Quatraro & Sweeney had to have approved this Chapman deal, right? Or do GMs sign controversial free agents without consulting anyone? At any rate, the guy seems to be a clubhouse cancer--just who the Royals DON'T need around their young pitchers!
Remember a few years back when the Royals (Dayton Moore) seemed interested in signing an Oregon college pitcher who had been charged and pleaded guilty to child sexual assault? The media was loud against it. People wrote letters to the editor against this guy. They did not hire him. I’m glad. I actually wrote a letter to Dayton Moore saying that they’d lose me as a fan if they hired this guy. If I’d known they were even looking at Aroldis Chapman, I’d have written already.
Oh I remember it well. I think the Royals purposely floated it out there back then for Luke Heimlich, but maybe thought people wouldn't care much about Chapman for some reason? Either way, I think they made a big mistake.
what's the big mistake? That he doesn't pitch like the Royals hope? Isn't that true of any player you sign or draft? He has a good track record. He still throws very hard. If they can fix him, he's a solid bullpen addition. If not, just cut him and his smaller one year salary. How many times have I heard you say there is no such thing as a bad one year contract? So, he was suspended 30 days 7 years ago. He served his punishment. Has there been any other reports of abuse that the press didn't uncover? No. Did she skip a meeting? yes. He wasn't going to be on the playoff roster anyway and was a free agent. My question is how much time has to pass before a person is forgiven and gets the opportunity to engage in his vocation without everyone calling him an Ahole? You know how many Ahole's exist in the private sector that do their job and no one knows about and they are employed? If he shouldn't be a pitcher in the MLB because of what he did 7 years ago, what job is he permitted to have according to all the morally perfect people on Twitter and chat boards? Can he be a repairman? Can he run for Senate? Can he be a teacher? Can he be an interpreter in a Court of Law? What job is he allowed to have or is society just supposed to support him and he goes on welfare because he did one thing 7 years ago that he was never convicted of.
As I said, people will assuredly have the opinion that he both wasn't convicted of anything and has served his time and you have every right to that opinion. I personally have no desire to have someone like that on the Royals. And as I also said, I'm sure there are people we don't even know are awful who we cheer for. But we know what Chapman did. We know what he did last year to his team. Whether or not he was going to be on the roster, he was a poor teammate.
As for the track record, he walked 15.6% of hitters in 2021. His ERA was solid, but he wasn't quite as good as that. He threw 11.2 innings in 2020, so that sample is insanely small. The last time he threw more than 20 innings and had a walk rate below 10% was 2017. If he's striking out 35%+, you can live with it. He struck out 26.9% last year. If they can fix what they think can fix, there's a baseball argument to be made. I just don't think it's worth it and I think it's a mistake.
Regarding the "what job is he allowed to have" argument, I don't have to know exactly where the line is drawn to know that it's somewhere south of paying him $3.75 million to be a relief pitcher on a team that has zero expectation of contending this year.
Also, when you choke your girlfriend and fire a gun eight times to terrorize her, you get to be labeled an "Ahole" up until the point that you prove that you are no longer an Ahole. Since he has never shown any real contrition, I'm comfortable that the label still fits.
For me, Sam Mellinger's presence in the building disqualifies any claim to not knowing Kansas City fans would object, many strenuously. You hire the guy who supposedly has the best pulse on the city of anyone, you better let him do the job. For all I know, he may support the move, but I don't believe he'd have misread this.
love your updates, David, and was eagerly awaiting another Royals fan's take on this Chapman signing. aaaaand we're on the same page: W.T.F. I'm not going to watch when he pitches for us, which sucks but c'mon this dude just seems like a huuuuge prick not worth our time. they better flip him at the deadline
exactly! AND THAT TEAM WAS THE MF AL EAST CHAMPION YANKEES LOL it's gotta be a sign/fix/flip situation, at least my fingers are crossed that's the case. I don't want him doing anything meaningful in a Royals uniform 😭
Nice Jewels today. I’m going the other way on this one and loving the Chapman signing! Not for Chapman the player or person. Why do the Royals need another lefty who CANT throw strikes when that spot is already filled by Amir Garrett? Is he a problem, yes. Will he be a problem….most likely if history is any indication. BUT……this might be the first time all offseason I’ve felt like the Royals have viewed a player as a commodity first. This IS NOT A move DM would have made. No way he lets Chapman into the Bible study clubhouse. I know you’ve said JJ is different, and you have your sources…but for the outsider after the O’Hearn fiasco and no roster moves, THIS was a different move. And for that I’m happy. Chapman, eh, I don’t care the name of the player, I’m just excited its a move that wouldn’t have been made last year and Quantaro/Sweeney appear to be putting there stamp on decisions finally now.
