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

https://www.kansascity.com/latest-ne...%20manager.jpg

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

Sell the team

LET'S GO ROYALS!!!!

(must be positive, right?)

New year, let's go.

I don't have big expectations for this season. It's a reset year. But I'm looking forward to:

1) Watching Bobby Witt, Jr. in year 2. Does he take some steps forward in pitch selection and defense?

2) MJ Melendez defensive home. Melendez is quick, has a big arm, and can do more than catch. I still think 3B could be a good home for him, if he doesn't stick behind the dish. Can he improve his receiving skills with more time behind the plate and more competent coaching?

3) Vinnie Pasquantino. What does a full year at the MLB level look like for Big Vin?

4) Young pitchers. Can Singer sustain? Can Lynch and Kowar improve with better coaching at the MLB level?

Expectations.

My only goal is that they hopefully won't lose 100 games. I like watching the young field talent but we have trash for pitching which will see us lose a lot of games.

I think Daniel Lynch will take a big step forward this year. He showed signs last year of being good and then one bad inning would derail him. Not to mention every time Eldred would talk to him he got worse.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/...eaknesses.html

1. Where can the Royals look for pitching?

Recently, Royals GM J.J. Picollo told reporters that the team is still interested in adding to their rotation, even following deals with righty Jordan Lyles and lefty Ryan Yarbrough. While a deal for another starter makes sense for the club, the best available arms, such as Pablo Lopez and Chris Sale, reside on the trade market at this point in the offseason. It seems unlikely that Kansas City would go to the level of prospect (in the case of Lopez) or financial (in the case of Sale) commitment necessary to land either of those arms, or any other top arm that could become available, for that matter. Given this reality, it seems the best option for Picollo’s front office would be scouring what’s left on the free agent market.

Few quality free agent starting pitchers remain, but a reunion with future Hall of Famer Zack Greinke might make the most sense if the Royals are going to continue adding pitching. Greinke was a stabilizing force in the Kansas City rotation in 2022, posting a solid 3.68 ERA over 137 innings. Failing a Greinke reunion, the Royals could look to take a flier on a pitcher with a solid track record who battled injuries in 2022, such as Wade Miley or former Royal Danny Duffy. Either pitcher comes with durability concerns, but Kansas City should have enough young depth to cover for those potentially missed innings.

I have zero optimism. Hoping they can stay somewhat competitive through May.

I have my doubts.

Would like to hear your take on prospects, if you have the time.

Singer 3.1war is the only pitcher projected to be >1.0 war on Steamer proj. So if people believe in this sorta stuff, the computers don’t think any of our other pitchers are worth a crap

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We have traded INF Ryan O&#39;Hearn to the Baltimore Orioles for cash considerations. O&#39;Hearn was designated for assignment on December 28.</p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1610361857730125825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

So uh, any predictions on who the front office factions are that caused this drama?

Cash for the New Stadium Fund jar

WE COULD GO 0-162 AND I'M ****ING HAPPY!!!!111oneoneone

Addition by subtraction.

Glad to see this trade happen.

I think this is a win for the Royals, a win for the Orioles, and a win for Ryan O'Hearn.

Royals no longer have to pay Ryan $1.4M, plus they received some cash.

Orioles receive a left-handed bat and with the shift gone and Camden Yards shorter dimensions, he could help the team.

A new start for Ryan O'Hearn might help him.

Jan. 3: 1B/OF Ryan O'Hearn acquired from Royals for cash considerations
The Orioles have been seeking a left-handed hitter who can back up Ryan Mountcastle at first base, and O'Hearn could fill that role (in addition to possibly getting some playing time in the corner outfield). The 29-year-old spent his first five big league seasons with the Royals, who designated him for assignment on Dec. 28. O'Hearn batted .239/.290/.321 with one homer and 16 RBIs in 67 games for Kansas City in 2022.

https://www.mlb.com/news/orioles-inj...d-roster-moves

I think Ryan O Hearn will have his best year on record..but I don't want it to be here.

That's a great fit of a ballpark for him. They moved out the LF fence so it's not a bandbox anymore but the RF field is still really short.

It also means the Cubs must be the frontrunners in the Hos sweepstakes.

Do the Padres still owe him what was left on his contract ? I'm just curious how all that goes down,i didnt think Boston had to pay any of that.

Padres are on the hook for everything minus whatever his new team pays him.

