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06-08-2024, 01:10 PM
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#21 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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2028 Major League Roster Review
The 2028 season was clearly a regression for the Royals, failing to get above .500 and missing the playoffs in a weak AL Central.
Clearly, the performance on the batting side of the clubhouse was the major problem. Despite the failure to record a statistic above 8th (other than in strikeouts and base running) in the AL, the team was still in contention up until September. The pitching cast had a much stronger season with the 5th best ERA in the AL, underpinned by league leading hits allowed, opponents average, BABIP, and defence (1st in efficiency and zone rating). Catchers C Ivan Herrera R Bat 50 Con 45 Gap 45 Pow 60 Eye 65/60/55(-5) C Defence C Caleb Lomavita R 40 45 40 50 65 55 65 The catching corps combined for a 2.0 WAR between them, with Lomavita (.228/.288/.315 / 64 wRC+) not really kicking on in the 2nd half of the season as had been hoped. Herrera (.223/.317/.307 / 74 wRC+) is a defence first starting catcher (AL : Range – 2nd; Catcher’s ERA – 6th; Framing Runs – 3rd) who will be offered arbitration but his 65/60/60 defensive rating should be replaceable and there is little prospect of a long term deal. Our scouts think Lomavita still has growth but, with options, it would be great to have competition for the back-up role in 2029. Infield 1B Hunter Owen R 45 45 70 55 30 30 55 30 1B Robert Perez Jr. R 45 45 60 (-5) 50 20 (-5) 20 (-10) 25 (-10) 20 (-5) 1B Luis Garcia L 65 60 45 45 50 50 65 55 2B Gregory Barrios R 55 45 20 55 65 65 60 65 2B Nick Loftin R 60 45 40 50 60 65 55 60 3B Maikel Garcia R 65 50 35 55 65 65 60 65 SS Jose Ramos R 50 60 40 50 55 60 55 55 SS Bobby Witt Jr. R 60 65 55 50 70 70 70 70 The emergence of Owen (.226/.309/.452 / 101 wRC+), coupled with Perez Jr.’s (.229/.297/.400 / 86 wRC+) drop in power (.054 drop off in SLG resulting in 33% fewer HRs) likely signals the end of Arbirtation eligible Perez’s time in KC. Garcia (.268/.322/.407 / 92 wRC+) was adequate in his overpay year and could slot in a 3B while also spending some time at first in 2029. Nick Loftin (.272/.338/.429 / 107 wRC+) missed over a third of the season through injury but was elite when available and will start in his penultimate arbitration year in 2029. Barrios (.219/.272/.292 / 51 wRC+) wasn’t able to turn it around but having survived the year, the Rule 5 pick will likely spend some time in AAA to work through his batting as his defense is above average. Maikel Garcia (.268/.325/.372 / 89 wRC+) provided below average power at 3B and would be better in a back-up role in 2029 to cover the infield but the market will be tested. The likely move is to shift Luis Garcia over to an everyday 3B to see if his defence can stick. FA options will be investigated as this is a major hole in the lineup over the last two years. Witt Jr. (.266/.309/.436 / 96 wRC+) had his worst season since signing his new deal, missing a third of the season while struggling (relatively) with the bat. However, when fit he remain one of the elite wRC+/ZR shortstops in the game and there are few fears (beyond health) over him moving forward. Ramos once again came up to play sparingly but competently and will be retained in this role for his final option year. Luke Adams (2024 Trade with LAA) came up in September to make his ML debut, appearing in 16 games and neither excelling or bombing. He will be on the block but could find a way into Spring Practice if there is no interest, his plus power an asset along with elite defensive skills at 1B. Jose Caballero and Kevin Made both had unimpressive stints on the roster, with Made likely reaching the end of the line as a realistic Major League option for the Royals. Outfield LF Matthew Etzel L 50 55 (-5) 40 45 (-5) 65 60 55 LF Wyatt Langford R 55 70 50 45 60 60 55 CF Jorge Ruiz L 55 50 40 50 60 75 50 RF Jacob Jenkins-Cowart L 45 45 60 45 60 60 55 The corner outfielders were the success story of the season on the hitting side of the Royals organisation. Both Langford (.267/.334/.500 / 121 wRC+) and Jenkins-Cowart (.295/.342/.539 / 134 wRC+) were brought in over the offseason and produced above averages performances in the corner requirements – slugging and and wRC+. They also played elite defence with a combined 14.7 ZR while outperforming the player (Kwan and Florial) they replaced. Neither played the full season (Langford through injury and Jenkins-Cowart as an in season call up) so big things are expected from them in 2029. Jenkins-Cowart’s ability to cover 1B could be a problem for Luke Adams. Ruiz (.243/.291/.383 / 79 wRC+) missed the majority of the season through injury and did not impress (-1.0 ZR) on his return. It is unclear if he will return in 2029. His replacement, Braylin Tavera (.167/.259/.248 / 39 wRC+) was given a 100-game runway but was a disaster. Scouts think there is growth to come so he will try out Omaha again in 2029. Matt Etzel had the unenviable task of covering all three OF positions and was below average. Offers will be entertained in the offseason but, due to Ruiz’s performances, there could be a position in CF available. Offseason / Early 2029 Overview CATCHER Starter: Ivan Herrera ARB Back up: Caleb Lomavita/ Internal Promotion INFIELD 1B Hunter Owen 2B Nick Loftin ARB 3B Luis Garcia SS Bobby Witt Jr. INF Gregory Barrios AAA INF Maikel Garcia TRADE? DH Robert Perez Jr. TRADE/FA OUTFIELD LF Wytt Langford CF Jorge Ruiz AAA? RF Jacob Jenkins-Cowart OF/CF Matthew Etzel The Royals’ pitchers had a mixed season with the top performers offsetting some serious challengese raised down the order. A couple of strong debut seasons delivered an acceptable starting rotation which remains short of an ace while the bullpen saw multiple changes over the season but improved to finish 4th in the AL overall. Starters Mason Barnett 27 R 50 55 55 4 50 93-95 60/50/55/60(+5) Drew Beam 25 R 55 50 55 4 55 93-95 55/70/55/50 Chase Burns 25 R 65 (+5) 50 45 (+5) 4 55 (+5) 97-99 75/55(+5)/70(+5)/70(+5) Freddy Peralta 32 R 55 50 50 4 55(+5) 94-96 65/60/70/65 Anthony Veneziano 31 L 40 50 50 3 55 85-87 40/60/45 Barnett had an incredible year, winning the AL ERA Crown (2.61) with the 6th best ERA from a Royal of all time. He held opponents to .190, the lowest ever mark recorded by a Royal while adding top ten season performances in K/9 (9th – 9.0) and WHIP (4th – 1.06). It would be fair to declare year one of his 4-year, $36m contract a success. Beam (2027 Trade from LAA) and Burns (2027 MiL FA) both debuted as full-time starters and both won a Rookie of the Month Award – Burns in July, Beam in August. Burns had the more impressive statistics (29.1% K rate, 3.37 FIP, 3.9 WAR) and only missed out on a slew of Royal Top 10s due to a low innings pitched count. Successfully increasing his pitch per game in 2029 will be a priority while maintaining his 11+ K/9 rate. Beam gave up a few too many long balls – 1.4/9 – but he did join Barnett in adding his name to the Royals Records lists, with his 9.1 K/9 good for 7th on the All-Time list. Veneziano had the feared fall to earth, giving up an ERA of almost 6.00 which saw his HR/9 and BB/9 increase while his K/9 rate dropped. Peralta had a season very similar to 2027, his 80 ERA+ from a 5.14 FIP not close to what the Royals had hoped for from a player with a TO for 2029. That option will be voided. Along with Veneziano not being offered arbitration, the Royals will be looking for two Starters for 2029, preferably one leftie, one rightie. Bullpen DJ Herz 27 L 70 55 40 (+5) 3 45 93-95 65/60/70 Raimon Gomez 27 R 75 45 45 3 40 95-97 70/60/75 Scott Effross 34 R 45 (-5) 50 70 3 35 89-91 (-2) 50/50(-5)/50(-5) Julian Aguiar 27 R 45 50 65 3 40 91-93 45/50/50 Jose Ruiz 34 R 55 50 50 3 25 97-99 75/55/65 John McMillon 30 R 70 55 40 2 35 98-100 75(-5)/80 Liam Norris 27 L 65 55 30 4 40 92-94 60/50/70/60 Nick Margevicius 32 L 40 50 65 4 55 91-93 45/45/45/45 Frank Mozzicato 25 L 60 50 40 3 55 89-91 45/50/70 Trevor Megill 34 R 60 50 50 3 30 94-96 65/70/60 Cristian Javier 31 R 50 50 50 4 55 94-96 60/50/5/60 Four relievers did not manage a FIP under 4.00, and unfortunately two of them were the stoppers at the start of the season. Both Herz (4.49) and Gomez (5.44) struggled in year two of the Stopper role, despite Gomez being named an All-Star for the second time. Both will return but in MR roles in 2029. Effross had a sorry end to his Royals career as his 6.51 FIP saw him demoted to AAA to finish the season. Finally, Aguiar struggled with FIP (4.10) but offset this with an impressive 3.30 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. His extreme groundball tendency coupled with strong defence definitely helped and he will return in 2029. Free Agent acquisition Ruiz justified his signing, leading the team with a 2.93 FIP and a 21% K-BB% while pitching 50 innings. $6m for two years is his ask which may be a bit rich for a player who doesn’t offer more than one inning of work per game. McMillon stepped up to a closer role midway through the season after his return from injury and provided a solid 3.54 FIP across 80 innings. Ideally he would have a MR role in 2029. Norris (acquired as part of the Jenkins-Cowart trade) provided solid relief once he was called up and will be auditioning for a bigger role in 2029, alongside Margevicius. Joining that group on return from his 9 months out will be Mozzicato. Neither midseason acquisition Megill nor MiL FA signing Javier will return for the 2029 season. 40 Man Roster 30-year old Hayden Wesneski (2027 MiL FA) didn’t make it to the roster in 2028 but will be offered arbitration and could replace Peralta in the starting rotation after a solid year in AAA although he will face competition from Josiah Gray who struggled in relief at the ML level but performed well at AAA. Cade Cavalli and Kevin Kelly will not be offered arbitration. Offseason / Early 2029 Overview ROTATION Mason Barnett Drew Beam Chase Burns Freddy Peralta Team Option VOIDED Anthony Veneziano Trade/FA BULLPEN DJ Herz ARB Raimon Gomez Scott Effross No QO Julian Aguiar ARB Jose Ruiz No QO John McMillon ARB Liam Norris Nick Margevicius ARB Frank Mozzicato Trevor Megill FA Cristian Javier FA |
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06-08-2024, 01:19 PM
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#22 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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2028 Front Office Review
Despite the disappointing playoff-missing season, Stewart retained some credit in the bank from the 2027 playoffs and so will return in 2029 with a new budget and new goals for the team.
Owner Goals The on-field aspirations have dropped for 2029 with .500 ball providing what must be an achievable goal and is somewhat below Stewart’s aspirations. The Cy Young Award winner goal is likely to be missed unless the team can back up another ERA low season from Mason Barnett and win the award in-house. There is an expectation that some drafted players will appear in the big leagues this year which is probably at least a year ahead of schedule after the players drafted in the years before Stewart’s arrival while all other goals have a longer-term goal but are aligned to a fun, home grown, winning team! Finances It was a positive year financially for the Royals as their total attendance moved up two spots (and 6% from 2027) to 20th in the league. Season ticket sales were up 36%, increasing income by almost $10m. However, even that couldn’t have predicted the increase in player budget to $140m, from an initial $70m in 2027. This does take into account several expected arbitration increases for 2029, along with the final salary jump for Bobby Witt Jr. ($35m) and a jump (more than earned) by Wyatt Langford ($2.9m to $7.2m). On the other side, Luis Garcia’s contract evens out ($17m to $7m) and Peralta’s $5.8m option will be voided. This will leave some room for Free Agency if required. With an increased budget, the Royals development budget got another boost, increased from $30m to $36m; this is probably the preferred level moving forward and the hope is that owner Sherman doesn’t meddle with this. Personnel Most of the Royal personnel have been locked down to long term contracts but there were three expiring contracts that weren’t renewed for 2029 with upgrades expected in each role.
Minor Leagues Awards
Notable Retirements 2nd Round Pick from the 2025 draft Jarvis Evans was the big surprise from the end of season Royals retirements list. Having been selected to the A+ All Star game, reliever Evans could have expected a promotion to AA from where the Big Leagues was only a great month away. R 1B Trevor Fox 2026 16th Round R C Grayson Taylor 2026 20th Round R RP Joe Ariola 2026 18th Round R 3B Giovanni Colasante 2025 14th Round A+ 1B Jhonny Perdomo 2019 International Amateur A+ RP Jarvis Evans 2025 2nd Round Selected to 2028 A+ All Star Game AA RP Steven Zobac 2022 4th Round KC Top 500 Prospects Performance Jeremy Rogerson (2027 2nd Rd) made great progress over the season, moving up to High A in July and earning a 1.205 OPS over 200 ABs. He will start in AA next season and will move to 3B as his 60 Range won’t play at SS. With the 3B hole the Royals have, Rogerson could get the call next season. Jimmy Goodman didn’t really improve over the second half of the season and will likely repeat at AA. There is a route to the big leagues in 2029 for Goodman but it is less clear than last offseason. Isaac Morton isn’t liked by the rankings but had a quietly solid season across AA/AAA. His best shot in the big leagues is likely as a reliever and Spring Training will likely see him on site trying to secure a bullpen spot; failing that, another season starting in AAA shouldn’t harm. Bats (Previous Rank | Current Rank) 19 (12) 3B Juan Zubia 19 DSL 291 PA .323/.488/.419 118 OPS+ 1.6 WAR 51 (NR) SS Tim Storer 22 COL - 57 (25) CF Jimmy Goodman 22 AA 601 PA .205/.319/.360 74 OPS+ -0.7 WAR 101 (NR) RF Enny Mijhail V. Dyke 19 DL 48 PA .089/.146/.133 -2 OPS+ -0.4 WAR 123 (85) SS Jeremy Rogerson 23 R/A+ 455 PA .331/.462/.669 182 OPS+ 5.6 WAR 210 (182) LF Luis Cabrera 19 DSL 276 PA .270/.406/.405 94 OPS+ 0.5 WAR 219 (299) 1B Luke Adams 24 AAA/MLB 518 PA .303/.417/.645 180 OPS+ 6.7 WAR 324 (NR) LF Tim Spears 18 DL 37 PA .278/.297/.686 135 OPS+ 0.1 WAR 347 (198) 1B Marv Hubbard 19 R/DL 187 PA .250/.358/.456 180 OPS+ 2.5 WAR MLB (226) LF Braylin Tavera 23 AAA/MLB 505 PA .183/.289/.292 57 OPS+ -0.6 WAR 329 (252) RF Ken Adams 19 R 177 PA .224/.356/.401 101 OPS+ 1.0 WAR 421 (NR) RF David Tovar 18 DSL 284 PA .303/.461/.408 109 OPS+ 0.8WAR 478 (384) CF Juan Ramirez 18 DSL 274 PA .257/.383/.350 76 OPS+ 1.6 WAR 499 (487) LF Angel Rodriguez 24 AA/AAA 354 PA .250/.345/.526 106 OPS+ 1.2 WAR NR (417) C Edgar Rivera 18 DSL 234 PA .254/.372/.391 83 OPS+ 0.8 WAR Arms 111 (NR) RHP Danny Petty 21 A 8 GS 1.36 WHIP 1.4H/4.5BB/12.5K 79 ERA+ 0.3 WAR 155 (95) RHP Mike Hoffer 19 R 11 GS 1.44 WHIP 1.4H/5.2BB/12.4K 86 ERA+ 0.5 WAR 253 (189) RHP Josh Olaniyan 19 R 11 GS 1.68 WHIP 1.8H/6.0BB/10.5K 100 ERA+ -0.2 WAR 335 (243) RHP Marcos Paz 21 A+ 26 GS 1.42 WHIP 1.9H/4.2BB/12.0K 88 ERA+ 1.3 WAR 361 (NR) RHP Lazaro Espinal 21 A 9 GS 1.09 WHIP 1.6H/2.9BB/12.7K 109 ERA+ 0.8 WAR NR (297) RHP William Schmidt 23 A+ 28 GS 1.53 WHIP 2.4H/3.7BB/12.9K 71 ERA+ 1.0 WAR NR (331) RHP Isaac Morton 24 AA/AAA 29 GS 1.45 WHIP 1.1H/4.7BB/9.5K 107 ERA+ 2.8 WAR MLB (344) RHP Chase Burns Next up, the Offseason |
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06-09-2024, 01:55 PM
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#23 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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2028 Offseason
Development Lab
Round 1 Results Bobby Witt Jr.
