great article. Hampson and Frazier don't really pass the eye test at the plate or in the field. They kicked the ball around on the televised game this week. Obviously a very small sample size. I hope Loftin gets the call over one of these guys.
If Pratto makes the roster……I have little patience with him. So he better make contact. Lol.
Sometimes I’m too negative, but this is a big league roster now. Yes, technically…it’s a big league roster every year….but I’m saying it is ACTUALLY now a big league roster. If Singer is your 4th starter. Good. If Waters is the first man up from AAA, that’s better. I’m not saying they are good yet. And they are probably another year away where the bottom of the roster needs to get even better. They desperately need to get the minors rolling because signing 6 guys every year is an impossible task. The top of the roster is fine, the bottom of the roster is better. The big thing is they have to improve the middle of the roster next. Need more 2-3 WAR guys. Not all stars, but legit above average players. It’s not easy….but we are farther down the road now.
Great piece and I agree with a lot of your picks, especially in lieu of the Lynch and Zerpa news. Think the rotation and bullpen just got a bit clearer.
I find it hard to believe that Long will stick around if he doesn't make the team. He's got big league experience and had a great spring. I think those two combos would attract some interest from a team, especially one that may be rebuilding or is in need of bullpen help. I do think the Royals like him quite a bit, and it seems like there's been some buzz around him from Anne and Jaylon, which I think is a sign that he may be a favorite to make the club.
Which leads to the next thing, I feel like we're hearing more and more buzz that Sauer may not be a lock to make this team. Feel like Anne's piece hinted at that, and Josh Vernier in his pod did as well by mentioning that Sauer may have made sense on last year's team, but not this year. Do you think Sauer is in danger of being returned to the Yankees? I think that would be a bummer especially since he did so well this Spring. But if Zerpa is the long-term guy, and if they really like Long, I wonder if Sauer is the odd guy out. And if the Royals still want to hold onto Sauer, do you think they trade for him like they did with Stephen Woods back in 2021?
Any thoughts or insight on this would be appreciated! Thanks!
I like Michael Massey and believe there is some potential there, but when he was scratched the other day all I could think was this is Loftin's golden opportunity. With the spring he's had, I think I'd rather see him on opening day than Massey.
Good stuff, David. Releasing or dumping Lyles on someone else would would be the move to show the team has learned from keeping Hunter Dozier a year (or more) too long. Cut your losses and roll with it.
How you don’t include Loftin tells me a lot about the goals of this organization. Winning ball games doesn’t appear to be one of those goals. We keep a guy that has eternal potential but in 500+ ABs, still hasn’t, but is deemed “unlucky”. We keep a couple of “grizzled old veterans” that we hope and pray can find one more good year in the sun. We leave what could be our leading hitter and another that probably would be our leading HR guy in Omaha
Hi David, I don't see the difference between being a number 3 starter or 1 starter or a 2 or 4 starter. You mentioned it's not as bad this because Singer won't be 1 starter but if you look at the whole season don't they all start an equal number of games? thanks, William
I feel like Loftin is criminally underrated by the cadre of Royals bloggers. For whatever reason, I see a good deal of fawning over guys like Isbell, Gentry and Wallace while Loftin is treated as kind of an afterthought. Loftin is the 2nd best prospect in the system according to pipeline and fangraphs and 3rd best according to Keith Law. He’s done nothing but produce during his short MLB tenure and during this spring training. I get he’s no superstar and doesn’t have any “loud” tools, but it just feels like he’s oddly overlooked and discounted vis-a-vis other equal or lessor prospects.
At the beginning of spring i really thought this roster was cut and dry, but apparently not. I actually still kinda like the frazier/hampson/renfroe signings to encourage competition and give some proven, though meh, options if others are struggling. But right now it kinda blows. Oddly the one I like least is the one with the costliest contract - Renfroe.
I was actually thinking of Pratto over Blanco in outfield and giving Velazquez benefit of the doubt. But honestly my memory of who passed my eyetest at what is getting spottier with all the new options. Had been secretly hoping one of the new FA gets a very very slight injury to make room for Loftin, but I will go back to positive thoughts as you are right - the dust will settle as we get farther into the season.
I am right in line with your pitching, hope they keep Sauer, but Long is interesting. Bummed with Singers performance last night after drinking spring koolaid, but if you had predicted this outing last season I would have thought probable. Meanwhile, I am going to keep drinking the sweet sweet koolaid until at least the end of May and hope there are other players I forgot about to fill any potholes
I am pleased to see enough depth that guys who could be big leaguers are heading down...competition is good and it's a long season... time for some of these guys to feel the heat and either learn to get the job done (toughen up)...or see ya, someone else has taken the job.
great article. Hampson and Frazier don't really pass the eye test at the plate or in the field. They kicked the ball around on the televised game this week. Obviously a very small sample size. I hope Loftin gets the call over one of these guys.
