Royals Rumblings - News for November 27, 2024

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Royals players get their playoff share.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter tries to figure out how Jonathan India affects the roster.

Massey moving to left field would be a peculiar transition because it doesn’t seem to solve an immediate need for Kansas City.

MJ Melendez is currently projected to be the Royals’ starting left fielder for 2025, but he’s a left-handed bat who primarily sits against left-handed starting pitchers. Thus, there’s no platoon advantage in having Melendez and Massey split time there. Furthermore, Massey played with a back injury issue that could stay with him over his career. It’s hard to determine if playing left field would be any easier on Massey’s back in the short and long term.

Massey could also move to third and maybe platoon with Garcia, who was much better against left-handed starting pitchers last season. However, via Savant, Massey’s arm strength ranked in the 12th percentile, while Garcia ranked in the 68th percentile. Thus, while Garcia and Massey platooning at third makes sense on a hitting end (they pretty much did it in September and the postseason), it’s a bit riskier on defense due to Massey’s lack of arm strength.

Preston Farr at Farm to Fountains writes about if Alex Bregman could be a fit for the Royals.

If Bregman stays below the $200 million threshold, he would make a lot of sense for the Kansas City Royals. At 30 years old, he’ll likely be looking for years as well as dollars. For that reason, a seven-year, $177 million contract might be enough. It would put Bregman just ahead of Chapman in average annual value. It would also give him some long-term security over the back half of his big-league career. For the Royals, it would finally give them a true power bat at the hot corner without sacrificing defense. They’d be pairing their strong starting rotation with an equally strong lineup, featuring Jonathan India, Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez, Vinnie Pasquantino, and Alex Bregman.

The Royals are linked to shortstop Warren Calcaño, the #6 ranked international prospect for 2025, according to Baseball America.

Calcaño is a comfortable bet to stick at shortstop. He’s a slender 6-foot-2 with a high waist and not much strength yet, but he has grown up around the game, and it shows in his instincts, especially on defense. He’s a well-coordinated shortstop who moves around with ease at the position, showing nimble footwork, soft hands and a plus arm that could still tick up as he fills out. An average runner, Calcaño’s coordination shows at the plate with his bat-to-ball skills, but he will need to get stronger to be able to drive the ball with more impact. There is more room to project strength on his wiry build, but scouts generally don’t expect him to ever be a big power threat, instead relying on a line-drive approach to stay through the middle of the field.

Anne Rogers writes about how the Royals are combating food insecurity.

A full playoff share for Royals players amounted to $49,583.

The Dodgers sign Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million deal.

Juan Soto’s decision could come before the Winter Meetings.

The Mets can offer Soto more than money.

Which teams are pursuing shortstop free agent Willy Adames?

Who could acquire Nolan Arenado from the Cardinals?

On ESPN Insider, Kiley McDaniel talks to Jeff Hoffman about possibly moving back to starting. [$]

Korean shortstop Hyeseong Kim will likely begin next week.

The Rays have until Sunday to commit to a $1.3 billion stadium plan.

Is Salt Lake City ready for an MLB team?

Robert Lewandowski becomes just the third player in Champions League history with 100 or more goals.