Jorge Ruiz
Gregory Barrios
Matthew Etzel
Juan Ramirez
Isaac Morton
Second Round – Defensive Ability Lomavita C
Ruiz CF
Van Dyke Stealing
Petty 3B
Cunningham 3B
Zubia 3B
Awards Once again, the Royals were shut out of the Awards although Mason Barnett did receive Cy Young votes for his stellar ERA leading season as did Chase Burns for Rookie of the Year. AL Great Gloves NL Great Gloves AL Platinum Sticks NL Platinum Sticks AL Manager of the Year Brandon Hyde BAL NL Manager of the Year Carlos Mendoza NYM AL Reliever of the Year Woo-suk Go TEX NL Reliever of the Year Nick Robertson STL AL Rookie of the Year Joendry Vargas HOU NL Rookie of the Year Jose Medina WAS AL Cy Young Daniel Espino CLE NL Cy Young Cade Horton CHC AL MVP Jackson Holliday BAL NL MVP Kou Okamoto STL Pre-Arbitration Extensions & Trades
Wednesday, November 1st , 2028
Arbitration Relievers Kevin Kelly and Cade Cavalli were not offered arbitration and free-agents. Qualifying Offers Neither Scott Effross nor Jose Ruiz were made a Qualifying Offer so both depart as free agents. International Free Agents Although there was interest in several IFAs, particularly in SP Federico Ramos 55/60/75 with 4 pitches and 45 stamina (who ended up at the Yankees), the Royals settled on free agent RP Yusuke Matsumura, securing him on a 3-year contract worth a total of $22,500,000. Rule 5 Draft The Royals policy of signing a slew of MiL players in early November means that Rule 5 day sees a lot of average AAAA players unable to be protected. There were no additions to the 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 where several players were nabbed for a big league shot.
Both Bader and Hagaman were returned to the Royals ahead of opening day. International Amateurs The Royals International Amateur class was headlined by Domincan Republic SS Edgar Mir, out of signed with a $4,400,000. Although unlikely to stick at SS (50/55/55/45), Mir (high work ethic) displays potential for plus contact, a plus plus eye and 80 power which led the Royal scouting director to profile Mir as a potential elite shortstop on a contending team. Three other players were signed from across the Americas:
All four players will start in the International Complex but both Mir and Vigil could make their DSL debut during the season. Offseason Trades & Free Agents Tuesday, November 21st , 2028
Acuna was always likely to be surplus to requirements with the Royals carrying 4 OFs and his range ruling him out of CF. May is a potential starter with three plus pitches to go with 60 stamina and average stuff, movement, and control. Tuesday, January 9th, 2029 Signed free agent SP JT Brubaker to a 1-year contract worth a total of $4,040,000. Brubaker has offered league average starting pitching for 8 years and, at $4m and a 1-year contract was a low risk pick up. He offers a 4-pitch combination with a plus fastball, with above average control. Thursday, February 1st, 2029 Signed free agent RP Jose Quijada to a 2-year contract worth a total of $8,000,000. Quijada was another low-risk arm pick up with the second year of his contract a Team Option at $4m. A plus plus fastball is the highlight of his 3-pitch arsenal, plus stuff paired with average movement and control. Financial Situation The lack of big money FA signings over the off season, coupled with lower than budgeted season ticket sales saw the Royals budget reduced by $6m in mid-January. This was expected to have little impact on Stewart’s plan with no changes to specific budget lines being mandated by owner Sherman. Preseason & Spring Training The Royals had a difficult spring on the field, going 9-17. However, the upside was an absence of injuries to any probable starters, with only Braylin Tavera missing significant time – a sprained ankle ruling him out for 4 weeks. Around the League Retirements
New York Yankees: Retired #45 in honor of Gerrit Cole. Atlanta Braves: Retired #5 in honor of Freddie Freeman. Extensions
Free Agent Signings
Major Injuries Pitchers
Hitters
Hall of Fame On January 17, four players were inducted into the Hall of Fame for the second year in the row. Catcher Yadier Molina appeared on 80.5% of ballots in his second year of eligibility and he was joined by first year candidates SP Zack Greinke (80.5%), SP Clayton Kershaw (87.9%), and 1B Miguel Cabrera (98.3%). |
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06-10-2024, 06:28 AM
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#24 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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2029 Roster Preview
OSA predicts the Royals to get back to a winning record in 2029, with an 84-78 record and +44 run deferential. This is predicted to be good enough for a 2nd place finish in the division and to be in the middle of the battle for the Wildcard spots. Hunter Owen’s elevation to the Major Leagues could bring fireworks as he is predicted to hit 47 HRs, which is right in the range of the KC single-season record (48, Perez, Soler).
The only strategic change for the 2029 season is a more personalised approach to the bases – with a fast, competent group of hitters, there is a feeling amongst coaches that the club can be a bit more aggressive with steals and base running. Expect the team-lead to be a lot higher than Bobby Witt Jr.’s 15 in 2028. Hitters Catcher Lomavita keeps his place to start the season behind Ivan Herrera although there are a pair of former 1st round Giants waiting in Omaha, with Patrick Bailey (two time Gold Glove winner) and Joey Bart both keen to get back to the big leagues. Pressure is on Lomavita to prove his bat can hold up. Starter Ivan Herrera Back up Caleb Lomavita Infield Perez’s departure over the winter leaves Hunter Owen as the de facto DH, although he will play some 1B at times and is more viable there than Perez proved. Everyday 1B wil be manned by Luke Adams, who gets his shot at making an impression in the Big Leagues after an AAA season where he batted 1.091. Nick Loftin is back at 2B and the Royals will hope for a healthy season of 3 WAR security at 2B. 2028 FA signing Luis Garcia will shift over to 3B as the Royals give up on Maikel Garcia as an everyday starter. After offering him out over the winter, the Royals have accepted that he will fit in as a back-up infielder for this season. Trade acquisition Jake Gelof was the man to miss out, his options meaning he will try to round out his potential at AAA. Bobby Witt Jr., fresh off a great strength & conditioning programme over the winter will try to stay healthy and get back to his 5+ WAR performance level. The final infield spot will be taken by Gregory Barrios again; his offseason programme to improve contact was successful and he will be given the chance to prove that across the infield. 1B Luke Adams 2B Nick Loftin 3B Luis Garcia SS Bobby Witt Jr. INF Maikel Garcia INF Gregory Barrios DH Hunter Owen Outfield It was a very settled outfield for the spring, with all four of last year’s preferred outfielders suiting up again for 2029. The Royals will hope that Ruiz can stay fit in 2029 after his struggles in 2028; an unsuccessful winter programme does not fill the club with hope. There are a number of options at the AAA level; Braylin Tavera will hope he can prove his value once back from his Spring ball injury while 9-year MLB veteran Trent Grisham was signed as a MiL FA in case. LF Wyatt Langford CF Jorge Ruiz RF Jacob Jenkins-Cowart OF Matthew Etzel Arms FA signings in the rotation, and a bun fight in the bullpen were the tales of the offseason for the pitching department. FA JT Brubaker will come straight into the rotation, alongside trade acquisition Aiden May to complement returning Mason Barnett, Drew Beam, and Chase Burns. All three had strong seasons and the Royals hope the two new additions can improve an already solid group. In the pen, FA acquisitions Jose Quijada and Yusuke Matsumura make a good group immediately stronger. DJ Herz and John McMillon return as the stoppers while Raimon Gomez and stalwart Julian Aguiar also return. However, Gomez had a tough spring and the two-time All Star is under pressure to return to his rookie season level of performance. Josiah Gray is given another chance to start the season in the bullpen after a strong spring and 2028 AAA season while Nick Margevicius’ strong end to 2029 was in the minds of coaches to give him another look. SP Mason Barnett SP Drew Beam SP JT Brubaker SP Chase Burns SP Aiden May RP DJ Herz RP John McMillon RP Jose Quijada RP Yusuke Matsumura RP Raimon Gomez RP Josiah Gray RP Nick Margevicius RP Julian Aguiar |
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06-10-2024, 06:33 AM
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#25 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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2029 Prospects Preview
International Amateur signing Edgar Mir goes straight into the top 5 of the Royals farm, ranked 75 in all of baseball.
Jeremy Rogerson and Jimmy Goodman start the year in AA looking to knock on the big league door during the season, and they will be joined by pitcher Marcos Paz who will be looking to follow Mason Barnett’s route from draft to Major Leagues with the Royals. Two-way player Danny Petty moves up to A+ along with pitcher Lazaro Espinal and both will hope to be pitching at AA before the end of the season. KC Top 500 Prospects Bats 27 (19) 3B Juan Zubia 19 2027 International Amateur DSL | DSL 51 (51) SS Tim Storer 22 2028 1st Round Rookie | Rookie 59 (57) CF Jimmy Goodman 23 2027 1st Round AA | AA 75 (NR) SS Edgar Mir 16 2029 International Amateur - | INT 95 (101) RF Enny Mijhail Van Dyke 19 2028 3rd Round HS | R 143 (123) SS Jeremy Rogerson 23 2027 2nd Round R/A+ | AA 207 (219) 1B Luke Adams 24 2024 Trade AAA/MLB | MLB 209 (210) LF Luis Cabrera 19 2026 International Amateur DSL | R 306 (324) LF Tim Spears 18 2028 5th Round HS | R 314 (329) RF Ken Adams 19 2027 6th Round R | R 359 (347) 1B Marv Hubbard 20 2027 4th Round R | R 393 (421) RF David Tovar 19 2028 International Amateur DSL | DSL 434 (478) CF Juan Ramirez 18 2027 Trade DSL | DSL 458 (NR) SS Alejandro Estrada 18 2028 International Amateur INT | DSL Arms 107 (111) RHP Danny Petty 22 2028 1st Supp Round A | A+ 178 (155) RHP Mike Hoffer 20 2027 3rd Round R | R 231 (253) RHP Josh Olaniyan 20 2026 2nd Round R | R 319 (361) RHP Lazaro Espinal 22 2028 4th Round A | A+ 370 (335) RHP Marco Paz 22 2025 1st Round A+ | AA MLB Top 20 Prospects While the Royals don’t provide a player to the Top 20 prospects list, the farm overall is now into the Top-15, a strong improvement on the 29th ranked farm Stewart inherited. |
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06-11-2024, 01:22 PM
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#26 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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Royals reach All Star Break at 51-47, in Wild Card hunt
Despite a frustrating 12-16 June, the Royals find themselves 4 games above .500 and in 2nd place in both the AL Central and the AL Wild Card standings as the league prepares to restart following the All-Star Break.
