KC Royals - An OOTP 25 Narrated Playthrough - Day 1

[Biggp07]

The league office has suspended Nelson Velázquez of the Royals and Wilmer Flores of the Tigers for 4 games for their part in the scuffle between the two teams yesterday at Kauffman Stadium.
Velázquez's current batting average stands at .281, and he has chalked up 2 home runs and 7 RBIs.

Game Summary – May 22nd – Melendez, Royals March to 7-2 Victory



The home crowd had a good time watching the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals get after it. The 7-2 Kansas City win over Detroit was due in large part to MJ Melendez. The Royals left fielder went 3-4 with a home run and a double, while scoring 2 runs and driving in 3. Cole Ragans got credit for the win, improving to 4-2. He allowed 2 runs on 7 hits in 6 innings. Melendez contributed in the bottom of the fourth. With a runner on 1st, he hit a double. It was one at-bat among others that helped Kansas City get the win. Melendez told a Kansas City Today reporter that he was "gratified" with the win. The defeat makes Detroit 21-28.

It's nice to wish for something and get it, like this series win against a division rivalry. This puts us ahead of them by a win in third place but tied for games back in the division at 3 ½.



KANSAS CITY PITCHING LINESCORE

Player 	Rslt (W-L) IP  H R ER BB K HR PI ERA    
C. Ragans W  (4-2) 6.0 7 2 2  1  3 0  95 2.48
W. Smith H   (2)   1.0 1 0 0  0  0 0  21 1.72
C. Stratton SV (2) 2.0 0 0 0  0  1 0  19 2.83

Melendez has been impressive so far this year. He’s been decent the last couple of years since we’ve called him up. He’s currently hitting a .272/.331/.496, 125AB, 6HR, 17RBI, 124 wRC+, and a 121OPS+. I hope he can sustain this through the season.

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: MJ Melendez
Ballpark: Kauffman Stadium
Weather: Clear skies (70 degrees), wind blowing out to the left at 10 mph
Start Time: 1:10 PM CT
Time: 3:03
Attendance: 24372
Special Notes: Nelson Velázquez and Wilmer Flores were ejected in the 8th inning for igniting a bench-clearing brawl.

[Biggp07]

Before heading out on this road trip, I had to put Velazquez on the restricted list for 4 days yesterday, and when we get back home, I’ll get him back into the lineups. This allowed me to call up Nick Pratto again, hopefully for some of his bat into the lineup. He’ll likely DH most of the time unless Vinnie or Salvy needs some rest, then I’ll play him at first base.

Today, we begin a 3-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays on the road. A slight pitchers park, Tropicana Field has room for 31042 fans. With their record standing at 22 wins and 29 losses, the Rays have a winning percentage of .431. They are in 5th place in the East Division, 11.5 games behind the leader. Their number of runs scored of 211 ranks 11th in the American League, and their .233 batting average ranks 13th. On the other side of the diamond, they have given up 232 runs (11th) with their starters compiling an ERA of 4.49, which ranks 8th. Their bullpen sports an ERA of 3.80, ranking 7th.

Here are the projected pitching matchups:
LHP A. Zerpa (1-0, 4.37 ERA) vs RHP A. Civale (2-7, 4.15 ERA)
RHP C. Hernandez (1-1, 5.73 ERA) vs RHP R. Pepiot (1-6, 5.12 ERA)
RHP M. Wacha (0-5, 4.76 ERA) vs RHP Z. Littell (3-1, 4.81 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SP Shane Baz (Age: 24, Overall: 65, Potential: 70)
2. 1B Yandy Díaz (32, 65, 65)
3. SP Zach Eflin (30, 60, 60)
4. CL Pete Fairbanks (30, 60, 60)
5. SP Aaron Civale (28, 60, 60)

Game Summary – May 24th – Rays Earn 2-1 Home Win



Fans watched the Tampa Bay Rays and the Kansas City Royals fight to the finish. The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals, 2-1. Tampa Bay pitcher and Windsor, Connecticut, native Aaron Civale led the way. Civale, now 3-7, was the winner. In 8 innings, he gave up 6 hits, while striking out 8, walking 0, and allowing 1 run. Pete Fairbanks collected his 13th save. The Rays got a big at-bat from second baseman Jose Caballero. For the game, Caballero was 1 for 4 with a double. In the bottom of the fifth, with a runner on 1st, he stroked a run-scoring double. His 10th double of the season gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead. The 4th-place Rays now have a win-loss record of 23-29.

"I like what we did out there today," Civale said after the game.

Angel Zerpa had to be taken out sooner than I’d have liked for a hamstring strain. He was pitching well, and I would have given him the innings as close as the game was held. Cox came in and did great, holding it to only the 2 runs scored. The lineup just could not get it done tonight, but I’m not angry with the team at all.

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: Aaron Civale
Ballpark: Tropicana Field
Start Time: 6:50 PM ET
Time: 2:45
Attendance: 30966
Special Notes: SP Angel Zerpa was injured while pitching. He will be DTD for about 3 days, so we're just going to let him rest until his rotation comes up and see where he's at.

[Biggp07]

Seth Lugo became eligible today off the IL after 5 weeks for a “sprained ulnar collateral ligament” of his right elbow. The front office is screaming at me to let him have a couple of weeks of rehab in the minors before I put him back into rotation. Seth says he’s 100% and wants to earn his paycheck; he’s a veteran player, so I’ll let him play.

