Royals Rumblings - News for April 22, 2025

0 2

Yesterday 12:00

Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images

Is Salvy a “hot streak imminent” candidate?

David Lesky reacts to the MJ Melendez demotion.

I think that’s fair, honestly. I’ve said this before, but of all the options in AAA and the big leagues, I’m not sure there’s a player who can become a middle of the order big league bat who isn’t Melendez. Now some guys are starting to get closer in AA, so that’s going to change shortly, but the best bet for what they need is Melendez. I sort of get why they gave him the chance to prove that the new approach was going to work or not work.

I’ve heard more than a couple of thoughts on this. My initial reaction is that this sort of feels like it’s more about Melendez than anyone else because of the fact that he does have the tools to be an impact bat. Get him right in AAA and get him back at some point. I wouldn’t be surprised if he rakes down there and comes back in June or July and the Royals tout it as a trade deadline acquisition. My eyes will roll so far back in my head, I may not be able to recover, but I think that’s possible.

Craig Brown is not optimistic Melendez will reach his potential.

It’s never easy to give up on a player, but I am skeptical that Melendez will hit enough to be a serviceable platoon player, let alone an everyday regular. His offensive production has always trended below average and, as noted earlier, declined in each of the last two seasons. His margin for error was extremely slim, and he tumbled into the abyss. I hope I’m wrong, and it’s just recency bias on my part, but I’m just not sure he makes it back.

After a winter where the Royals weren’t able to find suitable upgrades, this entire season was going to be about auditioning guys for spots in the outfield. They need to operate from here on out as if Melendez is no longer an option.

Pete Grathoff notes the Royals and Tigers had a rare accomplishment on Sunday.

In Sunday’s win, the Royals were outhit by the Tigers (10 to 9) and there was one interesting quirk to all those hits. None went for extra bases.

MLB researcher/stats guru Sarah Langs noted that’s the most combined hits in a game with none of them going for extra bases since Sept. 4, 2012. On that day, the Cardinals defeated the Mets 5-1 and those teams also combined for 19 singles.

MLB.com lists one newcomer on each team having an impact.

Royals: RHP Carlos Estévez The former All-Star the Royals signed this past offseason to fortify the back end of their bullpen hasn’t pitched as much as they would have liked due to their recent struggles, but Estévez has been a valuable addition to the bullpen early in the year. He’s mostly gotten it done on the field with a 0.90 ERA and 10 strikeouts across eight games this year, with five saves. But Estévez has also been a huge addition to the clubhouse as a veteran presence and leader, something the Royals had hoped would happen but are seeing playing out as the season gets underway. Now the Royals just need to get their closer out there more to help break out of this slump.

Anne Rogers writes about Royals pitching prospect Drew Beam.

“I’m sort of shocked that he lasted to the third round — that was the first thing that jumped out at me after watching him compete in Spring Training,” Royals senior director of pitching performance Paul Gibson said. “He’s a really strong competitor. He has great baseball intellect and feel on the mound. And he’s a great kid off the field as well. Really well-rounded, takes care of his business, and when he’s on the mound for his starts, he’s very well-prepared. He’s not afraid of the strike zone at all. We’re really excited about how he’s getting off to a good start.”

Mike Podhorzer at Fangraphs nots that Salvador Perez is the biggest xISO underperformed in the league.

Wow, that’s a big number for Salvador Perez! Obviously, there’s little chance he actually records an ISO that high, though he did finish with an elite .271 mark back in 2021. It seems really, really hard to post just a .127 ISO, while also posting an elite 18.3% Barrel%. The HardHit% is also strong, while he has maintained a mid-40% FB%. Ignore his age, as this is not the beginning of a decline. He’s a prime “hot streak imminent” candidate.

The Royals sent pitcher Cesar Espinal to the Brewers to complete the Mark Canha trade.

He originally signed with the Orioles out of his native Dominican Republic, but Baltimore flipped him to Kansas City in a December 2023 deal that sent right-hander Jonathan Heasley over to the O’s.

The 19-year-old Espinal has spent his entire pro career pitching in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. He’s totaled just 73 innings and worked to a 3.95 ERA with 22.7% strikeout rate and 13.7% walk rate. He’s kept the ball on the ground at a 43.8% clip. Espinal wasn’t a high-profile prospect when signing as a 16-year-old in 2022 and hasn’t appeared among the top-30 prospects for either Baltimore or Kansas City to this point.

Jackson Wilks at Farm to Fountains looks at who is closest to helping the Royals.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter wonders if a manager can impact an umpire’s strike zone.

Marlins pitcher Max Meyer strikes out a career-high 14 in a win over the Reds.

The Phillies bullpen already had six blown saves.

The Cubs acquire pitcher Drew Pomeranz from the Mariners.

Luis Arraez lands on the Injured List with a concussion after a scary collision.

Braves pitcher Spencer Strider lands on the Injured List with a hamstring injury.

The Mets lose outfielder Jose Siri for 8-10 weeks with a fractured tibia.

Cleveland designates pitcher Triston McKenzie for assignment.

The Athletics are promoting 2024 draft pick Nick Kurtz to the big leagues.

Can Alec Bohm turn things around with the Phillies?

Why are concessions at Diamondbacks games so cheap?