The roster has seen some changes, some made right before Opening Day and some in the run up to the All-Star Game. Trades & Waiver Claims Saturday, March 24th, 2029
As the Royals opening day approached, three waiver claims were executed which shook the team up. Creed Willems offered a plus power bat and equivalent defence to Caleb Lomavita which was too good to pass up and, with Caleb retaining options years, he was sent to Omaha. Enrique Bradfield Jr. offered a different bat profile to Matt Etzel – above average contact and a plus eye versus average contact and above average gap power – to go with CF range and plus plus error, meaning he can cover all three outfield positions defensively. Etzel was also optioned to Omaha. Bradfield Jr. also showcases 80 stealing ability and aggressiveness which aligns with the Royals strategy for 2029. Tuesday, March 27th, 2029
Angel Perdomo’s appearance on the waiver wire gave the Royals the chance to pick up another stuff – 80 – pitcher who struggles for control but has an 80 slider to match with a plus plus fastball and plus change up. His arrival meant Julian Aguiar would open the season in AAA. Wednesday, July 11th, 2029
The next big set of moves came as the team broke up for the All Star Break. Firstly, Luis Garcia had failed to live up to his ratings over 1½ seasons – his plus contact providing a .267 average and his plus gap power a slugging percentage under .400. He moves onto his 4th Major League team while the Royals will try 6-year veteran (and 2024 NL All Star) Steer at 3rd. He grades out average across the board with plus gap power and had produced a 130 wRC+ for SF across 80 games (Garcia – 90). If he can provide that the rest of the season, Royals fans will be happy. He is a free agent after this season and is currently looking for 4 years at $8.5m to extend (an unlikely scenario). Kim is a power pitching relief prospect with two plus pitches to go with above average movement and will start in AA. Next up was the progress of 2027 8th Round pick C Jonathan Gerew. An above average contact and potential eye is paired with plus plus ability at Catcher (including almost plus plus framing) to provide a defence first back up to Herrera (and heir apparent for the starter role. Willems had posted a 46 wRC+ in his first 100 PA and that was enough for Stewart to turn the job over to Gerew. He becomes the first KC drafted player to be promoted to the big leagues by Stewart, making his debut on 12 July (1 for 4, 1R). Townsend is a 5-pitch starting prospect with a potential 55-50-50 profile and 60 stamina. He will start at AAA but could see the back of the rotation before the end of the season. The $6m in cash was a nice bonus. Finally, Hayden Wesneski had his contract bought when JT Brubaker got injured. A 5.96 FIP over 13 starts was a disastrous return and, on Brubaker’s return, Wesneski found himself out of options and out of the rotation. The Royals covered the remainder of his salary in cash and picked up a young relief prospect, who projects to a 55-50-50 profile with two plus pitches. Pinto will start in A ball. Injuries The Royals avoided serious injury problems over the first half of the season with only JT Brubaker and Wyatt Langford missing more than a month, both getting injured in late April and returning in June. Tuesday, April 24th , 2029
The Team A dominant pitching staff with a struggling offence is once again the story for the Kansas City Royals. Extra-base hits (6th) and avoiding strikeouts (2nd) are the only top-6 categories for the Royals, although the 64 stolen bases is only 14 less than they managed in the whole of the 2028 season. The pitching staff lead the AL in a host of categories, from Runs allowed to Strikeouts, while the defence remains the AL leader. The 2nd best ERA in the AL is built on an AL-leading bullpen but, this year is backed up by the 4th best rotation (even with Wesneski providing 13 starts of 6.18 ERA). Ivan Herrera (78 wRC+) has been as solid as always behind the plate while offering below average hitting figures. His 11% walk rate keeps him playable although he will back up rookie Jonathan Gerew the rest of the way. Luke Adams (94 wRC+) has 20 HRs before the All Star Break, putting him on track for 30+ HR for the season – which would put him to the top ten of single season performances for the Royals. Adding in his 1.7 ZR at 1B and Adams has earned his spot in the roster, and was rewarded as he won the June AL Batter of the Month Award. Nick Loftin (111 wRC+) is back to his solid self in 2029. On track for another 3+ WAR season, his combination of top ten ZR and wRC+ for everyday second baseman shouldn’t be taken for granted by Royals fans. With Luis Garcia being traded, Spencer Steer is the new everyday third baseman. 5 games into his Royals career he has a .792 OPS, long may that continue. Bobby Witt Jr. (80 wRC) has been the disappointment of the season to date with the bat. A projected 12 HRs would be lower than his 13 from an injury interrupted season a year ago, with his current OBP (<.300) and SLG (<.400) both at risk of hitting career lows. While still offering elite defence at SS, the Royals are hoping to see a turnaround in the second half of the season or the remaining 8 years of his contract could start to cause heartburn. Hunter Owen (124 wRC+) has been as advertised, striking out in over a third of his at bats but could hit 35+ HRs on the back of a slugging percentage over .500. Gregory Barrios (71 wRC+) has been up and down in limited appearances (April 174; May – 47; June 99) but offers strong defensive cover at both 2B and SS while Maikel Garcia (100 wRC+) is league average offensively in a much-reduced 2029 role. Wyatt Langford (103 wRC+) was missed during his injury lay off; the second highest SLG% on the team and a SO rate below 25% making him an important player to keep fit. Jacob Jenkins-Cowart (66 wRC+) has really struggled in his second season with the team with both his average (.199) and slugging (.377) over 100 points lower than last season. He has option years left and some development according to the Royals’ scouting director. The arrival of Bradfield Jr. has allowed Jorge Ruiz (114 wRC+) to move to a corner position where he has offered a .791 OPS and solid defence. Bradfield Jr. (58 wRC+) has been below bad with the bat but offers strong CF defence and leads all baseball in stolen bases. In an ideal world he would move to a defensive replacement, pinch running 4th OF so the Royals will be on the lookout for a viable CF bat, either internally or via trade before the end of the month. The starting rotation is full of solid pitches under team control with only experienced JT Burbaker (112 ERA+) out of contract at the end of the season. Only Drew Beam (97 ERA+) is pitching below league average, but offsetting that with a 55% Quality Start grade. Mason Barnett (134 ERA+) holds the 5th lowest WHIP in baseball, while Chase Burns (130 ERA+) won the April Pitcher of the Month Award. Aiden May (acquired for Luisangel Acuna in the offseason) is on track for almost 3 WAR with a 133 ERA+. The bullpen is led by the Royals sole 2029 All Star, John McMillon (166 ERA+) – one run on no hits in an inning of work in the ASG – but features a full battery of above league average performers. Waiver claim Angel Perdomo (154 ERA+) is striking out over a third of batters he faces with both DJ Herz (105 ERA+) and McMillon joining him above 30%. Raimon Gomez (121 ERA+) and FA signing Jose Quijada (111 ERA+) are the only pitchers with WHIP above a 1.20 with both Josiah Gray (165 ERA+) and IFA signing Yusuke Matsumura (119 ERA+) under 1.0. If there was an affordable rental Ace the Royals might pounce but this pitching staff looks, injuries aside, set for the remainder of the season. Minor Leagues Bats 27 3B Juan Zubia DSL – hitting .996 OPS with 152 wRC+. A 35 Contact keeps him at DSL for the rest of the season. 51 SS Tim Storer Rookie – a 145 wRC+ sees him promoted to A ball for the rest of the season. 59 CF Jimmy Goodman AA – May’s AA Batter of the Month earned promotion to AAA with a 1.019 OPS and 154 wRC+. He will play a corner at AAA with his 60 OF Range too low for CF. 75 SS Edgar Mir INT – still only 16 Mir remains in the International Complex 95 RF Enny Mijhail Van Dyke R – struggled with a 41 wRC+ so will see out the year in Rookie ball 143 SS Jeremy Rogerson AA – produced 5.1 WAR to gain promotion to AAA. He will be competing with Goodman for a September call up at worst. 207 1B Luke Adams MLB – has cemented himself at 1B for the Royals and is on track to hit 30 HRs. 209 LF Luis Cabrera R – a 69 wRC+ isn’t enough to gain promotion from the DSL. 306 LF Tim Spears R – a 59 wRC+ isn’t enough to gain promotion form Rookie ball. 314 RF Ken Adams R – 101 wRC+ but 35 contact keeps him at Rookie ball. 359 1B Marv Hubbard R – 105 wRC+ but overall not quite ready for A ball. 393 RF David Tovar DSL – 125 wRC+ but 35 contact keeps him in DSL. 434 CF Juan Ramirez DSL – 69 wRC+ isn’t enough to gain promotion from DSL. 458 SS Alejandro Estrada DSL – 100 wRC+ but 35 contact keeps him in DSL. Arms 107 RHP Danny Petty A+ – 151 wRC+ / 176 ERA+: Petty is promoted to AA as a two-way player. 178 RHP Mike Hoffer R – a 159 ERA+ but 35 stuff means finishing the season in Rookie ball. 231 RHP Josh Olaniyan R – 91 ERA+ and 35 stuff combine to see Josh finish the season in Rookie ball. 319 RHP Lazaro Espinal A+ – out for 4 months in April so will come back to A+. 370 RHP Marco Paz AA – 120 ERA+ across 12 starts with 10+ K/9 sees him promoted to AAA along with winning the AA Pitcher of the Month award in June. 2029 Draft The Royals were on the clock with the 13th pick in the 2029 draft and, true to ethos, drafted a college player on the development pathway. 21-year old Billy Mumaugh (Stetson University) is a potential plus bat across the board with an almost plus plus eye. Almost as impressive as his bat is his personality with high loyalty, adaptability, work ethic and intelligence. Likely to shift to a corner, he will start at A ball. Beyond the first-round pick, the Royals went pitcher heavy, and in a weak college draft were forced into drafting more HS players than they would prefer.
Billy Mumaugh, J.J. Paniagua and Eric Armstrong will be joined in A ball by three college relievers, 7th round pick Eric Cook, 8th rounder Ramiro Cepeda, and 20th rounder Billy Freese. 10th round collegiate catcher Walt Day will also be in A ball while 6th round catcher Alfredo Brambilla goes straight to A+. The top first round picks in the draft:
Around the League At the ASB the American League leaders were: East: Baltimore Orioles (59-37) Central: Chicago White Sox (59-38) West: Texas Rangers (48-48) The Red Sox (56-42), the Royals (51-47) and the Rays (49-47) were in the Wild Card spots. Over in the National League: East: Atlanta Braves (67-29) Central: Chicago Cubs (57-41) West: Colorado Rockies (56-41) It was the Padres (56-43), the Pirates (50-46) and the Nationals (50-47) leading the Wild Card race. Major Injuries Pitchers
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06-11-2024, 04:54 PM
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#27 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
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Royals Return to Post Season, finish 87-75
For the second time in three years, the Kansas City Royals would enjoy post season baseball following a solid post-ASB performance that left them in second place in the AL Central and receiving a wild card into the playoffs.
In making the post season for the third time in the 2020s the Royals matched a franchise high for post season appearances in a decade, matching the 70s and the 80s. In what many fans are hoping is a portent of good things to come, the 70s did not bring a World Series title but the team of 1985 fixed that – will the 2030s bring the same success? The march to the postseason was less exciting than 2027’s pennant race as the Royals required two wins from their last six games, series against the Nationals and the Yankees. They duly lost both series 2-1, gaining the games needed with the clinch coming in the first game of the Yankees series. Trades As the trade deadline approached, and with the Royals in the hunt for the post season, Manager Stewart pulled the trigger on two trades, saying goodbye to a team stalwart while picking up two roster ready players for the final 60+ games. Saturday, July 21st, 2029
Signed as an International Amateur in 2016, Maikel Garcia had spent almost 12 years as a Royal. His 4-year extension signed in 2025 was coming to an end and a combination of performance and alternatives meant a new deal was not going to be on the table. Instead, the Royals took the chance to acquire a high level, plus power CF (elite LF) defender in Varsho. A free agent at the end of the season, this would allow Jenkins-Cowart to return to Omaha to figure out his swing while pushing struggling Bradfield Jr. into a 4th OF, pinch runner role. Sigala was a bonus acquisition for retaining 60% of Garcia’s salary, the 16 year-old International Amateur signing from 2029 having potential 80 grade stuff with a four pitch arsenal of a plus fastball and three plus plus secondary pitches. Replacing Garcia on the bench was Kevin Made, who was having a strong season in Omaha and had earned one more chance in the Major Leagues. Saturday, July 28th, 2029
Garrett was on the trading block as his contract expired at the end of the season and offered a LHP rotation option that Stewart felt the Royals were missing. A groundball pitcher which should play well with the Royals elite defence, plus plus control accompanies average movement and stuff across a 5-pitch repertoire. Garrett slots straight into the starting rotation, with Brubaker making way. 2024 7th Round pick Marc Barnhard was the cost of the deal. There is some potential with a maximum 55-50-45 profile with two plus plus pitches and a plus fastball in a 4 pitch arsenal but had been overtaken by other arms in the prospects list and so the Royals wish him well in Los Angeles. Yean was a depth piece to replace Barnhard at AA, although only in relief with a 50-55-35 profile behind three pitches, including a plus curveball. Injuries Monday, August 27th , 2029
Langford was the only Royal to miss more than 3 weeks in the second half of the season as the medical team did a great job looking after the roster. Playoffs Entering as a Wild Card team, the Royals were drawn against AL East runners up, the Baltimore Orioles (91-71), in a rematch of the 2014 ALCS Series. The Royals had won the regular season series 4-2, sweeping the Orioles in KC in August after dropping two of three in Baltimore the previous month. Game 1 in Baltimore: Braxton Garrett vs Cade Povich (2022 Trade with Twins)
Game 2 in Baltimore: Chase Burns vs Jackson Baumeister (2023 2nd Round)
The Royals are swept out of the postseason as the Orioles bully the KC bullpen in both games. Vlad Guerrero is named Series MVP after going 5-7 over the two games. Owner Goals Review Goal Deadline Progress Play .500 ball 2029 87-75 Acquire a Cy Young winner 2029 Failed Improve Your Draft Record 2029 Failed Increase Attendance to 35,000 2030 9% increase to 32,608 Build Your Farm to Top 6 2030 7th from 29th Improve Fan Interest 2031 68 from 74 Improve Intl. Amateur Finds 2032 No Progress Reach the Playoffs 2033 Reached Playoffs 2029 Minor Leagues Post Season Omaha Storm Chasers [AAA] lost 1st Round of the Playoffs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals [AA] lost in the Championship Final. Quad Cities River Bandits [A+] lost in the Championship Final. Columbia Fireflies [A] won the Championship. Kansas City (ACL) Royals [R] missed the Playoffs by 3½ games. Kansas City (DSL) Royals Stewart [R] lost in the 1st Round of the Playoffs. Kansas City (DSL) Royals Glass [R] lost in the 2nd Round of the Playoffs. Around the League Having knocked out the Royals, the Orioles turned AL Central killers, taking out the White Sox 3-1 to advance to the ALCS. There they ran into a rampant Red Sox team who took out the Division rivals 4-2 to advance to the World Series and avenge their Divisional Series loss in 2028. Over in the National League, it was the Diamondbacks who advanced through the playoff gauntlet, coming through a Wild Card playoff against the Divisional foes the Rockies, before dispatching the Cubs and the Braves. The Red Sox had too much in the World Series, taking home the Championship 4-1, for their first title since 2018, and in their 5th consecutive playoff appearance. Records The Royals own Hunter Owen was this year’s strikeout King, matching Branden Montgomery’s 2028 record total of 242 strikeouts over the season. Major Injuries Pitchers
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Last edited by benp28; 06-12-2024 at 05:24 AM. |
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06-11-2024, 05:58 PM
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#28 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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2029 Major League Roster Review
A return to the postseason should be marked as a success for a Royals team that were challenged to play .500 ball. Another lost playoff series, however, was more disappointing, especially as it was the AL leading bullpen that blew both games.
