Zero to Hero - A Scotsman in MLB

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MLB Standings





Kansas City Results



Kansas City Team Statistics



A couple of highlights for the Royals as Marquis Foggie (141 wRC+) tied a Royals record with 3 HRs in the 21-0 destruction of the Reds.

Later in the month Curt Bogans pitched the first no-hitter of the MLB season as he threw 11 strikes and walked 2 in a 2-0 victory over the Yankees.

Transactions & Injuries

Monday, August 3rd , 2037
Sent 2B Edgar Mir to Triple A Omaha for injury rehab.
Sent 1B Juan Moreno to Triple A Omaha for injury rehab.
Friday, August 7th , 2037
Assigned 1B Tim Spears to Triple A Omaha.
Sunday, August 16th , 2037
Sent 3B Jeremy Rogerson to Triple A Omaha for injury rehab.
Thursday, August 20th , 2037
Sent RP Jimmy Lininger to Triple A Omaha for injury rehab.
Friday, August 21st , 2037
Optioned SS Jon Basiliere to Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of 2B Edgar Mir from Triple A Omaha.
Optioned 1B Rogelio Camacho to Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of 1B Juan Moreno from Triple A Omaha.
Friday, August 28th , 2037
Optioned RP Chris Wolff to Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of SP Kevin Azeem from Triple A Omaha.
Monday, August 31st , 2037
1B Juan Moreno was injured while running the bases. The diagnosis is not yet known.

The cavalry are coming for the Royals as Edgar Mir and Juan Moreno returned form injury, did a AAA injury rehab and came straight back to the starting lineup on August 21st. In addition, Jeremy Rogerson returned from his broken tibia and is finishing up an injury rehab to add another elite bat to the Royals line up in September.

On the pitching side Jimmy Lininger is on an injury rehab while Kevin Azeem returned on the 28th.

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MLB Standings

The Royals clinched the AL Central on the 28th by sweeping the Giants in a three-game home series. That is the 6th divisional title of Stewart’s time with the Giants, and 13th overall for the ballclub.The previous day, the 2037 Royals had become Kansas City’s first 100-win team in 60 years!

The AL divisions are all set with the Yankees (92-66) winning the East and the Avalanche (92-66) the West.

The Dodgers (98-59) in the West and Brewers (89-66) in the Central have also clinched which means only the NL East remains undecided, the Braves (93-65) and Mets (92-65) battling out for the crown.



Only the Guardians (94-63) have secured a post season wild card so far in the American League, although the Mariners (85-72) and White Sox (84-73) have the inside track.

In the National League, the teams are set with the Phillies (86-72) and the Padres (85-72) joining the runner up from the East as the Wild Card teams.



Kansas City Results



Kansas City Team Statistics



The Royals took both the batting and pitching monthly awards in the AL. Two Player of the Week Awards saw Edgar Mir win Batter of the Month, hitting .467 with 8 home runs, 25 RBIs and 22 runs scored.

The Pitcher of the Month Awards went to Min-ho Kim of Kansas City for his outstanding 4-0 record and 1.10 ERA. Kim also chalked up 5 starts, 32.2 innings and 32 strikeouts.

Transactions & Injuries

Tuesday, September 1st , 2037
RP Luis Bravo was designated for assignment and placed on waivers.
Purchased the contract of 3B Jeremy Rogerson from Triple A Omaha.
Tuesday, September 8th , 2037
Assigned RP Luis Bravo to Triple A Omaha.
Friday, September 18th , 2037
Optioned RP Eli Cavanagh to Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of RP Jimmy Lininger from Triple A Omaha.
Monday, September 28th , 2037
RP Ethan Chafin diagnosed with a strained hamstring, will miss 6-7 weeks.
Purchased the contract of RP Eli Cavanagh from Triple A Omaha.
Tuesday, September 29th , 2037
Sent 2B Matt Shaw to Triple A Omaha for injury rehab.

Jeremy Rogerson (138 wRC+) returned from his injury rehab and slotted straight back into the lineip with Jimmy Lininger following suit on the 18th. His return was very welcome 10 days later as Ethan Chafin was ruled out for the rest of the season with a strained hamstring.

