Kansas Crimson

Cross is pretty boring but solid.

Wallace is a pure power hitter.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/ ... ing-plus-f

D-
Record: 36-56

"The only reason this isn't an F is because rookie Bobby Witt Jr., after a slow start, has flashed the power and speed that make him a 30-30 candidate -- perhaps as soon as this season. Otherwise, this is a rebuilding team perhaps in need of a rebuild."

I have watched in horror all year as Matheny does something stupid. Sunday he had O'Hearn on 1B with no outs. Did not pinch run. Pratto smoked a long single to RF. Ohearn chugged to second and stopped. Matheny then pinch runs for him. A fast runner on third would have scored the lead run in the 8th. But Royals stranded everyone. Did not challenge a caught stealing in the 9th that was wrong. Went home losers. Matheny is the worst in-game manager I have ever seen. He may have torpedoed 20 games on his own. On Saturday he brought in Payamps (yes he was in the clubhouse after an ejection, but was certainly managing) with a two run lead in the 10th against the heart of the order. It was brutal. Moore shares the blame for this incompetence.

Sam McDowell in the KC Star today: Trade Merrifield.


On Friday night at Kauffman Stadium, nine days removed from the most recent time he put on a baseball uniform, Whit Merrifield will walk into the same clubhouse he’s known for the past seven years. He will settle in front of the same corner locker and sit on the same black rolling chair.

But while many of his surroundings will offer familiarity, much has changed — with the expectation of more change yet on the horizon.

Could this be Merrifield’s final homestand as a Kansas City Royal? Absolutely, it could. I’d even frame that as more likely than not. More necessary than not.

The stimulus here is not simply Merrifield’s unwillingness to take a vaccine, but rather the strained words that followed in what was intended to be an explanation.

It fell far short of that.

Merrifield is one of 10 Royals players who rejected the COVID-19 vaccination requirement to enter Canada and participate in a series in Toronto last weekend. All deserve the scrutiny that ensued, but Merrifield separated himself from the other nine with a stunning admission:

Trade me, and I just might reconsider.

His vaccination stance, he explained, “might change down the road — something happens and I happen to get on a team that has a chance to go play in Canada in the postseason (and) maybe that changes.”

In case you missed the essence of that: Merrifield will go one step further to be on the field for a contending team than he would to be on the field for the organization that currently signs his paychecks. The argument in this column is not that Merrifield owes the Royals anything more after his dozen years in the organization — but doesn’t he at least owe them the same he’s willing to provide, um, team-to-be-determined?

What we should have read into that remark is that Merrifield is not only willing to accept a trade but eager to seek one — he’ll go against his principles to embrace one, in fact, if you can call shunning a needle a principle. He’s not dumb — there’s a reason he elected to broadcast that stance to the rest of the baseball world.

This might be a problem in the Kansas City clubhouse, but it won’t be a problem in yours.

It’s certainly worth noting that he apologized for that comment, both publicly on a local radio program on 610 Sports and privately to Royals general manager J.J. Picollo and president of baseball operations Dayton Moore. It did not come out the way he intended it, he said.

But he did not walk back the gist of the comment that irked Royals management most, because that part remains true, and he still would like the rest of the league to know it — he is still willing to reconsider his vaccination stance if he’s playing for a contender. To be clear, that would include the Royals, if they were in contention, but we all know the Royals are not.

During his radio appearance, Merrifield seemed intent on making it clear he still loves Kansas City.

I believe him. I don’t think Merrifield hates Kansas City. Never did. I don’t think he hates the Royals organization. I don’t think he hates management, his teammates, nor the fans. His actions over the past seven years back him up there.

I think Merrifield hates losing. I think he’s tired of losing. I think he hates the possibility that by the time the Royals are done losing, his best years will be behind him. The patience, to put it more simply, has run out.

That piece is understandable, actually. But once the exhaustion reaches a point that he is only willing to take every step possible to be available after checking the standings, a separation must follow. That’s not all-in. It’s looking for the best out.

He has one now.

And so do the Royals.

For years, they have weighed the possibility of trading Merrifield — one of their most consistent hitters — but a combination of underwhelming offers and the desire to preserve a couple of veteran leaders spoke loudest. The Royals have long believed they owed the fans a reason to show up to the ballpark, a stance we can debate another day.