I’m asking myself, will this be the first crucial decision I make that determines the rest of the season? I guess we’ll know in a couple of weeks. I don’t believe Seth was going to get much rehab with Kyle Turner, the one to provide it, so why not just let Seth rehab with the guys he’s played with these last few weeks? Seth will get the start tomorrow afternoon in our last game against Tampa.

Game Summary – May 25th – Pepiot Now 2-6 Following 5-1 Win



The Tampa Bay Rays got a stellar effort from pitcher Ryan Pepiot, helping Tampa Bay score a win over the visiting Kansas City Royals, 5-1. Pete Fairbanks locked down his 14th save. Tampa Bay is now 24-29, Kansas City 22-31. Pepiot was in the zone all game. He frustrated Kansas City hitters while giving the Rays 8.1 innings of quality work. Pepiot threw 112 pitches, allowing 3 hits and getting 7 punchouts.

"It doesn't matter if you're 10 games over .500 or 10 games under, it feels good to win," Pepiot told the Tampa Bay Daily.

I hate to lose. Hernandez is not pitching well at 5.97 ERA and 5.17 FIP after 28.2 IP across 6 games and 1 quality start. That’s just not going to cut it here at the big club. The issue is he’s going to have to be put on waivers and DFA, and he may be picked up by someone, which is fine, that takes another $1.0MIL off my payroll. Or we deal him in another trade somewhere. Either way, I think we need to make a move with Omaha and see who’s ready for try on the active roster.

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: Ryan Pepiot
Ballpark: Tropicana Field
Start Time: 4:10 PM ET
Time: 2:51
Attendance: 30430

[Biggp07]

Nick Pratto was jubilant as the Kansas City Royals left the field with a win, 11-6, over the Tampa Bay Rays. He had every right to be. The 25-year-old left fielder hit for the cycle at Tropicana Field, had a 4-for-5 game, and added 3 runs batted in and 3 runs to boot. Kansas City manager Todd "BigP" Pollard was "proud" of the left fielder's feat but was not expecting it to happen.

"Cycles are tough because triples are tough," the skipper said. "As soon as the ball left the bat on that triple, guys were jumping off the bench for him. Honestly, I wasn't sure he was going to be able to leg it out."

"It's too bad I can't do that every day," Pratto said with a smile to reporters after the game. "It would do wonders for my batting average."

Nick Pratto hit a two-run triple in the 2nd, hit a solo-shot off Zack Littell in the 4th, doubled in the 6th, struck out in the 8th, and singled in the 9th. This season, Pratto has hit at a .273 clip with 6 RBIs, 2 home runs, and 11 runs scored. He has played in 21 games.

Finally, the current standings for the American League All-Star Fan voting (as of Sun., May 26th, 2024) include Bobby Witt Jr. and Cole Ragans getting votes.

SHORTSTOP
1. Corey Seager, Texas Rangers: 354,072
2. Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays: 347,570
3. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals: 321,842

STARTING PITCHER
1. George Kirby, Seattle Mariners: 229,820
2. Cole Ragans, Kansas City Royals: 219,903
3. Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers: 209,157
4. Pablo Lopez, Minnesota Twins: 206,767
5. Framber Valdez, Houston Astros: 189,867


Game Summary – May 26th – Pratto Hits for the Cycle, Seth Pitches Decent Game Upon Return From IL



Best game so far this year, all around in my mind. What a surprise bringing Pratto up from Omaha to hit the cycle. Nice. And Seth pitched a decent first game for his return from elbow injury, although he was able to manage only 81 pitches over 4 innings before tiring. I didn’t want to push it, though, with this being his first major game pitching without rehabbing, so we are walking a tight rope with him right now.

KANSAS CITY PITCHING LINESCORE

Player 	Rslt (W-L) IP  H R ER BB K HR PI ERA    
S. Lugo           4.0  6 4 4  0  5 2  81 4.18    
J. Lyles W  (3-2) 3.0  1 0 0  2  2 0  42 3.62    
C. Stratton       1.0  4 2 2  0  2 0  27 3.34    
J. Schreiber      1.0  1 0 0  0  2 0  19 2.37   

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: Nick Pratto
Ballpark: Tropicana Field
Start Time: 1:40 PM ET
Time: 3:47
Attendance: 31013

[Biggp07]

Jason McLeod arrived home hours after leaving Cuba on the team jet, where he found some interesting prospects, though the only one worth mentioning was Omar Vazquez, a 16-year-old third baseman born in Caibarién. Vazquez could struggle to make contact, has little power, seldom walks, and has been assigned to the international complex. I hope this isn’t the best Cuba has to offer for the MLB. Maybe he’s a diamond in the rough. We’ll see.



Nelson Velazquez was taken off the restricted list and sent to Omaha until our return home from this road trip.

The Minnesota Twins, our next opponent in an upcoming 4-game series, play their games in Target Field, which can be described as a neutral park. The building seats 39021 fans. Going 30-23 so far this year, the Twins have compiled a .566 winning percentage. They are leading the Central Division. Their number of runs scored of 283 ranks 3rd in the American League, and their .262 batting average ranks 3rd. On the other side of the diamond, they have given up 217 runs (2nd) with their starters compiling an ERA of 3.75, which ranks 2nd. Their bullpen sports an ERA of 3.88, ranking 8th. When playing against our Royals this season, they have a record of 1 win and 2 losses.

