Talkin Royals

Many Royals fans remember when Jose Bautista was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays postseason run in 2015. While Bautista is remembered as one of the great Blue Jays players, he wasn't always a Blue Jay's fan favorite. In 2004, the Royals acquired the future slugger from the then Tampa Bay Devil Rays for cash. During his short stay in Kansas City, he batted an even .200 in 13 games. In 2012, Bautista sat down with Jeff Zimmerman of Royals Review for an interview about his time in a Royals uniform: "I learn a lot from the team. Tony Pena was a great manager and he taught me a bunch. The Royals felt they needed a catcher, so I was moved.” Kansas City had agreed to trade Bautista to the New York Mets for one of their top prospects in utility player Justin Huber. In my opinion, the team at the time had no idea what they traded away for a catcher that saw his catching career end in a blink of an eye after suffering torn cartilage in his left knee.  Bautista's bi...

The 2004 season for baseball in Kansas City was one that was full of stars that couldn't put a winning product on the field. Kansas City had well known names on the roster that year including first baseman Mike Sweeney. The Royals drafted Sweeney in 1991 out of high school as a catcher. The 21-year old Royals prospect made his major league debut on September 14, 1995 as a catcher against the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland. Although the Royals drafted Sweeney as a catcher, the team wasn't impressed with his skills behind the plate; however, the franchise liked his bat. Following the end of his catching days with the Royals, Sweeney made the transition to designated hitter in 1999 due to the fact he couldn’t stay healthy. Sweeney's inability to stay on the field led the Royals to start shopping him that same season. Fortunately the Royals were unable to find a taker for Sweeney in 1999 during spring training, so the team was then forced to play the first baseman a...

The Royals starting rotation in 2022 was a disaster aside from Zack Greinke and Brady Singer. Kansas City recently cleaned house by parting ways with longtime GM/VP Dayton Moore, Manager Mike Matheny and Pitching Coach Cal Eldred. The team this offseason might be more willing to spend a bit more money on pitching than in the past few years, thanks to the team's young group of players in Brady Singer, Bobby Witt Jr., and others. The Athletics originally signed Bassitt to a one year deal worth $8.8 million with a 2023 mutual option for the 2023 season worth $19 million. The 33-year-old posted a 3.42 ERA with New York; while that's a good ERA, it's pretty unlikely the Mets will pick up his option for the 2023 season. According to spotract.com , Bassitt's market value sits at $62 million over three seasons. Bassitt's $62 million estimated salary could be slightly out of Kansas City's price range; however, I believe the team could sign him to a contract i...

Kansas City in 2004 was looking to put a winning team together but couldn't find the exact pieces to do it. Former Royals General Manager Herk Robinson drafted first baseman Ken Harvey in the fifth round of the 1999 MLB Draft out of Nebraska. Harvey's time in the Royals minor league system wasn't a great amount of time before reaching the big leagues. Kansas City called up the fifth round selection to the big leagues on September 18, 2001. Harvey's career didn't last as long as he or the Royals had hoped due to multiple injuries. However, the 2004 season for Harvey was one he and the team will never forget. Entering the season at 26 years old, Harvey was coming off an impressive 2003 season with Kansas City. During his 2003 season, he posted a batting average of .266 with 13 home runs and 64 runs batted in. Although Harvey had a fantastic season in 2003, it wasn't good enough to give him a nod for the All-Star game. The following season for the first...