In the end, Merrifield’s comments necessitate the Royals exercise the trade he seems to want, and one they were likely already investigating anyway. Because even if you subtract the vaccination and ensuing quotes from this equation, it’s still the right baseball move. Merrifield is 33 — he’ll turn 34 in January — and it’s become clear the Royals’ rebuild is moving at a pace too slow for him to be a pillar of the other side.

The timing isn’t convenient — Merrifield’s trade value has quite possibly never been lower, with a WAR below zero in 2022. But there is at least some interest on the market for him, and need I remind you that Carlos Santana returned a package of two players?

Merrifield might not net Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress, but it’s not like he will net a bag of peanuts, either. Only a year ago, he led the American League in stolen bases and doubles. In his six full seasons with the Royals, he has led the league in hits twice and stolen bases three times. He’s represented them in the All-Star Game in 2019 and 2021. His positional versatility will be a favorable asset.

In the post-World Series Kansas City, Merrifield has been the exception to otherwise bad baseball teams. Two topped 100 losses, and all the while he provided the redeemable quality of a player who you knew would give everything he had.

He’s still willing to do whatever it takes — even if that means receiving a vaccination.

Just for somebody else.

Regardless of his vaccination status, he should be one of several prime trade candidates.
Sell the farm.

There is so much talent on the farm that journeymen have to go. Dozier, Merrifield and Benny. I am sad that Benny turns out to be an ass. But. Eaton. Pratto. Massey. And hire a real manager.

Pratto back to the bigs. I have to believe this is permanent and readying the decks for some trades.

Bad baseball.
Extremely hot and muggy temps.
Expensive dogs.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/342 ... and-season

Royals 19-16 over the last month, even with five or six Mathenys. The kids are good. They even pitched around Vinnie last night.

Sparko wrote: ↑Thu Jul 21, 2022 4:08 pm There is so much talent on the farm that journeymen have to go. Dozier, Merrifield and Benny. I am sad that Benny turns out to be an ass. But. Eaton. Pratto. Massey. And hire a real manager.

Sad that KC could have traded Whit for some decent prospects a few years ago but didn't and now they wouldn't get anything of all for him if anyone even wanted him in a trade.

Matheny is just so bad. Love all the left handed hitters hitting against lefties last night. Almost scored a run. And yeah, Whit is our DFA all star.

Benny to Yankees.

Curious about return

supposedly the return

https://www.milb.com/player/chandler-champlain-669441

https://www.milb.com/player/beck-way-694360

https://www.milb.com/player/t-j-sikkema-674674

Like that’s it’s pitching. Obviously no idea if these guys will be any good at the major league level

One of em is a MIZZOU alum who was 38th overall but never pitches bc he’s always injured.

Way supposedly the top guy Royals got. Bigger guy with a plus fastball and above average breaking ball stuff. Can be a middle of the rotation kind of guy it seems.

That's about as good as a package the Royals were going to get for a playoff push rental. Remains to be seen if the Yankees intend to sign him to a new deal after this year. Also, he seems to have made some promises...

UnholyLivingDead wrote: ↑Thu Jul 28, 2022 9:11 am

Just a great set of vets/leaders we had this season.

But also can't let the organization off the hook for this stuff.

twocoach wrote: ↑Wed Jul 27, 2022 8:12 am

Sparko wrote: ↑Thu Jul 21, 2022 4:08 pm There is so much talent on the farm that journeymen have to go. Dozier, Merrifield and Benny. I am sad that Benny turns out to be an ass. But. Eaton. Pratto. Massey. And hire a real manager.

Sad that KC could have traded Whit for some decent prospects a few years ago but didn't and now they wouldn't get anything of all for him if anyone even wanted him in a trade.

Hear me out, though. Whit has a bible verse in his twitter bio. Can't let that get away.

The Royals will struggle as long as Dayton Moore is involved in the organization. Granted they do some of the other things the right way, like when they paid minor leaguers in Covid season and all of that. But they need to be much more savvy in their business and player dealings. Moore can't let emotion and all of that other stuff get in the way, but I don't think he can.

NewtonHawk11 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 28, 2022 11:14 am The Royals will struggle as long as Dayton Moore is involved in the organization. Granted they do some of the other things the right way, like when they paid minor leaguers in Covid season and all of that. But they need to be much more savvy in their business and player dealings. Moore can't let emotion and all of that other stuff get in the way, but I don't think he can.

It's time.

It would be one thing if outside of 2014 and 2015 the franchise was successful. It's been just different waves of bad, though. Sad thing is I think Piccolo is just a chip off the old block. New owners, new stadium, it makes sense for a whole makeover.