Here are the projected pitching matchups:
RHP M. Wacha (0-5, 4.76 ERA) vs RHP D. Festa (0-1, 3.18 ERA)
RHP B. Singer (1-5, 5.43 ERA) vs RHP S. Woods Richardson (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
LHP C. Ragans (4-2, 2.48 ERA) vs RHP P. Lopez (5-4, 3.33 ERA)
RHP C. Hernandez (1-2, 5.97 ERA) vs RHP L. Varland (2-3, 6.21 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. CF Byron Buxton (Age: 30, Overall: 80, Potential: 80)
2. CL Jhoan Duran (26, 70, 70)
3. SP Pablo Lopez (28, 70, 70)
4. SS Carlos Correa (29, 65, 65)
5. SP Chris Paddack (28, 65, 65)

Game Summary – May 27th – Festa Now 1-1 After Subduing Royals



Minnesota used a superb performance from starting pitcher David Festa to down the Kansas City Royals, 6-0. Minnesota goes to 31-23. The win puts them 5½ games up in their division. In his 86-pitch effort, Festa allowed no runs on 1 hit over 7 innings. He walked 2 and struck out 5.

"What's not to like about a win?" said Festa.

Our pitching failed us once again tonight from the early outset. Wacha did not earn his paycheck and has not since he's been struggling in his last 3 starts. About the only positive thing to take from tonight is our bullpen kept it from getting much worse.

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: David Festa
Ballpark: Target Field
Weather: Cloudy (63 degrees), wind blowing out to the right at 12 mph
Start Time: 1:10 PM CT
Time: 2:59
Attendance: 35347

[Biggp07]

I held a locker room meeting after the game tonight just to tell the guys that we got lucky with this win and to take it, but we’re still even in the series. I told them this is not the time to get complacent, so they need to figure out what they can do to get out of their slumps and back into the game of baseball.

(In my head, I thought to scream that this is a 43.0MIL dollar slump we can’t afford right now, since 3 of the slumping players are among my top paid salaries in Salvy, Renfroe, and Wacha!) I was advised that keeping Salvador Perez on this year was going to be purely for fan interest and not likely to be easily sustained if he's slumping. Seems their crystal ball was working about him. But I still don't want to sell out a franchise player on a slight possibility that I get someone who performs better. I believe he still has some major league play left in him, then we turn him into a franchise coach.

I hope they can come around, or I might have to consider more drastic methods of finding a winning formula come July.



Game Summary – May 28th – Kansas City Beats Minnesota, 4-2



Kansas City and Minnesota duked it out, and the Royals came out victorious. Kansas City pitcher Brady Singer did his part in helping his team beat the Minnesota Twins, 4-2. The right-hander kept opposing batters from doing too much damage. Singer, now 2-5, was the winner. In 7.1 innings, he gave up 5 hits, while striking out 1, walking 1, and allowing 1 run. John Schreiber closed the door for Kansas City, picking up his 2nd save of the year. Vinnie Pasquantino, who is tied for 6th in the AL in doubles with 17, had a direct impact on the outcome. Pasquantino contributed a run-scoring single in the top of the third inning to put Kansas City up, 3-0.

"Brady had himself a pretty good evening," said Kansas City manager Todd "BigP" Pollard. The Royals, at 24-32, inhabit third place in the American League Central Division.

Unfortunately, Kyle Isbel was injured with a moderate hamstring strain while fielding a hard-hit flyball to center field in the bottom of the 5th and will be DTD for about 4 weeks. I’ll send him down to Omaha to recoup and send Blanco back up, I think. But I may ask Manager Jirschele if he thinks our only top prospect, Javier Vaz, is ready for a cup of coffee or if he sees anyone else who may deserve a taste of major league play. We’ll see.

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: Brady Singer
Ballpark: Target Field
Weather: Cloudy (56 degrees), wind blowing out to the right at 11 mph
Start Time: 6:40 PM CT
Time: 3:12
Attendance: 38871
Special Notes: CF Kyle Isbel was injured on a defensive play.

[Biggp07]

Game Summary – May 29th – Twins Defeat Royals, 6-5



The Minnesota Twins defeated the Kansas City Royals, 6-5, in 11 innings in American League action at Target Field. Minnesota pitcher Pablo Lopez had a standout performance. Minnesota, at 32-24, is 5 games up in the American League Central Division. The decisive blow was delivered by Ryan Jeffers in the bottom of the 11th when he hit a run-scoring double off 33-year-old right-handed pitcher Chris Stratton to win the game for Minnesota. The home crowd went nuts.

"We'll put this win in our pocket and go after the next one," said Jeffers.

Fans were treated to a great game tonight. I hate to be on the losing side of it, but we had extra innings to get it done and didn’t. Came close because our bullpen held us in it. It’s my fault since I feel I should have been more aggressive running the base paths. So, this one's on me.

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: Pablo Lopez
Ballpark: Target Field
Weather: Rain (59 degrees), wind blowing out to the right at 12 mph
Start Time: 6:40 PM CT
Time: 3:53
Attendance: 38860

[Biggp07]

I told Schieber after the game that he sure knows how to entertain and keep the crowd in suspense, but I don’t need that kind of excitement! We all had a great laugh and got on the plane to head home, but man, I was out of my mind in the dugout thinking we were going to lose this one, too! I’m extremely glad we didn’t!