Minor League News

Texas League (AA) Batter of the Month: Bryant Rumbolt (2037 MiLFA) .323 average, 5 HR, 14 RBIs.

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The Royals win 4-5 to finish the season with the best record in Kansas City history, beating the class of 1977 by 4 games and also clinching the best record in baseball, by 5 games from the Dodgers.

The Mariners and the White Sox held on to secure the final two Wild Card spots in the AL, joining the Guardians. Over in the NL, it was the Braves who clinched the East, sending the Mets to join the Phillies and Padres in the Wild Card positions.



The Royals over performed their expected record by a couple of games but would still have had the best record in baseball with a +224 run differential showing their elite performance. Left handed pitching was a bit of a lottery for them though so could be a problem in the postseason.

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The Royals will take on the winner of the Seattle (86-76) – Cleveland (97-65) Wild Card Series. The Divisional rivals have never meet in the postseason while Kansas City beat the Mariners 3-2 in the Division Series back in 2030.

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It’s a 2030 rematch in the Division Series after the Mariners go into Cleveland and take two-of-three, including a 2-0 shutout in the decider, to knock out the 97-win Guardians.

The Royals swept the Mariners 6-0 during the regular season, which also gives pause for thought entering the postseason.

They are more of a pitching team (3rd in the AL in runs against), with their top two pitchers (Tyler Bremner and Billy Almarez) both recording season ERAs under 2.85. On the hitting side, the team is led by former ROTY, 2033 AL MVP, 6-time All star LF Mike Miller (playing CF for the Mariners this year) and their 2030 International Amateur two-time All-Star 2B Luis Santana.

Game 1 in Kansas City: Mike Hoffer vs. CJ Sampson (2037 Trade TEX)
• Seattle wins 18-10
• Sampson: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R
• Hoffer (L): 1.2 IP, 7 H, 9 R
• Q.V. Demaree (W): 2.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R
• Seattle HRs: Mike Miller, Keon Johnson (3R), Kevon Blakes
• POTY: Tim Storer 4-5
• 1-0 Seattle

Game 2 in Kansas City: Min-ho Kim vs. Gaige Sewell (2031 2nd Round)
• Seattle wins 7-5
• Sewell: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R
• Kim: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R
• Steve Beck (W): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R
• Chris Wagner (L): 0.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R
• Amari Malachi (SV): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R
• 2-0 Seattle

Game 3 in Seattle: Curt Bogans vs. Tyler Bremner (2033 Trade MIN)
• Seattle wins 2-1
• Bremner: 6.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R
• Bogans: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R
• Malachi (W): 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R
• Jeremy Sidener (L): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R
• Seattle WINS 3-0

MVP: Tim Storer .538, 1 HR, 3 RBI

The Royals are heartbroken as they are swept out of the playoffs by a Seattle team that they beat in 6 straight games during the regular season. The best regular season in history ends in familiar frustration for Stewart and Kansas City.

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The Mets win their second World Series of the save, and first since 2028, beating their cross town rivals 4-2. 2030 1st round pick SS Josh O’Neill wins the MVP, to go with his Divisional and Championships MVPs in an incredible post season for the 26-year-old.

Kansas City Postseason Stats




The 10-run first game of the series skews the hitting stats as only TJ Pompey and Eric Rose post below league average wRC+. On the pitching side, Hoffer’s blow up sits alongside Chris Wagner’s 4Hs in 1.1 IP and Jeremy Lininger’s 5Hs in 1.2 IP as the reasons for the Royals early end to the season.

Owner Goal Review



Team Record:
The fans needed to see us in the playoffs this year and you guided the team and made it happen. I'm very happy you were able to meet this goal.

Upgrade a position:
You had faith in Marquis Foggie to become a top shortstop, and your trust in Foggie will hopefully lead to many years of success.

Acquire a player:
Well, you have figured out a great way to disappoint your boss and the owner of a popular baseball team. I wish you really would have worked harder when I asked you to bring in a Hometown player.

Build your farm:
I don't know what to say. I asked you to improve the farm system, and you've done nothing.