It was a very up and down season with 3 losing months, 2 winning months, and 1 even month. The Kansas City bats once again failed to light up the league with only strikeouts (2nd) and stolen bases (7th) making an appearance in the top 7 in the AL. The stolen bases shows a successful implementation of a tweaked strategy although baserunning aggression will be reviewed in the off season. The pitching staff were fantastic with AL leading totals across a host of categories; most satisfyingly the 3.32 bullpen ERA and the return to the top of the Strikeout list. A slight defensive drop still saw the team post the second-best record in the AL. Catchers C JONATHAN GEREW R Bat 55 Con 45 Gap 45 Pow 45 Eye 75/65/65 Catcher Defence C Ivan Herrera R 50 45 40 (-5) 60 55(-10)/55(-5)50(-5) Last offseason the hope had been to find an internal back up for Ivan Herrera. The season saw the Royals go through three backups without too much success, as well as seeing high regression from Herrera defensively. Gerew became the first Stewart draftee to make the Big Leagues during the season and his defence will give him some leeway but a 55 wRC+ won’t be tolerated next season. Herrera is a free agent and his defensive regression means his standard pedestrian 86 wRC+, despite KC career highs across the batting line, aren’t enough. He won’t return in 2030. Infield 1B Luke Adams R 45 50 60 55 45/45/60/40 2B Nick Loftin R 55 (-5) 45 40 50 60/65/55/60 3B Spencer Steer R 50 60 55 60 45/60/55/45 SS Bobby Witt Jr. R 60 60 (-5) 50 (-5) 50 65(-5)/70/70/70 INF Gregory Barrios R 55 45 20 55 65/65/60/65 INF Kevin Made R 50 60 40 45 50/65/70/60 INF Jake Gelof R 45 50 55 50 55/55/65/55 DH Hunter Owen R 40 (-5) 50 (+5) 70 55 30/30/55/30 The changes continued through the infield as two years of tepid offence took their toll on front office and fans alike. The two Garcia’s moved on while Spencer Steer joined the club and Kevin Made was given another chance. At 1B, Luke Adams (77 wRC+) was very up and down (monthly wRC+: 95/75/156/-1/118/-31/) but hit 27 HRs and is elite defensively. He will have the chance to improve his consistency in 2030. Nick Loftin (99 wRC+) had a .400 slugging percentage, stayed healthy and played solid 2B defence, he is not the problem in this team. Spencer Steer (62 wRC+) fell off a cliff after joining the Royals, having been registering 33 wRC+ in San Francisco before his July move. A 10% walk rate is about all to try to salvage from a brutal .185/.281/.324 line which will not see him return as he is a free agent. Bobby Witt Jr. (97 wRC+). What to do with a problem called Bobby Witt Jr. The local legend had a difficult season by his standards, with a batting line .267/.320/.425 that was similar enough to his 2028 line to suggest it might be his new normal rather than an exception. That is still worth almost 4 WAR when coupled with his defence but a loss of power and range from last season has alarm bells ringing in KC. Could Witt Jr. be on the block or is a move to 3B more likely? His 2025 MVP Award certainly seems a long time ago. DH Hunter Owen (115 wRC+) struck out an MLB record number of times but also hit the 4th most (38) HRs in a Kansas City season. A slugging % above .500 is exactly what this club needs and, despite his drop in contact, Owen will retain the DH slot in 2030. Gregory Barrios (79 wRC+) is elite at avoiding strikeouts (12.7%) but can’t hit enough to make it count. Elite defence at 2B may not be enough and it would be ideal to be able to follow through on last year’s plan to give him half a season in AAA to see if he can round out his BABIP potential. Kevin Made (105 wRC+) did a nice job in limited at bats, improving his OPS by over 150 points from his last trip to the Big Leagues. With Steer’s implosion there is a holding bat position open and Made may well get the chance to make it his own. Jake Gelof (80 wRC+) was a September call up and split time at 3B and RF. The glove can play but questions remain about what part of his hitting profile keeps him in the Major Leagues. A utility glove may earn him time next season but he looks like a AAAA player so he will need to maximise his league minimum years to justify even a year of arbitration. Outfield LF Wyatt Langford R 55 70 50 45 60/60/55 RF Jorge Ruiz L 55 50 40 50 60/75/50 LF Matthew Etzel L 50 60 (+5) 40 45 65/60/55 RF Jacob Jenkins-Cowart L 45 45 60 45 60/60/55 CF Enrique Bradfield Jr. L 55 45 30 60 65/70/45 LF Daulton Varsho L 45 55 60 50 65/70/60 RF Jake Gelof R 45 50 55 50 50/50/60 To complete the set, the Royals outfield saw plenty of change in 2029 although all the opening day lineup are still at the club. Wyatt Langford (99 wRC+) provided some pop but missed time with injury and couldn’t reproduce his first season levels. A salary increase to $9m next year brings pressure to increase a slugging percentage that should touch .500 with his above average power potential and ++ Gap Power. Jorge Ruiz (99 wRC+) benefited from the arrivals of Enrique Bradfield Jr. and then Daulton Varsho as it allowed him to slip over to RF, a better fit for his profile. A nice complement to Langford, Ruiz gets on base more often with less power on the way to an identical wRC+. He is not a long term solution but offers a steady profile and will be back in 2030. Matthew Etzel (50 wRC+) may have demonstrated the gap between AAA and MLB as he hit .912 OPS in Omaha but was awful for KC, his average a woeful .198. Another year in AAA is Etzel’s immediate future but longer term it is likely to lie away from KC. Jacob Jenkins-Cowart (69 wRC+) struggled even more than Langford in his second season with the team. He was sent down to AAA during the season and did improve on his return. His lack of speed and contact ability limits his tether but he should get another shot in 2030. Enrique Bradfield Jr. (75 wRC+) arrived via waivers at the beginning of the season as a walk drawing, base stealing CF. He walked in over 10% of his at bats and stole an AL leading 36 bases but that didn’t really cover up a .234 average. Scouts believe he has above average contact and he offered enough defensively to earn a spot as a 4th OF in 2030, especially if he can make contact at the level scouts believe. Daulton Varsho (66 wRC+) was hitting .855 in Detroit before arriving in Kansas City in the July trade. He hit .650 over his next 56 games, failing to provide the hoped-for lift for the team’s lack of power. A free agent in 2029 it is unlikely Varsho will return. Offseason / Early 2029 Overview CATCHER Starter: JONATHAN GEREW Back up: Internal Promotion / FA / Trade INFIELD 1B Luke Adams 2B Nick Loftin Arbitration 3B Internal / FA / Trade SS Bobby Witt Jr. ??? INF Gregory Barrios ??? INF Kevin Made / Jake Gelof ??? DH Hunter Owen OUTFIELD LF Wyatt Langford CF Internal / FA / Trade RF Jorge Ruiz OF/CF Enrique Bradfield Jr. Starters SP Mason Barnett 28 R 50 55 55 4 55 (+5) 93-95 60/50/55/60 SP Drew Beam 26 R 55 55 (+5) 55 4 55 93-95 55/70/55/50 SP Chase Burns 26 R 65 50 45 4 55 97-99 75/55/70/70 SP Braxton Garrett 32 L 50 50 70 5 60 91-93 50/50/45/55/50 SP Aiden May 26 R 55 50 50 4 60 95-97 65/50/60/60 SP JT Brubaker 35 R 50 50 60 4 50 93-95 60/45/50/55 Mason Barnett (124 ERA+) led the 4th best starting rotation in the AL in fine fashion once again. His 7th year with the Royals didn’t set any records but brought 3.6 WAR and another year with a FIP under 4 (3.93). Two more years of Barnett is music to Royals fans ears. The double B’s (Beam and Burns) returned their double act and improved in their sophomore year. Beam (104 ERA+) produced Top 10 Royals seasons in both K/BB rate (8th – 3.59) and K/9 (8th – 9.4) over 186 innings while Burns (127 ERA+) had 203 Ks (8th) and 10.6 K/9, 2nd to only Matthew Boyd’s 2025 season. Off season acquisition Aiden May (105 ERA+) offered over 2 WAR while keeping a FIP to a 4.55 while Brubaker (85 ERA+ as a starter) was the only disappointment as he moved to the pen with the acquisition of Braxton Garrett (150 ERA+). Garrett was even better than expected over his 11 starts, posting a 3.58 FIP with 8 Quality Starts. He is looking for 6-years at $20m which is richer than the Royals can afford, especially for a 32-year-old fragile pitcher so it is likely he departs in free agency with thanks from Royals fans. Bullpen RP Liam Norris 28 L 60 (-5) 55 30 4 40 92-94 55(-5)/50/70/60 RP Jose Quijada 33 L 65 50 50 3 30 94-96 75/55/65 RP Yusuke Matsumura 28 R 65 55 50 2 25 96-98 75/75 RP Angel Perdomo 35 L 80 50 40 3 35 94-96 70/65/75 RP Raimon Gomez 28 R 75 45 50 (+5) 3 40 95-97 70/60/75 RP Nick Margevicius 33 L 40 50 65 4 55 91-93 45/45/45/45 RP DJ Herz 28 L 70 55 40 3 45 93-95 65/60/70 RP John McMillon 31 R 60 (-10) 55 40 2 30 (-5) 97-99 75/75(-5) RP Josiah Gray 31 R 55 55 50 4 55 95-97 65/50/60/60 Nine relievers, plus Brubaker, pitched innings for the Royals in 2030, with eight of those pitching at least 50 innings. Liam Norris (46 ERA+) only pitched 7 innings over 5 games with his ERA skewed by a 0.1 inning outing where he gave up 7 runs on 4 hits. He is on an auto renew contract at $1.1m and his 65-55-30 profile may have a role in 2030, but the Royals may try to sneak him through Waivers to free up a 40-man roster spot. Off season acquisitions Quijada (116 ERA+) and Matsumura (133 ERA+) sit at the bottom of the FIP rankings, 4.67 across 53 and 4.37 across 50 innings respectively. Matsumura has two years left on his contract but Quijada’s $4m TO is likely to voided. Final acquisition Angel Perdomo (235 ERA+) had a much better return (postseason meltdown aside) posting a team-leading 3.00 FIP over 51.1 innings of 1.93 ERA. He is looking for 3 years at $1.7m and if the back end can be TO’ed then he may be back. Raimon Gomez (145 ERA+), Nick Margevicius (117 ERA+), and DJ Herz (110 ERA+) had broadly similar profiles with Nick Margevicius striking out fewer but also walking fewer batters. Gomez has eased into the season so pitched 54 innings to Herz and Margevicius’ 76 and 74 respectively. All three are in arbitration with Gomez in his first year and so likely to be retained but there is likely only to be room for one of Herz and Margevicius, with the 5 years younger Herz in the driving seat. The two 100-innings pitchers, John McMillon (173 ERA+) and Josiah Gray (153 ERA+) both had excellent seasons, with FIPs of 3.35 and 3.43 respectively. They combined for almost 4 WAR with McMillon striking out more and Gray walking fewer batters. McMillon is in his final year of arbitration with Gray in his penultimate - $9m may prove too steep to retain both (especially with McMillon’s stuff rating regression) although the most likely outcome is signing and exploring trade options rather than letting either walk for nothing. 40 Man Roster Starter Sawyer Gipson-Long and relievers MacKenzie Gore, Julian Aguiar, Liu Fuenmayor, and Frank Mozzicato never got a chance to pitch for the Royals in 2029 with Aguiar particularly unlucky after being optioned to AAA following the pre-Opening Day acquisition of Angel Perdomo. Gipson-Long, Gore, and Aguiar are all in arbitration and will not be offered a contract while Fuenmayor has an auto renew contract but will be DFA’ed. Only Aguiar pitched Major League baseball for the Royals and can consider himself reasonably unfortunate to be the victim of a bullpen crunch at the start of the season. Three years and over 200 IP, he was a strong servant at the start of the Stewart era and should have no problem finding a roster for 2030. Offseason / Early 2029 Overview Rotation SP Mason Barnett SP Drew Beam SP Chase Burns SP Aiden May SP Braxton Garrett Free Agent Bullpen RP Liam Norris Auto Renew / Trade / DFA RP Jose Quijada Free Agent RP Yusuke Matsumura RP Angel Perdomo 1 Year Contract / Free Agent RP Raimon Gomez Arbitration RP Nick Margevicius Free Agent RP DJ Herz Arbitration RP John McMillon Arbitration / Trade RP Josiah Gray Arbitration |
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06-12-2024, 05:22 AM
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#29 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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2029 Front Office Review / Offseason Preview
Owner Goals
The success of reaching the playoffs was recognised by owner Sherman as he confirmed a new, two-year contract for Stewart, with a huge salary increase (from $470 to $1.2m). Along with the new contract came the standard updated goals. Remaining on the to do list were Building the Farm, so close to being achieved with an End of Season grade of 7th, this needs to be achieved at the end of the 2030 season (so there is one IA and one Draft to go); Increasing Attendance, which is also due at the end of the 2030 season and is on track but will depend on success on the field; Fan Interest and International Amateur Finds which are further down the road but haven’t seen much progress to date. New goals are to reach the playoffs again in 2030 (three years earlier than expected at the end of the 2028 season), acquire an MVP Award winner (is one in Witt Jr. not enough) by 2031, and reaching the World Series is back on the schedule, by 2035. Finances To help Stewart achieve these goals, owner Sherman presented a new budget of $194m, of which $130m was earmarked for player salaries. Overall, this was £18m lower than projected at the end of the 2028 season, with an $11m reduction in Player Expenses. Spending the $130m would place the Royals 23rd in total payroll, which is in line with the total revenue ranking, so hard to argue. It is disappointing to see the reduction in budget, especially following a playoff year and with the ownership taking $46m out of the club. Personnel While there were no expiring contracts at the end of the 2029 season, there were two Minor League retirements which allowed Stewart to execute an internal promotion plan. AAA Hitting Coach Nelson Pena retired; John Lindsay promoted from AA (Legendary Hitting, Good Development, Excellent Mechanics, Good Aging) AA Pitching Coach Douglas Goodman retired; Carlos Rivera promoted from A+ (Legendary Pitching, Good Development, Outstanding Mechanics, Outstanding Aging) Moving forward, any retirement will provide the chance for the respective staff member one level below to be promoted providing they have appropriate ratings and successful results. The subsequent vacancy will be filled through new staff. Minor Leagues Awards Dan Jones AA Manager of the Year Johnny Isom A Manager of the Year Tommy Helms DSL Manager of the Year Henry Bolte 2029 MiL FA AA Most Valuable Player Manonobu Iwamoto 2027 IFA AAA Outstanding Pitcher Award Mike Woods 2027 18th Round A Outstanding Pitcher Award Max Castillo 2029 MiL FA AA Reliever of the Year Notable Retirements Alongside a raft of Minor League Free Agent signings, there were only two notable retirements from the Royals Minor League system.