Game Summary – May 30th – Kansas City Beats Minnesota, 5-4



The Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins, 5-4. Kansas City pitcher and Guacara, Venezuela, native Carlos Hernandez led the way. Getting the save was John Schreiber, his 3rd. At 25-33, the Royals claim 4th place in the American League Central Division. Kansas City used a clutch at-bat from Nick Pratto to capture the win. The designated hitter hammered a 3-run home run in the top of the second inning to put the Royals ahead, 4-0. It was his lone hit in 4 at-bats, but it was a humdinger.

"Carlos is as tough as he is talented," said Kansas City manager Todd "BigP" Pollard.

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: Carlos Hernandez (and Nick Pratto in my book!)
Ballpark: Target Field
Weather: Clear skies (67 degrees), wind blowing left to right at 11 mph
Start Time: 12:10 PM CT
Time: 3:19
Attendance: 38795

[Biggp07]

We end May above 500 with a 14-13 W-L record, giving us a .519 winning percentage. I’ll take it, but I’m not happy. We are seeing the flaws and where we need to improve offensively and defensively. Of the 8 series games this month, we did not sweep any teams; we split two with the Angels and Twins, won two against the Athletics and Tigers, and lost the rest.



Most prominent still is our lack of offense. We have not improved upon anything since last month and teeter among the league’s bottom third in most categories. We do maintain 1st place in stolen bases and improved our baserunning, up from an 8th place negative 0.3 to a +3.0, putting us in 2nd place. We did better against left-handed pitching, but we didn’t see many, so it’s trivial in my mind without improving upon other areas. Everything else about our offense is honestly…offensive.



Team pitching is carrying us, but they are not consistent, and any more injuries such that we sustained with Seth will hurt us for sure. Cole Ragans is 1/5th of the rotation and on a hot streak right now, the only one throwing under a 4.00 ERA. He can’t be over-throwing in games with his fragility, though. We need to improve our strikeout rate, and I’ll be happy to sustain these stats for now to focus on improving our offense.



I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to do to fix the team, but today I begin some hard thinking and possibly decisions. Everyone and everything is on the table. The fine-tuning of this team begins now as we enter June.

[Biggp07]

Last night, I sat thinking about my approach as I enter each month: what do I need to prioritize as the All-Star break nears, and where do I think we can be when the trade deadline arrives? I put on my GM hat and thought about where I see the organization currently, as a buyer or seller, based on how we’ve performed and how the rest of the league compares to us. At this moment, we’re looking like a seller, so that impacts my decision-making as we advance. My plan as GM with the front office through June will be decided in a day or two.



In the meantime, I must make some decisions as Manager in re-evaluating the current lineups and pitching staff, and figure out where I can improve to help the team win games. I can only do so much, though; they must play with better execution and figure out how to get out of and stay out of these slumps. Right now, I have 5 players who are performing poorly and need to be awakened somehow. They are the biggest reason our offense ranks 15th in wOBA and WAR, and bottom third of everything else except stolen bases, strikeouts, and baserunning. So, the priority right now is to find a way and/or players to spark the offense.



Today, Friday, May 31st, we begin a 3-game series with the NL West Division leaders San Diego Padres at home. The Padres are playing .593 ball this season, compiling a record of 35 wins and 24 losses. Their number of runs scored of 222 ranks 13th in the National League, and their .239 batting average ranks 9th. On the other side of the diamond, they have given up 185 runs (1st) with their starters compiling an ERA of 3.33, which ranks 1st. Their bullpen sports an ERA of 2.18, ranking 2nd.

Here are the projected pitching matchups:
RHP S. Lugo (2-3, 4.18 ERA) vs RHP D. Cease (5-5, 3.66 ERA)
RHP M. Wacha (0-6, 5.21 ERA) vs RHP Y. Darvish (4-2, 3.86 ERA)
RHP B. Singer (2-5, 4.95 ERA) vs RHP J. Musgrove (4-7, 3.35 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. RF Fernando Tatis Jr. (Age: 25, Overall: 65, Potential: 70)
2. SP Michael King (29, 65, 65)
3. SP Joe Musgrove (31, 65, 65)
4. 2B Xander Bogaerts (31, 60, 60)
5. 2B Ha-seong Kim (28, 60, 60)

Then, we get a day’s rest before taking on our division rivals, the Cleveland Guardians. This is the most important series for us this week as it’s on the road.

[Biggp07]

I reached down to Omaha to call up our earlier trade, UTIL Sam Haggerty, and sent down 3B Cam Devanney. Cam came through for us a couple of times in May, but he just didn’t sustain it. So, he got a cup of coffee with the club, but I need him to spend some time working on his plate discipline. Doing that, I think he can be a solid replacement player at 2B/3B and SS in a pinch.
Since Seattle’s paying the rent on Sam, I thought it was time to bring him up and see if he can spark anything in the lineup. He has been hitting the ball well in Omaha, batting a.283/.404/.529 with a .934 OPS after 53 ABs. Hopefully, he can bring that to big club games.

Game Summary – May 31st – Win Makes Padres 36-24



San Diego Padres starter Dylan Cease found his groove in his team's 8-4 win over the Kansas City Royals. Cease picked up the win for San Diego, going 8 innings. He gave up 3 runs on 5 hits. He now sports a record of 6-5. With the victory, the Padres upped their record to 36-24. Early in the game, third baseman Graham Pauley had a run-scoring double for San Diego. It was his 10th double of the season, and it put the Padres on top, 1-0.