Improve your fan interest:
The fans have turned off to this team. Now is the time to do something about it.

Improve your team record:
I'm looking for better results in close games.

Long Term:
You made the playoffs. I had set out a longer vision to bring a championship to Kansas City by 2041, and that time isn't up yet. You do know it's been 22 years since this franchise has won? That may not be as bad as some teams, but I think the fans are starting to wonder when the next one will come.

Minor Leagues



Post Season

Omaha Storm Chasers [AAA] lost in 1st Round of the Playoffs.
Northwest Arkansas Naturals [AA] won the Championship (three-in-a-row).
Quad Cities River Bandits [A+] lost in 1st Round of the Playoffs.
Columbia Fireflies [A] missed the playoffs by 1 game.
Kansas City (ACL) Royals [R] missed the Playoffs by 6.5 games.
Kansas City (DSL) Royals Stewart [R] won Championship (three-in-a-row).
Kansas City (DSL) Royals Glass [R] lost in 2nd Round of the Playoffs (Stewart).

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International Amateurs

We just completed our monthly private practice with many young international amateur free agents who we hope can aid our club in the coming years. It was great to meet the players in-person and get to know them better, and I was able to improve my scouting assessment on all invitees.

In fact some of the players impressed me, since they showcased a higher potential than I had previously expected from them:

Juan Galindo, 16 year-old CF out of Venezuela
Lean and athletic, Juan Galindo hails from Los Dos Caminos, Venezuela. He is projected to provide well above average defense. He is a plus runner. Once he fully develops he should have enough be an above average power hitter. Galindo could be a second-division starter.

Jorge Velasco, 16 year-old SS out of Venezuela
Jorge Velasco is a long, lean athletic shortstop who was born in Ejido, Venezuela. He has an above average ability to put the ball in play and get hits. The power is more a projection right now, but he has above average power potential. Velasco profiles as an above average player.

It was a great practice and none of the invitees disappointed in showcasing their talent.

And other players that I was able to further assess were:
Jesus Becerra, 16 year-old 1B out of Dominican Republic
Jesus Bueno, 15 year-old SS out of Dominican Republic
David Espinoza, 15 year-old 3B out of Dominican Republic
Luis Aguilar, 16 year-old 3B out of Dominican Republic
Luis Carbajal, 16 year-old SS out of Dominican Republic
Edgar Castillo, 15 year-old RHP out of Venezuela
Kanne Hofsink, 16 year-old RHP out of The Netherlands
Juan Pompa, 16 year-old LF out of Panama

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Catchers

Sam Hart’s third full season in the big leagues is his best yet, the home-grown player providing 4.1 WAR as well as 4th highest framing score in the AL. Ajinkya Corley had a tough season and may benefit from a full season in AAA to see if he can get back on the development track.

Infield

Bobby Witt Jr. was not expected to play over 100 games and being forced to didn’t help him as he offered a career low 71 wRC+ leading to -0.4 WAR with his below average defense. The Royals will have one more chance to get him a ring with a $2.5 million team option which the heart will force the head to execte. Juan Moreno returned at the end of the season and hit at a 142 wRC+ level and his challenge will be to stay healthy in 2038 while Rogelio Camacho is likely at the end of his time with the Royals.

Edgar Mir missed a third of the season but still earned an All-Star selection and hit 26 HRs with a .329 average and 6.9 WAR, the 6th best Royals season by WAR of all time. He is a superstar and locked into 2B for the foreseeable future.

Jeremy Rogerson missed two-thirds of the season after a base running injury but had a 142 wRC+ with a .296 average and 3.7 RNG meaning he will start at 3B in 2038, with 2039 and 2040 team option years if a drop off does start. Eric Rose had 25 HRs but his -5.1 RNG means is not a Royals defensive profile so he is likely to move on due to the Stewart’s obsessive attempts to get Witt Jr. a ring.

