Royals Rumblings - News for April 23, 2025

The stoppable force meets the movable object in Kauffman Stadium.

David Lesky takes a long look at Kansas City Royals trade candidates (as buyers) at Inside the Crown. [$]

Last year, two of the 12 teams in the postseason were under .500 after 23 games. The bar simply isn’t as high to get in, which means more times are in it a lot longer. But I also think there’s more to it, particularly for the Royals. For one, they were a playoff team last season, which means that they likely have a bit more leeway with both the front office and ownership. Whether that trust is misguided or not is another question and one we can answer later, but there is a track record, albeit small.

The Athletic’s Elise Devlin takes a peek behind the curtain of Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.’s mental preparation and training. [$]

But life started to pile up in the ways it often does. One night, my friend called and we caught up for an hour; another night I worked later than usual, and before I knew it, it was late and I still had habits to complete. Every day, unexpected things like that popped up that threw me off schedule. And I was trying to finish just three simple tasks a day; Witt often aims for way more.

At one point, I thought: How does he do this? For Witt, the secret is in understanding why you’re doing it.

“You just got to be motivated to it and know that there’s a reason why these (other) guys are so great,” he said. “You got to stick to it. It’s a long season, and you also got to know that your mind is a big part of it.”

Royals Data Dugout looks at how much the Royals rotation is carrying the load.

The offense is averaging 2.91 runs per game, dead last in MLB. The Royals are struggling to get on base, their slugging percentage is completely sapped and they’re refusing to swing at the first pitch. And yet, because it’s baseball and because it’s April and because they roll out one of the best starting rotations in the league, they’re not dead in the water. Not by a long shot.

Royals’ top prospect Jac Caglianone led off

Tuesday’s minor-league action with a double off the rehabbing future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw.

ESPN looks at the most likely trade candidate for each MLB team, with a starting pitcher representing Kansas City. [$]

Trade candidate: Michael Lorenzen
Considering the Royals’ out-of-nowhere playoff season last year, it wouldn’t necessarily be a surprise to see them take a step back. Let’s hope not, as the more reasons to watch Bobby Witt Jr., the better. But it looks as if they’re going to need some offense. If the lineup doesn’t come around, teams will certainly inquire about Seth Lugo or a couple of the relievers, but Lorenzen would be the most likely to be traded. He’s making $5.5 million this year with a $12 million mutual option for 2026.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand talked with MLB executives about which players they prefer investing in, and the Royals appeared.

“It’s rare to see a catcher cash in on a second big contract,” the executive said. “There are always going to be some outliers — think Yadi Molina or Sal Perez — but those guys are few and far between.”
The data backs that up. Molina signed a five-year, $75 million extension in 2012, then re-upped with the Cardinals for three years and $60 million in 2017. Perez signed a five-year, $52.5 million deal with the Royals in 2016, then was extended again in 2021 for four years and $82 million. No other catcher has ever signed two deals worth at least $50 million during their careers.

The Athletic’s newest power rankings has the Royals sitting 21st, the third-highest ranking among AL Central teams. [$]

It felt weird seeing the Royals this high on the list last year. This year, now that they’re a playoff team and all, it feels a little weird to see them this low. The rotation has been about as good as they could expect, ranking near the top in quite a few statistics. Cole Ragans leads the league in strikeouts and Kris Bubic has an ERA under 2.00. That’s wild. But the offense has been … stinky. They rank in the bottom three in average, on-base percentage, slugging and quite a lot of other categories.

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer plays fact or fiction on early-season MLB narratives.

FanGraphs’ Ben Clemens introduces readers to the dominant reliever that no one has heard of, or can say his last name right.

Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller looks at ideal landing spots for eight big-name trade candidates.

Sam Miller hones in on Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes at Pebble Hunting.

Check out a one-stop shop for NFL Draft coverage at NFL33.

Down on the Farm’s Josh Whittmer has another minor-league data update, with Cam Devanney still one of Triple-A’s most productive hitters.

How big of a turnout should fans expect at the MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol? MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has high expectations.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s comeback from elbow surgery is progressing nicely.

Chicago White Sox lefty Martín Pérez lands on 60-day IL with a flexor tendon strain.

Cleveland Guardians place outfielder Lane Thomas on the 10-day IL with a bruised right wrist.

New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton took batting practice with teammates on Tuesday.

Olympics legend Simone Biles is still weighing competing in the 2028 Olympics in LA.

Houston Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak splits NHL playoff duties with the birth of his second daughter.

ESPN’s first NFL play-by-play announcer Mike Patrick passed away at 80 years old.

The Chicago Bears front office is hoping to extend former Kansas City Chiefs starter Joe Thuney.

Peanut the Squirrel did nothing wrong!

My nightmares of the colossal squid live on as the creature is caught on camera for the first time in the deep sea.

The Star Wars universe reaches new horizons with the second season of Andor.

Today’s song is Myles Smith and Lainey Wilson duetting on Nice to Meet You.