On Friday, May 9th the Royals beat the Red Sox in extras. They were 24-16. I sat watching the fireworks show thinking the organization may be in a better spot today (as in May 9th) than they were in 2015. I soaked in the incredible feeling it was.
I still think they’re in a better spot because they’ve figured out the pitching. I truly believe that. A bad stretch (or a bad season around a great stretch) doesn’t change that.
I love that the Royals have roster flexibility and guys can play multiple positions, but Fermin at 2nd is just baffling to me. Sure the game was pretty much over, but what is the value there?
It was an issue with India coming out of the game unexpectedly, Witt already at DH and Long having already been entered into the game that caused it. Pure brutal timing on that. The value was to finish the game.
People got on Q for it, but there was nothing he could do. If they had realized India was dizzy before, they could have put Witt on the field but it just got muddied.
Could Jac’s struggles be related to the current hitting coach, plus trying too hard? It may be time soon to send him back to Omaha for a reset and regaining his confidence.
I know everyone wants to blame the hitting coach for everything but this was always a possibility. Pitch selection/recognition is why the Royals were slower with him than most wanted. I don’t think Zumwalt sent him to the plate and said swing as hard as you can at everything and try to pull it on Friday night. I think his struggles are that the big leagues are really hard and his approach isn’t refined. I’d send him down because I strongly believe that there’s value in learning what doesn’t work and working on it in an environment with less pressure but I also understand the argument that he can punish those pitchers and he’ll only learn in the big leagues.
Wondering what they're going to do about Jac. It seems pretty clear that doing nothing is resulting in him being very, very bad, and he doesn't seem to be able to right the ship on his own. Actually, seems like there are a bunch of folks that probably ought to be shuffled around. Very curious why there hasn't been more personnel shuffling as guys get hot and cold. Thought that was the point of holding onto all these AAAA guys.
The point of holding on to them was to fill out the AAA roster. I would like to see more shuffling, sure, but they’ve called up Waters, Rave, Loftin and Tolbert. Devanney has earned a shot but he’s only an infielder and that’s the one spot they don’t have much space.
They are not out of it. However, if they are in this same spot in three weeks I’d like to see some acknowledgement of the position and move Lugo. But the fact the rumors are already out there with the Cubs actually give me solace that they will do that. I’m frustrated they aren’t using all there bullets with the hitting coach removal even if it doesn’t ultimately work. But I take some comfort they seem to acknowledge their position with the Lugo rumors.
Sure seems like they are. But then why would management even get in a twitter fight with someone about trading Lugo when it sure seems like you were going too. There are just some things the last couple weeks that don’t make sense. Some of this extracurricular activities and a stubbornness about some changes. With this pitching they are still in this. But I have started to question this “clubhouse culture” and how great we hear it is. Are we sure it’s all that great? It’s a rhetorical question. As fans you want it to be. But are we really sure? Because they won’t move on from coaches…but the hitters either suck are aren’t listening to swing decisions. We have management getting into it with people on twitter verse. I mean….I’m no expert….but not every team every year has this great clubhouse regardless of what the club wants you to believe.
I don't know why Sam argued that point. I have some thoughts that I've shared. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe not. I don't know. I can tell you unequivocally that they know where they are and understand what might need (seems likely) to happen.
You’d know better than all of us. Maybe it’s just a group that doesn’t work as well collectively as it did last year. It changes every year. It nice to complain about a team that is only 6 games under .500. I can’t say they are a very entertaining product……but we are still talking about the WC as a possibility. That’s not nothing.
I’m not a fair weather fan by any stretch of the imagination but this is just horrible. Two years ago when they lost 106 was more entertaining than this season. At least in 2023 we knew they were bad and there were no real expectations. Yes they were bad but they at least seemed to score in more than one inning. Fortunately these games are on the west coast. I can catch the first couple of innings when there’s hope and optimism then go to bed before the chair gets kicked out from under me…….again and again. They are dead last in runs scored and not much hope of that changing. Nothing is being done to improve this lineup whatsoever. Why wait until the trade deadline? I think everyone was hoping that Caglione was going to improve the offense but so far he’s more like Clint Hurdle part II. Maybe JJ is just waiting for more losses to pile up so he can justify trading anyone with value. I can’t wait for the offseason so they can sign players and hope they can flip them at the trade deadline for prospects. Lather, rinse, repeat. I love my boys but they sure aren’t must see tv at the moment.