Marquis Foggie had a 129 wRC+ batting performance and a positive RNG meaning he will certainly be back in 2038 and will likely split time with TJ Pompey who will have a full season with the Royals to earn one last big contract. Jon Basiliere has plenty of development left in his bat so will hope to have a full year in AAA to round out before taking over from Pompey in 2039 after a year averaging below the Mendoza line.

Outfield

For the second year in a row the outfield failed to produce an All Star. Billy Mumaugh missed time but put up 3.5 WAR while Drew Burress had a positive RNG to go with a 103 wRC+, adding 3.1 WAR. Enny Mijhail Van Dyke was league average (109 wRC+) but led the team in HRs (27) and is one of only two left-handed bats on the team.

That leaves Jimmy Goodman at risk if the Royals decide a change is needed although his defensive ability paired with a league average bat suggests the Royals may well run things back.

Kevin Roberts Jr. is an elite defender who just about stays about the Mendoza line to offer value as a 5th outfielder.

Offseason / Early 2037 Overview

C Sam Hart

1B Juan Moreno
2B Edgar Mir
3B Jeremy Rogerson
SS Marquis Foggie

LF Billy Mumaugh
CF Drew Burress
RF Jimmy Goodman

DH Enny Mijhail Van Dyke Arbitration

C TBD
INF Bobby Witt Jr. Team Option
INF TJ Pompey
OF Kevin Roberts Jr. Arbitration

That leaves one or two catchers, Camacho, Eric Rose, and Joe Wallace at risk of trade while the others have time to develop in AAA in 2038.



Starters

A starting rotation with four home grown players and the second best ERA among AL starting rotations is a success in anyone’s book. Min-ho Kim offered almost 6 WAR in his Royals debut season while finishing with the eight-best ERA (2.64) in any Royals season. Left handed Curt Bogans added another 5 WAR and more than 10 K/9 (9th all time Royals list) and the 6th most strikeouts (217) of any Royal. Both joined the top ten list for K/BB ratio – Kim 6th at 4.39 with Bogans 10th at 3.95 – as well as the WHIP list – Kim 5th, Bogans 8th. Bogans also held opponents to a .210 AVG, good for 7th on the list.

Eddie Baquerizo finished just short of 5 WAR (4.8) but did join Kim and Bogans on the K/BB ratio list, sandwiched between them in 8th with a 4.14 ration.

All three pitchers are signed through the 2041 season with a further two Team Option years.

Mike Hoffer was as effective as the others (5.0 WAR) as well as almost reaching 200 IP for the season. However, entering his final year of arbitration (at an estimated $20m), and fresh off his meltdown in the post season, the Royals may look to move on and see if Ethan Chafin is ready for a starting role in 2038.

Brad Demarest was league average on a minimum salary so is likely to return in a 5th starter role unless there is a drastic change in personnel.

Josh Carpenter started several games but is out of contract and will depart the team with thanks – the MiL FA signing proving valuable with 1.3 WAR in 35 games.

Bullpen

It’s hard to find fault with the second-best ERA in the AL but without a pennant to show for the season change must be considered.

Only Jon Holtz and Eli Cavanagh ended with a FIP- over 100, with only Holz and Josh Carpenter giving up only 1.15 WHIP on the season.

However, there are a few players entering arbitration, or free agency, and the Royal can’t afford to bring everyone back.

On the free agent front is Kevin Azeem and Carpenter eligible for a Qualifying Offer, and Jeremy Sidener not while Shawn Bass, Holz, Jimmy Lininger, Billy Nicklas, and Chris Wagner all due Arbitration.

Azeem is looking for a starters salary for 7 years so will be offered the Qualifying Offer and the Royals will take the compensation while Carpenter’s 3-years at $6m is a little steep for his production so will not have an offer. Resigning Sidener is an owner goal and his initial 3-years at $12m isn’t too rich if the right other moves are made.

Billy Nicklas only pitched in 11 games in the majors in 2037 and won’t be offered arbitration but the remaining squad will and should all return.