I don't agree at all that DM wouldn't have made this move. They spent weeks trying to convince people that signing Luke Heimlich was a wise move. And I feel like it'd be different if they treated a player as a commodity if he was actually good. I just think the risk isn't anywhere near worth the small potential reward.
Is there more risk in this move or in Lyles? I’d argue Lyles for 2/17 opposed to 1/3.5 or whatever it was. If he’s a cancer cut him and move on. You’ll get a better potential return on this over what else you’ve signed this offseason. From a baseball move, it’s a start to build trust with this group. Right now, I don’t have a lot in them. Sign some of these young guys, start making smarter moves, but my lord if we go to Arb with Singer after paying some of these other fools this offseason I’ll be very disappointed. Lol.
Financially there is obviously more risk in 2/17, but there is so much more to signing someone like Chapman than the money. There's alienation of the fanbase. There's potential clubhouse alienation if there are issues from any of the players (and there may not be, I honestly don't know). There's example set from a player who literally quit on his team during the playoffs last season. All of that isn't worth the small percent chance that he can recapture what he last was four seasons ago. Just because it's something different doesn't mean it's something good. It's all an opinion and you're more than entitled to yours, but I see next to zero realistic upside with a whole lot of realistic downside.
Completely understand and love this convo! Here’s the deal. If it alienates the fan base….I actually like that the Royals did it and don’t care about the fan base to be honest. We lost 97 games last year. We are most likely going to lose 90 games again this year. We aren’t any good. So if the fans want players they like but suck….then ok I guess. And quite honestly, they may get both with this move. If Singer, Bubic, Lynch, don’t like Chapman…fine, whatever, your in the big leagues now…you don’t have to be buddies with everyone that “came up at the same time” kind of thing. If this move bombs….and it very well might, maybe it pushes out JJ quicker….which is also ok in my eyes. There is only upside in this to me. Either it works, you get a little bit more than nothing in a return….but if it works…I also trust Quantaro and Sweeney a hell of a lot more if in May Chapman has cut his walks in half. We’ll also know a little more by then if maybe Bubic and Lynch just aren’t good enough if Chapman has figured something out with Sweeney but those guys haven’t yet. If it bombs, then maybe it pushes the FO out a little quicker as they lose 90+ games again. I’m ok with both at this point. But I know what losing looks like. I just want different moves even if it may be a bad move. But I’d argue resigning Keller and O’Hearn were already bad moves they made this offseason even if they got out of the O’hearn deal. So maybe this is just another one.
They obviously didn't care about the fan base when they gave O'Hearn a deal. Alienating with a player people don't want because of his play on the field is one thing. Alienating with a player with his off-field issues is another entirely and I don't think that should be celebrated in any way.
I just see very little upside from this move. It's not impossible that they can get real value from him, but I find it highly unlikely.
I’m chuckling to myself because I’m defending the Royals for signing by all accounts a terrible person, who quits on teams. When that is the move that is being defended you’ve made some terrible moves. Do better Royals.
The Chapman thing - Yeah, that's a tough one. I do believe there is something to be said for 'he served his time and everyone deserves a second chance', there's also a part of me that says he's probably just a bad guy.
This is different than the Ambiorix Burgos situation: Presumably his true colors came out after he was in the organization. With Chapman; the historical record is already there. We're bringing him aboard with knowledge in hand of it. Also, as you pointed out, there's rather historical AND recent behavior to look at. That's a track record, not a one-off. Personally, I'm a "when in doubt, let someone else give him the second chance" kind of guy so I don't like it.