"Dylan did a heck of a job," said San Diego manager Mike Shildt.

This was Lugo’s second start since his return from injury last week without rehab time. I will say he’s doing ok, pitching this start a full 5.1 innings/90 pitches with 6 Ks and a 4.30 ERA. In the top of the 5th, after San Diego’s Pauley doubled to bring home SS Deven Marrero and put San Diego on top by a run, I visited him at the mound. That should have been the final out to leave the game tied, but he said he could get the final out, and thankfully, he did. I’d like to see him get back to pitching at least 6 innings/100+ pitches so I can stretch the bullpen a bit more through a series.

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: Dylan Cease
Ballpark: Kauffman Stadium
Weather: Clear skies (59 degrees), wind blowing out to the center at 12 mph
Start Time: 7:10 PM CT
Time: 3:23
Attendance: 29048

[Biggp07]

Our scout Jason McLeod compiled the scouting reports published since May 1st, 2024, and provided a list of notable player development changes. Overall, there was improvement throughout our minor league clubs, significantly in the A, High-A, and Double-A teams.

I’m pleased that Cole Ragans improved his stamina and overall rating, and that 3B Maikel Garcia showed improvement in his plate discipline, contact, and shows potential for more. He can develop into a great utility infield starter and backup for Bobby. Let’s hope we keep him healthy. However, I knew I was going to see dismal reports on Salvy and Centeno. I still don’t have a solid catcher to bring up from Triple-A; we’re even giving former LF Peyton Wilson a shot there since we’re overloaded on outfielders throughout the high-A ball clubs. That’s trade fodder for improving the roster, is what I’m thinking now. As far as an immediate level up for a catcher, I’m either looking at the waiver wire or possibly a trade with someone, which could be massive.

Here's the top player development list:

SP Cole Ragans, Age 26, Kansas City Royals:
• + Current stamina rating improves from 45 to 50.
• + Overall and potential ratings improve to 60. (As SP)



C Salvador Perez, Age 34, Kansas City Royals:
• - Current and potential power ratings drop from 60 to 55.
• - Overall and potential ratings drop to 50. (As C)

C Juan Centeno, Age 34, Kansas City Royals:
• - Current defensive rating at Catcher drops from 60 to 55.
• - Current gap rating drops from 45 to 40.

3B Maikel Garcia, Age 24, Kansas City Royals:
• + Current contact rating improves from 55 to 60.
• + Current eye rating improves from 45 to 50.
• + Potential rating improves from 45 to 50 / 80. (As 3B)



RP Josh Taylor, Age 31, Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple A):
• - Current and potential stuff ratings drop from 55 to 50.
• + Current and potential movement ratings improve from 45 to 50.
• - Current velocity drops from 94-96 Mph to 93-95 Mph.

RP Tyler Duffey, Age 33, Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple A):
• - Current and potential stuff ratings drop from 50 to 45.
• - Current and potential control ratings drop from 50 to 45.

RP Jason Alexander, Age 31, Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple A):
• - Current and potential stuff ratings drop from 40 to 35.
• - Overall and potential ratings drop to 35. (As RP)

C Peyton Wilson, Age 24, Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple A):
• + Current eye rating improves from 45 to 50.
• + Current defensive rating at Left Field improves from 45 to 55.

I’m still committed to keeping Salvy with the franchise and selling other pieces I’m not so fond of. Maybe a few years ago, my thoughts were different, but he’s been a part of KC for so long, I’m not sure we have an identity without him. I mean, I know that’s not how a GM should think to run an MLB organization, but that’s just how I see things right now. This may be what determines my fate come off-season, in fact, highly likely, but I’m willing to take that risk, knowing it was a huge risk John Sherman took to even bring me on so close to this season’s start back in March.

As far as those other pieces for trade go, at the top of my list are RF Hunter Renfroe, 2B Adam Frazier, 2B Michael Brosseau, SP Michael Wacha, SP Seth Lugo, and RP Chris Stratton, among those I see for first consideration. There's also plenty of minor league trade pieces to include that could shore up a nice trade deal if we need to, but that comes with the negotiations, and hard to know what other teams might be interested in outside of those happening. I’m holding a meeting here in a couple of days, after our series with San Diego is over, to finalize some of my thoughts with the front office.

[Biggp07]

Utility player Sam Haggerty has proved valuable since his call-up a few days ago. He was instrumental in the win tonight, and the last 7 AB across 2 games, he’s batting .429 with 3 hits, 1 HR, 2 RBI, and 3 stolen bases.

Game Summary – June 1st – Padres Suffer 4-1 Road Loss



The Kansas City Royals trumped the San Diego Padres, 4-1, at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City second baseman Sam Haggerty was terrific. He went 2-3 with a home run, a double, and was hit by a pitch, while scoring 3 runs and driving in 2. James McArthur was credited with the save. He has now successfully converted 2 of 2 save opportunities. The win makes Kansas City 26-34. The Royals had to work out of trouble at the top of the eighth. The score was 4-1, Kansas City, with one out. San Diego, with runners on 2nd and 3rd, was mounting a threat. Ha-seong Kim dug in at the plate, but on a 1-0 curveball, he grounded out.

We are going to take in the win tonight and get on with business tomorrow. Wacha threw a much better game tonight, pitching for 111 total through 6.1 innings. He was staying ahead in the count on batters and choosing pitches for strikeouts well. Let’s hope he continues to show that this month.