Right. We can pay league min to The Hoz or 1.4 to ROH

Let’s hire the TB front office or Cleve

Time for Jon E Qweddo. Eat some innings

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca88...QXywaXCse4ayDY

is johnny cueto a borderline hall of famer? He gotta be close

Got you covered on that question Bwillie - the answer is no.

There is actually a useful stat for this, called JAWS:

Here is that leaderboard. Take a look at Cueto at 225th all time, and how many pitchers had a higher JAWS score that wouldn't get in. Amongst active players, he is behind John Lackey (33.3), Bumgarner (34.2), Corey Kluber (34.8), David Price (35.8), Jon Lester (38.8), Adam Wainwright (41.4)....guys like Chris Sale, Scherzer, Kershaw and De Grom are above all them.

The lowest JAWS score of any hall of fame SP was Ray Brown with 34.7, then Candy Cummings with 36.2. There are only four others in history at 38.0 or below. You really gotta have over 50.0 to be a legit HOF candidate, but Curt Schilling put up 64.0 and didn't get in. That's the highest JAWS score for a SP to not get in.

The average JAWS score of the 66 SP Hall of Famers is 61.4, which probably best illustrates where Cueto stands (his is 30.0)

One guy that will get in is Zack Grieinke, 32nd all time with a JAWS of 62.5, just above Tom Glavine (62.4) and just below Clayton Kershaw (62.8).

Cueto has a case for hall of very good, but he ain't no Candy Cummings. You gotta at least be a Candy Cummings to be a real HOF candidate.

I believe Baltimore is now on the hook for all of that $1.4M for O'Hearn. So the Royals actually ended up paying $0 for him.

If this was the plan all along - make that deal so they can trade him - it is more understandable. I guess.

January 4: Hosmer and the Cubs are now in agreement, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

I dont get why they signed him to trade him, for cash?

I am guessing that the Royals knew that a team like the Orioles could see some value in Ryan O'Hearn. They may have even talked about a possible trade before the Royals signed him to the $1.4 one-year contract. I could not find what cash the Royals received, but probably not that much. The Orioles have a player that might help them. The Royals might have received $25,000 in cash.

From Spotrac.com - https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/baltimore-orioles/payroll/
Baltimore Orioles
Ryan O'Hearn 29 1B Arb 2 1 $1,400,000
So Orioles are paying Ryan the entire $1.4M

I can seeing them doing that as a solid for Ohrearn maybe but not to help the Orioles without other compensation like a player...weird deal

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Padres, Marlins vying for free-agent right-hander Johnny Cueto, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a>. Reds also interested.</p>&mdash; Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1610731603650613249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Of course we are punting. The Sherminator is a cheaper version of Glass

As the O'Hearn turns....

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We have made the following roster moves: <a href="https://t.co/WXqXk4Ar1p">pic.twitter.com/WXqXk4Ar1p</a></p>&mdash; Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) <a href="https://twitter.com/Orioles/status/1611076331684364290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Time to bring O'Hearn home! Get it done JJ.

WTF is going on?

Front offices have nothing to do, so they’re making themselves look busy so ownership doesn’t think they’re playing fantasy football, cards, or watching pron all day

And then DNA'd him. :hmmm:

All the teams thar don't spend money have basically sat around with their thumbs up their asses.

I think someone in the 2022 Royals thread asked about Eric Hosmer and how much Padres and Red Sox were still paying him.

According to Spotrac.com

Cubs - 2023 $720,000 1-year contract
Red Sox - 2023 $720,000, 2024 $740,000, 2025 $760,000 All Dead Money
Padres - 2023 $12,280,000

From a few days ago -

When will this begin and who do we sign or trade for?

