Talkin Royals

Kansas City brought in two notable starting pitchers in Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. Both Lugo and Wacha will certainly boost the Royals rotation next season. Although both will boost the rotation, they aren't inning eaters. Last season with the Padres Wacha threw a total of 134.1 innings in 24 starts. Lugo on the other hand threw a total of 146.1 innings with the Padres.  Last year the Royals rotation consisted of:  Zack Greinke Brady Singer  Cole Ragans  Alec Marsh  Daniel Lynch  Castillo, Keller and a few others made a few starts for the Royals. Heading into next season, Jordan Lyles is likely the weak link of the Royals rotation and rightfully so. The right-hander has a career ERA of 5.24, and last season it was even worse as the 33-year old posted an ERA of 6.28. The long ball continues to hurt Lyles in his career. Last offseason the Royals signed Lyles to a 2-year deal worth $17 million guaranteed. Kansas City made it clear when they signe...

The Royals stay busy this offseason by signing players at a rapid rate. The amount of money the Royals are spending on free agent pitchers is a big eye opener to Royals fans and fans across the league. Michael Wacha is the second starter the Royals have added in the past two days. Kansas City has spent a combined $77 million give or take between Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. Wacha is likely the last addition to the rotation the Royals will make. The right-hander had been linked to the Royals by reporters over the past few weeks or so. Wacha is a well traveled arm, and Kansas City becomes the 32-year old's sixth organization in nearly 12 years. The veteran has a solid track record. Wacha owns a career 3.96 ERA, not too shabby. Wacha and the Royals have agreed to a two-year contract worth $32 million guaranteed. Like Lugo, Wacha played for San Diego last season. Wacha's deal with the Padres included a team option and a player option. Both Wacha and San Diego declined t...

Kansas City pitching last season was abysmal from the starting five to the bullpen. The front office made it extremely clear entering this offseason that the team would go out and get a veteran starter. The Royals were linked to some notable starting pitchers on the market such as Lucas Giolito, Michael Wacha, and Marcus Stroman. But the team decided on a 34-year old to fill a rotation spot in righthander Seth Lugo. The right-hander is the oldest of the arms Kansas City showed interest in. At the age of 34, the right-hander had a respectable season with the Padres. Even though Lugo fills a spot in the rotation, the amount of money he will make will likely be a red flag to fans due to his age. Fansthat could be worried that his age could increase chances of injuries to occur. The length of the deal on the other hand makes a ton of sense for the boys in blue. Lugo can get hitters out with a nasty curveball. The 34-year old's other pitches aren't too shabby either. The...

Kansas City's front office looks to continue to add pitchers to the roster, but they also needed an outfielder. And the Royals landed an outfielder that will give the offense a good boost in Hunter Renfroe. Renfrone should be a familiar name to some Royals fans. Kansas City has found an outfield bat for a great price. Hunter Renfrone has signed a two-year deal; and like with the Lugo deal, Renfrone's deal with the Royals includes an opt-out option. The outfielder has signed a two-year deal worth $13 million guaranteed with incentives. Renfrone has changed hands four times over the past three seasons via trades or waiver claims. The 31-year old last season played a total of 140 games combined with the Angels and Reds. A big chunk of Renfrone's playing time came with the Angels where he played 126 games. The outfielder had good pop in his bat last year as he hit a combined 20 home runs between Los Angeles and Cincinnati. The former Reds outfielder primarily hits b...

This offseason Kansas City took their time signing free agents, and fans got quite annoyed. Now, weeks later the team is signing players left and right.  The Kansas City front office brought in veteran reliever Chris Stratton on a one-year pact worth $3.5 million guaranteed. The contract includes a player option worth $4.5 million with a $500,000 buyout. Stratton's contract with Kansas City is somewhat interesting according to yardbarker.com : "It’s fairly surprising to see Stratton secure an opt-out provision in his contract. Middle relievers of this ilk typically haven’t been afforded that luxury, although the Reds did give Emilio Pagan an opt-out after his first season earlier this month. YardBarker continued in the article: "For Kansas City, perhaps that was a necessary bridge to cross in order to sway a reliever they were prioritizing to sign there rather than with a more clear-cut contender." YardBarker makes a good point about a pitcher like Stratt...

Kansas City's front office said this offseason the team is making it a mission to target veteran arms, and the team struck fast to begin accomplishing that mission. Atlanta and Kansas City agreed on a deal to send pitcher Nick Anderson to the Royals for cash. The Royals also moved on from former first round pick Jackson Kowar to bring in righthander Kyle Wright. Kowar's time with the Royals didn't go well for him or the team. The right-hander made his big league debut on June 7 against the Angels; and like the rest of his Royals career, it didn't go well. The righthander gave up four runs in the first inning along with wild pitches and two walks. Kansas City sent a struggling starter in Kowar to the Braves for an arm that has a good track record other than last season. Two seasons ago, Wright had an ERA below 4.00 at  3.19 in 30 games and 30 starts. Last season for Wright wasn't one he would like to remember. The right-hander posted an ERA of 6.97 in onl...

The Royals’ offseason has been slow for the most part other than a few small signings such as Garrett Hampson and a few trades with Atlanta. The team has been slow in the free agent pitching market, but Kansas City is bringing in a former friend on a one-year deal in lefthander Will Smith. Since leaving Kansas City in 2013, the 34-year old has been a dependable arm in multiple team's bullpens. Kansas City's front office believes the veteran can give the bullpen a boost. Picollo brings Smith back to Kansas City on a one-year deal worth $5 million with performance bonuses. While with the Rangers last season, the left-hander appeared in 60 games. Smith for the most part was a reliable arm in the 60 games he appeared in for the Rangers. The lefthander last season signed a one-year deal with Texas worth $1.5 million with $2.5 million in performance bonuses. Smith earned every penny of his contract with the Rangers. Smith’s primary issue last season was giving up the long...

The boys in blue are looking to boost the bullpen through the minor league free agent market, and Kansas City signed a familiar arm, Tyler Duffey, to a minor league pact. Duffey spent time in the Cubs’ organization last season; however, his last big league stint was with the Twins. The 32-year old was a member of the Twins pitching staff for seven seasons before signing with the Cubs last season. Duffey was designated for assignment by Minnesota on August 5 and released just two days later. The righthander, in my opinion, is a type of pitcher that could boost the pen next season. Last season, Duffey spent most of the season in Triple-A. While in Iowa, Duffey appeared in 36 games and threw a total of 45.1 innings. Duffey started two games for Iowa last season. The decision for the Twins to move on from Duffey was difficult for the organization and rightfully so. The organization had plenty to say about Duffey following his departure from the team. Twins manager Rocco Baldell...