***Official 2023 Royals Season Repository Thread***

[ChiefsCountry]

2023 – A new beginning for the Royals. Matt Quatraro era begins. A year to see which of our young players will make up the core going forward. Can Bobby Witt Jr become a superstar SS or will go to the hot corner? Will Brady Singer take the next step forward? Will Salvy be Salvy? Will Big Vin or Pratto take first base? Will they find a position for MJ? Who else emerges from the youth movement? Not to mention the development of the new downtown stadium.

Free Agents/Trades Acquisitions
Jordan Lyles, RHP
Ryan Yarbrough, LHP
Josh Taylor, LHP
Aroldis Chapman, LHP

Top 10 Prospects from Baseball America
1. Gavin Cross, OF
2. Cayden Wallace, 3B
3. Drew Waters, OF
4. Ben Kudrna, RHP
5. Frank Mozzicato, LHP
6. Maikel Garcia, SS
7. Tyler Gentry, OF
8. Nick Loftin, OF/3B
9. Angel Zerpa, LHP
10. Carter Jensen, C

[ChiefsCountry]

Red Sox have reportedly discussed Adalberto Mondesi https://t.co/ziRFJavj83 pic.twitter.com/pfkipFuyL1

— Royals Review (@royalsreview) January 11, 2023

[Archie Bunker]

I’d take Blaze Jordan and a lottery ticket pitcher

[dallaschiefsfan]

Originally Posted by Stewie

Sources: All AAA parks to use electronic strike zone in '23

The electronic strike zone will be used in all 30 Class AAA parks in 2023, sources told ESPN, seemingly another significant step toward the implementation of the technology at the big league level in the near future.

The Automatic Balls and Strikes system, commonly referred to as ABS, will be deployed in two different ways. Half of the Class AAA games will be played with all of the calls determined by an electronic strike zone, and the other half will be played with an ABS challenge system similar to that used in professional tennis.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...strike-zone-23

Love it. Can't wait for the over-exaggerated pitch framing to end...and for catchers' defensive metrics to be judged on actual catching skills.

[Ocotillo]

Originally Posted by dallaschiefsfan

Love it. Can't wait for the over-exaggerated pitch framing to end...and for catchers' defensive metrics to be judged on actual catching skills.

I see both sides of it, but always liked the aesthetics of the umpire with his big pillow in the 1970s standing there behind the catcher and calling strikes. The game evolves though, I don't have a problem with it.

Actual catching skills? If umpires calling strikes has been a part of the game since the 1800s, framing pitches is actual catching skills until the rule changes.

[Ocotillo]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

Bauer officially released...do we all agree on signing in him he would do it?

I think Bauer is going to have a hard time finding one team wanting him.

His suspension of 194 games is still a record.

I could see Jim Crane getting involved because he has precedent of signing Roberto Ozuna, but the domestic violence climate has changed so much in recent years and Bauer has come across as a dick on social media. He should probably close his social media accounts and seek domestic violence counseling to have any shot at a second chance.

I don't agree with what is happening with Bauer at all, just merely discussing the reality of the situation.

[dallaschiefsfan]

Originally Posted by Ocotillo

Actual catching skills? If umpires calling strikes has been a part of the game since the 1800s, framing pitches is actual catching skills until the rule changes.

I think you know what I'm talking about - catch/throw plays, handling pitchers, pass-balls, blocking wild pitches, etc. And as I said...it's the "over-exaggerated" pitch framing that's the subject of my ire. It has become significantly more pronounced since modern catching metrics came into vogue. It's comical to watch these dolts practice moving their gloves an entire foot from where they caught it compared to watching a guy prior to modern metrics where there was a subtlety to the framing of the pitch.

I also like the idea of taking the umpire's ego out of the game. Some umpires just like to squeeze pitchers and that makes the game super boring. I want professionals to swing the bat, so I obviously want the edges of the strike zone to get called so as to diminish walks and the 3-outcome approach.

[Al Bundy]

The #Royals and Nicky Lopez have agreed to a $3.7 million deal for 2023, avoiding arbitration, a source tells https://t.co/Ivs9s9Fg0t.

Lopez went to a hearing last year and made $2.55 million. This year, he avoids that.

— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) January 13, 2023

[ChiefsFan63]

Will the ABS make Angel Hernandez a good umpire?

[dallaschiefsfan]

Originally Posted by ChiefsFan63

Will the ABS make Angel Hernandez a good umpire?

Ha! No.

[Al Bundy]

We have agreed to 2023 contracts with RHP Scott Barlow, RHP Taylor Clarke, RHP Brad Keller, RHP Josh Staumont, LHP Kris Bubic, LHP Amir Garrett, and IF Nicky Lopez, avoiding arbitration.

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) January 14, 2023

[Vladimir_Kyrilytch]

There's still hope for a Greinke return but the Royals only want him back for real cheap.

[Other pitching signings] also raises the possibility that Kansas City’s top free agent of the winter,*Zack Greinke, heads elsewhere. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reports that while Kansas City remains open to bringing Grienke back, the six-time All-Star would likely have to take an incentive-laden contract to return. Such a deal would have a relatively low base salary that’d allow him to unlock bonuses at various innings thresholds.

At the start of November, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Greinke was planning to return to the majors for a 20th season. Heyman wrote at the time Kansas City was hoping to bring the former Cy Young winner back. There was no indication then anything between the Royals and Greinke’s representatives at Excel Sports Management was close. No other team has been substantively linked to the right-hander throughout the offseason.

[Ocotillo]

#Royals and #MNTwins have discussed Michael A. Taylor trade, but Kansas City's reported ask for Josh Winder has proven too high for Minnesotahttps://t.co/KQXU1uccEy pic.twitter.com/hwwGKPxqrx

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) January 18, 2023

[tk13]

The Miami Marlins and Kansas City Royals are two of the teams that have shown interest in Cuban reliever Aroldis Chapman. The 7-time All Star is training daily at his residence in Miami. pic.twitter.com/CPW28dd6Km

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) January 17, 2023

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by tk13

The Miami Marlins and Kansas City Royals are two of the teams that have shown interest in Cuban reliever Aroldis Chapman. The 7-time All Star is training daily at his residence in Miami. pic.twitter.com/CPW28dd6Km

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) January 17, 2023

The Royals should be all in on guys like Chapman and Bauer...at worse you lose basically nothing at best you have guys that fetch a nice price at the deadline.

[Ocotillo]

The lone Royals prospect in Baseball America's Top 100 is OF Gavin Cross at No. 97. Cross was their top pick in last year's draft https://t.co/3AgYl3NcWp

— Lynn Worthy (@LWorthySports) January 18, 2023