Royals Rumors

Marlins Claim Christian Colon, Designate Steve Lombardozzi

By Jeff Todd | May 16, 2017 at 1:03pm CDT

The Marlins have claimed infielder Christian Colon off waivers from the Royals, per a club announcement. Miami designated fellow infielder Steve Lombardozzi to create roster space.

[Related: Updated Miami Marlins depth chart]

Colon, who just turned 28, had played a limited role thus far for Kansas City in 2017 and was designated for assignment recently. He carried a .263/.323/.329 batting line over 348 plate appearances in his four seasons with the Royals. While that fell far shy of expectations when Colon was taken with the fourth overall pick of the 2010 draft, he did end up playing a notable role in the organization’s 2014-15 postseason runs.

The Marlins have scrambled to find infield help over the past several weeks amidst a wave of injuries. Colon will now take the place of Lombardozzi, who was hitless in eight plate appearances. He has appeared in just 34 MLB games since the start of the 2014 season, but had been a regular contributor for the Nationals before that. Lombardozzi opened the current season at Triple-A New Orleans, where he slashed .250/.289/.317 over 129 plate appearances. He seems likely to clear outright waivers and return to New Orleans, though due the fact that he’s been outrighted earlier in his career, he’d also have the ability to reject that assignment and elect free agency

Royals Designate Christian Colon, Peter O’Brien For Assignment

By Steve Adams | May 10, 2017 at 2:31pm CDT

The Royals announced on Wednesday that they’ve selected the contracts of right-handers Seth Maness (as Derrick Goold first reported earlier this morning) and Al Alburquerque from Triple-A Omaha. In order to clear spots on the 40-man roster, Kansas City designated infielder Christian Colon and minor league outfielder Peter O’Brien for assignment. Additionally, righty Jake Junis was optioned to Omaha.

Kansas City was obviously looking to get some fresh arms into the bullpen, and they’ve chosen two veterans who are looking to get their careers back on track. Maness has been a steady contributor but was non-tendered after undergoing a primary repair procedure (a Tommy John alternative) last year. Alburquerque has plenty of MLB experience, too, though he only received two major league frames last year.

Colon, 27, was the fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft but never lived up to that billing. He looked to have potentially carved out a spot on the Royals’ roster back in 2015 when he slashed .290/.356/.336 through 119 plate appearances as a rookie, but he followed that performance up with a lackluster .231/.294/.293 in a larger sample of 154 PAs last year. Thus far in 2017, Colon had played sparingly, logging 19 PAs and hitting and going 3-for-17 at the plate.

The 26-year-old O’Brien drew plenty of attention in Spring Training after clubbing seven homers and posting a 1.112 OPS, but the slugger’s production wilted in Omaha, where he got off to an unsightly .162/.235/.276 start through 115 plate appearances. The former catcher has long intrigued fans and MLB clubs with his considerable power, but strikeouts and a lack of defensive contributions have limited O’Brien’s opportunities. He did receive 79 MLB plate appearances with the D-backs in 2015-16, though he turned in a .176/.228/.446 batting line and punched out 32 times.

Royals To Select Contract Of Seth Maness

By Steve Adams | May 10, 2017 at 10:50am CDT

Right-hander Seth Maness is on his way to St. Petersburg to join the Royals prior to tonight’s game against the Rays, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). The Royals have a full 40-man roster, so in order to formally select Maness’ contract, they’ll need to either designate someone for assignment or move a player from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL.

The promotion of Maness, 28, comes with a fair bit of intrigue. The longtime Cardinals reliever tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow last summer, but rather than electing the typical Tommy John surgery as treatment, Maness instead underwent a newer “primary repair” surgery that comes with a shorter recovery. (Goold chronicled the details of that operation earlier this year in a must-read column for those who aren’t familiar with the surgery.) Maness will now return to the Majors less than nine months after going under the knife, and he’s already tossed six innings in Triple-A as well.

A healthy Maness would be a boon to a Royals bullpen that ranks 23rd in baseball with a 4.60 ERA (though their 4.00 FIP, 3.91 xFIP and 3.77 SIERA all suggest the current unit could turn things around). From 2013-15, Maness averaged 72 appearances per season for the Cardinals, serving as one of their most durable and most dependable bullpen arms. To this point in his career, he’s compiled 237 1/3 innings with a strong 3.19 ERA. Maness doesn’t miss many bats (5.8 K/9), but he offsets that lack of whiffs with pristine control (1.7 BB/9) and an excellent 59.4 percent ground-ball rate.