Carlos Rodón (30 years old, 11.1 WAR) -- Signed 6-year deal with NYY (Dec. 21)
Clayton Kershaw (35, 7.2) -- Signed 1-year deal with LAD (Dec. 5)
Jacob deGrom (35, 7.1) -- Signed 5-year deal with TEX (Dec. 2)
Nathan Eovaldi (33, 6.7) -- Signed 2-year deal with TEX (Dec. 27)
Chris Bassitt (34, 6.3) -- Signed 3-year deal with TOR (Dec. 16)
Tyler Anderson (33, 6.1) -- Signed 3-year deal with LAA (Nov. 16)
Justin Verlander (40, 6.1) -- Signed 2-year deal with NYM (Dec. 7)
Kyle Gibson (34, 4.8) -- Signed 1-year deal with BAL (Dec. 5)
Corey Kluber (37, 4.5) -- Reported 1-year deal with BOS
Martín Pérez (31, 4.5) -- Accepted QO from TEX (Nov. 15)
Sean Manaea (31, 4.4) -- Signed 2-year deal with SF (Dec. 16)
José Quintana (33, 4.3) -- Signed 2-year deal with NYM (Dec. 9)
Jameson Taillon (31, 4.2) -- Signed 4-year deal with CHC (Dec. 19)
Taijuan Walker (29, 3.9) -- Signed 4-year deal with PHI (Dec. 16)
Wade Miley (36, 3.5) -- Reported 1-year deal with MIL
Zach Eflin (29, 3.5) -- Signed 3-year deal with TB (Dec. 13)
Rich Hill (42, 3.4) -- Signed 1-year deal with PIT (Jan. 5)
Ross Stripling (33, 3.4) -- Signed 2-year deal with SF (Dec. 13)
Zack Greinke (38, 3.1)
Michael Wacha (30, 2.6)
Andrew Heaney (31, 2.2) -- Signed 2-year deal with TEX (Dec. 9)
Noah Syndergaard (30, 2.2) -- Signed 1-year deal with LAD (Dec. 16)
Mike Minor (35, 1.9)
Trevor Williams (30, 1.8) -- Signed 2-year deal with WSH (Dec. 10)
Jordan Lyles (31, 1.6) -- Signed 2-year deal with KC (Dec. 28)
Drew Smyly (33, 1.6) -- Signed 2-year deal with CHC (Dec. 24)
Erick Fedde (30, 1.6)
Matthew Boyd (32, 1.5) -- Signed 1-year deal with DET (Dec. 14)
Joe Ross (29, 1.4)
Michael Lorenzen (31, 1.3) -- Signed 1-year deal with DET (Dec. 20)
Ryan Yarbrough (31, 1.3) -- Signed 1-year deal with KC (Dec. 13)
José Ureña (31, 1.1) -- Signed 1-year deal with COL (Nov. 11)
Michael Pineda (33, 0.9)
Dylan Bundy (29, 0.7)
Chris Archer (33, 0.7)
Aaron Sanchez (30, 0.6)
Carlos Martinez (30, 0.6)
Zach Davies (30, 0.5) -- Reported deal with ARI
Mike Clevinger (32, 0.4) -- Signed 1-year deal with CWS (Dec. 4)
Chad Kuhl (29, 0.4)
Dallas Keuchel (35, 0.3)
Chase Anderson (35, -0.2)
Mike Foltynewicz (30, -0.7)
Kohei Arihara (30, -0.9)
Kodai Senga (30, N/A) -- Signed 5-year deal with NYM (Dec. 17)

I have a feeling Greinke will be back.

Surprised Wacha is still unsigned. Was there an injury at season end I didn’t hear about?

The 2023 Baseball Forecaster gives Wacha an F health grade, and states he had 54 days of IL stints this past season, which included inflammation in his right shoulder. The other injury was an intercostal muscle strain on his left side.

Carlos Correa deal with the Mets might be blowing up as well. Anything that screws over Scott Boras is good with me.

Dodgers released Trevor Bauer. Its worth at least kicking the tires on IMO. Royals coaching staff has ties with him from Cleveland.

Bauer would be controversial but a high ceiling option. Plus we’d only be on the hook for the league minimum. Dodgers pay everything else.

Bauer one of the better pitchers in the game. of course you sign him if you can.

I'd sign Bauer to a multi year deal. He's already being paid by Cleveland and I can't see a team paying him a ton of very many teams offering him multi years. I'd go out to 3 years with a club option on that 3rd year.

If he's still as good as before, then him and Singer are a hell of a 1/2 punch and we may actually be able to compete.

Well Bauer would be a great pickup...not expecting though.

Due league minimum if not traded in the next 7 days. Sign me up. Small market small media team ideal for him to rehab career.

Kauffman is a hell of a stadium for a pitcher to help restart his career.

Yeah...i agree. Plus maybe he can finally go fetch that ball he launched over center field.;)

I was there that day!

It was a day game btw

You'd need a non lazy fanbase that goes beyond hearsay headline accusations to sign Bauer. I'd take him on the Cubs but Chicago aint that fanbase.

So the A's and Marlins since they have no fans lol

A's are out. They are in California.

Probably more like some team in Japan. Or he can just continue doing shit on YouTube where he's probably doing pretty well for himself.

Regarding Trevor Bauer:

I suspect he'll be picky about where he signs and only sign a one-year deal, wherever he goes.


I would be strongly in favor of bringing him into KC, even on a one-year deal, as midseason trade bait if nothing else.

