Royals Review holiday mailbag – Royals Review

December might be probably the most fantastic time of the 12 months for baseball followers. Michael Wacha realized there’s no place like residence for the vacations, and the Royals acquired Jonathan India as a gift with out a bow. However since then, child, it’s chilly outdoors. It has been a silent night time for Royals followers, however there’s nonetheless time for J.J. Picollo to make it a Royals blue Christmas.

I requested followers for his or her questions concerning the low season they usually requested a few of my favourite issues. So take pleasure in this mailbag column and have a beautiful Christmastime.

And from all of us at Royals Assessment, have a cheerful vacation season as a result of all we wish for Christmas is you!

I don’t know that I might really feel irritated, however I might really feel like they may be lacking a possibility to enhance a superb staff. Their outfield offensive manufacturing was the third-worst in baseball this 12 months and I’m not holding out hope that MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel, and Hunter Renfroe will hit. There appears to be one other transfer on the market – I don’t actually consider that the plan is for one or a number of of Jonathan India, Michael Massey, or Maikel Garcia to play the outfield.

However like J.J., I might plead some endurance. The market has been a bit gradual to materialize, and there’s a lot of posturing occurring there. We noticed a flurry of strikes in the previous couple of days, that would get issues going as free brokers turn out to be extra desperate to signal and groups pissed off with excessive free agent costs will start to maneuver on to Plan B, which may embrace trades.

So far as your level about profiting from the division, I might word that final low season the division was fairly quiet apart from the Royals. Individuals anticipated it to be mediocre, and it ended up producing three playoff groups. That’s much more purpose the Royals must get higher, as a result of the Tigers, Guardians, and Twins all nonetheless have numerous expertise.

You recognize once you’re a child and also you ask for a giant Christmas current, and your mother and father say no, or deflect, and also you assume, “aw, I’m not getting it” and you then get up on Christmas and get the Nintendo you requested for? I believe that’s a bit what’s occurring right here with J.J. Picollo. I do know he didn’t point out a slugger on his wish-list in his look on 96.5 final week, however the extra clear he’s on that entrance, the extra it undermines his place. Making strikes in baseball is like making strikes in romance – you don’t wish to appear needy!

The free agent marketplace for sluggers is fairly unimpressive in my guide. The truth that Joc Pederson, a 32-year-old DH who can’t hit lefties, obtained $37 million exhibits you the place the market is at. I believe Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernandez are asking for astronomical costs, and groups aren’t keen to pay that for one-dimensional sluggers. It wouldn’t shock me in any respect to see them unsigned across the begin of spring coaching – maybe the Royals swoop in then?

However I believe a extra seemingly final result is that they make a commerce. They’ve some belongings that don’t actually match their present roster – Massey and possibly Garcia, for instance, and possibly somebody like Kris Bubic or Alec Marsh could possibly be had in the precise deal. Kyle Tucker went for a fairly large haul, however non-elite bats like Nathaniel Lowe, Jake Burger, and Josh Naylor had been acquired with out giving up main items. I believe there’s a deal on the market like that for the Royals that would show to be an improve of their lineup.

Verdugo’s inventory has dropped considerably since he acquired MVP votes in 2020, and I don’t even assume it could take a multi-year deal at this level to get him. His offensive numbers cratered this 12 months, however he was very BABIP-unlucky and adjusting to New York might have simply been onerous for him. He’s simply 28 years previous and I don’t assume it’s in any respect unreasonable to assume he received’t bounce again to being a .270/.335/.420 hitter that is price 1.5-2.0 WAR.

That being mentioned, numerous Yankees followers HATED him this 12 months and needed him benched. And he simply looks as if a really unlikable participant (not even accounting for his alleged involvement with a sexual assault). The Royals should decide if his brash type suits into their clubhouse. However as a baseball matter, he would make some sense.

I discussed Santander and Herrnandez having a light-weight market, however Jurickson Profar may in all probability be grouped in with them as effectively. I don’t assume groups know what to make of Profar’s outlier 2024 season. He’s in all probability not the 4 WAR participant he was in 2024, however is he going to regress again to being a -1.6 WAR participant that he was in 2023? Are you keen to commit to 3 years and $45-60 million to search out out?

Even when his offensive numbers drop, he has all the time had strong stroll charges that the Royals may use of their lineup. And if he stinks defensively as he did in 2023, they’ve an open DH spot they might conceal him in. Profar could possibly be one other a type of gamers that finds himself unsigned come March. There’s a reasonably good case that Profar could be a superb match for the Royals in the event that they wish to danger the cash.

I believe in a vacuum, that’s in all probability an overpay for the Royals for 2 years of Bohm. However the Phillies are reportedly asking for a ton for Bohm, so your provide in all probability retains them on the road. The Phillies simply acquired Jesus Luzardo, so I don’t know that they need one other starter, they usually have already got three lefties of their pen, so I don’t know that Bubic is what they’re in search of. In reality, I don’t actually know what they’re in search of at this level, however Garcia would match effectively as a defensive improve at third.

Quisenberry4ever: Ought to KC have singed Paul Goldschmidt to 1/$12.5 on condition that:

1) contemplating they need a center of the order bat, and

2) there aren’t any dangerous 1 12 months contracts.

There are a complete lot of down arrows on Paul Goldschmidt’s Baseball Savant web page and his 100 wRC+ was the worst of his profession this 12 months. However his 22 residence runs would have been third-best on the staff .245/.302/.414 and if he can get again to something near his 12.7 profession stroll charge, that might be tops on the Royals by a big margin.

I believe ideally, if the Royals add one other bat, it could be somebody able to taking part in outfield, to depart first base and DH open to Vinnie and Salvy. However as you say, a one-year gamble on a seven-time All-Star former MVP isn’t a horrible concept.

kenny_powers_the_return: I believe a superb subject could be Cole Ragans..

Extension…or if we sink and suck this 12 months, will we think about placing his 3 years remaining available on the market subsequent winter.

I wish to say that I completely love Cole Ragans (and that I’ve by no means been extra incorrect a few commerce). He has electrical stuff and he has that dawg in him, one thing a younger staff sorely wants. He’s additionally undergone Tommy John surgical procedure twice and can be 32 years previous by the point he begins his first free agent contract.

So all indicators level to the Royals ultimately buying and selling him. I believe dealing him after a poor season in 2025 could be untimely – you may nonetheless get glorious worth for him with two years of membership management remaining, though there’s the damage danger to think about. However I do assume that’s one thing the entrance workplace will think about at the moment.

I believe the ship has sailed on MJ catching once more and I’m undecided why. He was fairly terrible defensively however younger sufficient that he may have improved, and it’s not like he’s Alex Gordon in left area. Fermin is an fascinating commerce concept with the depth they’ve within the minors, however the commerce worth for a man like him isn’t that top. The Yankees traded Jose Trevino for high-strikeout however excessive ERA reliever Fernando Cruz. The 12 months earlier than, the Yankees dealt Ben Rortvedt to the Rays in a deal that netted them utility participant Jon Berti. That’s seemingly Fermin’s worth – you will get an honest reliever or function participant for him. However with Carter Jensen not fairly prepared but, my guess is the Royals will cling onto Fermin. They worth him greater than different groups do.