If Maness is indeed healthy from this point forth, it’s easy to envision other pitchers that suffer partial UCL tears during the season electing the primary repair surgery as a means of treatment, assuming they meet the requirements for the procedure. (As Goold explains in the aforementioned story, the surgery is only an option for those with partial tears and is dependent on both the location and severity of the tear.) And beyond that, the Royals could reap the benefits for several years. Maness is returning to the Majors with three years and 154 days of Major League service time, meaning the Royals can control him via arbitration through the 2019 season.

Cafardo’s Latest: Jones, Alcides, Cain, Devers, Dickerson

By Mark Polishuk | May 6, 2017 at 3:01pm CDT

Adam Jones hit the 10-and-5 service time threshold this past week, as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe mentions in his weekly notes column. Once a player achieves his 10-and-5 rights (ten full seasons in the majors, the last five with the same team), he earns full no-trade protection for the rest of his career. This may be something of a moot point in Jones’ case since his current Orioles contract already contains a no-trade clause, though reaching the 10-and-5 milestone is a noteworthy achievement for any player. Ryan Braun will be the next player to achieve 10-and-5 rights (on May 14), which carries more hot stove importance given that Braun has been at the center of several trade rumors; Braun’s contract already has a 23-team no-trade clause, and he’ll get full veto power of any deal once he becomes a 10-and-5 player.

Here’s more from Cafardo’s latest column…

The Royals are “likely” to re-sign shortstop Alcides Escobar. The veteran shortstop is a free agent after this season and is off to a very rough start in his walk year, with just a .486 OPS over 104 plate appearances. While Escobar has always been a below-average hitter, he has provided good value in the past as a baserunner and defender, though advanced metrics are somewhat split on his glovework (he is a plus defender per UZR/150 but has minus-11 Defensive Runs Saved from 2014-16). It seems unusual that the Royals would be set on bringing Escobar back given his struggles, the fact that it is quite early in the season and the presence of Raul Mondesi Jr. as the team’s potential shortstop of the future. With Mondesi himself still unproven at the plate, however, the Royals could see Escobar as a bridge player on an inexpensive contract, potentially no longer than one guaranteed year.
Speaking of Royals free agents, the team has scouts looking at various farm systems preparing for potential deals of Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer. “The prevailing thought is the Royals can move Cain the easiest, but he’s the one they’d most like to keep,” Cafardo writes.
The Red Sox seemingly aren’t interested in trading Rafael Devers, both due to his top prospect status and Boston’s questionable third base situation. The Sox have already dealt quite a few notable prospects in recent trades, making Cafardo wonder if the club is willing to give up even more minor league talent to acquire a pitcher like Jose Quintana. Devers has often been earmarked as Boston’s third baseman of the future, though since he is tearing it up at Double-A, one wonders if we could potentially see Devers at Fenway Park as a late-season callup, a la Andrew Benintendi and Yoan Moncada last season.
Corey Dickerson’s first season with the Rays was a disappointment, but he is off to a terrific start in 2017, hitting .318/.365/.570 with six homers over 116 PA. “It took him a year to get used to the American League and not hitting at Coors Field,” an AL coach tells Cafardo. “Everyone knew he could hit anywhere and now he’s gotten used to a new team and a new league, knows the pitchers better, and you’re seeing his talent come out.”

AL Central Notes: Kennedy, Martinez, Moncada

By Steve Adams | May 5, 2017 at 12:30pm CDT

The Royals announced that right-hander Ian Kennedy has been placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a strained right hamstring. Kennedy exited last night’s game due to the injury, and while there’d been some optimism that he may not need to miss a turn in the rotation, it now appears that he’ll miss at least his next two starts. That’s an unfortunate development for the 32-year-old and for the Royals, as Kennedy has been strong through his first six appearances in 2017. The right-hander, who can opt out of the remaining three years and $43MM on his contract at season’s end, has a 3.03 ERA with 7.8 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a 38.9 percent ground-ball rate through 35 2/3 innings this year. It’s not yet known exactly how much time Kennedy will miss, but any lingering injury issue would only add to the widespread expectation that he’ll forgo his opt-out provision at the end of the season. Fellow righty Miguel Almonte was recalled from Double-A to take Kennedy’s roster spot.

Injury Notes: Cardinals, Price, Kennedy, Manaea, Dodgers

By Steve Adams | May 4, 2017 at 8:17pm CDT

Both Stephen Piscotty and Dexter Fowler left tonight’s Cardinals game with injuries, the team announced. Piscotty suffered a strained right hamstring while running out a grounder and came up lame after crossing the bag. Fowler, meanwhile, suffered his injury while diving for a ball in center field. The Cards have yet to make any announcements beyond the basic details, but Nate Latsch of MLB.com and AP Sports tweets that Tommy Pham was just pulled from the game with the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate, suggesting that he could be on his way to the Majors due to a DL stint for either Piscotty or Fowler.