KANSAS CITY PITCHING LINESCORE

Player 	Rslt (W-L) IP  H R ER BB K HR PI  ERA    
M. Wacha W   (1-6) 6.2 5 1 1  2  4 1  111 4.86    
A. Claudio H (1)   0.1 2 0 0  0  0 0  11  4.50    
J. McArthur SV (2) 2.0 1 0 0  0  1 0  20  3.00

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: Sam Haggerty
Ballpark: Kauffman Stadium
Weather: Clear skies (70 degrees), wind blowing out to the center at 12 mph
Start Time: 3:10 PM CT
Time: 3:19
Attendance: 31114

[Biggp07]

The current standings for the American League All-Star Fan voting for the All-Star Game, which will be played on Tue. Jul. 16th, 2024, has Bobby Witt Jr. still in third place for SS with 641,035 votes and Cole Ragans in second place for starting pitcher with 423,994 votes. The top vote getter at this point is Juan Soto with 1,039,334 votes.

Nick Pratto has suddenly gotten hot hitting as DH, so we’ll keep him in the lineup as long as he’s smacking the ball well and scoring for us. It’s nice to be able to say that.

Game Summary – June 2nd – Royals Take Down Padres, 3-2



The Kansas City Royals had to overcome a fine effort from San Diego pitcher Joe Musgrove to win, 3-2, at Kauffman Stadium. Musgrove went 7.2 innings and allowed 3 runs. Kansas City is now 27-34. San Diego is 36-26. Had Drew Waters not delivered a key base hit in the bottom of the eighth, the outcome might have been different. Instead, with two down and a runner on 2nd, Waters hit a run-scoring single. That made the score 3-2 in favor of the Royals.

"I was a little disappointed," said San Diego manager Mike Shildt. "We could've and should've scored more runs."

We put together a good run towards the end to get this win. I'm proud of how we got it done tonight! Brady Singer pitched a good game tonight, too, which is refreshing. It's nice to come out of this series on the winning side.



KANSAS CITY PITCHING LINESCORE

Player 	Rslt (W-L) IP  H R ER BB K HR PI ERA    
B. Singer          6.1 7 2 2  0  5 0  98 4.76   
S. Long   W  (2-0) 2.1 3 0 0  0  2 0  30 0.00  
J. Schreiber SV(4) 0.1 1 0 0  0  0 0  6  2.95

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: Joe Musgrove
Ballpark: Kauffman Stadium
Weather: Partly Cloudy (69 degrees), wind blowing left to right at 10 mph
Start Time: 1:10 PM CT
Time: 3:06
Attendance: 28071

[Biggp07]

Since we have a brief hiatus between series, and this next one is a road trip to Cleveland, I've made some decisions regarding rosters and minor league transactions. I made them because I don’t think we’re going to the playoffs this year, unless we sneak in as a wildcard. Way back when I started, the owner said he just expected us to play close to .500 ball, which we are, so that’s what I’m planning on. We also have the draft coming up, and our MiLB rosters are all near their limits except for our ACL Rookie club, which has unlimited roster space. Though I like to keep it culled of sandbaggers and sustain a good prospect development through-put, so most players won’t spend more than 2 years there. The Triple and Double A leagues have room for 28, High-A clubs can hold up to 32 on their roster, ACL is unlimited, as I said, and the DSL teams can have up to 35 players on their rosters. I think this is a good, manageable flow and “forces” me to make critical decisions to balance roster space and prospect development. There is a plethora of ways that other GMs may run their organization; this is just what I do.

So, my first moves are focused on clearing some secondary roster space to make room for a few minor leaguers we want to bring up for a cup of coffee and shed some free agent and arbitration salary before the off-season. I think it’s better to do it now than later as we pass 60 games into the season. That was plenty of time for the active roster starters to show their worth and earn their paycheck. Breaking down what I’ve done so far, this may not be the final moves I make, though.

• We acquired 32-year-old LHP Brennan Bernardino from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for 32-year-old RF Hunter Renfroe. To date, Renfroe has chalked up a .212 average with 6 home runs, driven in 15 runs, and scored 22 times. For the year, Bernardino has collected no saves in 29 relief appearances. He has also rung up 44 strikeouts and walked 23 in 41.1 innings while registering a 2.83 ERA and a 1-1 won-lost mark.



The trade speaks for itself; this was a salary dump, plain and simple, and we are back in the black for our budget expenses. We were on the hook to pay Renfroe $7.5 million next year while he’s earning $5.5 million this year. Renfroe’s stat line has been horrible so far this year, and his limited position play, being only RF, means we couldn’t move him anywhere else. Additionally, we have Nelson Velázquez primed to play in Omaha, with an option year remaining and some outfield versatility.




RP Brennan Bernadino provides us with much-needed bullpen depth, and we essentially got him for nothing. He’s also got some control years left, so I think we made a good trade.

• We placed 2B Adam Frazier and CF Garrett Hampson available on the trading block.

• 2B Mike Brosseau and C Juan Centeno have been placed on DFA waivers and may be outright released if not picked up by another team. It’s a small hit to the pocketbook that trumps keeping them any longer, taking up roster space.

I learned that Utility player Austin Nola has been sitting on the IL most of this season until recently, and that he can play a decent catcher backfill to Salvy besides MJ Melendez. MJ is not even ready to play that position right now, even as a backup, so I am super happy to know Austin Nola will be able to replace Juan Centeno without any trouble.