Good to hear we're working on a long-term deal for Singer. I think with better Coaching (it can't be worse, can it?) he and the rest of the staff will get better. The difference is that Singer has shown us a ceiling (and maybe Lynch has too) that is worth getting excited about. I don't mean a flash (we've seen flashes from all of em'), I mean a consistent ceiling. I also think it sends a solid message to the Young Guns that we'll spend long-term money to build a winner. Let's lock him up!
Your Coaching Insight insight that we appear to be making decisions based off the new Coaching staff and they seem to be going with known quantities is the same thought I've been having. I'm down with it for two reasons: 1) these Coaches have track records of winning more than us and 2) again, I think it sends a positive message to our current players that former players want to come back and work with these Coaches again.
And as for those extra 4 lbs Lesky; protein and fat - no carbs. That's the key, so skip the pizza and dedicate yourself to Wings, Fried Chicken and of course, Arthur Bryant's (sausage, no sauce)!
On the Chapman second chance, I think you're right that there is an argument. There are certain things I personally don't think that applies with and I believe that these circumstances are in there. That's me. But even if you are in the camp that thinks he's served his time and all that, I just can't get over the fact that he quit on his team in the playoffs last year!
And let's talk carbs in Arizona. There's plenty of protein, but boy is it hard to avoid those fresh tortillas in like every restaurant we visit.
The whole thing makes no sense to me. I get your argument for the baseball side of it, but even if he pans out well enough to get traded at the deadline, what's the point of adding another prospect that will most likely amount to nothing? I know all prospects are lottery tickets, but the Royals haven't fared all that well with these kinds of deals recently. Plus, if you're going to accept the blowback and lean into your inner skeeviness, why not make a run at Bauer instead? That's definitely not a personal endorsement of signing Bauer, but the baseball argument makes more sense. They both most likely did despicable things, a certain portion of the fanbase would be upset, but at least Bauer is still good. And whatever his off-field failings are, and they appear to be many, I wouldn't be super worried about him quitting on the team midseason, which, unless he comes out and immediately returns to his prime form (setting himself up for a trade to a contender), I can almost guarantee will happen with Chapman. Either way, this whole saga is eroding the optimism I felt when they made front office & coaching staff changes. I'm still hopeful the latter will make a positive impact, but this deal is baffling to me.
I don't know if the reaction to the Chapman deal is going to change this, but I'd heard there was a pretty decent chance they were going to sign Bauer already. I will say on that front that the last time Bauer pitched. Chapman had a 2.54 ERA, 2.78 FIP and 49 strikeouts in 28.1 innings at that point in the season in 2021, so I'm curious if Bauer would even be worth it. The reports are he's throwing great and I'd generally believe he's still good, but he also hasn't pitched since they outlawed sticky stuff. Who knows if he was using it, but it's an interesting thought too.
Good point. And like I said, I'm not advocating for signing Bauer, but in strictly baseball terms, the upside seems like it could potentially be higher, with the risk being about the same in terms of public blowback and poor performance.
Are you SERIOUS? They were looking at signing Bauer? See, these are terrible people and I get the frustration that they are even looking at these guys. But seeing the trees through the forest kind of thing….it tells me something has changed here recently that they would sign Chapman and be interested in Bauer. You and your sources know way more than I’ll ever know…but SOP had changed a little bit if you heard they were interested in Bauer. In a weird, round about way, I take that as a positive.
Mr. L, I understand the flipability (sic) of Chapman, but is it also possible that the team has a trade set sending away someone like Barlow, and that CHapman is signed as a kind of insurance?
Whether it should or shouldn't, the quality of play has an impact. I think if the Royals signed Chapman after his, say, 2018 season maybe the conversation is different. I think it wouldn't be different for me, but I guess I don't know that for a fact.
Good call on the Bove/Winder connection. Good to see they are at least talking about dealing Taylor and there is actual interest! I wonder who leaked the report - probably the Twins to talk down the ask?
