’t started consecutive games in almost a month so there may be a light at the end of this tunnel.

Andrew Benintendi

Not a ton that needs to be said here either, I don’t think. Benintendi has been EXACTLY what the Royals thought they were trading for this year. He’s been by far their most consistent hitter and is currently 3rd in all of baseball in fWAR by a left fielder with 1.5 and he’s 2nd in wRC+ at 145. He’s a free agent at the end of the season and if you want him to be a part of your team moving forward you can just pay him in November like everybody else. The only reason he should be on this team in August is if teams aren’t willing to pay a prospect premium for him and you think the comp. pick you’d receive for him in next year’s draft outweighs the potential trade return (that seems unlikely but if he gets injured or something it’s not impossible).

Let’s assume he’s traded. Here are a couple guys that got traded last year that don’t offer perfect comparisons but should help us understand what kind of return the Royals could *hope* to get back for a few months of Benintendi:

Kris Bryant traded for Alexander Canario and Caleb Kilian
Canario was a 21-year old struggling in Low-A when he was traded last summer and FanGraphs slapped a 45 FV on him last offseason, as did MLB Pipeline. Caleb Kilian was a 24-year old tearing up AA last summer and will probably make his big league debut soon. FG had a 45 FV on him as well, while MLB Pipeline put a 50 FV on Kilian.

Javier Baez and Trevor Williams traded for Pete Crow-Armstrong
Javy Baez plays a more important position than Benintendi, but he wasn’t hitting as well as Benintendi is now and Pete Crow-Armstrong was a hell of a get. Trevor Williams was pitching okay at the time, so you’d have to include an arm to get something like PCA in return, but this should be the goal. Buy low on a guy with top-100 ability and see if Drew Saylor and the gang can work their magic when he gets here. Drew Waters, anybody?

Kyle Schwarber traded for Aldo Ramirez
I doubt Royals fans would be thrilled with this kind of move, but Ramirez is a super advanced 21-year old with a ton of upside. I like it, but I could see GMDM preferring the draft pick to this kind of return. Coin flip in my opinion.

Cesar Hernandez traded for Konnor Pilkington
Royals fans got a good look at Pilkington the other day and this should be the absolute floor for Benintendi. Pilkington was a 23-year old tearing up AA last year and looks like a legitimate big league starter. This should probably be the type of return the Royals target.

Starling Marte traded for Jesus Luzardo
I think this would be considered best case scenario, and Benintendi isn’t exactly in the range of Marte, but it’s worth mentioning I think.

Alright. That’s a lot on Benintendi and I’ve got four guys to go so I’m gonna quickly throw out a few potential partners and who I’d target back:

Atlanta Braves:
Atlanta currently has a -1.4 fWAR total from their left fielders this year. They’ve had some problems with injuries, but they may owe the Royals one after Jorge Soler won them a World Series last year? I mentioned Drew Waters already, and while I think that’s a little rich, he’s really struggled in the upper levels of the minors and maybe a bullpen arm included in the deal seals it. What about Jared Shuster? The 23-year old LHP is currently tearing up AA and has a big fastball with a great changeup. If Benintendi can get you Shuster, that’s the Konnor Pilkington style return we were talking about earlier.

St. Louis Cardinals:
The Cardinals currently have a -0.7 fWAR from their left fielders and are 8 games above .500 where the Braves are 3 games below .500. Both teams are in 2nd place in their current divisions, so they’re both in striking distance and could both use some help in LF. In terms of a return from St. Louis, I think I’d ask for Michael McGreevy and go from there. McGreevy is a 21-year old RHP who was tearing up High-A and was recently promoted to AA. He doesn’t miss a ton of bats, but he’s a young, super advanced starting pitching prospect and you know the Royals don’t care much about strikeouts. If not McGreevy, maybe Alec Burleson? Maybe the Cardinals are high on him but the industry wasn’t really before the season so…maybe? He’s raking in AAA right now (23-year old outfielder) and…you’d think the Cardinals would promote him before trading for a rental? I don’t know. Can’t hurt to ask.