I'd ask what you want them to do. They can't force other teams to trade. They're regularly playing four players who were minor leaguers to start the year, including Caglianone, who is having a lot of trouble adjusting to the big leagues. People wanted MJ sent down, he was. People wanted Renfroe cut, he was. People wanted Massey down, he sort of was, but his playing time was pretty diminished even before the injury. To say nothing has been done is totally incorrect. Nothing they've done has worked, but they've done quite a bit of shuffling actually.
I'm pretty much sold on the idea that the Royals need to be sellers at the deadline. I'd rather they buy enough pieces to make a run at it, but they're simply not going to do that, and I don't know if they could even if they emptied out the farm system. Which I suppose is an indictment on any hopes they can compete in the next couple of years, too, but it is what it is. Maybe Lorenzen and Lugo (plus India and Estévez?) can bring back enough pieces to give them a chance to make up the difference in free agent signings and try again next season.
It's incredibly difficult to see when they're struggling like this, but do you really think a lineup centered around Witt, Garcia, Pasquantino and Caglianone can't score runs next year? We see what it looks like this year, so I'm not saying it's a guarantee, but if you believe Cags can figure it out, you've got a superstar, massive power and then two really nice above average supporting pieces. A lot of this does depend on Ragans, and we'll see what the outlook is on him soon (early this week, I think?), but I think we feel confident that they'll pitch. There's no reason they can't compete in the next two years. It doesn't mean they will, but there's no reason they can't.
I guess my thing is, yeah, you can build around those guys, but what will they build with? They still don't have anyone in the minor leagues who looks like a building block for left field or second base. Centerfield is still patrolled by an excellent glove that can't hit. They still have no DH. Catching could be an issue next year, too, unless Carter Jensen is a lot better than I worry he's going to be.
They could and should be able to fill those gaps with free agency, but I'm bit concerned about how they'd go about doing that and Lugo and Lorenzen won't be here to pitch next season, unless the Royals re-sign them, and then would they spend the money to upgrade the offense after doing that?
tl;dr They're going to need to add in free agency to build around that core. If they don't get any promising MLB-ready prospects in deadline trades, I'm not convinced what they have plus what they're willing to spend in free agency will get the job done.
Well I think part of that is they do trade Lugo (and can re-sign him if they want) and I'd imagine will get something back for him that can help. They'll probably trade Lorenzen, but he won't bring back that much anyway, nor is he difficult to replace. If they trade India, there's a hole, but he's really been fine since a tough first three or four weeks. I don't think he's an answer, but he could be a short-term answer without moving him.
They need a corner outfield bat. They might need some help behind the plate. But just like everyone said they couldn't go into 2025 expecting career years from everyone again and there was regression coming, I'd be pretty surprised if everyone is *this* bad again next year. There's work to be done, but it's not like they have 2023-2024 levels of work to do. Until they can start getting help from the system more regularly, they have to piece it together, which leads sometimes to seasons like this one. Sometimes it leads to seasons like last year.
I have no issue going into the year next year with Witt, Garcia, Pasquantino, and Cag’s in the center of the lineup. However, if it didn’t work next year and you replaced the coaches….then you have to start to look at that nucleus as well. Right now the only one not replaceable is Witt and probably Cags at this point.
They need a supporting cast too, which I think is important. The two big differences from last year to this year are Vinnie/Salvy with RISP and the fact that last year they also always had one of their secondary bats going and going good. MJ had a good run. Renfroe had a good run. Nelly had a good run. Fermin was really good for a stretch. Massey was really good for awhile. None of the others have stepped up. I think you could argue the aggregate of Garcia’s improvement has made up for the dip in Witt from all-time great to merely very good. But that’s the difference. Nobody is really talking about that because they hate the “other” guys but they were a massive part of the success last year and none of them have done anything.
Hi David. Do you anticipate any roster changes between now and the break, or will they just keep running those non-hitting outfielders out there on a rotating basis? They seem very slow to react to poor play over an extended period of time.
I don’t know. They should probably flip someone with Wiemer, but where else should they turn? You say they’ve been slow to react but they’ve made plenty of moves throughout the year. Basically none have worked.
On Friday, May 9th the Royals beat the Red Sox in extras. They were 24-16. I sat watching the fireworks show thinking the organization may be in a better spot today (as in May 9th) than they were in 2015. I soaked in the incredible feeling it was.
I was wrong. Nothing but bad times since.
I still think they’re in a better spot because they’ve figured out the pitching. I truly believe that. A bad stretch (or a bad season around a great stretch) doesn’t change that.