I wondered that too. I could see it both ways. It makes more sense for the Twins, but I think there could be some level of "look at what we're trying to do!" from the Royals potentially.
So it sounds like to you Tracy that the salary matters. In other words, he can have a job, it just can’t pay that much. Fair enough. So the lower the salary then, the less we expect of the person. So how much do you get paid? Now tell me your worst sin? Because maybe you’re not worthy of that job. All these people passing judgment need to look in the mirror. You know nothing about Chapman except what the papers report. Granted haven’t heard much good, but do you really know him enough to say he’s not worth the salary? I guess he so bad a person he only gets to earn minimum wage. What’s that say about minimum wage earners? The guy has a skill and he paid his dues.
Even with bringing in Johan, the royals should be beating at the Pirates door in regards to Miguel Andujar. Even if it means outright releasing Dozier this spring - that money is already gone - I don't see how Andujar wouldn't start at 3B on *this* team.
I am 100% on board with taking a shot on someone like him, but the guy has also hit .230/.257/.324 since 2019, albeit in only 416 plate appearances. He was also a brutally bad defender at third. Like I said, I'm totally in on the flyer, but I also don't think anyone is beating at their door for the guy.
Quatraro & Sweeney had to have approved this Chapman deal, right? Or do GMs sign controversial free agents without consulting anyone? At any rate, the guy seems to be a clubhouse cancer--just who the Royals DON'T need around their young pitchers!
I would assume at least Quatraro was consulted and I would also be surprised if Sweeney wasn’t. I don’t get it at all.
Remember a few years back when the Royals (Dayton Moore) seemed interested in signing an Oregon college pitcher who had been charged and pleaded guilty to child sexual assault? The media was loud against it. People wrote letters to the editor against this guy. They did not hire him. I’m glad. I actually wrote a letter to Dayton Moore saying that they’d lose me as a fan if they hired this guy. If I’d known they were even looking at Aroldis Chapman, I’d have written already.
Oh I remember it well. I think the Royals purposely floated it out there back then for Luke Heimlich, but maybe thought people wouldn't care much about Chapman for some reason? Either way, I think they made a big mistake.
what's the big mistake? That he doesn't pitch like the Royals hope? Isn't that true of any player you sign or draft? He has a good track record. He still throws very hard. If they can fix him, he's a solid bullpen addition. If not, just cut him and his smaller one year salary. How many times have I heard you say there is no such thing as a bad one year contract? So, he was suspended 30 days 7 years ago. He served his punishment. Has there been any other reports of abuse that the press didn't uncover? No. Did she skip a meeting? yes. He wasn't going to be on the playoff roster anyway and was a free agent. My question is how much time has to pass before a person is forgiven and gets the opportunity to engage in his vocation without everyone calling him an Ahole? You know how many Ahole's exist in the private sector that do their job and no one knows about and they are employed? If he shouldn't be a pitcher in the MLB because of what he did 7 years ago, what job is he permitted to have according to all the morally perfect people on Twitter and chat boards? Can he be a repairman? Can he run for Senate? Can he be a teacher? Can he be an interpreter in a Court of Law? What job is he allowed to have or is society just supposed to support him and he goes on welfare because he did one thing 7 years ago that he was never convicted of.
As I said, people will assuredly have the opinion that he both wasn't convicted of anything and has served his time and you have every right to that opinion. I personally have no desire to have someone like that on the Royals. And as I also said, I'm sure there are people we don't even know are awful who we cheer for. But we know what Chapman did. We know what he did last year to his team. Whether or not he was going to be on the roster, he was a poor teammate.
As for the track record, he walked 15.6% of hitters in 2021. His ERA was solid, but he wasn't quite as good as that. He threw 11.2 innings in 2020, so that sample is insanely small. The last time he threw more than 20 innings and had a walk rate below 10% was 2017. If he's striking out 35%+, you can live with it. He struck out 26.9% last year. If they can fix what they think can fix, there's a baseball argument to be made. I just don't think it's worth it and I think it's a mistake.
Thanks for replying. Agree to disagree. I like your articles. I'll throw awawy my Champman for President signs.