Bauer is fantastic and his methods and approach as a pitcher line up with the new staff. He needs a prove-it opportunity in a low intensity environment, and I don't see much reason that CAN'T be Kansas City.

I have to imagine the Royals are pretty PR conscious at the moment with needing the public's support for a new stadium. The Kansas City Star, most assuredly, will be licking their chops to write expose after expose and letters to the ownership team eviscerating the Royals for signing Bauer and what it means for the MLB to be supporting violence against women.

I think it depends on whether the Royals FO thinks they can weather that potential storm and whether that storm could impact their future objectives as an ownership group.

I wouldn't be shocked to see the Astros sign him. They traded for Osuna who had probably the most damning case against him for DV.

Him and Singer would be a nice Saturday - Sunday back to back at the ol' ball park.

175 IP and a 1.35 WHIP would buy a lot more goodwill than doing the woke thing.

The issue is though baseball suspended him to look good. All of the evidence in that case is on his side, hence why nothing legally happened.

I'm sure the Astros will jump all over him.

WASP did the same for Reek, but the Chiefs had to get through the Star's barrage (that led to a national barrage) to get there. We'll see if the Royals would be willing to take that on, especially with how high profile some of the names are in their ownership group.

Was this in the last thread and why hasn't a bigger deal been made about it?

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-reporte...171038661.html

MLB reportedly used three baseballs during 2022 season, and Yankees might've benefitted most
Chris Cwik
December 7, 2022, 2:22 pm
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 27: Rawlings baseballs behind netting ahead of the MLB game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Angels at Rogers Centre on August 27, 2022 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
MLB reportedly used three different baseballs in 2022. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
It wouldn't be an MLB offseason without a baseball-related scandal. Despite commissioner Rob Manfred insisting that one baseball would be used during the 2022 MLB season, there is evidence that three different baseballs were utilized, according to Bradford William Davis of Insider.

That conclusion comes courtesy of Dr. Meredith Wills, an astrophysicist who has conducted various studies on MLB balls the past couple of years. Dr. Wills managed to collect a sample of 204 baseballs from the 2022 MLB season and determined that three types of balls were used in games: The dead ball MLB promised it would use, the "juiced" balls that were used in previous seasons and a third ball that split the difference. Dr. Wills dubbed the third ball the "Goldilocks ball" given that its measurements were between those of the "juiced" ball and the dead ball.


Every ball obtained by Dr. Wills met MLB's manufacturing specifications. Those specifications have come under scrutiny, however, as some have argued that the acceptable range for a legal baseball is too large and can result in "legal" baseballs that vary wildly in performance.

MLB purchased Rawlings, the company that makes baseballs for the league, in 2018.

Did the Yankees benefit from MLB using multiple balls?

The overwhelming majority of balls tested by Dr. Wills from 2022 wound up being the dead ball, which Manfred promised would be the sole ball used last season. The Goldilocks balls, which are more lively than dead balls, were found mostly in special instances, such as the postseason, the World Series, All-Star events and when the league used commemorative stamps on the ball.

Dr. Wills did find other instances of the Goldilocks ball being used in the regular season, and all of them occurred during New York Yankees games. These balls reportedly did not contain commemorative stamps, per Davis.

This conclusion comes after slugger Aaron Judge hit an American League-record 62 home runs in the 2022 MLB regular season. The league consistently promoted Judge's chase of the record, cutting into his at-bats to ensure that fans could watch him try to make history. Judge signed a nine-year, $360 million deal to stay with the Yankees on Wednesday.

MLB denies using multiple baseballs in 2022
The league denied Dr. Wills' conclusions, calling them "wholly inaccurate and just plain wrong," per Insider. A league spokesman claimed that only one ball was used in the 2022 MLB season. Rawlings said there was no "third ball" used in 2022, and the previously used "juiced" ball was taken out of circulation before the 2022 season.

MLB initially fought back against research suggesting that a different, livelier ball was used in 2019. Eventually, Manfred acknowledged that the balls had less drag due to a manufacturing change. Balls with less drag travel farther, which led to a home run explosion in 2019. A whopping 6,776 home runs were hit that year, shattering the all-time record for home runs in a season. Manfred later said the change was not intentional.

Manfred has attempted to correct the issue since, though evidence suggests that two different types of balls were used in 2021, which MLB confirmed. The league said the balls were used as a result of production delays stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

MLB players have expressed frustration with the baseballs
New York Mets pitcher Justin Verlander is among the biggest and most vocal critics of the baseball. Verlander publicly questioned Manfred in 2019, leading to Manfred's response about the "juiced" ball. Verlander also reportedly approached an MLB official in 2022 and asked in colorful language when the league would fix the baseballs, per Insider.