KC Top 500 Prospects Performance It was a good season for Royals prospects, which now features five top 100 prospects, and a further five in the Top 200. Jimmy Goodman benefitted from his second go around at AA, 3.7 WAR and a 151 OPS+ earning him a midseason promotion to AAA, where he kept mashing with a .946 OPS in 256 PA. He still has some growth but is sure to make his debut in 2030. Jeremy Rogerson is in the same boat after outhitting his team mate at AA with a 168 OPS+ and 5.0 WAR. His bat slowed a little in AAA, but was still worth a 109 OPS+ and he managed to develop his fielding ability to play 2B (65), 3B (65), SS (60). Rogerson could replace Loftin at 2B, and will certainly make his debut in 2030. Marcos Paz is also knocking on the big league doors after a 121 ERA+ across 12 starts at AA was followed by a 164 ERA+ in 12 at AAA. A dip in his K/9 (from 10+ to 8.9) suggests there is still some seasoning required but the Royals will hope the next home-grown pitcher will be on show at some point in 2030. The final player to highlight is 2028 1st Round Supplementary Pick Danny Petty. Drafted as a two-way player, Petty has remained that way through his first two years as a professional. Pairing a 178 ERA+ in 18 starts with 144 OPS+ in 350+ PA at High-A earned him a promotion to AA midseason. Unfortunately, a bone spur ended his season soon after the move so he will open in AA next season although scouts think he may already be overmatched for the level. |
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06-12-2024, 06:56 PM
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#30 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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2029 Offseason
As is often the way, what had expected to be a quiet offseason exploded in late December and it’s a different Royals we find ready to end Spring Training ahead of the 2030 season. Here’s how it went.
Development Lab The second set of player development enrolees provides something of a spoiler for the moves the Royals made. The first round of development was very positive, especially for the young prospects, while the second round was more challenging with little glove improvement. Round 1 Jimmy Goodman was successful in improving his Plate Discipline, with his current and potential Eye improving by 5 to 65 and 75 respectively. Jeremy Rogerson had outstanding results improving his quality of contact, + for his current and potential (55/65) Marco Paz improved his slider as part of a successful improve secondary pitch development, as was the case for both Isaac Morton and Cade Townsend, who also saw his potential stuff improve by 5 (60). Unfortunately, Bobby Witt Jr. saw no improvement in his defensive ability at shortstop, and Sheng-En Lin failed to improve his injury proneness. Second Round The defensive set of lab work was not successful with only Isaac Paredes (3B) having a successful outcome, improving all aspects of his Infield Defense, most notably his ability to Turn DP by 5 (50). Awards The Royals avoided the hat-trick of Awards Season snubs, with Jorge Ruiz (2026 Trade Acquisition) winning the American League Great Glove in Right Field. In addition, Stoppers John McMillon and Josiah Gray both received votes in the AL Reliever of the Year Award. AL Great Gloves RF Jorge Ruiz KC NL Great Gloves AL Platinum Sticks NL Platinum Sticks AL Manager of the Year David Kelton CWS NL Manager of the Year Ed Easley ARI AL Reliever of the Year Josh Walker BAL NL Reliever of the Year Carmen Mlodzinski ATL AL Rookie of the Year Tim Nicosia SEA NL Rookie of the Year Drew Burress SF AL Cy Young Gavin Williams CLE NL Cy Young Cade Horton CHC AL MVP Coby Mayo BAL NL MVP James Wood WAS Pre-Arbitration Extensions & Trades CF/RP
Traded 35-year old minor league RHP Manonobu Iwamoto to the Philadelphia Phillies, getting 27-year old RHP Wen-Hui Pan, 23-year old minor league RHP Jonathan Fleri, and $1,000,000 in cash in return. Iwamoto was an International Free Agent signing in 2027 who had spent two seasons in AAA without ever making the jump to the big leagues. When the Phillies came calling, the chance to pick up Pan, a 70-50-45 55-stamina pitcher with a plus-plus fastball and splitter, and a plus slider, the decision was a no brainer. Fleri, an average reliever who will start in A+, and some cash, sweetened the deal. All Arbitration and Qualifying Offer decisions were made prior to arbitration day so there was nothing to action ahead of Free Agency. International Free Agents Takashi Toguchi [65(70)-45(50)-65(70)-55] was the star of the International Free Agent class and the Royals took a run at signing the left-fielder. They lost out in a bidding way to the Cardinals, with the 28-year-old signing a $31.5m AAV, 8-year contract. Rule 5 Draft Ahead of the Rule 5 Draft, the usual roster review took place for the Royals; as the depth improves, a squeeze becomes inevitable, with 40-man additions and trades taking place the week before Christmas 2029. Two bats – Henry Bolte and Kiyotake Takenara – were added, both players who had excelled in AA in 2029 and will start 2030 in AAA.
Jackson had been claimed in the Rule 5 draft last year before being returned to the Royals ahead of opening day. Rather than risk losing him again, KC traded him and Minor League organisations depth Flores to the Dodgers, getting a trio of potential contributors back. Nicholson and Stevens were LA’s 10th and 11th round picks in 2028, both commanding signing bonuses coming out of High School. They will both start 2030 in Rookie Ball, while 2027 14th round pick, Catcher Suter will start at AA with his plus framing and after a 3.9 WAR season in A+. Christian Cairo has spent time in the Big Leagues and a strong AAA season made him a prime candidate to be taken in the draft. Instead, the Royals added organisational depth player David Pedroza and received AAA infielder Baro, who lacks in power but can get on base through hits (above average contact) and walks (potential plus eye), and potentially elite reliever Holtz whose potential 80 cutter pairs with a potential plus circle change in a best case 70-50-65 profile. Holz will start in Rookie Ball with a more managed workload (after pitching in 48 games in 2029) while Baro will join Spring Training after being added to the 40-man roster. International Amateurs The Royals 2030 class was headlined by 3B Juan Moreno out of Venezuela ($4,000,000). His high Work Ethic will give him the chance to reach his potential all round hitting profile of 60-65-70-60 but at 16 that is a long way in the future. Two Dominican relief pitchers rounded out the class, with owner Sherman capping the International Amateur Signing Pool to $4,420,000.
Offseason Trades & Free Agents Sunday, December 30th , 2029
Made had shown some improvement in his third year of Major League play but when the Blue Jays put Schneider on the Trading Block the chance to pick up a plus power, plus-plus eye Third Baseman (with 8.8 WAR and 59 HRs over the last two years) was too good to turn down. It took adding in 2028 trade acquisition Gelof (who was never really given a chance in the Royals system) and organisational piece Torres but the Royals have a new 3B for 2030. His contract runs for two years at $21.4m, which is steep but short. Monday, December 31st , 2029 Signed free agent 3B Isaac Paredes to a 2-year contract worth a total of $39,000,000. The second trade as the 2029 clock ticked down was a surprise after the acquisition of Schneider the previous day. However, the chance to add a reigning Great Glove to the Infield was too tempting for the Royals as they secured Paredes on a 2-year contract. The contract is severely front loaded ($25m, $14m) and while another 5.9 WAR season is unlikely, plus power and an above average eye should combine for a more than acceptable OPS from a position that has been at best league average over Stewart’s tenure. Departures The fans had it clear they were unhappy with the departure of three Royals over the offseason with a decrease in fan interest accompanying the loss of JT Brubaker, Nick Margevicius, and Braxton Garrett. Garrett’s contract was the only one that hurt, with San Francisco securing a more than manageable 2-year, $13.9m deal with Garrett. Financial Situation Having gone all in on two big bat signings, in mid-January owner Sherman made the decision to slash the budget by $4,000,000. As part of this move, he capped both the scouting and the development budgets, at $14,001,177 and $33,245, 423 respectively. Preseason & Spring Training As has become the norm, the Royals had an up and down Spring, going 10-14 but giving plenty of outings to fringe players as well as getting their main roster up to speed. There was one long term casualty in Spring Training, though, and it hurt. Thursday, February 28th , 2030
In his final year of arbitration, Nick Loftin will miss the first half of the season. The Royals’ 2B everyday player for the last four years, he is a big bat to lose for half a season and posed a serious question to Stewart for the start of the season. Around the League Retirements
Contract Extensions
Free Agent Signings
Major Injuries In addition to Loftin’s injury, two major stories came out of the injury report from the off season. The first was ex-Royal Carlos Hernandez’s second season-ending right elbow injury in the last three years. Hernandez will return at the end of the year a which point he will still have 4 years left at $22.8m. Hernandez was one of five Houston pitchers to suffer serious injury between November and March with only Reliever Keynan Middleton expected back in 2030. The second story came from the NL West, where the Dodger’s Justin Steele suffered a setback ruling him out of the entirety of the 2030 season while the Giants’ Shane McClanahan suffered a second season ending injury to his pitching arm. 5 Cy Young Awards and almost $400m of contract showing the risk associated with long-term pitching contracts. Pitchers
Hitters
Hall of Fame It was a quieter stage this year as two players were inducted into the Hall of Fame on January 16. Both first time ballot pitchers, Justin Verlander {link to news story} and Max Scherzer {link to news story} were runaway elections. Verlander was a unanimous choice amongst voters while Scherzer secured 98.8%. No other nominee cracked 50% of ballots. |
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06-13-2024, 08:30 AM
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#31 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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2030 Roster Preview
OSA predicts an improved Royals team in 2030, gaining an additional win from their 2029 season to go 88-74 with a +108 run differential (2029 +50). That would, however, still only be good enough to finish 2nd in the AL Central behind the White Sox and a Wild Card spot.
Bobby Witt Jr. is predicted to return to his best with bat, an estimated .900+ OPS would be a very welcome return to form. Catcher Jonathan Gerew (2027 8th Rd.) has been handed the starting catcher reins for the 2030 season despite concerns over a bat that continues to struggle in the Major Leagues (9H in 45AB). David Holcombe (2027 9th Rd.) could be joining him in the Big Leagues this season after mashing Spring Training (.694 slugging). He has some power and eye development so will get everyday reps in AAA but look for an in season promotion for Holcombe. As a result Juan Villareal (2027 MiL FA signing) will back up Gerew to start the season. A .955 OPS at AA in 2029, with 55-55-50 defensive profile, Villareal should provide adequate back-up but is no long term solution. Starter Jonathan Gerew (2027 8th Rd) Back Up Juan Villareal (2027 MiL FA) Infield There was little expected controversary in the infield for the Royals with Luke Adams, Nick Loftin, Bobby Witt Jr. and Hunter Owen expected to be joined by Isaac Paredes at 3B with Gregory Barrios and Davis Schneider as infield utility players. Unfortunately, only Schneider showed any life over the Spring (.658 slugging with a 15% walk rate) meaning Loftin’s injury left the Royals scrambling. Barrios will move into an everyday role for the first few months of the season while offseason trade acquisition Boston Baro earns a place on the roster to start the season. Schneider’s performances, coupled with strike out rates of 36% and 40% for Adams and Owen respectively mean there could be some fluidity around the DH and 1B roles in the first few weeks. Jeremy Rogerson (2027 2nd Rd) had little luck (.231 BABIP) but benefitted from the time with big league players as a non-roster invite; he will start the season in AAA looking to round out his final potential growth. 1B Luke Adams (2024 Trade Acquisition) 2B Gregory Barrios (2027 Rule 5 Draft) 3B Isaac Paredes (2029 Free Agent) SS Bobby Witt Jr. (2019 1st Rd) INF Boston Baro (2029 Trade Acquisition) INF Hunter Owen (2023 4th Rd) DH Davis Schneider (2029 Trade Acquisition) Jose Ramos is out of option years so has been DFA’d and the Royals hope they can sneak him through back to AAA for a final year. Outfield Offseason waiver wire acquisition Sheng-En Lin was pencilled to join Wyatt Langford and Jorge Ruiz in the outfield for 2030. Lin can play every position on the diamond, including offering relief pitching which provides the Royals the chance to carry 5 outfielders for the first time. This offered Spring Training chances with a CF and a corner OF spot up for grabs. Prospects Henry Bolte (2029 MiL FA, 40-man addition) and Jimmy Goodman (2027 1st Rd) had great Springs but both have some growth left and will start the season in AAA to try to round out their potential and force their way into the team. Fellow prospect Will Gasparino did not fare as well but with some growth left will head to Omaha to start the season. Enrique Bradfield Jr. will back up CF this season, as well as pinch running when required despite struggling in the Spring. That left one spot between Braylin Tavera, Matthew Etzel, and Jacob Jenkins-Cowart. All three have spent time in the Big Leagues with JJ-C enjoying a stellar 2028 before regressing in 2029. The Royals choose to reward Spring performance, giving Braylin Tavera first chance as the 5th outfielder. Like Bradfield Jr., Tavera can pinch run when required. LF Wyatt Langford (2028 Trade Acquisition) CF Sheng-En Lin (2029 Waiver Claim) RF Jorge Ruiz (2026 Trade Acquisition) OF Enrique Bradfield Jr. (2029 Waiver Claim) OF Braylin Tavera (2025 Trade Acquisition) In the starting rotation, the big offseason change was the move of Josiah Gray from Stopper to Starter. A 50-55-50 profile with three plus pitches amongst his 4-pitch arsenal and 55 stamina should allow Gray to continue his effectiveness as he increased his inning total (103 IP in 2029, 152 ERA+). Marcos Paz (2025 1st Rd) pitched 11 innings over 4 starts, giving up 3 runs across 6 hits. He will start in AAA with the hope that his 50-50-50 profile can reach his potential 60-55-50. He will be joined by 2029 trade acquisition Cade Townsend, who pitched in relief during the Spring, giving up 12 hits and6 runs across 14 appearances. His 55-50-50 profile could top out at 60-50-50 with a good season of development. In the Bullpen, there were only 8 pitchers given a chance to prove their worth; with 2021 1st Rd pick Frank Mozzicato, 2026 3rd Rd pick Isaac Morton, and 2028 trade acquisition David Hagaman battling for the final two spots alongside 2-way Sheng-En Lin and returners Raimon Gomez, Angel Perdomo, DJ Herz, and Yusuke Matsumura. Morton struggled (giving up 13 hits across 14 innings while only striking out 14% of batters) and so will head to Omaha to try to realise the potential development Royals’ scouts believe he has – a 50-50-40 profile that could max out at 60-55-40. SP Mason Barnett (2022 3rd Rd) SP Chase Burns (2027 MiL FA) SP Drew Beam (2027 Trade Acquisition) SP Aiden May (2028 Trade Acquisition) SP Josiah Gray (2027 MiL FA) ST Angel Perdomo (2029 Waiver Claim) ST Wen-Hui Pan (2029 Trade Acquisition) RP Sheng-En Lin (2029 Waiver Claim) RP Raimon Gomez (2026 Rule 5 Draft) RP Frank Mozzicato (2021 1st Rd) RP DJ Herz (2025 Rule 5 Draft) RP David Hagaman (2028 Trade Acquisition) RP Yusuke Matsumura (2028 International Free Agent) |
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06-13-2024, 08:33 AM
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#32 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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Prospect Preview
The Royals have four Top 500 prospects starting the season in Omaha at AAA play. Hopes are high that draft picks Jimmy Goodman, Jeremy Rogerson, and Marcos Paz will all make their Major League debut in 2030 with Will Gasparino not far behind them.
