Once the game starts, it seems managers have very little impact. They can call on bits and pieces of strategy – a stolen base, a sacrifice bunt, etc. – or they can move personnel incrementally with a pinch hitter or a pinch runner. The area where all managers make their mark is with the bullpen. […]
Tag: Peter Moylan
Qualified to be Free
Monday, the Royals extended qualifying offers to their top three free agents, Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas. That means those three have the opportunity to accept and sign a one year deal with the team for 2018 for $17.4 million. If they turn it down, they could still come back to the Royals, […]
Deep Royals Bullpen Is Built For October
The Royals made it to the World Series in back-to-back seasons pretty recently. You may not remember this, but 2014 and 2015 were very special seasons in Kansas City. The Royals rode a ridiculous defense along with an unreal back of the bullpen to two straight American League pennants and a World Series trophy. It […]
Friday Notes
This is it, friends. Once this weekend is over, the regular season is upon us, which means real baseball every day, which means I’m happy. Hopefully you are, too. All that’s left is a post-Cactus League, pre-regular season series in Texas and then we go. I’ve mentioned this before, but when I left for Arizona, […]
Roster Math, Spring Training Edition
Let’s be honest. This spring has been one long exercise in boredom. Yeah, the crack of the bat and the snap of the ball hitting the glove is welcome. But through Sunday the Royals have played 29 Cactus League games. They have five more before they break for Minnesota and the regular season. Seriously, 34 […]
Minor Happenings
Heating Up in Omaha – Winter quickly flew through the midwest this year leaving near 80-degree temperatures this past weekend. Things don’t look like they will cool down anytime soon for the Storm Chasers who could present quite the rotation for the Triple-A Royals squad. With an excellent spring to date, Josh Staumont may have […]
Friday Notes
The big news out of baseball yesterday, at least in my mind, was David Price heading to get an MRI on his elbow and the Red Sox not being optimistic about it. One minute you think you have this fantastic top of the rotation. And the next, poof. Of course, the Red Sox still do […]
Friday Notes
We’ve almost made it, everyone. In just 11 long days, Royals pitchers and catchers will arrive in Surprise ready to stretch like there’s no tomorrow. In just 22 days, the Royals will play an actual game, or at least as actual a game as a charity spring training game can be. And then in just […]
The Quietly Clutch Royals Reliever
Think about the Royals bullpen this year. Without looking at any numbers, who would you say have been the three best relievers this season? Do you have three in mind? Great. You probably immediately thought of Wade Davis, and then Kelvin Herrera. Easy enough. How about that third one? Luke Hochevar? Matt Strahm? Brian Flynn? […]
RECAP: Royals 2, White Sox 1; We’re Putting The Band Back Together
It’s OK. You’re in a safe place. You can go ahead and breathe. With the 2-1 triumph on the South Side, the Royals have won seven of their last 10. They have won three consecutive series. Ten games ago, they were seven games behind the White Sox in the AL Central standings. Now they’re 2.5 […]