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👑 January 17- 31 - Sorting Depth, Defining Roles, Trusting the Plan
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – GM/Manager's Dual Log)
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The second half of January settled into a quieter rhythm on the surface, but beneath it ran some of the most consequential threads of the offseason. This stretch felt less like roster construction and more like organisational alignment—staffing, philosophy, and long-horizon bets beginning to take shape. This is the stretch where optimism gives way to responsibility.

The international offers are out. Nothing more to do there but wait—and waiting is its own discipline. You learn quickly not to fall in love with projections, not to count names that haven’t signed, not to let excitement outrun patience. The board stays clean. The phone stays quiet. That silence is part of the job.
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January 17 — Setting the Voice of the Staff

The day began with clarity. Michael Porter agreed to a three-year contract to serve as the club's pitching coach heading into 2025. This wasn't just a hire—it was a statement. Porter's reputation, particularly in mechanics and pitcher development, aligned directly with how I want this staff to evolve: process-driven, patient, and built to support both immediate contributors and longer-term arms coming through the system.

From a manager's seat, this move stabilized the room. From the GM's chair, it locked in continuity—one less variable as spring approached.
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January 20–29 — International Free Agency Comes Into Focus

The international signing window unfolded in stages rather than a single decisive moment.

By the end of this stretch:

• LF Santos Jarmillo agreed to a minor league deal for a $780,000 bonus
• 1B Santos Torres followed, signing for a $480,000 bonus

Figure 1. Teenage Bats Enter the System



Perspective: Santos Jaramillo (LF) and Santos Torres (1B) represent contrasting offensive profiles entering the system—Jaramillo built around speed and instincts, Torres around strength and contact projection. Neither is rushed; both are long-term bets.

These signings left approximately $3.49M in remaining allocation, but also clarified something important: we had already committed to a certain profile. Two corner or utility-type players were now in the system, narrowing both need and appetite for similar skill sets.

Figure 2. International Amateur Pipeline: January 31 Snapshot



Perspective: Pending international amateur free agent offers as January closes. The board reflects a volume-first strategy—diversifying risk across multiple high-upside teenagers rather than anchoring the class to a single bonus-heavy signing.

The early strategy had been ambitious—targeting SP Robert Garcia and SP Humberto Jaime at the top of the market. Losing both to the Twins and Giants, respectively, forced a recalibration. Rather than impulsively chase the remainder, I opted for restraint. International free agency rewards patience as often as aggression, and this felt like a moment to let the board breathe.
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January 22 — The Weight of History

The Hall of Fame results landed quietly but carried emotional gravity.
• Billy Wagner (79.1%, 10th year) — Inducted
• Ichiro Suzuki (72.1%, 1st year)
• Carlos Beltrán (71.7%, 3rd year)

Beltrán falling short again struck close to home. A living Royals legend, still seven years from the end of eligibility, hovering just outside the threshold. It was a reminder—baseball honors patience, longevity, and perspective. Not everything resolves on the first ballot, or even the third.

That lesson echoed the rest of the month.
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Coaching Alignment and the Shape of the System

As January unfolded, my attention shifted inward. It became clear this stretch was less about adding pieces and more about testing the structure we've built.
Depth charts don’t lie, but they don’t show the whole truth either. On paper, there’s balance. In reality, there are cracks. Some roles seem solid—established and reliable. Others seem temporary, held together by health assumptions and best-case outcomes. I keep shifting between thinking about the “entire organization” and just “prospects,” not because I’m unsure, but because I’m testing my own convictions. As a manager, I think in innings and leverage. As a GM, I think in months and attrition.

Figure 3. January 31 Personnel Map



Perspective: A full personnel snapshot at the end of January. The emphasis is no longer on star coaches, but on continuity—keeping instructors in place long enough for systems to take hold.

The decision to bring Michael Porter into the organization wasn't just about upgrading the major league coaching staff. It was an assessment of where our pitching pipeline has succeeded—and where it has quietly stalled. Porter's strength lies in consistency: mechanics, terminology, expectations. The goal is clear — arms should not arrive in Kansas City needing translation. If a pitcher reaches the majors, he should already understand what is expected of him and why. That clarity exposed gaps. And clarity, at this stage of the calendar, is a competitive advantage.

