Talkin Royals

The pitching in Kansas City went through many changes in the offseason from the additions of Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha to Alec Marsh joining the rotation fulltime.  Many Royals fans, including me, thought Jordan Lyles had the fifth spot in the rotation locked down despite his poor stats thanks to the $8.5 million dollars left on his contract. The Royals turned the table on fans and likely Jordan Lyles as well. Royals pitcher Alec Marsh had a solid spring training and earned himself a shot to be the fifth starter going forward. Last season Marsh made his major league debut in June of 2023. Marsh wasn't the only arm looking to take the fifth spot from Lyles. Marsh had to compete against a trio of arms including Angel Zerpa, Daniel Lynch along with Jordan Lyles. Marsh in spring training was solid in six games and 17.2 innings pitched. The 25-year old in six games racked up 20 strikeouts with an ERA of 3.57.  Royals manager Matt Quatraro in an interview with Anne Rog...

Nick Pratto had an incredible spring with the Royals, but Nelson Velázquez on the other hand struggled mightily. Kansas City is trimming the roster down as spring training is beginning to wrap up. Several players have opened some eyes of the team's coaching staff and the fans such as pitchers Tyler Duffey and Sam Long. I believe one of those two pitchers will make the opening day roster. However, a great spring training for Pratto wasn't enough to make the opening day roster; but I believe Pratto will be recalled at some point in the season to play first base or the outfield if needed. The 25-year old seems to have made some adjustments to his offensive approach. Last season, Pratto didn't play too well in 95 games. The former first round pick posted a  .232 batting average at the plate with 71 hits, 7 of those being home runs and 35 RBI's. Many fans seemed to have given up on the first baseman after last season. Pratto silenced the haters with an incredible...

The addition of Seth Lugo opened many Royals fans' eyes and possibly fans across the league as well. I believe the team may have slightly overpaid for Lugo, but I believe he will give the Royals quality starts throughout the life of his contract.   Kansas City hasn't spent $40 million plus on one player in free agency in over seven years when they signed Ian Kennedy to a five-year deal worth $70 million. Lugo and the Royals agreed to a three-year deal worth $45 million. Fans, prepare yourself to not see too many strikeouts from Lugo over the next three seasons. From the MLB Network on Lugo: "He's a pitcher, not a thrower." That being said, Lugo last season struck out an even 140 hitters with San Diego. Lugo will likely not lead the team in strikeouts nor innings pitched, but he fits Kansas City's pitching staff perfectly with his ability to keep the ball in the yard, quality starts, and ability to stay healthy.  Manager Matt Quatraro thought almost...

This offseason Kansas City's front office added a ton of pitching to the starting rotation and to the bullpen. And Brady Singer may be the biggest beneficiary of all the signings. The additions of Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha will hopefully take some weight off the former first round pick. Although the team added two pieces to the rotation, Singer must have a big impact in the rotation this upcoming season. The Royals avoided arbitration with the right-hander on a one-year deal worth $4.85 million. Singer is penciled in as a member of the starting rotation possibly as the fourth starter with Jordan Lyles being the fifth. Royals fans will likely see the following:  1. Michael Wacha  2. Cole Ragans  3. Seth Lugo  4. Brady Singer  5. Jordan Lyles  The combined $77 million dollars spent on Lugo and Wacha put them in the first and third spots in the rotation. Singer is entering his fifth big league season, and the past four years he was viewed as the ...

Following the end of his tenure with the Padres, the Royals decided to "take a chance" on Brent Rooker. Kansas City acquired the outfielder from San Diego for catcher Cam Gallagher. According to Fox 4: "He has appeared in just two games this season with the Padres, but had a .201 average with nine home runs in 58 games with the Twins last year."  Rooker appeared in 14 games for the Royals, and unfortunately his output in Kansas City wasn't what the team had hoped. With the Royals, the outfielder hit an abysmal  .160 with two runs batted in. Following a few bad showings for the Royals, Kansas City designated Rooker for assignment on November 15. Two days later, the Athletics claimed the outfielder off outright waivers. The move was one that many probably didn't expect to make a big impact for the Athletics. The Royals started kicking themselves almost immediately, whether they wanted to admit it or not. Oakland didn't originally plan to give R...

Spring training for the Royals this season has been an exciting one to watch with our first look at Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo in Royals uniforms. The additions the team have made are hopefully going to help the team start winning again, not exactly a postseason run but at least a team that is competitive.  Like the pitching, many of the position players are competing for roster spots including possibly first base. In highsight, Vinnie Pasquantino should have the job locked down if it weren't for his injuries last season that held him back. Pasquantino has the talent to be a big piece in the team's lineup with his bat. I would love to see Pasquantino succeed, but due to his inability to stay healthy, first base isn't a guarantee.  That leaves the door open for Nick Pratto to come and steal the job at first. Kansas City selected Pratto with the 14th overall pick in 2017. Pratto was viewed as the team's next Eric Hosmer; but unfortunately, Pratto the past two...

Kansas City made it abundantly clear this off-season that bolstering their pitching staff was a top priority. The team invested significantly to secure two starting pitchers. While some argue that the price may have been steep for both acquisitions, it was a necessary move after the team endured a dismal 106-loss season last year. Despite potential overpayment concerns for Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, both players are expected to provide a much-needed boost to the rotation. Wacha, who signed a two-year deal worth $32 million dollars, was initially projected by The Athletic to land a three-year contract valued at $36 million dollars. The projection was close, with the final deal only deviating by $4 million dollars. The signing of Wacha surprised many Royals fans and experts across the league. For instance, Ryan Fagan of The Sporting News anticipated the 32-year-old pitcher to join the Yankees. Trade Rumors, another reputable source, also did not foresee Wacha heading to Kan...