• Revised some minor league player strategies and positions to better fit current roster needs.

I'll let these marinate for a few days as we begin our 3-game road trip to Cleveland, and we don't get a break until June 17th, with a series of games against Seattle, New York Yankees, and another away series against the L A Dodgers. Our work is cut out for us.

[Biggp07]

We will meet the Cleveland Guardians in Progressive Field, which seats 35041, and plays like a slight pitcher’s park. With their record standing at 25 wins and 35 losses, the Guardians have a winning percentage of .417. They are in 5th place in the Central Division, 8.0 games behind the leader. The Guardians are on a cold streak, losing their last 3 games. Their number of runs scored of 233 ranks 13th in the American League, and their .246 batting average ranks 9th. On the other side of the diamond, they have given up 255 runs (3rd) with their starters compiling an ERA of 4.35, which ranks 6th. Their bullpen sports an ERA of 3.78, ranking 9th.

Here are the projected pitching matchups:
LHP C. Ragans (4-2, 2.80 ERA) vs RHP S. Bieber (7-3, 3.51 ERA)
RHP C. Hernandez (2-2, 5.45 ERA) vs RHP G. Williams (3-5, 3.91 ERA)
RHP S. Lugo (2-4, 4.30 ERA) vs RHP T. Bibee (4-4, 3.92 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SP Logan Allen (Age: 25, Overall: 80, Potential: 80)
2. SP Shane Bieber (29, 80, 80)
3. CL Emmanuel Clase (26, 80, 80)
4. SP Triston McKenzie (26, 80, 80)
5. C Bo Naylor (24, 80, 80)

We’ve optioned RP Austin Cox to Triple-A and gave his spot to RP Brennan Bernadino, whom we picked up in the trade with Boston. He’s fresh and ready for action when we call on him. In other recent transactions, we purchased the contracts for RF Nelson Velazquez and C Austin Nola for the active roster and repositioned some minor league players to balance rosters. No claims overnight for Centeno or Brosseau, but it’s early still.

Game Summary – June 4th - Guardians Overwhelm Royals, 14-4



The home crowd had a good time watching the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians get after it. Behind a solid performance from catcher Bo Naylor, the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Kansas City Royals, 14-4. Naylor was 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, and a walk, while scoring 3 runs and driving in 3 for the Guardians. Shane Bieber, who finished 2nd in the AL in innings pitched with 214.1 in 2019, was the winning pitcher. Over 9 innings, he allowed 4 runs on 9 hits, with no walks and 3 strikeouts. Early in the game, second baseman Brayan Rocchio had a 2-run double for Cleveland. It was his 5th double of the season and put the Guardians on top, 3-1.
"I keep on showing up every day and trying to put up good at-bats and find good pitches to hit," said Naylor. At 26-35, the Guardians claim last place in the American League Central Division.

Overwhelming is right. We don’t know what hit us tonight. They took us to the hit clinic, plain and simple. Oh, and making things worse, Maikel Garcia was injured with a groin strain on an aggressive baserunning play, but says it seems minimal, so we’ll take some precautions in tomorrow’s game.

Cole Ragans threw 105 pitches in 5.1 innings, and the bullpen did little to stop the batting practice raining on us. Once it was all over, there was little that needed to be said. I just thought to myself, did I do this with the decisions I made yesterday in moving on from Renfroe? Or putting a couple of guys on notice that their time is short here. Or not making a more deliberate move on a franchise player currently in a slump. I wasn’t sure, but I took the full responsibility myself anyway.

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: Bo Naylor
Ballpark: Progressive Field
Weather: Clear skies (61 degrees), wind blowing out to left at 11 mph
Start Time: 6:40 PM ET
Time: 3:21
Attendance: 34351
Special Notes: 3B Maikel Garcia was injured while running the bases.

[Biggp07]

Game Summary – June 5th - Guardians Williams Dominates Royals



Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams got it done at Progressive Field in a 6-0 shutout victory over the Kansas City Royals, shutting them down 3 hits.

"It was just one of those games where everything went right. I threw a lot of strikes," Williams said. "And the pitches they did get to hit, they didn't do anything with them."

The 24-year-old issued 1 walk and had 11 strikeouts in the Guardians' win. Checking out his stats for the season, Williams has registered 4 wins and 5 losses in 12 starts, posted a 3.45 ERA, and struck out 93 batters in 75.2 innings.

I’m trying to remember why I took this job. These are the games or series that you lose sleep over, wondering what I could have done differently or what did I not do right. I feel like it’s all my fault and that no matter what I do, I can’t put us into a winning mode. I don’t know, maybe the other teams are just that much better than us. Whatever…we have to get through this season at least close to .500, but I’m not sure we’ll keep it under 100 games lost at this point.

Anyway, tomorrow’s another game and a possibility for a win. Let’s hope.

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: Gavin Williams
Ballpark: Progressive Field
Weather: Partly Cloudy (63 degrees), wind blowing out to left at 11 mph
Start Time: 6:40 PM ET
Time: 3:05
Attendance: 32947

[Biggp07]

We released C Juan Centeno and 2B Mike Brosseau, paying out about 1.3 million in contract salary, but we can move on with our business.