If Pratto makes the roster……I have little patience with him. So he better make contact. Lol.
Sometimes I’m too negative, but this is a big league roster now. Yes, technically…it’s a big league roster every year….but I’m saying it is ACTUALLY now a big league roster. If Singer is your 4th starter. Good. If Waters is the first man up from AAA, that’s better. I’m not saying they are good yet. And they are probably another year away where the bottom of the roster needs to get even better. They desperately need to get the minors rolling because signing 6 guys every year is an impossible task. The top of the roster is fine, the bottom of the roster is better. The big thing is they have to improve the middle of the roster next. Need more 2-3 WAR guys. Not all stars, but legit above average players. It’s not easy….but we are farther down the road now.
Great piece and I agree with a lot of your picks, especially in lieu of the Lynch and Zerpa news. Think the rotation and bullpen just got a bit clearer.
I find it hard to believe that Long will stick around if he doesn't make the team. He's got big league experience and had a great spring. I think those two combos would attract some interest from a team, especially one that may be rebuilding or is in need of bullpen help. I do think the Royals like him quite a bit, and it seems like there's been some buzz around him from Anne and Jaylon, which I think is a sign that he may be a favorite to make the club.
Which leads to the next thing, I feel like we're hearing more and more buzz that Sauer may not be a lock to make this team. Feel like Anne's piece hinted at that, and Josh Vernier in his pod did as well by mentioning that Sauer may have made sense on last year's team, but not this year. Do you think Sauer is in danger of being returned to the Yankees? I think that would be a bummer especially since he did so well this Spring. But if Zerpa is the long-term guy, and if they really like Long, I wonder if Sauer is the odd guy out. And if the Royals still want to hold onto Sauer, do you think they trade for him like they did with Stephen Woods back in 2021?
Any thoughts or insight on this would be appreciated! Thanks!
I like Michael Massey and believe there is some potential there, but when he was scratched the other day all I could think was this is Loftin's golden opportunity. With the spring he's had, I think I'd rather see him on opening day than Massey.
Good stuff, David. Releasing or dumping Lyles on someone else would would be the move to show the team has learned from keeping Hunter Dozier a year (or more) too long. Cut your losses and roll with it.
How you don’t include Loftin tells me a lot about the goals of this organization. Winning ball games doesn’t appear to be one of those goals. We keep a guy that has eternal potential but in 500+ ABs, still hasn’t, but is deemed “unlucky”. We keep a couple of “grizzled old veterans” that we hope and pray can find one more good year in the sun. We leave what could be our leading hitter and another that probably would be our leading HR guy in Omaha
Hi David, I don't see the difference between being a number 3 starter or 1 starter or a 2 or 4 starter. You mentioned it's not as bad this because Singer won't be 1 starter but if you look at the whole season don't they all start an equal number of games? thanks, William
I feel like Loftin is criminally underrated by the cadre of Royals bloggers. For whatever reason, I see a good deal of fawning over guys like Isbell, Gentry and Wallace while Loftin is treated as kind of an afterthought. Loftin is the 2nd best prospect in the system according to pipeline and fangraphs and 3rd best according to Keith Law. He’s done nothing but produce during his short MLB tenure and during this spring training. I get he’s no superstar and doesn’t have any “loud” tools, but it just feels like he’s oddly overlooked and discounted vis-a-vis other equal or lessor prospects.
MLB Trade Rumors reporting that Marsh is starter #5, & Lyles is going to the 'pen.
At the beginning of spring i really thought this roster was cut and dry, but apparently not. I actually still kinda like the frazier/hampson/renfroe signings to encourage competition and give some proven, though meh, options if others are struggling. But right now it kinda blows. Oddly the one I like least is the one with the costliest contract - Renfroe.
I was actually thinking of Pratto over Blanco in outfield and giving Velazquez benefit of the doubt. But honestly my memory of who passed my eyetest at what is getting spottier with all the new options. Had been secretly hoping one of the new FA gets a very very slight injury to make room for Loftin, but I will go back to positive thoughts as you are right - the dust will settle as we get farther into the season.
I am right in line with your pitching, hope they keep Sauer, but Long is interesting. Bummed with Singers performance last night after drinking spring koolaid, but if you had predicted this outing last season I would have thought probable. Meanwhile, I am going to keep drinking the sweet sweet koolaid until at least the end of May and hope there are other players I forgot about to fill any potholes
I am pleased to see enough depth that guys who could be big leaguers are heading down...competition is good and it's a long season... time for some of these guys to feel the heat and either learn to get the job done (toughen up)...or see ya, someone else has taken the job.
I certainly enjoyed your take on the entire roster. Hey, maybe this is the year...