Royals officials will hope that Tim Storer and Danny Petty follow in Rogerson’s steps, using a strong AA season to put themselves on the cusp of the Major Leagues. The bottom half of the prospects list is populated with Rookie ball players, who the Royals will hope to see some development from over the Rookie season to move up to A or A+ ball before the end of 2030. At 20-years-old, this year will hopefully be the year Juan Zubia moves on from the DSL with a 2032 debut still projected by OSA. KC Top 500 Prospects MLB Top 20 Prospects & Farm Systems Juan Zubia returns to the Top 20 prospects list in baseball; an exciting list for fans featuring four players who will open the year in the Big Leagues, headlined by 2028 draft 5th overall pick, Phillies 3rd baseman Steve Melendy. The Royals are on the cusp of that coveted Top 6 farm system and will be hoping that strong 2030 development and another good draft will catapult them into the Top 6 to achieve owner Sherman’s goal. |
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06-14-2024, 09:57 AM
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#33 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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Royals Lead AL Central at All-Star Break
The Kansas City Royals (59-39) will take a 2-game lead into the last 64 games of the 2030 MLB regular season.
A +72 run differential (+120 pace) has fuelled a .602 winning percentage that exceeds preseason predictions, all while playing within 2 games of expected performance (57-41). The White Sox (57-41) are pushing the Royals all the way, comfortably leading the Wild Card race in the AL. The strong first half performance saw a Stewart-Era High 4 players selected for the All Star game. On the batting side, superstar Bobby Witt Jr. earned his 3rd selection (going 1-1 with a double) while Catcher Jonathan Gerew earned his first All Star selection although didn’t play on the day. Pitching wise, Drew Beam was selected to his first All Star game although didn’t pitch while Angel Perdomo pitched a one-hit, no run inning on his All Star debut. Once again the Royals are riding elite pitching to success. With an overall pitching ERA of 3.67 (3rd), both the starting rotation (3.99) and the bullpen (3.21) have an ERA under 4. This has led to a raft of leading AL statistics with hits allowed (726), home runs allowed (94) and strikeouts (932) the most satisfying. The hitters have improved this year with several Top 6 categories, Hits (848) and Extra-Base Hits (312) both showing marked improvement on previous years. Home Runs (8th) and Walks (11th) are still a challenge and this led to some changes during the All Star break. The decision to hand over the starting Catching role to Jonathan Gerew was clearly the decision of the offseason as he has responded with a 2.4 FRM rating backed up by a 121 wRC+. Dave Holcombe is having a strong AAA season and is ready to replace Juan Villareal (98 wRC+) although the back up is offering replacement level hitting at the moment so change is not imminent. Luke Adams (124 wRC+) has missed 5 weeks but will be back before the end of the month which will allow Hunter Owen (136 wRC+) to move back into a DH role. 29 Home Runs has him gunning for the Royals single-season record of 48! Nick Loftin (156 wRC+) returned from injury just before the break while his back up Gregory Barrios (84 wRC+) has shown vast improvement on previous years while providing elite defence (7.8 ZR) and will move to an infield utility role the rest of the way. Off season free agent signing Isaac Paredes (82 wRC+) has disappointed to date, continuing the run of under production from 3B for the Royals, although his July was improving (94 wRC+) to provide hope that it was merely an adjustment period. He beat out Davis Schneider (81 wRC+) which saw Schneider traded to the Astros. Bobby Witt Jr. (133 wRC+) has had his OSA predicted bounce-back year, premium defence paired with a .524 slugging percentage that has him on track for 25 HRs and 90 RBIs for the season. Sheng-En Lin (102 wRC+) has been an above average bat and glove in CF, while Wyatt Langford (94 wRC+) has been close to league average while offering solid RF defence. Enrique Bradfield Jr. (75 wRC+) has hit above average for the last two months as a solid 4th OF. Jorge Ruiz (89 wRC+) hadn’t set the league alight and, with Jimmy Goodman (124 wRC+ AAA) pushing for promotion was the odd man out for the Royals. Goodman will go straight into a starting role at RF for the remainder of the season. Will Gasparino (99 wRC+) had actually been the second of the 2027 draft class to earn promotion to cover an injury and has hit well enough to retain his place as the 5th OF. Drew Beam’s (159 ERA+) first All Star selection was well deserved, having produced an 2.85 ERA (3.71 FIP) across 20 starts. Mason Barnett (115 ERA+) has pitched an equally impressive 20 starts (3.79 FIP) although with slightly less help from the field as his ERA is at 3.92. Aiden May (80 ERA+) has struggled a bit and may be due a rest while Josiah Gray (109 ERA+) has adapted well to the move to the starting rotation. The loss of Chase Burns (118 ERA+) for the rest of the season just before the break was a tough blow; Cade Townsend’s first start after replacing Burns was a 5-inning victory which hopefully will be a blueprint for the remainder of the season. The AL-leading bullpen has meant starters haven’t had to be stretched too far, with relievers accounting for 44% of innings pitched so far. They have been led by All Star Angel Perdomo (165 ERA+), who has pitched 62 innings with keeping opponents to a 2.74 ERA. This has required some luck, and some excellent defence as his 4.50 FIP is second worst in the group. The FIP leader is Yusuke Matsumura (246 ERA+) at 3.07 with an ERA of 1.84 while Raimon Gomez has a WHIP of 0.94, helping him to an ERA of 1.16. Two rookies have pitched out of the pen with Isaac Morton (152 ERA+) winning Rookie of the Month for May before a strained hamstring opened the door for David Hagaman (209 ERA+) to make his debut. Injuries Sunday, June 23rd , 2030 • 1B Luke Adams diagnosed with a torn ligament in his thumb, will miss 5-6 weeks. Tuesday, July 9th , 2030 • RP Isaac Morton diagnosed with a strained hamstring, will miss 5-6 weeks. Thursday, July 11th , 2030 • SP Chase Burns diagnosed with a torn meniscus, will miss 4 months. Trades Wednesday, July 17th , 2030
As MLB broke for the ASB, the Kansas City Royals took the chance to evaluate their roster, making two major moves before play resumes. Davis Schneider had not impressed in his first 3 ½ months as a Royal and with another year of a $20m+ contract, the Royals looked to see who might be interested. The Astros gave the best offer, offering Morga (plus power and eye with above average contact) straight up. However, with Jenkins-Cowart having another average season having been called up from AAA the Royals took the decision to move on from their 2028 trade acquisition to add Julio Herrera (plus contact with above average eye) onto the deal. The two acquisitions become the 35th and 22nd best players in the Royals farm respectively. Organisational piece Jose Felipe Torres (2024 MiL FA) was tacked on while the Astros added over $3m in cash to complete the deal. The second trade was the result of prospect Goodman’s performances at AAA. Jorge Ruiz had struggled and, having cleared Schneider’s salary from the books, the opportunity presented itself to pick up another elite reliever in Prelander Berroa. Plus-plus stuff with an 80 fastball and slider as part of a 3-pitch arsenal, Berroa has a one year $5.6m contract. The second benefit of moving on from Schneider’s salary was that it allowed the team to extend Nick Loftin to a 3-year $5.5m per year contract with the last two year as a Team Option. Around the League At the ASB the American League leaders were: East: Baltimore Orioles (62-35) Central: Kansas City Royals (59-39) West: Houston Astros (60-36) The White Sox (57-41), the Red Sox (52-44) and the Angels (50-46) were in the Wild Card spots. Over in the National League: East: Washington Nationals (64-33) Central: Cincinnati Reds (56-42) West: Colorado Rockies (52-45) It was the Phillies (51-45), the Braves (51-45) and the Diamondbacks (51-46) leading the Wild Card race. Major Injuries Pitchers
Hitters
Extensions
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06-14-2024, 03:18 PM
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#34 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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Front Office All Star Break Review
Minor Leagues
Prospect Watch Both Holcombe (2027 9th Rd) and Rogerson (2027 2nd Rd) are knocking on the door for the Big Leagues and both would expect to play a part in the team’s run-in this season, following in Jimmy Goodman (2027 1st Rd) and Will Gasparino’s (2026 3rd Rd) footsteps. Tim Storer (2028 1st Rd) earned his promotion to AAA with a 2.6 WAR performance although Danny Petty (2028 1st Rd S) once again suffered a season ending injury at AA level. Billy Mumaugh (2029 1st Rd) was too good for High-A and will finish the season at AA, hoping to start 2031 in Omaha. Ken Adams (2027 6th Rd) and Marv Hubbard (2027 4th Rd) have both graduated Rookie Ball in their third season and will hope to make short work of A ball during the remainder of the season. Several other rookies are performing well, without being ready for promotion while Edgar Mir (2028 Int. Amateur) has graduated from the International Complex to finish out the season in the DSL. Marcos Paz (2025 1st Rd) is one injury from making his Big-League debut after an impressive first half of the season in Omaha while J.J. Panaigua (2029 2nd Rd) dominated High-A batters, allowing only 81 hits across 101 innings and 18 starts. Both Mike Hoffer (2027 3rd Rd) and Josh Olaniyan (2026 2nd Rd) have graduated Rookie Ball and will test their arms in A ball to finish the season. 2030 Draft The Royals had the 24th pick of the 2030 and for the first time in Stewart’s tenure, selected a pitcher. Eddie Baquerizo, a 21-year-old out of the University of Arkansas is a 6-pitch groundball starter with potential above average stuff and movement, and plus-plus control. Progressing well, he will start in High-A ball.
Bogans and Gordon will start in A ball, along with 15th and 17th round relief pitching picks, Chris Butler and Jaquan Boxton. All other picks will start in Rookie Ball. The first five picks in the draft (all HS players for the first time in the save) were: Round 1, Pick 1 - Toronto Blue Jays: SP Tyree Sanon, age 19 out of high school Round 1, Pick 2 - New York Yankees: SP J.J. Tjepkema, age 18 out of high school Round 1, Pick 3 - Oakland Athletics: RF Luis Merino, age 18 out of high school Round 1, Pick 4 - Los Angeles Angels: SP Sam Grebe, age 18 out of high school Round 1, Pick 5 - Philadelphia Phillies: CF Steve Hunt, age 18 out of high school Next up, find out how the Royals season finished. |
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06-18-2024, 11:37 AM
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#35 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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Royals secure 9th AL Central Pennant, back-to-back Playoff Appearances
The Royals (99-63) missed out on a one hundred-win season after losing their last 5 games but still went 40-24 after the All-Star Break to secure the AL. Central for a 9th time and make the playoffs in back to back years for the first time since the 2014-2015 seasons. The second half of the season was most notable for the arrival of several homegrown players as RF Jimmy Goodman, 3B Jeremy Rogerson, and P Marcos Paz all made their debuts.
The standout performer, however, was club legend Bobby Witt Jr.. Predicted to have a bounce back after three injury-hit years, Witt Jr. exceeded all expectations, taking the AL Batting Champion crown with a .311 average while also joining the 20/20 Club with 23 HR and 25 SB. Trades Tuesday, July 30th , 2030 • Traded 32-year old minor league 3B Josh Smith and 27-year old minor league SS David Covarrubias to the Texas Rangers, getting 16-year old minor league 1B Julio Vargas and $1,000,000 in cash in return. The Royals were quiet on the trade front between the ASB and the Trade Deadline with one Minor League transaction the only deal. Both (former Royal) Smith and Covarrubias were 2030 Minor League Free Agent Signings so were viewed as Organisational Depth by the Royals. When Texas asked about Smith, it didn’t take long to settle on a final deal also including Covarrubias for cash and 2030 International Amateur signing Vargas, who profiles as a plus contact, plus power first baseman, although it is unclear why the Rangers had promoted him straight to the DSL leagues where he looks very overmatched. Injuries Wednesday, August 28th, 2030 • CF Enrique Bradfield Jr. diagnosed with chronic back soreness, will miss 4 weeks. Bradfield Jr. was the only serious injury suffered by the Royals over the closing months of the season; Trent Grisham being called back to the Major Leagues for the first time since 2028 to cover. Playoffs AL Divisional Series The AL West Runners Up Seattle Mariners (81-81) were the Royals ALDS opposition, in a first post-season match up for the teams. It is the first playoff appearance since 2022 for Seattle and they started well, defeating Baltimore 2-1 in the ALWS. Game 1 in Kansas City: Mason Barnett vs. Juan Mercedes (2017 International Amateur)
Game 2 in Kansas City: Drew Beam vs. Connor Phillips (2029 Free Agent)
Game 3 in Seattle: Cade Townsend vs. Randy Vasquez (2029 Trade from SD)
Game 4 in Seattle: Josiah Gray vs. Casey Legumina (2029 Trade with CIN)
Game 5 in Kansas City: Barnett vs. Phillips
Player of the Series: Wyatt Langford (KC): .350 OBP, 3 RBI, 2 R AL Championships Series The Championship Series pitted the Royals against AL Central Runners Up, division rivals, the Chicago White Sox (98-64). The White Sox had taken out their frustration at finishing second in the division by beating the Red Sox 2-1 in the ALWS, then sweeping the Astros 3-0 in the ALDS. Game 1 in Kansas City: Beam vs. Noah Shultz (2022 1st Round)
Game 2 in Kansas City: Townsend vs. Dan Nicholas (2027 1st Round)
Game 3 in Chicago: Gray vs. Michael Prosecky (2029 Trade with CIN)
Game 4 in Chicago: Barnett vs. Raheem Whitthorne (2027 10th Round)
Game 5 in Chicago: Beam vs. Shultz
Series MVP: Kyle Tucker (CHC): .600 OBP, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2R The Royals win their first Post Season Series since 2015 but couldn’t match that team, falling in the American League Championship Series. Finishing one game below 100 wins, with a playoff series victory show clear progress. All this came with the development of several homegrown prospects, which bodes well for the future in Kansas City. Owner Goals Review Goal Deadline Progress Reach the Playoffs 2030 Achieved – Lost in ALCS Increase Attendance to 35,000 2030 Achieved – 35,615 Build Your Farm to Top 6 2030 Failed – 7th Acquire an MVP Winner 2031 No Progress Improve Fan Interest 2031 No progress – 73 from 74 Improve Intl. Amateur finds 2032 No progress Reach the World Series 2035 Reached ALCS Reaching the Playoffs met owner Sherman’s performance goal while also raising excitement and fans in the stands, leading to the attendance increase goal also being achieved. The farm peaked at a respectable 7th but that was short of the Top 6 farm desired by Sherman. The progress of players in that farm, however, give cause for optimism. Looking ahead, 2031’s goals of an MVP and increased fan interest feel a long way away and won’t be a direct priority for Stewart, while none of Stewart’s International Amateurs have made it out of the DSL yet so feel a long way from helping the Big League team. Falling one series short gives the management team confidence of reaching the World Series before 2035, although it is highly possible Sherman will feel the same when new goals are released. Minor Leagues Post Season All seven Royal Minor League franchises reached their post season final, with four teams taking home the pennant, including back-to-back titles for the Columbia Fireflies and a third title in four years for the Stewart DSL team, defeating their fellow Royal DSL franchise Glass team in the final. While not the purpose of the Minor League systems, the combination of experience and prospects throughout the farm is making baseball fun across the Royals system. Omaha Storm Chasers [AAA] lost in the Championship Final. Northwest Arkansas Naturals [AA] won the Championship. Quad Cities River Bandits [A+] won the Championship. Columbia Fireflies [A] won the Championship (back-to-back). Kansas City (ACL) Royals [R] lost in the Championship Final. Kansas City (DSL) Royals Stewart [R] won the Championship. Kansas City (DSL) Royals Glass [R] lost in the Championship Final. Around the League Results Having knocked out the Royals, the White Sox would face the Colorado Rockies (90-72) in the 2030 World Series. The Rockies, having won the NL West first had to knock out Division rivals the Diamondbacks in the Wild Card Series (2-0), before dispatching the Red (3-1) and the Nationals (4-1) with minimal trouble. This would be their first World Series since losing to the Red Sox in 2007 while Chicago were in the final for the first time since their 2005 victory. The Sox got the better of Colorado for the second time, Chicago clinching their 4th World Title with a Game 7 victory. There can be no complaints as the White Sox took out the Regular Season winningest (101 win Houston Astros) and second winningest (99 win team Kansas Royals) teams after finishing with the third best record in baseball ahead of the post season. Major Injuries Pitchers
Hitters
Extensions
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06-18-2024, 11:48 AM
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#36 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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2030 Major League Roster Player Evaluation
A first AL Championships Series appearance in 15 years with 4 recent draftees all debuting, and impacting, is a real sign of progress for the Royals. Reaching the playoffs in back-to-back years isn’t a common Royals experience while 2031 will provide the chance for three in a row for only the second time in franchise history (1976-1978).