It's certainly a point of personal opinion.
Regarding the "what job is he allowed to have" argument, I don't have to know exactly where the line is drawn to know that it's somewhere south of paying him $3.75 million to be a relief pitcher on a team that has zero expectation of contending this year.
Also, when you choke your girlfriend and fire a gun eight times to terrorize her, you get to be labeled an "Ahole" up until the point that you prove that you are no longer an Ahole. Since he has never shown any real contrition, I'm comfortable that the label still fits.
For me, Sam Mellinger's presence in the building disqualifies any claim to not knowing Kansas City fans would object, many strenuously. You hire the guy who supposedly has the best pulse on the city of anyone, you better let him do the job. For all I know, he may support the move, but I don't believe he'd have misread this.
Reminds me of the Chuck Knoblauch signing some 20+ years ago.
Oh yeah, that's a pretty good parallel. Hadn't thought about that one.
In the Royals’ defense, it would be another 7 years before Knoblauch’s assault allegations came to light.
Ohhhhhh okay, see time means nothing anymore, so I honestly thought there were allegations before the deal.
I think the only domestic abuse case I can think of under DM's watch was Alberto Callaspo and they traded him not long after that.
love your updates, David, and was eagerly awaiting another Royals fan's take on this Chapman signing. aaaaand we're on the same page: W.T.F. I'm not going to watch when he pitches for us, which sucks but c'mon this dude just seems like a huuuuge prick not worth our time. they better flip him at the deadline
Even if you ignore the worst part about him, he literally quit on his team last year. I don't get it.
exactly! AND THAT TEAM WAS THE MF AL EAST CHAMPION YANKEES LOL it's gotta be a sign/fix/flip situation, at least my fingers are crossed that's the case. I don't want him doing anything meaningful in a Royals uniform 😭
I hope they can fix and flip, but I have my doubts for sure. I'll be happy to be wrong.
Nice Jewels today. I’m going the other way on this one and loving the Chapman signing! Not for Chapman the player or person. Why do the Royals need another lefty who CANT throw strikes when that spot is already filled by Amir Garrett? Is he a problem, yes. Will he be a problem….most likely if history is any indication. BUT……this might be the first time all offseason I’ve felt like the Royals have viewed a player as a commodity first. This IS NOT A move DM would have made. No way he lets Chapman into the Bible study clubhouse. I know you’ve said JJ is different, and you have your sources…but for the outsider after the O’Hearn fiasco and no roster moves, THIS was a different move. And for that I’m happy. Chapman, eh, I don’t care the name of the player, I’m just excited its a move that wouldn’t have been made last year and Quantaro/Sweeney appear to be putting there stamp on decisions finally now.
I don't agree at all that DM wouldn't have made this move. They spent weeks trying to convince people that signing Luke Heimlich was a wise move. And I feel like it'd be different if they treated a player as a commodity if he was actually good. I just think the risk isn't anywhere near worth the small potential reward.
Is there more risk in this move or in Lyles? I’d argue Lyles for 2/17 opposed to 1/3.5 or whatever it was. If he’s a cancer cut him and move on. You’ll get a better potential return on this over what else you’ve signed this offseason. From a baseball move, it’s a start to build trust with this group. Right now, I don’t have a lot in them. Sign some of these young guys, start making smarter moves, but my lord if we go to Arb with Singer after paying some of these other fools this offseason I’ll be very disappointed. Lol.
Financially there is obviously more risk in 2/17, but there is so much more to signing someone like Chapman than the money. There's alienation of the fanbase. There's potential clubhouse alienation if there are issues from any of the players (and there may not be, I honestly don't know). There's example set from a player who literally quit on his team during the playoffs last season. All of that isn't worth the small percent chance that he can recapture what he last was four seasons ago. Just because it's something different doesn't mean it's something good. It's all an opinion and you're more than entitled to yours, but I see next to zero realistic upside with a whole lot of realistic downside.