I love that the Royals have roster flexibility and guys can play multiple positions, but Fermin at 2nd is just baffling to me. Sure the game was pretty much over, but what is the value there?
It was an issue with India coming out of the game unexpectedly, Witt already at DH and Long having already been entered into the game that caused it. Pure brutal timing on that. The value was to finish the game.
Make sense. I’ll give Q credit then for making the best of the cards he held and Freddie for being the team player there
People got on Q for it, but there was nothing he could do. If they had realized India was dizzy before, they could have put Witt on the field but it just got muddied.
I was kind of hoping Fermin would see some action out there
Could Jac’s struggles be related to the current hitting coach, plus trying too hard? It may be time soon to send him back to Omaha for a reset and regaining his confidence.
I know everyone wants to blame the hitting coach for everything but this was always a possibility. Pitch selection/recognition is why the Royals were slower with him than most wanted. I don’t think Zumwalt sent him to the plate and said swing as hard as you can at everything and try to pull it on Friday night. I think his struggles are that the big leagues are really hard and his approach isn’t refined. I’d send him down because I strongly believe that there’s value in learning what doesn’t work and working on it in an environment with less pressure but I also understand the argument that he can punish those pitchers and he’ll only learn in the big leagues.
Wondering what they're going to do about Jac. It seems pretty clear that doing nothing is resulting in him being very, very bad, and he doesn't seem to be able to right the ship on his own. Actually, seems like there are a bunch of folks that probably ought to be shuffled around. Very curious why there hasn't been more personnel shuffling as guys get hot and cold. Thought that was the point of holding onto all these AAAA guys.
The point of holding on to them was to fill out the AAA roster. I would like to see more shuffling, sure, but they’ve called up Waters, Rave, Loftin and Tolbert. Devanney has earned a shot but he’s only an infielder and that’s the one spot they don’t have much space.
They are not out of it. However, if they are in this same spot in three weeks I’d like to see some acknowledgement of the position and move Lugo. But the fact the rumors are already out there with the Cubs actually give me solace that they will do that. I’m frustrated they aren’t using all there bullets with the hitting coach removal even if it doesn’t ultimately work. But I take some comfort they seem to acknowledge their position with the Lugo rumors.
They’re going to trade Lugo if they’re out of it, without a doubt. They may trade him even if they’re only vaguely in it.
Sure seems like they are. But then why would management even get in a twitter fight with someone about trading Lugo when it sure seems like you were going too. There are just some things the last couple weeks that don’t make sense. Some of this extracurricular activities and a stubbornness about some changes. With this pitching they are still in this. But I have started to question this “clubhouse culture” and how great we hear it is. Are we sure it’s all that great? It’s a rhetorical question. As fans you want it to be. But are we really sure? Because they won’t move on from coaches…but the hitters either suck are aren’t listening to swing decisions. We have management getting into it with people on twitter verse. I mean….I’m no expert….but not every team every year has this great clubhouse regardless of what the club wants you to believe.
I don't know why Sam argued that point. I have some thoughts that I've shared. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe not. I don't know. I can tell you unequivocally that they know where they are and understand what might need (seems likely) to happen.
I can also tell you the clubhouse is fine.
You’d know better than all of us. Maybe it’s just a group that doesn’t work as well collectively as it did last year. It changes every year. It nice to complain about a team that is only 6 games under .500. I can’t say they are a very entertaining product……but we are still talking about the WC as a possibility. That’s not nothing.
Away from home...sounds like a Royals 3 and 0 series sweep, buddy, against the Mariners.
I'd take a sweep because it'd be even better than that. It's a four-game series.
My bad. 4 and 0 then.
I’m not a fair weather fan by any stretch of the imagination but this is just horrible. Two years ago when they lost 106 was more entertaining than this season. At least in 2023 we knew they were bad and there were no real expectations. Yes they were bad but they at least seemed to score in more than one inning. Fortunately these games are on the west coast. I can catch the first couple of innings when there’s hope and optimism then go to bed before the chair gets kicked out from under me…….again and again. They are dead last in runs scored and not much hope of that changing. Nothing is being done to improve this lineup whatsoever. Why wait until the trade deadline? I think everyone was hoping that Caglione was going to improve the offense but so far he’s more like Clint Hurdle part II. Maybe JJ is just waiting for more losses to pile up so he can justify trading anyone with value. I can’t wait for the offseason so they can sign players and hope they can flip them at the trade deadline for prospects. Lather, rinse, repeat. I love my boys but they sure aren’t must see tv at the moment.