Toronto Blue Jays:
The Blue Jays are currently 9 games over .500, in 2nd place in the AL East, and have a cumulative -0.3 fWAR from their left fielders this year. Otto Lopez is such a Royals guy it hurts. Low strikeout and walk rates, low power, good runner, super utility defender. How about this though…what are the chances that Toronto would flip Jordan Groshans for Benintendi and a guy like Scott Barlow or Josh Staumont? Every contender needs relief help and the Blue Jays are in great shape for the first Wild Card in the AL. Groshans could immediately pencil in as the Royals third baseman of the future while Bobby Witt Jr. manned SS permanently. Groshans is still just 22 years old and is tearing up AAA with more walks than strikeouts. He was injured last year and the power hasn’t really come back…at all…but I think he could be attainable considering the Blue Jays have Matt Chapman manning third base for them for the next couple of seasons.

Whit Merrifield and Michael A. Taylor

I’m filing these two together because they both have at least one more year left on their contracts, I doubt Dayton Moore and company want to trade either of them, and I have absolutely no frame of reference for what they may command in a trade. I do know this, however:

The Royals started a six-year clock when they put Bobby Witt Jr. on the Opening Day roster and they certainly will not be making the playoffs in 2022. One season down. I can guarantee you this too: they will not make the playoffs in 2023 if Whit and MAT are still on the roster. Two seasons down.

What are you going to do to ensure three or four playoff appearances in the six seasons you’re guaranteed to have Witt Jr. on your roster? Are you willing to make the tough moves? Are you willing to do EVERYTHING in your power to allow Bobby Witt Jr. to help you win a World Series before his rookie contract is up? If Whit Merrifield and Michael A. Taylor are still on this roster on August 1st, the answer you’re giving yours fans is an emphatic NO. No you are not. Because those two sure as hell aren’t going to be big contributors on the next great Royals team.

Josh Staumont and Scott Barlow

I get that there will be fans who hate this. I promise. Here’s the thing, relievers can’t hold leads your team doesn’t have and right now the Royals don’t have enough leads for a good bullpen to hold. Trading Staumont and Barlow now, while they are at the ultimate peak of their value, helps ensure that Bobby Witt Jr. plays in as many playoff games in a Royals uniform as humanly possible. Good relievers can win you a World Series, but good relievers cannot get you to the World Series. Let’s look at these two in particular:

Josh Staumont:
28 years old
Walks have historically been an issue
Never been elite
Strikeouts are way up this year
Under control for three more seasons
Will lose every ounce of value if his velocity drops

Scott Barlow:
29 years old
Been extremely lucky this year in terms of batted ball data
Has been very good for the Royals
Strikeouts are way down this year
Under control for two more seasons
Velocity and usage on his fastball are way down this year…

Scott Barlow has to be traded this year, in my opinion. His fastball velocity dropping so hard so fast terrifies me. He’s throwing his fastball less than any pitcher in recent baseball history not-named Sergio Romo and Romo was a side-arm frisbee slinger. This isn’t normal. It’s working! His ERA is down to 1.64! But he’s also running up a career high 4.10 FIP and I don’t actually know how long he can last like this. Find a team that needs him for this year and flip him before his value crashes. Maybe it never does, but it’s not worth risking for a reliever. You signed him as a minor league free agent. The surplus value he’s provided you is absolutely remarkable. Move on now and extend the value he can provide your organization for the next six seasons or so.

As far as Staumont goes, I could live with holding onto him for another year or so, but you’re playing with fire anytime you don’t trade your relievers. Staumont can’t really get MORE valuable and he loses value with every month of control you don’t trade to another team. Then there’s the velocity thing. If he loses any velocity on that fastball…he’s a two-pitch pitcher with very iffy command…I don’t know, man. I’m just not playing with that fire for a team that’s currently 16-33.

So there ya go. Those are the seven guys I would absolutely be moving on from this year. Here’s how I’d line up from August 1st through the end of the 2022 season:

LF: Nick Pratto
CF: Kyle Isbel
RF: Hunter Dozier
3B: Emmanuel Rivera
SS: Bobby Witt Jr.
2B: Nicky Lopez
1B: Vinnie Pasquantino
C: MJ Melendez/Salvador Perez
DH: MJ Melendez/Salvador Perez
Bench: Cam Gallagher
Bench: Edward Olivares
Bench: Ivan Castillo

Pitchers are flexible. They’ve got enough depth in Omaha for two months.

I know this won’t be popular, but this team sucks, man. You’ve got to find a way to get younger and more competitive, quickly. You prematurely started your six-year clock this spring and it’s ticking, fast. Not that I blame them inherently…treating players like they did with Bobby Witt Jr. is noble at worst. Just saying…it’s going to suck on the field if they can’t make the playoffs until Bobby Witt Jr. is making arbitration money instead of rookie money.