Offseason / Early 2037 Overview

SP Min-ho Kim
SP Curt Bogans
SP Eddie Baquerizo
SP Ethan Chafin
SP Brad Demarest

RP Jeremy Sidener
RP Shawn Bass
RP Chris Wagner
RP Jimmy Lininger
RP Eli Cavanagh
RP David Maciel
RP Jon Holtz
RP TBD

This means the end of the Royals road for Mike Hoffer, Edgar Alba, Kevin Azeem, Josh Carpenter, and Gebre-Miriam Ufanisi with the others given time in AAA to start the year.

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Owner Goals



Finances

I have just decided on your budget for the upcoming season.
You will have $236,000,000 available for the total team expenses. Given your current spending on staff and other costs, this should allow you a team payroll of around $190,000,000.



Personnel

There were a raft of departures from the Royals coaching staffs at the end of the season, some contracts ending to go with several retirements:

MLB
New Contract: Colin Stewart : 3 years, $2m per year
Retired: Pitching Coach John O'Donoghue

AAA
Declined new contract: Manager Generoso Gonzalez
Retired: Hitting Coach Jeremy Salazar

A
Retired: Manager Mathew Figueroa
Retired: Hitting Coach Ramon Castro

Rookie
Not Offered New Contract: Manager Aaron Pinto
Retired: Hitting Coach Joey Cranford
Poached: Pitching Coach Mick Abel

DSL
Retired: Manager Jason Flach
Poached: Pitching Coach Justin Steele

As standard, internal promotions were the first option with the following position filled:

AAA
Manager Aaron Cames from AA
Hitting Coach Rene Capellan from AA

AA
Manager Peter O’Brien promoted from A+
Hitting Coach Ryan Folmar promoted from A+

A+
Manager Miguel Garcia promoted from DSL Stewart

A
Hitting Coach Desmond Jennings from DSL Stewart

The decimated minor leagues had offers put out for replacements, as well as a new MLB pitching coach and A ball Manager.

Minor Leagues

Awards

Limited awards this season although 2034 10th round pick Dan Acton was the Rookie Ball reliever of the year, and Miguel Garcia and Aaron Cames won Manager of the Year Awards at DSL and AA level respectively. In addition, Minor League Free Agents Bryan Rumbolt and Zion Rose won MVP Awards at AA and AAA.

Notable Retirements

Several of the 2031 draft class called it a day amongst the end of season retirements, with 3rd round pick Toby Demkowski the highest profile.

2031 Class
3rd Round – Toby Demkowski AAA
4th Round – Chris Norvell AA
6th Round – Albert Stefanov Thomas AAA
12th Round – Josh Bear AA
13th Round – Luis Rosas A+
14th Round – Jeremy Daley AAA

2030 Class
20th Round – Mike Pitt AAA
19th Round – Mike Halpin AAA

KC Top 250 Performances

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Personnel

MLB
Pitching Coach Billy Diaz

A
Manager Robert Donovan

Rookie
Pitching Coach Brendan Smith

DSL
Glass Manager Alan Williams
Glass Hitting Coach Diogenes Diaz
Stewart Manager Alexis Fonseca
Stewart Pitching Coach Yovany Frias

Awards

Two platinum sticks and a great glove are the major player awards for KC, although it could have been so much greater with Shawn Bass the runner up for Reliever of the Year, Min-ho Kim the running up for Rookie of the Year (and receiving more 1st place votes than Leos the winner), and Edgar Mir runner up in his attempt to go back-to-back as AL MVP, despite missing a third of the season.

Colin Stewart was AL Manager of the Year but, as he noted, he would rather have won a championship!

AL Great Gloves RF Jimmy Goodman KC
NL Great Gloves
AL Platinum Sticks 2B Edgar Mir KC | SS Marquis Foggie KC
NL Platinum Sticks
AL Manager of the Year Colin Stewart KC
NL Manager of the Year Rafael Ramirez NYM
AL Reliever of the Year Jelani Bethea SA
NL Reliever of the Year Amari Blakes PHI
AL Rookie of the Year Daniel Leos CWS
NL Rookie of the Year Dylan Cavanaugh MIA
AL Cy Young Tyler Bremner SEA
NL Cy Young Mike Spence LAD
AL MVP Mike Miller SEA
NL MVP Josh O'Neill NYM

Pre-Arbitration Extensions & Trades

Saturday, November 7th , 2037
Executed the contract year option of 1B Bobby Witt Jr.
Traded 28-year old RHP Mike Hoffer and 21-year old minor league RHP Ben Anderson to the New York Mets, getting 21-year old minor league RHP Joe Davis and $40,000,000 in cash in return.