I'd ask what you want them to do. They can't force other teams to trade. They're regularly playing four players who were minor leaguers to start the year, including Caglianone, who is having a lot of trouble adjusting to the big leagues. People wanted MJ sent down, he was. People wanted Renfroe cut, he was. People wanted Massey down, he sort of was, but his playing time was pretty diminished even before the injury. To say nothing has been done is totally incorrect. Nothing they've done has worked, but they've done quite a bit of shuffling actually.
I stand corrected. You are correct on both counts: they have and it didn’t work. Just so frustrating, as it is for them I’m sure.
Could the royals add a coaching position mid season? Just wondering if they could bring in an assistant hitting coach from somewhere like driveline
I don't believe they can add anymore in-dugout positions, but they can add anyone they want to the staff.
I'm pretty much sold on the idea that the Royals need to be sellers at the deadline. I'd rather they buy enough pieces to make a run at it, but they're simply not going to do that, and I don't know if they could even if they emptied out the farm system. Which I suppose is an indictment on any hopes they can compete in the next couple of years, too, but it is what it is. Maybe Lorenzen and Lugo (plus India and Estévez?) can bring back enough pieces to give them a chance to make up the difference in free agent signings and try again next season.
It's incredibly difficult to see when they're struggling like this, but do you really think a lineup centered around Witt, Garcia, Pasquantino and Caglianone can't score runs next year? We see what it looks like this year, so I'm not saying it's a guarantee, but if you believe Cags can figure it out, you've got a superstar, massive power and then two really nice above average supporting pieces. A lot of this does depend on Ragans, and we'll see what the outlook is on him soon (early this week, I think?), but I think we feel confident that they'll pitch. There's no reason they can't compete in the next two years. It doesn't mean they will, but there's no reason they can't.
I guess my thing is, yeah, you can build around those guys, but what will they build with? They still don't have anyone in the minor leagues who looks like a building block for left field or second base. Centerfield is still patrolled by an excellent glove that can't hit. They still have no DH. Catching could be an issue next year, too, unless Carter Jensen is a lot better than I worry he's going to be.
They could and should be able to fill those gaps with free agency, but I'm bit concerned about how they'd go about doing that and Lugo and Lorenzen won't be here to pitch next season, unless the Royals re-sign them, and then would they spend the money to upgrade the offense after doing that?
tl;dr They're going to need to add in free agency to build around that core. If they don't get any promising MLB-ready prospects in deadline trades, I'm not convinced what they have plus what they're willing to spend in free agency will get the job done.
Well I think part of that is they do trade Lugo (and can re-sign him if they want) and I'd imagine will get something back for him that can help. They'll probably trade Lorenzen, but he won't bring back that much anyway, nor is he difficult to replace. If they trade India, there's a hole, but he's really been fine since a tough first three or four weeks. I don't think he's an answer, but he could be a short-term answer without moving him.
They need a corner outfield bat. They might need some help behind the plate. But just like everyone said they couldn't go into 2025 expecting career years from everyone again and there was regression coming, I'd be pretty surprised if everyone is *this* bad again next year. There's work to be done, but it's not like they have 2023-2024 levels of work to do. Until they can start getting help from the system more regularly, they have to piece it together, which leads sometimes to seasons like this one. Sometimes it leads to seasons like last year.
I have no issue going into the year next year with Witt, Garcia, Pasquantino, and Cag’s in the center of the lineup. However, if it didn’t work next year and you replaced the coaches….then you have to start to look at that nucleus as well. Right now the only one not replaceable is Witt and probably Cags at this point.
They need a supporting cast too, which I think is important. The two big differences from last year to this year are Vinnie/Salvy with RISP and the fact that last year they also always had one of their secondary bats going and going good. MJ had a good run. Renfroe had a good run. Nelly had a good run. Fermin was really good for a stretch. Massey was really good for awhile. None of the others have stepped up. I think you could argue the aggregate of Garcia’s improvement has made up for the dip in Witt from all-time great to merely very good. But that’s the difference. Nobody is really talking about that because they hate the “other” guys but they were a massive part of the success last year and none of them have done anything.
Hi David. Do you anticipate any roster changes between now and the break, or will they just keep running those non-hitting outfielders out there on a rotating basis? They seem very slow to react to poor play over an extended period of time.
I don’t know. They should probably flip someone with Wiemer, but where else should they turn? You say they’ve been slow to react but they’ve made plenty of moves throughout the year. Basically none have worked.