Game Summary – June 6th - Guardians Win at Home, 6-1



Tanner Bibee never let Kansas City get something going. The Cleveland right-hander commanded his changeup in pitching the Guardians to a 6-1 win. Cleveland has won 3 straight, while Kansas City has lost 3 in a row. In the bottom of the third, Cleveland left fielder George Valera had a productive at-bat. With the bases loaded and no one out, Valera stroked a 2-run single to left. It made the score 4-0, Cleveland. For the game, he was 2 for 4 with 2 singles, while adding 2 RBI.

"Whenever we hold the other team to one run," said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, "I like our chances."

What is there to say about this afternoon? We suck right now.

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: Tanner Bibee
Ballpark: Progressive Field
Weather: Partly Cloudy (65 degrees), wind blowing out to center at 12 mph
Start Time: 1:10 PM ET
Time: 3:17
Attendance: 31754

[Biggp07]

We have a 3-game series at home against the Seattle Mariners kicking off today. The Mariners are playing .484 ball this season, compiling a record of 31 wins and 33 losses. They are in 3rd place in the West Division, 5.0 games behind the leader. The Mariners are on a cold streak, losing their last 4 games. Their number of runs scored of 264 ranks 10th in the American League, and their .238 batting average ranks 11th. On the other side of the diamond, they have given up 277 runs (6th) with their starters compiling an ERA of 4.29, which ranks 5th. Their bullpen sports an ERA of 3.24, ranking 2nd. When playing against our Royals this season, they have a record of 2 wins and 1 loss.

Here are the projected pitching matchups:
RHP M. Wacha (1-6, 4.86 ERA) vs RHP B. Miller (4-7, 3.01 ERA)
RHP B. Singer (2-5, 4.76 ERA) vs RHP B. Woo (4-5, 5.03 ERA)
LHP C. Ragans (4-3, 2.72 ERA) vs RHP L. Castillo (6-5, 5.00 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SP George Kirby (Age: 26, Overall: 70, Potential: 80)
2. CL Andres Munoz (25, 70, 70)
3. SP Luis Castillo (31, 60, 60)
4. RP Matt Brash (26, 60, 60)
5. CF Julio Rodriguez (23, 60, 80)

We optioned Blanco to Omaha to bring up our top prospect, LF/UT Javier Vaz, to test him out in LF batting against big league pitchers. He seems to be a good fit for lead off hitter if he can handle major league pitching, so he’ll start against left-handed pitchers and back up SS and 2B positions to give us more depth there. Let’s see if we can right this ship here at home with this series against Seattle.



I’m not making any moves yet with the pitching staff, but that is soon to change. LHP Kris Bubic has about 9 more days on his rehab assignment in Omaha, which will give him 5 starts before bringing him up to the big club. He has been pitching excellently during his rehab, tossing an average of 100 pitches over 26 innings, with a 3.46 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. I think we can leverage him in high situations as a setup guy and occasionally as an opener with our right-handers, Lugo and Hernandez.



Pittsburgh proposed a trade offer that didn’t start well, which included a couple of minor league pitchers they were apparently trying to clear roster space. Neither J.J. Picollo nor I liked the original proposal, but we came up with something that Pirates GM Ben Cherington seems to like. However, he’s insistent on including 1B Vinnie Pasquantino, which is just not reasonable for us right now. I’m not ready to make that kind of a deal yet, but I’m willing to discuss many other possible trade pieces, especially from our minor league system. This league seems tough to get trades done; only about a 70% chance anyone will agree to anything, but with the right players packaged, it should be feasible. None of the other owners has really dealt with me yet, so I don’t have a solid reputation with anyone. I am sending this proposal in response, so we’ll see how he reacts. It clears up a bit more future arbitration and current year salary for a couple of minor leaguers, plus cleans up some lackluster depth in our Triple-A and rookie clubs.

[Biggp07]

Wacha tossed an incredible game tonight! He threw a complete game in front of the home crowd to start this home series against Seattle! We are now even with them for the season so far at two apiece. When we got to the 7th inning stretch, I asked Wacha how he was feeling out there, and he thought he could go the whole game since he was just under 80 pitches and had the stamina to throw well over 110 pitches. I didn’t even warm up the bullpen until the top of the 9th, and that was just in case he got into trouble quickly, but that didn't happen.

I’m so happy to get this win tonight, and Wacha deserves player of the game and the final out ball. It’s nice to win!



KANSAS CITY PITCHING LINESCORE

Player 	Rslt (W-L) IP  H R ER BB K HR PI ERA    
M. Wacha W   (2-6) 9.0 6 1 1  0  6 1 104 4.45

Batters Faced: M. Wacha 33
Ground Outs - Fly Outs: M. Wacha 10-10
Pitches - Strikes: M. Wacha 104-70
Hit Batsmen: M. Wacha

Game Summary – June 7th – Mariners Stymied by Royals, Wacha



The home crowd had a good time watching the Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals get after it. Kansas City pitcher Michael Wacha had a large part in his team beating the Seattle Mariners, 6-1. The right-hander kept opposing batters in check throughout the game. The Mariners, at 31-34, have lost 5 in a row. Wacha, the Kansas City right-hander, went 9 innings, allowing 1 run on 6 hits. He collected 6 strikeouts.

"Nice to tuck this win away," said Wacha

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: Michael Wacha
Ballpark: Kauffman Stadium
Weather: Clear skies (74 degrees), wind blowing out to the center at 11 mph
Start Time: 7:10 PM CT
Time: 3:01
Attendance: 27008
Special Notes: C Cal Raleigh was injured while running the bases.