Traded 27-year old 3B Eric Rose and 24-year old minor league LF Joe Wallace to the Cleveland Guardians, getting 25-year old 1B David Alvizures (retaining 95%), 18-year old minor league 2B Humberto Bustillos, and $40,000,000 in cash in return.
Wednesday, November 11th , 2037
Signed CF Kevin Roberts Jr. to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $2,700,000.
Signed RP Jimmy Lininger to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $2,500,000.
Signed LF Enny Mijhail Van Dyke to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $8,000,000.
Signed RP Jon Holtz to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $2,300,000.
Signed RP Chris Wagner to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $3,200,000.
Wednesday, November 25th , 2037
Signed RP Shawn Bass to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $9,500,000.
Signed CL Jeremy Sidener to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $34,500,000.



The big move in the month was the end of 2027 3rd round pick Mike Hoffer’s time with the Royals. Entering his final year of arbitration, at an estimated $20m, he was simply too expensive as the Royals opened up a space for Ethan Chafin in the rotation. The return was a top 20 pitching prospect in Joe Davis plus $40m to give some budget flexibility. Hoffer departs a two-time All Star after 136 starts for the Royals with a career 3.53 ERA and 21.2 WAR from 156 games.

The second move was with the heart as the Royals sacrificed Eric Rose to retain one more year of Bobby Witt Jr. The return was 1B David Alvizures, a former top 30 prospect who has a lot of power still to unleash as a natural replacement for Witt Jr. in 2039. In addition, the Royals received another $40m which will allow the usual flexibility around the trade deadline and for draft signings.

Arbitration & Qualifying Offers

Saturday, November 28th , 2037
RP Kevin Azeem rejected the qualifying offer
RP Billy Nicklas becomes a free-agent.

As predicted, Azeem rejects the Qualifying Offer, giving the Royals an extra draft pick for 2038.

Free Agents

Monday, November 30th , 2037
RP Josh Carpenter becomes a free-agent.
2B Matt Shaw becomes a free-agent.

Post Arbitration Transactions

Traded 25-year old minor league 1B Rogelio Camacho to the Colorado Rockies, getting 23-year old minor league C Kevon Lawal in return.
Placed CF Bob Crimi on the secondary (40-man) roster.
Placed 2B Jimmy Monroe on the secondary (40-man) roster.
Placed C Mike Murphy on the secondary (40-man) roster.
Placed RP Jon Hall on the secondary (40-man) roster.
Placed 1B Markas Huffman on the secondary (40-man) roster.
Placed RP Jeremy Miller on the secondary (40-man) roster.
Traded 24-year old LHP Eli Cavanagh and 22-year old minor league RHP Zach Rozelle to the Chicago White Sox, getting 26-year old LHP Madhavrao Sajeev and $10,000,000 in cash in return.

International Amateurs

We just completed our monthly private practice with many young international amateur free agents who we hope can aid our club in the coming years. It was great to meet the players in-person and get to know them better, and I was able to improve my scouting assessment on all invitees.

In fact some of the players impressed me, since they showcased a higher potential than I had previously expected from them:

Luis Aguilar, 16 year-old 3B out of Dominican Republic
Lean and athletic, Luis Aguilar hails from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He has tremendous power potential. He may not compete for batting titles, but still projects to hit for a .290 batting average. He shows good pitch recognition at the plate. Aguilar is a reliable hitter in the organization's grand scheme.

Juan Pompa, 16 year-old LF out of Panama
Juan Pompa is a long, lean athletic left fielder who was born in Arraijan, Panama. Even with a still-developing body he consistently displays plus raw power and quickening bat speed. He projects to be an above average contact hitter. He should be good at knowing when to swing and when not to swing. Pompa is a left fielder with plenty of tools and a lot of upside. He has potential to be a first division starter.