The improved performance came on the back of an improved batting performance. A batting average that added .022 points and moved from 13th to 2nd in the AL was at the heart of the improvement (148 extra hits) and translated into 96 extra runs (11th to 5th). An improved slugging performance (37 points) led to extra base hits moving from 10th to 4th. Reaching 200 HRs is a satisfying improvement but, at 7th in the AL, indicates a continuing area of weakness along with walks (12th, 486). The pitching staff produced a similar profile to 2029; with AL-leading bullpen ERA, hits allowed (44 fewer than 2029), opponents average, and strikeouts. The Defensive efficiency was similar remaining second in the league while the ZR doubled to a AL-leading +70.7. It was a year of change for the Royals with no fewer than 20 players used in the field (including traded players Schneider, Jenkins-Cowart, Ruiz), and Major League debuts given to four players, three of whom were homegrown drafted players. Catchers C JONATHAN GEREW R 55 45 45 50 (+5) 75 70 70 (+5) C Juan Villarreal S 55 40 40 45 55 55 50 Gerew (104 wRC+) improved his eye and his Catcher arm while earning All Star recognition in his first year as an MLB starter. Leading all Catchers in ZR (3.7), he has established himself as a Top-10 Catcher. Villareal provided adequate back up with limited trust from the coaching staff as he failed to reach 200 ABs over the season. A -1.6-framing return means he is unlikely to return in 2031, and with plenty of Catching depth the Royals will likely try to sneak him through waivers. Infield 1B Luke Adams R 45 50 60 55 45 45 60 40 2B Gregory Barrios R 55 45 20 55 65 65 60 65 2B Nick Loftin R 60 45 40 50 55 65 55 60 3B Isaac Paredes R 45 50 65 (+5) 55 60 55 60 50 (+5) 3B JEREMY ROGERSON R 55 55 50 50 55 60 70 60 SS Bobby Witt Jr. R 60 60 50 (-5) 50 65 70 70 70 DH Hunter Owen R 40 50 70 55 30 30 55 30 Luke Adams (107 wRC+) backed up his 2029 season with 33 HRs (27 2029), increasing his slugging percentage by 98 points (.488; 73rd percentile amongst 1B with 200 ABs). Combining his slugging with his defence, the Royals rate Adams as the second-best 1B in baseball (behind Washington’s B.J. Abel). Gregory Barrios (78 wRC+) started the season at 2B due to Loftin’s (121 wRC+) injury. He provides elite defence (88th percentile), which is perfect for a backup and exceeds Nick Loftin (62nd). However, Loftin’s 90th percentile wRC+ showcases why the Royals rate him so highly and why they extended him during the season for a further three years. Both players will be part of the 2031 Royals although entering arbitration, Barrios will be looking over his shoulder at upcoming prospects. Isaac Paredes (111 wRC+) struggled early in the season with 0.6 WAR through July. However, he found his swing after the ASB, adding 2.0 WAR thereafter. He will need to be at his best in 2031 to hold off Jeremy Rogerson (227 wRC+) who was promoted in September and looked like he belonged in a very small sample. The Royals ranked Paredes as the 5th best 3B in baseball which bodes well for the 2031 competition. Bobby Witt Jr. (133 wRC+) was back to his best, and his combination of bat and glove place him as the 4th best SS across the league by the Royals evaluation. He was in the 80th percentile for both ZR and wRC+, while winning the AL batting title and joining the 20/20 club with 23 HR and 25 SB. His 7.6 WAR was the 4th-best Royals season and gives him three of the top four all time Royals seasons and up to 3rd in total WAR for the Royals, one of a host of categories he has the chance to top come the end of his career. Hunter Owen (117 wRC+) played some 1B during Adams’ injury but predominantly filled the DH role to great effect. He led the league in strikeouts for the second year running, striking out in 44% of his at bats but also hit 8% of his at bats out of the park. His 44 HRs the 3rd most in a Royals season while he also cracked the top ten for single-season RBIs (9th – 117). In a team short of power, Owen is an important cog in the machine. Outfield LF WILL GASPARINO R 45 50 60 50 60 50 60 LF Wyatt Langford R 55 70 50 45 60 60 55 CF Enrique Bradfield Jr. L 55 45 30 60 65 70 45 CF Sheng-En Lin L 55 45 (+5) 35 (+5) 50 65 (+5) 60 65 RF JIMMY GOODMAN R 55 50 55 75 60 60 60 After some midseason changes, the outfield was reasonably stable over the back half of the season. Wyatt Langford (99 wRC+) was in the 100th percentile for LF in ZR and Defensive Efficiency, and while his wRC+ was in the bottom half of the league (49th percentile), he hit for some power (19 HRs) and was 3rd in the tea for RBIs so offers value. Langford is not untouchable but probably won’t be actively traded. First year Royal Lin (98 wRC+) was a below average everyday centerfielder who offered an extra bullpen arm while providing league average offense. Bradfield Jr. (79 wRC+) offered a very similar profile but without the arm. Neither player provides the level of defence that justify their bat and CF is certainly an area that the Royals would like to improve. Lin would be perfect as a 4th OF with Bradfield Jr. on the block. Jimmy Goodman (116 wRC+) replaced Jorge Ruiz in the outfield and offered 80th percentile defence with a 116 wRC+. Goodman will be the opening day RF starter all things being equal and is a candidate for a long term contract if both sides can agree a reasonable deal. Will Gasparino (66 wRC+) struggled in his time in the big leagues and will likely get some time down in AAA to start 2031 as his plus power is an intriguing prospect in a team lacking in raw power. 40 Man Roster None of Caleb Lomavita, Kiyotake Takenaka, Matthew Etzel or Henry Bolte made an appearance for the Royals in 2030. For Etzel and for Lomavita that likely means a trade or the DFA for list. Bolte has a similar profile to Gasparino so still has a chance to make it while Takenaka has a defensive profile to play second base or even shortstop if needed, although he struggled to make an impact at AAA in 2030. Offseason / Early 2029 Overview CATCHER Starter: Jonathan Gerew Back up: Juan Villareal DFA INFIELD 1B Luke Adams 2B Nick Loftin 3B Isaac Paredes SS Bobby Witt Jr. INF Gregory Barrios Arbitration INF Jeremy Rogerson DH Hunter Owen OUTFIELD LF Wyatt Langford CF Sheng-En Lin 4th Outfielder RF Jimmy Goodman Long Term Extension OF Enrique Bradfield Jr. Trade OF Will Gasparino AAA The pitching staff keep producing at a high quality level and even the loss of Chase Burns in July didn’t knock them off their stride. Questions should be asked about the post season performance which indicates the continuing lack of an ace while the use of the bullpen might change after the regular season. After four years of conservative pitch count management, the challenge for Stewart is to increase the starting rotation workload from 57%, closer to the magical 67% representing 6 innings per start. Starters SP Mason Barnett R 50 55 55 55 93-95 60 45 (-5) 55 60 SP Drew Beam R 55 55 55 50 (-5) 93-95 55 70 55 50 SP Chase Burns R 65 55 45 55 97-99 75 55 (-5) 70 75 (+5) SP Josiah Gray R 50 50 (-5) 50 55 95-97 65 50 60 60 SP Aiden May R 55 50 50 60 95-97 70 (+5) 50 60 65 (+5) SP CADE TOWNSEND R 60 50 55 55 94-96 60 60 55 70 50 Mason Barnett (117 ERA+) put up another 3 WAR season although his strike out rate was down (8.8 to 8.4 K/9) and his ERA+ was his lowest full season performance since 2025. A Team Option $10m for 2031 seems good value although a new contract after that is less clear. Drew Beam (126 ERA+) became the top option for the Royals over the season despite a loss of some stamina and a decline in his K/9 rate from 9.4 to 7.7. Entering arbitration, Beam will remain in the top half of the rotation for 2031 and beyond. Chase Burns (119 ERA+) had a strong first half of the year before suffering a knee injury which ended his season. He will look to return to the line up in 2031 where he and Beam will continue their similar path with the Royals. Josiah Gray (95 ERA+) stepped up to the starting rotation in 2030 and was adequate in the back half of the rotation. A walk rate over 10% challenged his ability to go deep in games with a low 25% QS rate. He enters his final year of arbitration in 2031 and with an estimated charge of almost $5m is a trade candidate. Aiden May (91 ERA+) had a tough 2nd season for the Royals, his 9.9% walk rate limited his QS with him only pitching 155 innings. He will need to be let off the lease in 2031 if he retains his place in the rotation. Cade Townsend replaced Chase Burns in July and produced 2.1 WAR across 13 starts. A K-BB% over 20% is elite and will ensure that Townsend starts in the rotation in 2031. Bullpen RP Prelander Berroa R 75 55 40 35 97-99 80 55 80 RP Raimon Gomez R 75 50 (-5) 50 40 95-97 70 60 75 RP David Hagaman R 55 55 (+5) 40 30 94-96 65 60 60 RP DJ Herz L 70 55 40 45 93-95 65 60 70 RP Isaac Morton R 45 55 40 55 93-95 50 60 55 RP Frank Mozzicato L 65 (-5) 50 40 55 91-93 55 (-5) 50 75 RP Wen-Hui Pan R 70 50 45 55 95-97 70 65 75 RP MARCOS PAZ R 55 55 50 60 95-97 65 60 50 65 RP Angel Perdomo L 75 (-5) 50 40 30 94-96 70 65 75 CL Yusuke Matsumura R 65 55 50 20 (-5) 96-98 75 75 CF Sheng-En Lin R 60 (+10) 45 45 (+5) 25 (-5) 96-98 70 (+5) 45 55 (+10) 70 (+10) 45 It is hard to nitpick a bullpen that led the AL in ERA, pitched 43% of the team’s innings and had six pitchers with an ERA below 3.00. However, with three pitchers due arbitration, one entering free agency, and one Team Option decision it is worth focussing on those five and the offseason decision to be made. Starting in arbitration, which covers stalwarts Raimon Gomez (162 ERA+) and DJ Herz (92 ERA+), and trade acquisition Wen-Hui Pan. Gomez and DJ Herz were the only (regular as CF Lin gets some leeway) relievers to have a FIP above 4.50. Both pitched over 50 innings and neither provided any WAR benefit to the team. DJ Herz has reached the end of the line with the Royals while Gomez will be on the block after passing through arbitration. Wen-Hui Pan (108 ERA+) was a workhorse for the Royals, pitching in 83 games, only 1 short of Dan Quisenberry’s 1985 Royals record and the most in MLB since Alex Claudio MIN in 2019. An arbitration cost of under $4m for 9% of the regular season innings seems a reasonable deal so it is likely the Royals will offer an extension to that effect. The Royals have a decision to make regarding Angel Perdomo (174 ERA+), with a $1.8m Team Option. It comes with a $255k buyout. A 0.99 WHIP across 93.1 Innings is an elite return, demonstrated by his ERA and he will surely be in consideration for Reliever of the Year in the AL. However, a BABIP of .198 against his career average .287 suggests this is an outlier. On top of this is the consecutive years of postseason meltdown. A tough decision but the Royals are unlikely to pick up Perdomo’s option. Midseason acquisition Prelander Berroa (154 ERA+) is a free agent after pitching 39.2 innings of 3.00 FIP ball. Looking for a 3-year contract at $11m, the Royals would have to get creative and aggressive to retain Berroa’s services. The best case scenario is most likely extending then a trade with the most likely outcome being him leaving in Free Agency. The rest of the bullpen should return in 2031 with only Mozzicato at risk following his decrease in stuff over the season. Offseason / Early 2029 Overview Rotation SP Mason Barnett SP Drew Beam Arbitration SP Chase Burns Arbitration SP Josiah Gray Trade / Free Agent SP Aiden May SP Cade Townsend Bullpen MR DJ Herz Trade / Free Agent MR Raimon Gomez Trade / Arbitration MR Wen-Hui Pan Arbitration MR Prelander Berroa Free Agent / Extension/ Trade MR Angel Perdomo Trade / Free Agent MR David Hagaman MR Isaac Morton MR Frank Mozzicato MR Yusuke Matsumura MR Sheng-En Lin MR MARCOS PAZ Starting Rotation |
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06-18-2024, 11:53 AM
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#37 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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Front Office Review / Offseason Preview
Owner Goals
With the end of a season comes a new set of owner goals and 2030 was no exception. Sherman expects the Royals to reach the playoffs again in 2031 while this is the year he is expecting both an MVP acquisition and an improved fan interest. Improved international finds and reaching the World Series remain as future goals, in 2032 and 2035 respectively, while there is a new addition of extending Mason Barnett. As identified in the player review, it is unlikely this extension fits with Stewart’s plans. Finances Following a trip to the AL Championship, and season revenue of $230m, Stewart had expected a 2031 budget north of the $206m predicted at the end of the 2029 season. Instead, owner Sherman announced a $30m slash to that projection, and a total budget of $176m against forecasted revenue of $220m and an opening balance of $16m. This decrease was focussed squarely on payroll, with a budget of $100m for players. Taking into account the wish to re-up Scouting and Development budgets, to $15m and $36m respectively, this will leave little money available for Free Agency. Some research into the finances show a 19% increase in total attendance over Stewart’s tenure, with the Royals drawing in the 10th most fans in the league and the 13th highest gate revenue. On top of that, season ticket sales have increased by 45% to over 13k. Having kept ticket prices steady since the increase ahead of the 2027 season, Stewart’s research shows a Royals ticket to be the 4th cheapest in the league. Confident that the on-field product provides value for money, ticket prices will increase to $36 (+7.5%) for the 2031 season. This will still be the 7th cheapest ticket in the league. Personnel After 4 years, a 333-195 record, and finally securing a Championship after consecutive losses in the Final, A+ Manager Gary Koenig retired. He was awarded A+ Manager of the Year. His replacement was recruited externally as Johnny Isom was not interested in the role. Rookie Ball Pitching Coach James Birmingham departed after one year. A late offseason appointment, he was always a stop gap for a more appropriate coach this off season. Minor Leagues Awards Dan Jones AA Manager of the Year Gary Koenig A+ Manager of the Year Johnny Isom A Manager of the Year Peter O'Brien DSL Manager of the Year Eric Lauer AAA Outstanding Pitcher Award Peter Solomon AA Outstanding Pitcher Award Jorge Lucino 2027 17th Round Outstanding Pitcher Award Notable Retirements Only three non-Minor League Free Agent signings retired at the end of the season: Outfielder Cannon Goldin, the Royals 2028 12th Round pick, never got out of Rookie Ball. Pitcher Brandon Neely, acquired in a 2026 Trade with the Yankees, reached AAA. Pitcher Ben Kudrna, Royals 2021 2nd Round pick, reached AAA. His highlight year was 2027, when he earned an All-Star appearance and was named Outstanding Pitcher at High-A. KC Top 500 Prospects Performance It was another strong year on the Royals farm, with players moving up and several players making their big-league debut. On the batting side, in addition to Jimmy Goodman graduating to MLB, Jeremy Rogerson is set to follow him next year, with Dave Holcombe hoping to do the same and Tim Storer opening in AAA but ready for any opportunity to come his way. Further down the leagues, Billy Mumaugh continues his assault on baseball, Danny Petty just needs to stay healthy, and a raft of HS draft picks graduated from Rookie Ball and will look to work their way through the system in the next 2-3 years. Cade Townsend led the success stories on the pitching side with Marcos Paz hoping to follow him next year. J.J. Paniagua is moving steadily through the minors, while it was satisfying to see Mike Hoffer and Josh Olaniyan graduate rookie ball and they will hope to continue their ascent next year. Olaniyan is on track after being named Carolina (A) League Pitcher of the Month in August. Besides Petty’s injury, the only real disappointing season came from Alex Duke, the 2029 2nd round pick really struggling in Rookie Ball this season. |
