17 Comments

Now that Salvy is hitting well again, I hope they find a way to trade him and get a decent return while his trade value is still relatively high. It's extremely unlikely that he'll be a significant part of any future success the Royals may have. As I mentioned before, they need to find just one overexcited GM or owner who believes his team is "just a catcher away" from reaching the promised land this year.

Expand full comment

They do need to find just one, but I would be legitimately shocked if it happens. Acquiring a catcher midseason is tough for a contender with learning new pitchers and, again, it's the salary. Teams don't generally look back anymore and projections won't be kind to Salvy's age even if he's the outlier on it.

Expand full comment

Not a whole lot to add..or really question really. I think the only thing that I would question is maybe the value of Barlow. If he didn’t bring much back last year….do we really think he will this year. Yes, you hope the market it better……but we say the same things on the reliever market each year. Each trading season is different, so it’s certainly possible they find something they like better. But I also think it’s pretty likely he only brings back what was on the table last year. The time to really move him may have already passed. I’d like to see them get a little creative and package a couple guys to see if they can’t get a little bit better prospect back. And not a major league caliber ready prospect…that doesn’t need to be a “need” anymore guys.

Expand full comment

I don't think his value is necessarily higher, but there are both more buyers and more urgency to move him as he's a year closer to free agency, so maybe they aren't going to require as much in return. Does that make it a mistake to have not moved him last year? Maybe, though we don't know the offers. If he brings back what was on the table last year with only a year and a half left instead of two and a half, that's probably enough now.

Expand full comment

WTF, David? I thought this was your job. 10,000 subscribers @ $30 ea= $300,000 . How much you need? Quit that other shit.

Expand full comment

Hey, if you can get me to 10k paid subscribers, I'll quit the job and write all day!

Expand full comment

Good luck on the new job! 😃

Expand full comment

I guess one thing I didn’t see on here….and this may be more of a new occurrence. Carlos Hernandez. I’m not sure how much team control he has for the team but I know it’s more than a couple. He has looked like the best pitcher on the team here lately. If we are, and i think we are, projecting this out to 25 now…..the case can be made to move him this year if you can get something you like. Relievers are fickle, and who knows if he will be throwing 101 in 2-3 years when it is really needed. Like I said, its early on him….but he is definitely someone I can see other teams being very interested in.

Expand full comment

This could change by the time we get to mid-July, but I haven't seen any indication that they're going to move Hernandez. Or maybe more that the track record is small enough that they don't feel they'll get the offer worth moving him given that they think he'll be able to be a late inning stalwart once they move some guys.

Expand full comment

Congrats on the new gig!

Expand full comment

A) Congrats on the new job! B) I’ve been waiting for a piece like this for a while now. One team I keep coming back to is the Padres. If the Royals went Barlow AND Chapman is it unreasonable to expect Jackson Merrill back? As for Singer, what about a one for one, Singer for Jonathan India and move him back to third?

Expand full comment

I don't think the Royals are getting a team's top prospect for two relievers, but desperation does weird things. As for the Singer point, I guess I just don't see the point of that particular trade or really any like that unless you can get someone like India signed long-term and even then, it's iffy to me. Trading one-for-one for the same team control doesn't do a whole lot, especially when you need Singer more than you need India. If you think you can win in that timeframe, you just keep Singer. If you don't, you need quantity in return.

Expand full comment

I concede Merrill is a pipe dream but (a) they have Machado, Bogaerts, and Tatis. Left side of the infield is covered and (b) I gotta think the pressure to win is huge. Which leads to crazy things. The Singer for India thing I admit is kinda meh, but could solve 3B. I just wonder how much arbitration has hurt his mental status and India is getting squeezed out in Cincy.

Expand full comment

Even with a logjam, I just don't see a number one prospect going for what probably amounts to 115-120 total innings. And while arbitration may have hurt Singer's mental status, if that's all it took, something else was going to get there anyway. And I don't think India is being forced out, but if he was, I just don't see that particular deal making much sense for either side.

Expand full comment

This is why you have the Substack 🤣

Expand full comment

Haha, they let anyone start one!

Expand full comment

"I think I got it! How about this? We trade Jim Leyritz and Bernie Williams ... for Barry Bonds! What do you think? Then I have Griffey and Bonds in the same outfield!"

Expand full comment