It was a great practice and none of the invitees disappointed in showcasing their talent.

And other players that I was able to further assess were:
Jesus Becerra, 16 year-old 1B out of Dominican Republic
Jesus Bueno, 16 year-old SS out of Dominican Republic
Luis Carbajal, 17 year-old SS out of Dominican Republic
Jorge Velasco, 16 year-old SS out of Venezuela
Juan Galindo, 16 year-old CF out of Venezuela
Edgar Castillo, 16 year-old RHP out of Venezuela
David Espinoza, 16 year-old 3B out of Dominican Republic
Kanne Hofsink, 16 year-old RHP out of The Netherlands

Around the League

Retirements

San Diego Padres: RF Fernando Tatis Jr. retired from professional baseball.
New York Mets: SP Taj Bradley retired from professional baseball.
Miami Marlins: RP Sammy Peralta retired from professional baseball.
Washington Nationals: CF Julio Rodriguez retired from professional baseball.
Detroit Tigers: SP Grant Taylor retired from professional baseball.
Pittsburgh Pirates: RP Tobias Myers retired from professional baseball.
Boston Red Sox: SP Connor Phillips retired from professional baseball.
Arizona Diamondbacks: SP Mason Englert retired from professional baseball.
Detroit Tigers: SP DL Hall retired from professional baseball.
Cincinnati Reds: SP Yoshinobu Yamamoto retired from professional baseball.
Houston Astros: SP Bobby Miller retired from professional baseball.
Milwaukee Brewers: C Jeferson Quero retired from professional baseball.
Washington Nationals: SP Jack Mahoney retired from professional baseball.
Los Angeles Angels: 1B Mike Boeve retired from professional baseball.
San Francisco Giants: SP Blake Walston retired from professional baseball.
Boston Red Sox: SP Brayan Bello retired from professional baseball.
San Antonio Avalanche: C Drew Romo retired from professional baseball.
Boston Red Sox: RP Will Sanders retired from professional baseball.
Los Angeles Angels: RF Abimelec Ortiz retired from professional baseball.

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International Amateurs

We just completed our monthly private practice with many young international amateur free agents who we hope can aid our club in the coming years. It was great to meet the players in-person and get to know them better, and I was able to improve my scouting assessment on all invitees.

In fact some of the players impressed me, since they showcased a higher potential than I had previously expected from them:

Juan Galindo, 16 year-old CF out of Venezuela
Lean and athletic, Juan Galindo hails from Los Dos Caminos, Venezuela. He is an elite defensive center fielder. He has plus speed and his base stealing abilities are a given. He has above average raw power. Galindo works hard at developing leadoff skills, staying on top of the ball and hitting line drives, not flyballs.

However, a few invitees left me disappointed as they did not appear to match my previous assessment, although they may still end up being future stars:

Juan Pompa, 16 year-old LF out of Panama
Juan Pompa is a long, lean athletic left fielder who was born in Arraijan, Panama. He generates excellent raw power with his bat speed. He shows contact potential which should translate into an above average batting average. He should be good at knowing when to swing and when not to swing. Pompa has good potential and a very promising future.

Luis Carbajal, 17 year-old SS out of Dominican Republic
Luis Carbajal is a long, lean athletic shortstop who was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic. He has a quick bat that handles most fastballs, but off-speed stuff can challenge him. Expect a batting average around .270. His power potential projects to be above average. His above average defensive capabilities will ensure he is a lock-in as a shortstop. Carbajal has the talent to flourish in the majors.

And other players that I was able to further assess were:
Jesus Becerra, 16 year-old 1B out of Dominican Republic
Jesus Bueno, 16 year-old SS out of Dominican Republic
Edgar Castillo, 16 year-old RHP out of Venezuela
David Espinoza, 16 year-old 3B out of Dominican Republic
Kanne Hofsink, 16 year-old RHP out of The Netherlands
Jorge Velasco, 17 year-old SS out of Venezuela
Luis Aguilar, 16 year-old 3B out of Dominican Republic
You can view your international practice invitees on the international scouting screen.