Completely understand and love this convo! Here’s the deal. If it alienates the fan base….I actually like that the Royals did it and don’t care about the fan base to be honest. We lost 97 games last year. We are most likely going to lose 90 games again this year. We aren’t any good. So if the fans want players they like but suck….then ok I guess. And quite honestly, they may get both with this move. If Singer, Bubic, Lynch, don’t like Chapman…fine, whatever, your in the big leagues now…you don’t have to be buddies with everyone that “came up at the same time” kind of thing. If this move bombs….and it very well might, maybe it pushes out JJ quicker….which is also ok in my eyes. There is only upside in this to me. Either it works, you get a little bit more than nothing in a return….but if it works…I also trust Quantaro and Sweeney a hell of a lot more if in May Chapman has cut his walks in half. We’ll also know a little more by then if maybe Bubic and Lynch just aren’t good enough if Chapman has figured something out with Sweeney but those guys haven’t yet. If it bombs, then maybe it pushes the FO out a little quicker as they lose 90+ games again. I’m ok with both at this point. But I know what losing looks like. I just want different moves even if it may be a bad move. But I’d argue resigning Keller and O’Hearn were already bad moves they made this offseason even if they got out of the O’hearn deal. So maybe this is just another one.
I guess they are going to be asking for Billions of dollars from the public so maybe an odd time to alienate the fan base. Lol.
They obviously didn't care about the fan base when they gave O'Hearn a deal. Alienating with a player people don't want because of his play on the field is one thing. Alienating with a player with his off-field issues is another entirely and I don't think that should be celebrated in any way.
I just see very little upside from this move. It's not impossible that they can get real value from him, but I find it highly unlikely.
I’m chuckling to myself because I’m defending the Royals for signing by all accounts a terrible person, who quits on teams. When that is the move that is being defended you’ve made some terrible moves. Do better Royals.
The Chapman thing - Yeah, that's a tough one. I do believe there is something to be said for 'he served his time and everyone deserves a second chance', there's also a part of me that says he's probably just a bad guy.
This is different than the Ambiorix Burgos situation: Presumably his true colors came out after he was in the organization. With Chapman; the historical record is already there. We're bringing him aboard with knowledge in hand of it. Also, as you pointed out, there's rather historical AND recent behavior to look at. That's a track record, not a one-off. Personally, I'm a "when in doubt, let someone else give him the second chance" kind of guy so I don't like it.
Good to hear we're working on a long-term deal for Singer. I think with better Coaching (it can't be worse, can it?) he and the rest of the staff will get better. The difference is that Singer has shown us a ceiling (and maybe Lynch has too) that is worth getting excited about. I don't mean a flash (we've seen flashes from all of em'), I mean a consistent ceiling. I also think it sends a solid message to the Young Guns that we'll spend long-term money to build a winner. Let's lock him up!
Your Coaching Insight insight that we appear to be making decisions based off the new Coaching staff and they seem to be going with known quantities is the same thought I've been having. I'm down with it for two reasons: 1) these Coaches have track records of winning more than us and 2) again, I think it sends a positive message to our current players that former players want to come back and work with these Coaches again.
And as for those extra 4 lbs Lesky; protein and fat - no carbs. That's the key, so skip the pizza and dedicate yourself to Wings, Fried Chicken and of course, Arthur Bryant's (sausage, no sauce)!
On the Chapman second chance, I think you're right that there is an argument. There are certain things I personally don't think that applies with and I believe that these circumstances are in there. That's me. But even if you are in the camp that thinks he's served his time and all that, I just can't get over the fact that he quit on his team in the playoffs last year!
And let's talk carbs in Arizona. There's plenty of protein, but boy is it hard to avoid those fresh tortillas in like every restaurant we visit.