Some more notable injury scenarios from around the game…

MassLive.com’s Jen McCaffery writes that David Price threw 50 pitches in his second simulated game on Thursday. She adds that Red Sox president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski said Price was working at 93 to 95 mph with his fastball, and he also utilized each of his other offerings during the workout. The lefty is set to throw another simulated game next Tuesday, after which Boston decision-makers will determine whether he requires one final sim game under club supervision or if he’s ready to embark on a minor league rehab assignment. Per McCaffery, Price could be ready to return to the Sox’ rotation in roughly a month’s time.
Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy suffered a Grade 1 right medial hamstring strain in tonight’s game, per Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. Kennedy could miss at least one start, and he’ll be reevaluated tomorrow in order to determine if a trip to the disabled list is needed. Manager Ned Yost declined to speculate on the possible outcomes, and Kennedy merely told reporters that the decision is up to Yost, the training staff and the front office. “And when it comes down to it tomorrow, I’ll tell them how I feel,” Kennedy said. “It doesn’t feel bad now. But we’ll see how it feels tomorrow.”
Sean Manaea was scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Thursday but was instead limited to long toss due to some soreness in his ailing left shoulder, writes MLB.com’s Jane Lee. Manaea, who exited his most recent start after experiencing shoulder weakness and a sharp drop in velocity, won’t be activated from the DL when he’s first eligible, Lee notes. She also adds that when asked if Manaea was facing an extended absence, Athletics skipper Bob Melvin simply replied, “Could be.”
Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times provides a pair of updates on some injured Dodgers (Twitter links). Second baseman Logan Forsythe was lifted from the most recent game on his rehab stint due to tightness in his hamstring and won’t be reinstated from the disabled list tomorrow, manager Dave Roberts told reporters. That could mean continued playing time at second base for the struggling Chase Utley, who is hitting just .104/.204/.125 through his first 54 plate appearances. Meanwhile, left-hander Scott Kazmir still needs at least another two weeks in extended Spring Training to build up his arm strength. That should push his timeline back at least into the month of June, even in a best-case scenario, as Kazmir would need further work on a minor league rehab assignment.

Knocking Down The Door: Berrios, Leonard, Mahle, Moore, O’Hearn

By Jason Martinez | May 1, 2017 at 8:08pm CDT

The latest installment of “Knocking Down The Door” includes Eric Hosmer’s possible heir apparent, a pair of Double-A pitchers looking to make the jump to an MLB rotation, a dominant Triple-A starter who could be facing off against the Red Sox this weekend, and the lone player from the big December 2012 trade between the Rays and Royals who has yet to reach the big leagues.

Here’s a look at five Minor Leaguers who are currently “Knocking Down The Door” to the Major Leagues.

Jose Berrios, SP, Minnesota Twins (Triple-A Rochester)

With a current opening in the Twins’ rotation—Adalberto Mejia was optioned to Triple-A after his last start—it’s likely that a Triple-A pitcher will be called up later this week. One glance at Berrios’ stats (1.09 ERA, 33 IP, 18 H, 8 BB, 35 K) after his latest gem—he pitched two-hit ball over eight scoreless innings on Sunday—and he appears to be the obvious choice. But this might not be the “slam dunk” it appears to be.

The 22-year-old Berrios has been dominating Triple-A hitters since 2015. It just didn’t carry over to the big leagues during his rookie season (8.02 ERA in 14 starts), which is why the Twins will want to be extra cautious before calling him up again. If they feel that he’s made the proper adjustments that will allow him to succeed and remain on the MLB roster for good, there’s a good chance he’ll be pitch against the Red Sox this weekend.

Twins Depth Chart

Patrick Leonard, 3B/1B/OF, Tampa Bay Rays (Triple-A Durham)

The lack of production against left-handed pitching from platoon players Peter Bourjos, Daniel Robertson and Rickie Weeks and a nagging foot injury to Evan Longoria—he’s out of the lineup on Monday—could have the Rays on the lookout for some help in the near future. They could find it down in Triple-A where Leonard, a right-handed hitting third baseman who has also played first base and the corner outfield spots, is putting up huge numbers.

In the midst of a nine-game hitting streak (17-for-36), the 24-year-old Leonard has his slash line up to .412/.474/.553 with two homers, six doubles and five stolen bases. He was named the International League Player of the Month. An MLB call-up would top that honor.

