Here are the latest news happenings for the Royals from last week!
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Royals News
Alec Marsh was named the Royals fifth starter: “The Royals’ starting rotation has been set in stone: Alec Marsh will be a part of it, Jordan Lyles will not. While the exact order of the rotation is not yet official, aside from Cole Ragans being the first, Marsh will join the arms of Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Brady Singer. The contents of the bullpen haven’t been finalized yet, but for now, Lyles will make it even more veteran-heavy, alongside Will Smith and Chris Stratton.”
Daniel Lynch IV was optioned to Triple-A: “The more surprising move of the night was Daniel Lynch. Lynch — who entered spring training in competition with Jordan Lyles for the fifth starter position — had pieced together a respectable stat line so far in Arizona. Over five appearances, Lynch pitched to a 2.77 ERA. The story goes beyond the ERA, however. Lynch entered spring training throwing in the low 90s. When we spoke with Lynch earlier this offseason, he mentioned some frustrations with velocity.”
Nick Pratto and Drew Waters optioned to Triple-A: “In all over 13 games, Pratto slashed a gaudy .421/.476/.816 with four home runs, a 4.8% walk rate, and a 19.0% strikeout rate. If anything carries over to the regular season, it is usually strikeout and walk rates. That bodes extremely well for the potential of a breakout season for Pratto. Next for him will be the trip to Omaha where he’ll get a chance to prove that his new approach wasn’t a desert mirage in Arizona.”
Asa Lacy will miss the 2024 season after Tommy John surgery: “When it rains, it pours. Unfortunately, for Asa Lacy, it’s been raining for a long, long time. At least, figuratively in a baseball sense. The fourth overall pick in the MLB draft hasn’t pitched since 2022. He missed all of 2023 with a back injury that forced him to re-work his delivery and mechanics. Before his injury, he had pitched to a 7.09 ERA across two minor league seasons. Lacy has compiled just 80.0 total innings in his professional career, and he won’t be adding any more to that total in 2024.”
Jake Brentz left his start with a hamstring injury: “Brentz hasn’t pitched in a big league game since April 2022, and it will be another six weeks before he has the chance to after suffering a Grade 2 left hamstring strain on Sunday night during his Cactus League outing against the Brewers. The Royals’ power lefty felt a pull in his left leg while facing his first batter Sunday and exited shortly after with a trainer. Testing revealed the strain, and the Royals are expecting Brentz to be sidelined for around six weeks, according to manager Matt Quatraro.”
Royals Analysis
Alvin Garcia dives into the Royals path for success: “In conclusion, the Royals have work to do on both offensive and pitching fronts to defy Fangraphs’ projections. Identifying specific areas for improvement, addressing situational hitting, and tightening up the pitching staff are essential steps. The AL Central, perceived as weak, presents an opportunity for the Royals to rise. If they can optimize their roster and make the necessary improvements, Kansas City may surprise many and emerge as a force to be reckoned with in the 2024 season.”
David Lesky dives into the competition for the 5th spot in the Royals rotation: “Two months ago, if you had said that there was an actual competition for any spot in the Royals rotation, I’d have said you’re crazy. Cole Ragans was so good for the team after he was acquired that he was in. Seth Lugo signed a three-year deal, so you know he’s in. Michael Wacha signed for the largest AAV, so you know he’s in. Brady Singer still has upside and has had success recently, so you know he’s in. And Jordan Lyles is entering the second year of a multi-year deal signed basically with throwing innings as his only value, so you know he’s in. Only it turns out, Lyles was never guaranteed that spot.”
Anne Rogers sits down with Royals hitting coach Alec Zumwalt: “No. 1, he’s healthy. That’s the biggest factor with Pratto. What he was going through last season was really hard. Nobody can perform up to their own expectations when they’re dealing with what he dealt with. So him being healthy — he’s worked on his swing a lot, and he’s able to do things that he could physically not do during the season because he was trying to grind through it.”
Farm System
Jared Perkins looks at the unfortunate luck of Asa Lacy during his career: “That will… that mental strength is what gives you hope that Lacy will be back on a mound competing, and maybe one day we will see him in a Royals uniform at The K. For Lacy, the Royals, and as a Royals fans, it’s what you should be hoping for. Everyone in this situation benefits from a healthy Asa Lacy. We are all rooting for him and wishing him a speedy recovery at Farm to Fountains!”
Sean Hackett covers Modern Woodmen Park’s recent award: “A new banner is about to wave proudly at Modern Woodmen Park this year. The season hasn’t even started but the Quad Cities River Bandits just walked off a major win. The team’s ballpark was nominated as one of USA Today’s top 10 minor league ballparks in the world. As one of just four High-A or Low-A teams in the top 20, the River Bandits stadium took home the top spot.”
Jared Perkins dives into prep prospects to watch for the 2024 MLB Draft: “His stock might continue to grow, but there is still a good chance he could be there at number 6 given the crop of college talent that could go before him. The upside is immense with Griffin and if the Royals wanted to continue the high-upside prep route, Griffin is your guy.”
Zac Miller profiles presumptive Storm Chaser, Andrew Hoffmann: “If he can clean up the walks and continue to build his arsenal around a strong slider, it is not out of the question that he could find a spot in the Royals’ bullpen. With the plethora of additions to the Royals’ pitching staff this off-season, it may take until 2025 for Hoffmann to get his opportunity.”
Anne Rogers has a closer look at prospect Austin Charles: “I’ve worked on not pulling off the offspeed, making sure my weight is going forward and giving me a chance to stay in the zone longer, and making sure I’m really using my legs,” Charles said. “Last year, as the season went on, my legs got a little heavy, which I wasn’t used to. Making sure that I’m in my legs a lot more and letting the upper half go on its own instead of trying to be so handsy.”
Former Royals In The News
The White Sox released Mike Moustakas
MLB News
Blake Snell signs a two-year, $66 million deal with the San Francisco Giants
JD Martinez signs a one-year, $12 million deal with the New York Mets
The Texas Rangers sign Michael Lorenzen to a one-year deal
The Chicago White Sox named Garrett Crochet as their Opening Day starter