A number of players, including Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer, spoke to Insider and expressed suspicion about multiple balls being used in 2022. MLB reportedly warned San Francisco Giants outfielder Austin Slater about sending balls for "third-party testing," seemingly discouraging him from sending baseballs to Dr. Wills to be analyzed.

Why using different baseballs matters
Since purchasing Rawlings in 2018, MLB has been, at best, inconsistent when addressing possible changes to the ball. The league has at times admitted fault months after an issue was discovered and claimed changes were not intentional or were in the process of being fixed.

Despite that, the league continues to find itself embroiled in a ball scandal, the latest chapter of which casts doubt on one of the biggest stories around the league. It also sheds light on why players are concerned about the presence of multiple balls. If the Goldilocks ball was being used frequently or exclusively in Yankees games while Judge was chasing the AL home run record, does that take away from his accomplishment? Did it give the Yankees an advantage if they were seeing more hitter-friendly balls than other teams? Did this advantage contribute to Judge getting an extra $130 million from the Yankees after rejecting a deal in spring training?

If the Goldilocks balls were used during Yankees games at a higher rate than for other teams and MLB had no idea, that suggests incompetence among those in charge of baseball distribution. If this was an intentional strategy, it calls into question the integrity of the games. Can fans trust the results of contests if they are influenced by the type of ball being used? What's more, in addition to very real on-the-field concerns, MLB's willingness to embrace sports betting adds another unsavory layer to this potential scandal.

Given all those issues, it's more important than ever that MLB understands how, where and when baseballs are being used. In recent seasons, the league has repeatedly failed to inspire faith in that regard.

Home start time released. Also have new start times for night games in April, May and September. Moving them up 30 minutes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">First pitch times for our 2023 home schedule are here! <a href="https://t.co/kfV8oD8bXT">pic.twitter.com/kfV8oD8bXT</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1612480027949416448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Cueto $8.5 mil for 1-year deal with Marlins.

Guess that didn't interest this ownership group? Assuming he wanted $2mil more to play for/in KC. 1 year deal at $10.5mil would still be pretty good value.

Sherman's group is making Glass look like Cohen at this point. The 2023 team won't win 70 games.

They weren't lying when they said they weren't spending any money this year...

In baseball terms, spending $8.5-10.5 million on a pitcher is about the same as not spending any money.

I didn't expect we had to take them literally when they said that. But apparently we should have.

Let's be real, it's possible Sherman has no money or has no interest in spending money until he gets his stadium.

Meh. Fine with it.

We actually have a competent coaching staff now. Let the new pitching specialists and coaches see what they can do with all the young arms we have. Still feel there's a lot of untapped potential there that were missing out on. They literally had ****ing morons working with them at the major league level. That has to be taken into consideration.

They still do need to add a veteran arm to pair with Singer at the top of the rotation. Wouldn't mind them bringing Zack back for a year if he's still available. Think he showed some positive signs the second half of the year that there's still some juice to squeeze out of there, but this year is likely his last.

After 2023, I think you're gonna see Sherman and his group's spending starting to trend up. Especially if he's wanting to build a new ballpark downtown and have it ready to go by 2026 (which is the rumor). He's going to want fans to be excited about the team and the new ballpark and wanna spend money. That's not gonna happen if you're still putting a garbage product on the field that's losing 85-95 games a year.

I think he'll be motivated to spend some money this next off-season, but I guess we'll see.

Yeah I'm not sure what bringing Johnny Cueto on a 1 year deal brings you

Sent from my SM-S906U1 using Tapatalk

https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/...JDHwZo8IVxz8RQ


Royals sign 1b/OF Matt Beaty

https://www.baseball-reference.com/p...eatyma01.shtml

Yes!! FINALLY we have someone to go with JACK & SHIT!!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Royals currently have one of the most homegrown teams in baseball <a href="https://t.co/X8VYxFEnob">https://t.co/X8VYxFEnob</a> <a href="https://t.co/w4sBcWP6G1">pic.twitter.com/w4sBcWP6G1</a></p>&mdash; Royals Review (@royalsreview) <a href="https://twitter.com/royalsreview/status/1612826871779008513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

He IS Jack Shit.

I'd be ok with this, if the development system wasn't so bad (pitching).

Master Beaty

Dude seems injury prone, but he hasn't been terrible in years he's played a decent amount. .750+ OPS