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06-20-2024, 03:55 PM
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#38 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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2030-31 Offseason
Development Lab
First Round Danny Petty
Billy Mumaugh
Jeremy Rogerson
Tim Storer
Ramiro Cepeda
Marcos Paz
Second Round Jimmy Goodman RF
Billy Mumaugh LF
Jake Adolphus
Will Gasparino LF
Nick Loftin 2B
Jeremy Rogerson 3B
Awards The Royals finally had some players to celebrate over Awards season. Wyatt Langford won a Great Glove in LF, Hunter Owen a Platinum Stick at DH. Bobby Witt Jr. and Owen received MVP votes while Angel Perdomo was rewarded for his stellar regular season with the Reliever of the Year Award. He was a unanimous choice with Wen-Hui Pan also receiving votes. AL Great Gloves (LF Wyatt Langford KC) NL Great Gloves AL Platinum Sticks (DH Hunter Owen KC) NL Platinum Sticks AL Manager of the Year David Kelton CWS NL Manager of the Year Charles Kulle COL AL Reliever of the Year Angel Perdomo KC NL Reliever of the Year Yeijiro Ando SF AL Rookie of the Year Mike Miller SEA NL Rookie of the Year Steve Melendy PHI AL Cy Young Dan Nichols CWS NL Cy Young Yu-min Lin ARI AL MVP Julio Rodriguez SEA NL MVP Steve Melendy PHI Pre-Arbitration Extensions & Trades The big contract move in the off season was securing Jimmy Goodman to a 10-year contract. The final two years of the contract are Team Options and it peaks at $13m. With the potential to be the next homegrown star, this deal potentially taking Goodman through his age 34 year was well received by fans.
Wednesday, November 27th , 2030
The Royals only made two trades during the offseason and got their business done early. Centrefield had been flagged as a weakness defensively in 2030 with Enrique Bradfield Jr. the likely casualty. Christian Vaquero was identified as a stop gap upgrade after a AAA season where he had a wRC+ in the 94th percentile of AAA Centerfielders to go with 70 Range. Minor League Free Agent upper Minors depth piece Nick Madrigal was the sweetener for the deal for the Nationals, who retained 25% of Vaquero’s league minimum salary. The second trade was opportunistic as the Diamondbacks came calling for pitching depth piece Spencer Howard. Adding in Joan Adon, another pitching depth piece, netted the Royal Luis Gotay, a 2029 7th round pick with 70 range to go with potential plus contact and gap power. He will start in AA and could be the longer term answer in CF. The early Royals moves meant there were no Arbitration decisions or Qualifying Offers to be considered. International Free Agents In what was a weak International Free Agent class, the Royals chose to pass on making any offers. Rule 5 Draft Ahead of the Rule 5 Draft, the Royals added three players to the 40-man roster; SS Jake Adolphus (2027 10th Rd), and pitchers Juan Caraballo (2027 14th Rd) and William Schmidt (2024 2nd Rd). The draft itself was a lot more active for the Royals with some losses. They did pick up Jack Leiter from the Astros who may have the chance to earn a bullpen spot during spring training. Draft Log
The Royals were disappointed to lose White and Kim as both seemed a stretch to pencil into the Big Leagues this year. They have both enjoyed strong Springs though and seem likely to stick in San Fran and Toronto. International Amateurs After successive years of multi-player classes, the Royals reverted to using all of their International Amateur pot on a single (hopefully) future superstar. Jorge Tejeda is an adaptable, intelligent (probably corner) outfielder from the Dominican Republic who profiles to have plus contact, gap power, and eye with 80 power. He will turn 17 during the season but will begin in the International Complex. Financial Situation After the disappointment of the 2031 budget, it was a relief for owner Sherman to make no changes to the budget during his January review. Preseason & Spring Training The Royals went 13-13 in Spring Training while warming their starters up and getting some reps for potential fringe players. They were injury free until the penultimate game of the Spring when CF Sheng-En Lin strained his rotator cuff throwing the ball. He will miss the first 7 weeks of the season. Around the League The big offseason news was John Fisher selling out Oakland fans and taking the team to San Antonio, renaming them the Avalanche. Retirements
Colorado Rockies: Retired #28 in honor of Nolan Arenado. Houston Astros: Retired #27 in honor of Jose Altuve. Los Angeles Angels: Retired #27 in honor of Mike Trout. Contract Extensions
Free Agent Signings
Major Injuries Pitchers
Hitters
Hall of Fame After the glut of invites handed out to the Hall of Fame over the last three years, January 15 saw the news released that there would be no new Hall of Famers in 2031 with only two players, Craig Kimbrel and Paul Goldschmidt gathering over 60% of the vote. Next up, the 2031 Roster Preview |
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06-26-2024, 07:15 PM
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#39 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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2031 Roster Preview
OSA predicts the Royals to have another winning season, and a 1-game improvement on their 2030 prediction although a differential regression from +108 to +84. At 89-73, the Royals would go back-to-back as AL Central Champs, with Chicago predicted to finish one game back. Once again both teams are scheduled to make the post-season.
No hitter makes the individual performance list although Cade Townsend is predicted to offer 183 IP, with a 3.30 ERA and a K/9 of 9.0. Catcher The team will hand over the catching duties to their 2027 draft class as Dave Holcombe will back up All Star Jonathan Gerew. Holcombe (109 wRC+) had a solid Spring and with plus Catcher rating behind plus-plus blocking and framing may even be locked down to a long-term contract. Gerew may already be too expensive for the Royals to extend. Starter Jonathan Gerew (2027 8th Round) Back Up Dave Holcombe (2027 9th Round) Infield There was limited competition for roster places in the infield, but there was both competition for the starting roles and to line up as ‘next man up’. In the latter case, Kiyotake Takenaka (216 wRC+) did his chances no harm, especially with a defensive profile at 2B and playable ratings for SS. Jeremy Rogerson (141 wRC+) was the standout of the Spring, making Isaac Paredes a trade consideration during the season. At first base, Luke Adams (140 wRC+) hit 4 HRs over a strong spring. Second Base was a Spring struggle for both Nick Loftin (36 wRC+) and Gregory Barrios (17 wRC+). Loftin, as the incumbent, will get the start but with Team Options for the next two years the end could be in sight for the consistent performer. Bobby Witt Jr. (55 wRC+) got up to speed with 59 PA and the Royals are confident he will be ready to go. Along with Takenaka, Boston Baro will return to AAA (although his effectiveness against RHP is attractive for a RH dominant infield, as will Jake Adolphus who got some reps against elite pitching and still has some potential (contact and power) to round out in the Minors. 1B Luke Adams (2024 Trade LAA) 2B Nick Loftin (2020 1st Round) 3B Jeremy Rogerson (2027 2nd Round) SS Bobby Witt Jr. (2019 1st Round) INF Gregory Barrios (2027 Rule 5 MIL) INF Isaac Paredes (2030 Free Agent) DH Owen Hunter (2023 4th Round) Four of the starting five (including DH) for 2031 are home developed players which must have Royals fans excited. Outfield Sheng-En Lin’s (133 wRC+) injury over the final weekend of Spring Training was a real blow for the Royals after he had a strong Spring. He will miss 7 weeks and will see MiL FA Dominic Fletcher called up to start the season. His plus-plus range is his greatest asset, although he retains plus contact which saw him produce a 120 OPS+ for the Angels in 2030. His promotion earns him a $1.62m contract. The rest of the outfield picks itself with Lin’s injury. Great Glove winner Wyatt Langford (112 wRC+) will start in LF and offseason contract extension Jimmy Goodman (79 wRC+) will start in RF. Will Gasparino (126 wRC+) comfortably beat out Braylin Tavern (33 wRC+) and Henry Bolte (25 wRC+) for the 4th OF position. Bolte is out of options and so the 2029 MiL FA was offered out. The Yankees offered their 2028 8th Round pick, Dan Colligan, a 2B with above average contact and eye and average power potential, along with $750k. LF Wyatt Langford (2028 Trade TEX) CF Cristhian Vaquero (2030 Trade WAS) RF Jimmy Goodman (2027 1st Round) OF Dominic Fletcher (2030 MiL FA) OF Will Gasparino (2026 3rd Round) IR Sheng-Em Lin – 7 weeks (2029 Waivers LAA) The starting rotation was settled going into the Spring with Chase Burns (33 ERA+) back from injury to replace Josiah Gray, with Cade Townsend (127 ERA+) keeping his spot alongside Drew Beam (175 ERA+), Mason Barnett (231 ERA+), and Aiden May (77 ERA+). Burns struggled a lot but has credit in the bank; May didn’t pitch well either and is the most at risk from Marcos Paz or any of the pitchers down in the Minors. Paz (236 ERA+ will start in the bullpen with a host of returning arms. The only real question in the Spring was whether Rule 5 pick Jack Leiter (99 ERA+) could knock one of those arms out of the pen down to AAA and, with a league average ERA+ over Spring ball the answer was that he couldn’t and was released back to Houston. William Schmidt (392 ERA+) had an exceptional Spring and with some development left will head back to Omaha in a starting role. Juan Caraballo (80 ERA+) did not fare as well, 4 HRs given up across 4 appearances offsetting 7 hitless innings. The 2027 draft pick has some growth left and will head to Omaha looking to return to the Big Leagues later in the season. Wen-Hui Pan will start as a Stopper, and Marcos Paz will join him – the Stopper role ensuring Paz gets plenty of innings as he looks to prove his capacity to start later in the season. SP Drew Beam (2027 Trade LAA) SP Mason Barnett (2022 3rd Round) SP Chase Burns (2027 MiL FA) SP Cade Townsend (2029 Trade NYY) SP Aiden May (2028 Trade LAA) RP Raimon Gomez (2026 Rule 5 NYM) RP Marcos Paz (2025 1st Round) RP Yusuke Matsumura (2028 International Free Agent) RP Wen-Hui Pan (2029 Trade PHI) RP David Hagaman (2028 Trade PIT) RP Isaac Morton (2026 3rd Round) RP Frank Mozzicato (2021 1st Round) |
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06-28-2024, 04:59 PM
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#40 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 574
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2031 Prospect Overview
The Royals start another season with a collection of prospects in AAA ready to make an impact for the ball club. This is in addition to Opening Day roster players Jeremy Rogerson and Dave Holcombe, showing the effectiveness of the farm. 2029 1st Round pick RF Billy Mumaugh headlines the list, but 2028 1st Round pick SS Tim Storer, 2029 2nd Round pick RP J.J. Paniagua and offseason trade acquisition 2B Dan Colligan are all on his heels.
2028 1st Round Supplementary pick Danny Petty will look for a fast start at AA and, should he achieve that, could end up being the first one called up. He will form a formidable 1-2 in the rotation with 2027 3rd Round pick Mike Hoffer while in the field trade acquisition CF Luis Gotay will hope to make an immediate impression. Several 2030 rookie prospects will be hoping to make an early impression in A ball, with 2027 International Amateur Juan Zubia at the top of that list. KC Top 500 Prospects MLB Top 20 Prospects There are no Royals amongst the Top 20 prospects in baseball. Unlike 2030 this is a bottom heavy list with only one player starting the season in the MLB (Mets’ CF Dan Simmers) and another two above High-A. Despite the lack of Top 20 prospects, the Royals farm is still comfortably ranked inside the top ten (8th) in a list that is headlined by the newly relocated San Antonio Avalanche (Oakland A’s) with three Top 20 prospects. |
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