So the Royals have signed the final remnants of the mortal remains of Aroldis Chapman. *yawn*
The whole thing makes no sense to me. I get your argument for the baseball side of it, but even if he pans out well enough to get traded at the deadline, what's the point of adding another prospect that will most likely amount to nothing? I know all prospects are lottery tickets, but the Royals haven't fared all that well with these kinds of deals recently. Plus, if you're going to accept the blowback and lean into your inner skeeviness, why not make a run at Bauer instead? That's definitely not a personal endorsement of signing Bauer, but the baseball argument makes more sense. They both most likely did despicable things, a certain portion of the fanbase would be upset, but at least Bauer is still good. And whatever his off-field failings are, and they appear to be many, I wouldn't be super worried about him quitting on the team midseason, which, unless he comes out and immediately returns to his prime form (setting himself up for a trade to a contender), I can almost guarantee will happen with Chapman. Either way, this whole saga is eroding the optimism I felt when they made front office & coaching staff changes. I'm still hopeful the latter will make a positive impact, but this deal is baffling to me.
I don't know if the reaction to the Chapman deal is going to change this, but I'd heard there was a pretty decent chance they were going to sign Bauer already. I will say on that front that the last time Bauer pitched. Chapman had a 2.54 ERA, 2.78 FIP and 49 strikeouts in 28.1 innings at that point in the season in 2021, so I'm curious if Bauer would even be worth it. The reports are he's throwing great and I'd generally believe he's still good, but he also hasn't pitched since they outlawed sticky stuff. Who knows if he was using it, but it's an interesting thought too.
Good point. And like I said, I'm not advocating for signing Bauer, but in strictly baseball terms, the upside seems like it could potentially be higher, with the risk being about the same in terms of public blowback and poor performance.
I actually think the blowback might be bigger. In a way, I'm curious, but maybe not *that* curious.
If Sherman signs off on Bauer at this stage of the downtown stadium subsidy campaign, then he is not the owner I believed he would be.
Are you SERIOUS? They were looking at signing Bauer? See, these are terrible people and I get the frustration that they are even looking at these guys. But seeing the trees through the forest kind of thing….it tells me something has changed here recently that they would sign Chapman and be interested in Bauer. You and your sources know way more than I’ll ever know…but SOP had changed a little bit if you heard they were interested in Bauer. In a weird, round about way, I take that as a positive.
They might still be interested. There’s definitely a connection with Sweeney.
Mr. L, I understand the flipability (sic) of Chapman, but is it also possible that the team has a trade set sending away someone like Barlow, and that CHapman is signed as a kind of insurance?
Absolutely could be the case. I’ve heard they are close on a couple of trades.
Chiefs and Dolphins fans sure did/are cheering on Tyreek Hill and he's known for a "checkered past". A lot of good comments here.
Whether it should or shouldn't, the quality of play has an impact. I think if the Royals signed Chapman after his, say, 2018 season maybe the conversation is different. I think it wouldn't be different for me, but I guess I don't know that for a fact.
As a first-time attendee of spring training this year, I was hoping you would be sharing some of your wisdom on the subject.
You know l’ll have that covered!
Good call on the Bove/Winder connection. Good to see they are at least talking about dealing Taylor and there is actual interest! I wonder who leaked the report - probably the Twins to talk down the ask?
I wondered that too. I could see it both ways. It makes more sense for the Twins, but I think there could be some level of "look at what we're trying to do!" from the Royals potentially.
Juice is worth the squeeze. Fantastic movie quote from The Girl Next Door. Love it!
So it sounds like to you Tracy that the salary matters. In other words, he can have a job, it just can’t pay that much. Fair enough. So the lower the salary then, the less we expect of the person. So how much do you get paid? Now tell me your worst sin? Because maybe you’re not worthy of that job. All these people passing judgment need to look in the mirror. You know nothing about Chapman except what the papers report. Granted haven’t heard much good, but do you really know him enough to say he’s not worth the salary? I guess he so bad a person he only gets to earn minimum wage. What’s that say about minimum wage earners? The guy has a skill and he paid his dues.
Even with bringing in Johan, the royals should be beating at the Pirates door in regards to Miguel Andujar. Even if it means outright releasing Dozier this spring - that money is already gone - I don't see how Andujar wouldn't start at 3B on *this* team.
I am 100% on board with taking a shot on someone like him, but the guy has also hit .230/.257/.324 since 2019, albeit in only 416 plate appearances. He was also a brutally bad defender at third. Like I said, I'm totally in on the flyer, but I also don't think anyone is beating at their door for the guy.