🧢 Coaching & Minor League Infrastructure

At the minor league level, January forced firmer conclusions. Conversations shifted decisively from projection to accountability. Pitchers were no longer described in open-ended terms; they were assigned lanes. Starters were given inning targets and pitch-development priorities. Relievers were evaluated on leverage suitability rather than raw stuff. Position players faced similar assessments — Versatility remained valuable, but clarity became the priority. Players were told not just where they would open the season, but why.

There was also a subtle tightening of standards across the system. Fewer “courtesy” roster spots. Less patience for stalled progress. Development requires honesty, and honesty requires decisions that narrow options rather than extend them. This is where depth is quietly won. Not stars. Stability. The kind that keeps you from rushing a kid too soon or overextending a bullpen arm in April. The hardest part is not acting just to feel progress.

Our Midwest League coaching staff has some stability since HC B.J. Roper-Hubbert is contracted through 2028 and MA Brooks Conrad through 2026. Therefore, they will not be affected by my reorganization. PC Derrick Lewis's contract expires after this season, and I plan to let it run out without re-signing him. I considered promoting PC John Habyan as his replacement, but at 61, he might want to retire. I can wait until September to see what his plans are.

On the other hand, all of our Texas League (AA) coaching staff contracts are set to expire this year, and I won’t be dealing with all of them coming late this season. That’s where I'll build in some continuity. MA Tommy Shields and HC Andy LaRoche have the coaching skills to get through this season, so I'll handle their contracts in September.

My reorganization begins and ends with PC Larry Carter, but I won't make any moves until his work in the development lab with pitching prospect Felix Arronde is finished in a couple of weeks. That allows any work he has done with Arronde to be completed, whether it's successful or not, and the staff will start fresh with a new PC this season.

Figure 4. Double-A Stability: Larry Carter



Perspective: Larry Carter remains a steady presence at Double-A—valued less for innovation than for consistency, communication, and trust with pitchers navigating the hardest level jump in professional baseball.

My target to replace Larry is a younger, much stronger coach named Woody Heath from Oakland, CA. He also has some management experience, which could benefit our system in the future.

Figure 5. Philosophical Shift: Woody Heath



Perspective: Woody Heath’s profile reflects the organization’s quiet philosophical shift—prioritizing development mechanics, aging curves, and pitcher-specific growth over rigid statistical benchmarks.

The organisation has depth now, particularly at the margins, and January forced an acknowledgement that not everyone can be carried forward indefinitely. I want competition without chaos, clarity without comfort. The best version of this team won't be handed jobs; it will earn them in small, unremarkable ways. Several players now sit clearly on the clock—not as punishment, but as reality.

From the GM’s perspective, these adjustments are about protecting long-term value. From the manager’s perspective, they are about trust — trust that when a player is promoted later this season, he will arrive aligned with the standards of the clubhouse rather than needing time to recalibrate.

By the end of the month, the organization felt more defined. Not optimized. Not complete. But measurable.

And at this point on the calendar, being measurable matters more than being comfortable.
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Closing Reflection

By month's end, no single move dominated the ledger—but the structure was firmer. Coaching roles clarified. International priorities sharpened. Expectations—internally and externally—settled into something realistic and earned.

There's also a personal shift I always notice at this point. The reflective tone of the offseason begins to fade. I'm still thinking like an architect, but I can feel the manager stepping forward—less patient with hypotheticals, more focused on execution. Soon, the questions will start being about trust.

January ends without fireworks, headline moves, or dramatic turns. It was the month of alignment. And that's fine.

Because when camp opens fully, when uniforms replace spreadsheets and routines replace plans, I want this team walking in prepared — quietly confident, structurally sound, and aware that nothing is promised beyond the work in front of us.

The season doesn't start in February, but it's decided by how you finish January.
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👑 FOR THE CROWN — ALWAYS

Kansas City Royals 2025 Preseason | January 2025

⚾ Prepared by: Manager & General Manager — Kansas City Royals Organization