Rays Depth Chart

Tyler Mahle, SP, Cincinnati Reds (Double-A Pensacola)

Part of a rebuilding team’s plan should be, and often is, to stock up on inexpensive veteran arms to eat up innings at the big league level while young prospects develop down on the farm. The Reds did not make that a strong priority in the offseason and the injuries to Anthony DeSclafani and Brandon Finnegan have only exacerbated the issue. As a result, at least two rotation spots could continue to be revolving doors throughout the season and any pitcher in the upper minors can force themselves into the mix.

Pitching a perfect game, as the 22-year-old Mahle did on April 22nd, should have placed him squarely on the Reds’ radar. He followed that up by throwing six shutout innings in last start, lowering his ERA to 0.55 with an astounding 0.52 WHIP and 34 strikeouts in 32.2 innings. While Triple-A Louisville would seem to be a more likely next destination for Mahle, the Reds could opt to ride the hot hand and find out if he’s ready to help out now.

Reds Depth Chart

Andrew Moore, SP, Seattle Mariners (Double-A Jackson)

It was Chase De Jong who was given the first crack at Felix Hernandez’s rotation spot and, based on the results (2.2 IP, 6 ER, 9 H), he might not get another start anytime soon. There are some decent options in Triple-A with MLB experience, including Chris Heston and Christian Bergman, but their best answer for some rotation stability could be a level below.

Since a promotion to Double-A Jackson last May, Moore has allowed more than two earned runs in only six of 24 appearances (23 starts) and has pitched at least six innings in fourteen of those games. That rare combination of consistency, durability and efficiency is why the 22-year-old right-hander could make a successful jump into the Major League rotation.

Mariners Depth Chart

Ryan O’Hearn, 1B, Kansas City Royals (Triple-A Omaha)

Despite nine straight losses and an MLB worst 7-16 record, it’s probably a bit too early to write off the Royals and deem them “sellers” in early May. Even if they were, they’d have a difficult time finding a good deal for struggling first baseman Eric Hosmer, who has two extra-base hits—one double and one triple—and a .573 OPS. That doesn’t mean it’s too early to get a look at his possible successor, O’Hearn, who had a .312/.361/.571 slash line, five homers and 10 multi-hit games in April.

Brandon Moss has shown some signs of life as of late (4-for-12, 2 HR in last three games), but he’s been a disappointment with a .617 OPS and 24 strikeouts in his first 68 plate appearances. Signed to a two-year, $12MM deal in the offseason, he’s not in danger of losing his roster spot, but he could lose at-bats to the left-handed hitting O’Hearn until Hosmer is traded.

Royals Depth Chart

“Knocking Down the Door” is a weekly feature that identifies minor leaguers who are making a case for a big league promotion.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NL East Notes: Nats, Syndergaard, Marlins

By Steve Adams | May 1, 2017 at 2:39pm CDT

Following the loss of Adam Eaton for what could be the remainder of the season, Yahoo’s Jeff Passan touched on the possibility of a Royals/Nationals trade in his latest Ten Degrees column. The Nationals, according to Passan, expressed interest in Lorenzo Cain this offseason before they acquired Eaton in the first place. While the two sides obviously didn’t line up on a deal at the time, Passan notes that the combination of Cain and closer Kelvin Herrera, whom FOX’s Ken Rosenthal tied to the Nationals over the weekend, could present the Nats with the ability to fill two needs with one trade. While multiple reports have suggested that the Royals aren’t yet ready to sell, Passan notes that Kansas City’s 7-15 record and -37 run differential are both the worst marks in baseball, which means that even a strong performance in May might not be enough to turn their season around entirely.

