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December 06-14, 2024 — Angles, Offers, and the Art of Holding Firm
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)
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December 6-7 — Trade Sparks from San Francisco

The first real tremor of December rolled in from the West Coast.

Pete Putila of the Giants called with a proposal:

19-year-old catcher Axiel Plaz, 22-year-old RHP Manuel Mercedes, and 23-year-old LHP Jack Choate
for
30-year-old RHP John Schreiber and 18-year-old RF Tony Ruiz.

J.J. Picollo stayed neutral on it, which surprised me. Normally, he’ll lean one way or another when young prospects are involved. But in the quiet space between my own instinct and the AGM’s indifference, I saw something I could accept.

The prospect profiles were young, raw, and imperfect — but the return aligned with our long-term strategy. And after last month’s system purge, we have room in the lower minors for bodies, arms, and lottery tickets. We needed to reseed the lower levels after November’s system cuts.

This trade felt like a direct injection of depth. The deal also returned $2.0 million in cash, which never hurts.

Figure 1: Trade Proposal — SF Giants Deal



Schreiber had been the quiet backbone of our bullpen — serviceable, reliable, professional — but he doesn’t swing our trajectory anymore. For his career, Schreiber posted an 8-8 record with 16 saves in 169 games. The 30-year-old ran up 195 strikeouts and compiled a 3.94 ERA. Ruiz, meanwhile, is talented but far from polished.

It feels strange to say goodbye to a guy who’s been here for so long, but building a contender isn’t a sentimental endeavor. It’s a blueprint — and sometimes a demolition.

I made the call before lunch and pulled the trigger by noon.

If this one comes back to bite me, I’ll take the blame. But I doubt it will.
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December 8 — Hall of Fame Ballots Released

The ballot arrived this morning — a reminder that baseball’s memory lasts far longer than its news cycles.

My vote goes to Carlos Beltrán, as it always will. I remember watching him play in Kansas City — fluid, instinctive, and electric. Whatever controversies followed him, he remains a KC legend in my eyes. His stats are facts, well-established before all the other stuff. Pete Rose, too.

Figure 2: 2025 Hall of Fame Ballot



Some players are statistics. Some are stories. Beltrán was both and became a reference point.
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December 9 — Two Quiet Minor League Additions

While preparing for Dallas, we inked a pair of minor league deals:

LF Yorvis Torrealba. A natural leader — a captain — who will stabilize the AA clubhouse in Arkansas. Depth piece? Yes. But also, glue.

Figure 3: Yorvis Torrealba Player Profile



RHP Ricardo Velez. A four-pitch flyball guy with developmental upside. Assigned to High-A Quad Cities. Could climb if his command holds.

Figure 4: Ricardo Velez Player Profile



Not headline moves — but meaningful ones. The kind of additions that prevent holes in August.

We also released another pair of fringe prospects as roster balancing continues ahead of finalizing Rule 5 protection. Necessary trims. Necessary discomforts.
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December 10 — Scouting Report: Sergio Nunez

Jason McLeod submitted his complete assessment of IAFA pitcher Sergio Nunez, and it echoed OSA almost exactly:

• 60 overall
• 80 potential
• Command-forward
• Mid-rotation upside
• Low volatility

Nothing groundbreaking — but consistency across evaluators matters. And the timing couldn’t have been better as I boarded a flight to Dallas.

This trip had a different tone than last season. I walked into the Winter Meetings not as a newcomer but as someone who understands the machine now — where it squeaks, where it grinds, and where it lies.
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December 11 — Winter Meetings, Day One: The Big Domino Falls

I woke up in the Hilton Anatole with a fresh scouting email from McLeod — a new discovery: 16-year-old SS José Corona out of Venezuela.

Raw, flawed, undeveloped — and McLeod openly admitted as much. For the first time, I questioned his read. But even questionable prospects get a folder in the IAFA room. The long game is about volume as much as talent.

But before I could dwell on that, the noise started.

Jordan Montgomery accepted our offer.

BNN got it minutes before the official announcement:

6 years, $16,666,666 per year. $100 million total.

It is the biggest contract I’ve handed out in two seasons — and the most confident I’ve ever been in one.

Montgomery is precisely what we need:

A stabilizer.
A tone-setter.
A pitcher who raises the floor and the ceiling.

This wasn’t just a signing. It was a statement. A franchise-defining move.

This signing changed the entire tone of KC’s presence at the Winter Meetings — suddenly, teams viewed us differently.

And their phone calls revealed it.

Beeks, Turnbull, and Thompson all signaled they’re leaning our way. The pitching core for 2025 is beginning to take shape.
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December 12 — Winter Meetings, Day Two: System Check

I called home early and told the staff to comb through the minors again — look for weak spots, redundancies, anyone we can’t keep, anyone we can’t afford to lose.

Rule 5 is around the corner. Surprises happen every year, and I want none of them.
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December 13 — Winter Meetings, Day Three: Cubs Come Calling

Once word spread about Montgomery…

…Brady Singer’s phone started ringing through mine.

Carter Hawkins of the Cubs came in with the most aggressive Singer offer yet:

INF Jefferson Rojas (19)
LF Ezequiel Pagan (24)
RHP Manuel Espinoza (24)
for Brady Singer and LHP Hunter Owen

Figure 5: Trade Proposal — Chicago Cubs Deal



It wasn’t a bad package. Honestly, it was the most tempting Singer offer I’ve seen this offseason. And it gave me pause.

But when my AGM flatly said, “Not a deal I would do,” I felt the weight shift.

Singer is still our hinge. Maybe not our ace — but our pivot.

I told Hawkins I’d think about it.

Sometimes leadership is about knowing when your lieutenant is right.

Singer stays — unless a true needle-mover comes through.
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December 14 — Winter Meetings Close

The last day always feels like watching someone unplug an entire convention center. The buzz fades. The deals slow. Everyone heads home with half-scribbled notes, unfinished ideas, and a plan to pick up again next week.

Before leaving Dallas, I reviewed our Rule 5 protections with the staff. We’re exposed in a couple of spots, but not vulnerable. We should be safe — should being the operative word.

I flew back to Kansas City that evening, sat at my desk, stared at my notes, and let it all settle. The truth of our Winter Meetings week?

We didn’t make any headline-chasing trades.

We didn’t cave to pressure.

We didn’t sacrifice depth for noise.

Instead, we:

• Added a frontline starter
• Secured pitching depth
• Held firm on Singer
• Rebalanced the lower minors
• Strengthened IAFA scouting
• Positioned ourselves cleanly for Rule 5 and January

For a week known for chaos, ours was controlled.

And in the long arc of this rebuild — the real kind, the patient kind — control is everything. It is the rarest resource in a contender's architecture.
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Built for the Crown — OOTP25 Royals Journey (December 6-14)

Winter Meetings Complete • Montgomery Signed • Depth Reforged • Vision Sharpened
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