Feel free to comment your thoughts or leave them on social media.

Those moves and that projected line-up are painfully obvious. Some things are tough as a baseball GM, making those moves is not one of them. Btw, as well as Massey is hitting in AA, Lopez may not be playing 2b for long.

[PHOG]

Originally Posted by FringeNC

Those moves and that projected line-up are painfully obvious. Some things are tough as a baseball GM, making those moves is not one of them. Btw, as well as Massey is hitting in AA, Lopez may not be playing 2b for long.

Yeah, right. / Pasquantino & Pratto

[poolboy]

might as well trade Benny as I dont think he will sign here after the arbitration process

[KChiefs1]

I'm listening to Locked On Royals Daily Podcast

How to grade Dayton Moore.

https://www.podbean.com/ei/dir-2d2nq-13e933a3


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[KChiefs1]

Omaha Storm Chasers

Position Player: Vinnie Pasquantino – 1B/DH

Stats: 26 G, 31 H, 9 2B, 12 HR, 35 RBI, .320 AVG, .804 SLG, .393 OBP, 1.197 OPS

I mean, if it wasn’t obvious already, Vinnie Pasquantino was EASILY the May Player of the Month for the Omaha Storm Chasers.

I think everyone here at Royals Farm Report has covered Pasquantino in some way or another. I am about out of analysis, scouting lingo, and advanced metrics to show you how good he is. There just isn’t much more to say. He mashes. He has one of the best hit tools in all of the minor leagues. I don’t think there is a minor leaguer hotter than Vinnie P right now. He’s ready for the show. You know it, I know it, and the Kansas City Royals know it.

Pitcher: Jackson Kowar – RHP

Stats: 28 IP, 27 H, 10 ER, 12 BB, 37 K, 3.21 ERA, 1.39 WHIP

Well this is a beautiful sight to see.

Kowar struggled mightily in his stint in the bullpen to start the year in the show. Once he was sent down to Triple-A, the results were a lot of the same. But Kowar has really stepped it up in May and has made his way back to showing off his elite stuff. His May 25th start, he went five scoreless innings striking out nine and walking two. He struggled a bit with command in his most recent start, walking five over four innings pitched. Regardless, this is the month Koward needed to get his confidence back and to hopefully take that next step in his development as a pitcher. With many of the injuries in the Royals rotation and the struggles of the back end starters, Kowar may get another shot to show what he can do at the big league level again soon.


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[KChiefs1]

Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Position Player: Michael Massey – 2B

Stats: 24 G, 37 H, 7 2B, 4 HR, 29 RBI, 13 BB, 5 SB, .381 AVG, .439 OBP, .577 SLG, 1.016 OPS

Woweee this might have been a harder selection if Massey wasn’t scorching hot as there were multiple hitters who were hot in the Month of May for the Naturals. This is now back-to-back months for Massey.

He absolutely tortured Double-A pitchers during May hitting dang near closeto .400 for the month and bringing his RBI total for the season up to 45. The hit tool is legit. The amount of quality contact he can make and his ability to barrell up pitches in insane. His power is making significant strides as it was well overlooked in the past due to his lack of playing time because of injuries. Already 24, Massey is looking to fast track himself to Omaha very soon. There could be a chance we see Massey this year if he stays this hot, but expect a debut to be more likely in 2023.

Pitcher: Drew Parrish – LHP

Stats: 30.2 IP, 15 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 29 K, 0.59 ERA, 0.62 WHIP

Yes, your eyes weren’t deceiving you. You read that right… two earned runs and only four walks in 30.2 IP.

As much as Massey was a nightmare to Double-A pitching, Parrish was a nightmare to Double-A hitters across the league. He has great secondary stuff and really good command of all of his pitches. His fastball plays well enough because of that. He gets flack from analysts because his fastball sits in the low-90s usually but he has been known to be able to get into the mid-90s. His secondary stuff and command is good enough that he can offset the lack of velocity. There is a good chance we see Parrish in a Royals uniform by the end of the year.


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[dmahurin]

Joe Girardi just got fired, he has to be an upgrade over Matheny.

[KChiefs1]

Ventura would have been 31 today.




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[MAHOMO 4 LIFE!]

Phillies fire manager Joe Girardi…… Royals still keeping Matheny

[Jenson71]

Originally Posted by dmahurin

Joe Girardi just got fired, he has to be an upgrade over Matheny.

Joe Girardi is the Andy Reid of the Royals. Make it happen, John.