A bit more from the NL East…

Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News spoke to a pair of sports orthopedists about the partial tear of Noah Syndergaard’s right lat muscle, discussing the ways in which it can be treated and the potential absence Syndergaard could face. While all of those factors are dependent on the severity of the tear, neither medical expert suggested that surgery was likely. Ackert offers quotes from both Dr. Anthony Maddalo and Dr. Kenneth Mautner (the latter of whom is a team physician with the Braves), with each going into detail on the nature of lat injuries. While a platelet-rich plasma injection isn’t a standard treatment for a torn lat muscle, both said it could theoretically help accelerate the healing process. Rest, rehab and stretching were also suggested as possibilities, with a program along those lines taking potentially up to six weeks, Ackert notes. There’s still no official word on a timeline from the Mets, though Sandy Alderson will address reporters at 4pm ET.
Syndergaard’s injury is obviously a severe problem for the Mets, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports opines that the injury is symbolic of a greater problem for baseball as a whole. The increased emphasis on velocity continues to put pitchers at risk, Rosenthal suggests, as young arms focus more on overpowering hitters than prioritizing durability. Rosenthal spoke extensively with Hall of Famer and current broadcaster John Smoltz on the matter. “(In the past), each pitcher was given the opportunity to learn what kind of pitcher they were going to be,” said Smoltz. “Now they’re all robots. … We’re getting dangerously close to every pitcher red-lining when he doesn’t really have to. They’re not preparing to learn how to pitch like it’s a six-gear car. They’re always in sixth gear. Never in fourth or fifth.”
Marlins skipper Don Mattingly spoke to Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel about the importance of right-hander Jose Urena and lefty Jarlin Garcia to his bullpen. Mattingly suggested that even after Urena was roughed up in his most recent appearance on Friday, the righty has been vital in terms of keeping other relievers fresh (a point that righty David Phelps also emphasized to Healey). Asked if Urena could be a starting pitcher in the long run, as he was in the minors, Mattingly wouldn’t commit to a role for a long-term role for the 25-year-old. As for Garcia, Mattingly offered plenty of praise on the 24-year-old rookie, who made his MLB debut last month. “I think he thinks he’s ready to be here,” said Mattingly, “and that’s always really important for the younger guys. They believe that they can pitch here. Sometimes that takes a little while, gut Jarlin seems to think he belongs here.” Mattingly noted that having multiple southpaws would be preferable, though as Healey notes, the front office emphasized overall effectiveness over handedness this winter.

Nationals Interested In Kelvin Herrera

By Connor Byrne | April 29, 2017 at 5:45pm CDT

Barring a turnaround over the next couple months, the 7-15 Royals will be prime candidates to sell several veterans prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. One of those players could be closer Kelvin Herrera, who’s already drawing the Nationals’ interest, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link).

The Nationals were connected to multiple high-profile closers in the offseason, including Kenley Jansen in free agency and David Robertson via the trade route, but elected to begin the year with in-house options. That hasn’t gone swimmingly thus far for Washington, which has seen Opening Day closer Blake Treinen, current closer Shawn Kelley and fellow late-game option Koda Glover post disappointing results. The best of three has been Glover, but the hard-throwing rookie landed on the disabled list with a hip impingement earlier this week after allowing four earned runs on seven hits and a walk, with six strikeouts, in 8 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, in 19 combined frames, Treinen and Kelley have yielded 16 earned runs on 10 walks and 25 hits, with 21 strikeouts, and have blown two of eight save chances. What’s more, given Kelley’s history as a two-time Tommy John surgery recipient, the Nats are wary of using the 33-year-old on consecutive days, having done so just once this season.

At 16-8, Washington doesn’t look like a team with many weaknesses (though center fielder Adam Eaton’s knee injury is troubling), but its bullpen has been a glaring issue in April. The unit’s 6.08 ERA and 5.09 FIP rank toward the bottom of the majors, so it would behoove the Nationals to bolster their relief corps if its performance doesn’t improve in the coming months. Herrera would theoretically help the Nats do that, as he has typically been a premier reliever since debuting in 2012.

In eight innings this season, the 27-year-old Herrera has only allowed two earned runs on three hits and a walk, albeit with just five strikeouts. His velocity is at its usual level, though, and both his hard-throwing ways and history of positive results mean he should bring back a quality return for the Royals in a trade. Rosenthal contends that the Nationals have enough well-regarded position player prospects to swing a deal for Herrera, who’s controllable via arbitration through next season, citing three outfielders – the newly promoted Rafael Bautista, Juan Soto and Andrew Stevenson – as potential trade chips. Both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline place the 18-year-old Soto and Stevenson, 22, among the Nats’ five best prospects.

AL Central Notes: Renteria, Royals, Gibson

By Steve Adams | April 28, 2017 at 11:46am CDT

Though details of Rick Renteria’s contract were unreported when he was named manager of the White Sox, FanRag’s Jon Heyman now reports that Renteria received a three-year contract that runs from 2017-19. Renteria will earn $1.1MM in 2017, $1.2MM in 2018 and $1.3MM in 2019, according to Heyman’s report. The appointment of the 55-year-old Renteria, who had previously served as a bench coach with the White Sox and as the manager of the Cubs, came after an unsuccessful five-year run at the helm for former White Sox All-Star Robin Ventura. While it’s early in the season and the White Sox aren’t expected to contend following the offseason sale of Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, Renteria has the team off to a nice 11-9 start.

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