Rule 5 Draft

Lost SP Aires Machadinho in the Rule 5 Draft to the Miami Marlins.
Lost CF Zion Rose in the Rule 5 Draft to the Minnesota Twins.
Lost SP Chris Rice in the Rule 5 Draft to the Texas Rangers.
Lost SP Juan Vieyra in the Rule 5 Draft to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Lost CL Nate Quisenberry in the Rule 5 Draft to the Texas Rangers.

Quisenberry is the only disappointing loss for the Royals; the 2032 10th round pick was showing as two stars so the Royals took a chance but with a potential 75/50/50 profile with four pitches the Rangers may be willing to use him sparingly over the season to keep him.

Trades & Free Agents

The Royals had a quiet December with the roster fairly set after the pre arbitration trades.

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Finance

As we get closer to the start of the season, I have reviewed the team's financial state as of this moment.
As a reminder, you have $236,000,000 available for the total team expenses for the season.

Good Luck!
John Sherman

International Amateurs

We just completed our monthly private practice with many young international amateur free agents who we hope can aid our club in the coming years. It was great to meet the players in-person and get to know them better, and I was able to improve my scouting assessment on all invitees.

In fact some of the players impressed me, since they showcased a higher potential than I had previously expected from them:

Juan Galindo, 16 year-old CF out of Venezuela
Lean and athletic, Juan Galindo hails from Los Dos Caminos, Venezuela. He always provides his team with good, consistent defense. He is a strong runner who will find many opportunities to take advantage of the opposition. He has demonstrated improving raw power and can hit an above average number of home runs. Galindo can be a second division starter at center fielder.

Luis Aguilar, 16 year-old 3B out of Dominican Republic
Lean and athletic, Luis Aguilar hails from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He has plus power potential. He may not compete for batting titles, but still projects to hit for a .290 batting average. He should have an overall good eye. Aguilar is an above average, everyday big league player.

It was a great practice and none of the invitees disappointed in showcasing their talent.

And other players that I was able to further assess were:
Jesus Becerra, 16 year-old 1B out of Dominican Republic
Jesus Bueno, 16 year-old SS out of Dominican Republic
Jorge Velasco, 17 year-old SS out of Venezuela
Luis Carbajal, 17 year-old SS out of Dominican Republic
Edgar Castillo, 16 year-old RHP out of Venezuela
David Espinoza, 16 year-old 3B out of Dominican Republic
Kanne Hofsink, 16 year-old RHP out of The Netherlands
Juan Pompa, 16 year-old LF out of Panama

Juan Galindo was the top target for the Royals but with $5.7m, Colorado has more spending power and he headed to the Rockies.

Wednesday, January 20th , 2038
Signed international amateur RP Luis Rico out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract with a $1,000,000 signing bonus.
Sunday, January 24th , 2038
Signed international amateur SS Jorge Velasco out of Venezuela to a minor league contract with a $3,000,000 signing bonus.
Friday, January 29th , 2038
Signed international amateur SP Edgar Valles out of Venezuela to a minor league contract with a $450,000 signing bonus.
Signed international amateur CL Jesus Ferzetti out of Venezuela to a minor league contract with a $400,000 signing bonus.
Signed international amateur RP Nesty Medina out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract with a $200,000 signing bonus.



Transactions

Monday, January 18th , 2038
Signed free agent RP Banmei Kataoka to a 3-year contract worth a total of $32,200,000.

The big free agent signing is an International Free Agent who the Royals will overpay in year one ($18m) but then have a team friendly year two, and a Team Option year three.

Around the League

Transactions

Tuesday, January 5th , 2038
Atlanta Braves: Signed free agent SP Kevin Azeem to a 7-year contract worth a total of $138,600,000.
Tuesday, January 19th , 2038
New York Yankees: Signed free agent SP Josh Carpenter to a 1-year contract worth a total of $4,320,000.





Hall of Fame

There are no new members of the Hall of Fame in 2038 although Bryce Harper is very close in his third year and former Royal legend Salvador Perez stubbornly can’t get above 60% as he enters the second half of his Hall eligibility.

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