Royals Rumblings - News for March 28, 2024

Happy Opening Day!

Kansas City’s busy offseason set the tone for 2024, writes Anne Rogers:

The small-market Royals were one of the busiest teams this winter in hopes of bringing winning back to Kansas City.

“There’s expectations on this team now for the first time in a few years,” Vinnie Pasquantino said. “That’s exciting for us. It’s exciting for fans. You can’t guarantee anything … but within this team, we’re looking at the division.”

They’ll have to prove it, beginning Thursday. But getting there with a revamped roster is the result of an aggressive, hectic, and historic offseason in Kansas City.

Jaylon Thompson at the Star writes about how the sweeper has been the talk of camp for Royals pitchers ($):

Pitchers continue to find ways to improve. The sweeper is now at the forefront of the latest innovation wave. The different grip variations and spin metrics make the sweeper unique. Singer added the sweeper and a four-seam fastball to his arsenal. He has shined in spring training with more tools at his disposal. Marsh took the next step after adding it to his repertoire. He was recently named the Royals’ fifth starter for the 2024 season.

He also continues his Before the Crown series, this time covering Rule 5 pick Matt Sauer:

Sauer relied on the veterans’ wisdom. He fared well against the Texas Rangers in the Cactus League finale on March 23. He allowed one run against a lineup that included Corey Seager, Adolis Garcia and Josh Jung. A few days prior, the Royals notified Sauer that he made the 2024 opening-day roster. He earned the final bullpen spot. His role would be to provide multiple innings for the team. “It means everything,” Sauer said. “It’s everything I have worked for since I was a little kid. It’s been my dream. Baseball is all I’ve ever known. I’ve been working so hard to get here and finally I get the opportunity.”

David Lesky at Inside the Crown makes some predictions for the season:

They obviously made a lot of moves that we’ve talked about for months now. As I wrote previously, I believe they raised the floor of the team significantly. And it’s now at the point that I think the floor for wins is somewhere around 68. Don’t forget, though, that baseball can be cruel, so injuries or age catching up to guys can lead to something we don’t expect. Still, there is a semi-solid floor on this team and if the young players like Melendez and Pasquantino and a few others step up, the ceiling for this team is somewhere around 85 to 88 wins. Generally when I’m making my season predictions, I look at the floor and look at the ceiling and pick somewhere in the middle.

Craig Brown at Into the Fountains evaluates the AL Central:

While the Central may be baseball’s weakest overall division, it could be one of the more competitive. The Twins are the clear front-runner, but they coasted through the winter and will be tested early due to the injuries in the bullpen. Cleveland has the strongest lineup, but their pitching, traditionally a strength, looks to be on shaky ground. On the flip side, the Tigers have the pitching to compete, but the lineup is suspect. The Royals, as noted in the intro, are probably the division’s most improved team, but likely lack the overall quality to mount a serious challenge. The White Sox are simply taking up valuable oxygen.

The Royals change their stadium plans to keep Oak Street open to traffic.

Dan Szymborski’s final preseason ZiPS projections peg the Royals at 73 wins.

The Shohei-Ippei saga will be instructive as to how sports leagues and media handle gambling controversy as said leagues and media further embrace gambling. ($)

The Seattle Mariners have developed MLB’s most formidable starting rotation.

A three-team deal with the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays will send infielder Jon Berti to the New York Yankees.

Catcher Will Smith is signing a ten-year extension with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McLain will miss a significant chunk of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson will begin the season on the IL after an outfield collision.

David Rubenstein is officially the owner of the Baltimore Orioles.

Kansas State returns to the rankings in this week’s college baseball Top 25.

The president of the NCAA wants to ban prop bets on college sports.

The NFL’s new kickoff rules will completely change the start of possessions. I remain firmly in the camp of Abolish the Kickoff.

An upcoming survival game set in Arrakis, the world of Dune, will feature plenty of dehydration, spice, and sandworms.

Johnny Knoxville is launching a podcast to celebrate “slightly unhinged people.”

Your song of the day is Begin Again by Knife Party.