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November 2, 2024 — Reinforcing the Development Framework
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)

The second morning of the offseason carried a different kind of weight — not the emotional weight of reflection like yesterday, but the structural weight of decisions that shape everything beneath the major-league surface. Today wasn’t about players. Today was about the people who help build them.

The first shift in the foundation arrived with the news I’d been expecting someday but not quite yet: Dane Johnson, our Triple-A Omaha pitching coach, announced his retirement. One year left on his contract, and I thought Mike Jirschele — Omaha’s longtime manager — would be the one to bow out first. But baseball never follows your expectations. Mike wants one more run, and I respect that—a steady hand matters.

But Dane’s departure opened a critical gap. Triple-A is the final forge before Kansas City. Whoever holds that pitching coach seat needs to develop more than arms — they need to build confidence, durability, and repeatable mechanics.

After scanning the waiver wire, I found a name that checked every box: Logan Chitwood. Young, sharp, mechanics-focused, and equipped with the kind of teaching temperament that turns raw velocity into actual pitching. I didn’t hesitate: five years at $155K per. If he can help clean the final stretch before a pitcher hits Kauffman, this could be one of the offseason's most important moves.
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Figure 1. AAA Omaha Coaching Change – Logan Chitwood Contract Offer


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While that was unfolding, I finally confronted two long-standing issues I’d been dragging behind me since last spring. The first was our major-league trainer, Kyle Turner.

Last year’s injury totals weren’t a coincidence. Four starting pitchers going down with arm injuries felt less like bad luck and more like bad maintenance. Rehab setbacks, unclear fatigue management — it all added up. I trust players to tell me when something feels wrong, but I expect the trainer to know before that.

So today, I made the call. His buyout is heavy, and the replacement I want isn’t cheap either — Pat Rose, with a five-year, $500K offer. But this is an investment in innings, availability, and the durability our rotation desperately lacked.
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Figure 2. MLB Staff Adjustment – Offer to Trainer Pat Rose


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The next issue pulled at me all season: hitting coach Alec Zumwalt. A brilliant baseball mind, but his inability to connect with pertinent players and staff created unnecessary friction. In a clubhouse still building its identity, we couldn’t afford that.

So, I made another correction today: a five-year, $700K offer to Doug Robbins, a 23-year veteran who believes in patience, discipline, and mental steadiness at the plate. Those qualities match exactly where our offense needs to evolve.
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Figure 3. MLB Hitting Coach Transition – Doug Robbins Contract Offer


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With those major decisions made, I shifted my focus toward the broader developmental chain. Strong organizations don’t just develop players — they develop systems. And while our High-A and Double-A clubs performed marginally last season, that stability is worth protecting. I thought...There’s no sense in tipping the apple cart completely over.

Derrick Lewis (A+) and Larry Carter (AA) will stay in place. They’ve earned that continuity, and although the performance metrics don't back it up, not every offseason move requires complete disruption. Besides, I may later decide to move on from either or both as the season progresses and more statistics become available. Sometimes the strategic move is recognizing what will have the greatest impact at the moment of the decision and waiting on those that have less impact.
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Figure 4. Minor League Development Structure – Coaching Stability


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When I zoom out from these moves, the pattern becomes clearer: We’re reinforcing the entire pipeline — from the bottom of the ladder to the trainers and coaches who touch every inning we play. This isn’t a splashy offseason. It’s a structural one. And structure, when built correctly, lasts longer than a single breakout year.

Today wasn’t glamorous, but days like this quietly determine whether an organization rises or stays stuck. For the first time in a while, it feels like we’re building upward — deliberately, piece by piece.
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Figure 5. Front Office & Coaching Staff Strategic Reorganization – Pending Offers


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The foundation is being rebuilt — one steady, deliberate step at a time.

Built for the Crown — OOTP25 Royals Journey
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