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Royals Release Michael Ynoa

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The Royals released right-hander Michael Ynoa from his minor league contract, per MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan (Twitter link). He’d signed with Kansas City last November in hopes of rejuvenating his career after not pitching in 2018.

Now 27 years of age, Ynoa was at one time an uber-prospect out of the Dominican Republic who signed a then-record $4.25MM bonus with the Athletics. The 6’7″ righty landed on multiple top prospect rankings throughout his ascent to the upper minors but saw his numbers stall out as injuries mounted.

Ynoa eventually made it to the Majors with the 2016 White Sox and spent parts of the 2016-17 seasons pitching out of the bullpen there. He turned in an even 3.00 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 30 innings with the South Siders in ’16, but his 17 walks, five hit batters and four wild pitches spoke to his inability to control his arsenal. That was all the more true in ’17 when he walked 22 batters, hit five and tossed three more wild pitches in 29 innings before being cut loose.

This season, Ynoa has again demonstrated an ability to miss bats (26 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings) but a continued lack of control (14 walks, one HBP, five wild pitches). That’s the general book on him at this point, though perhaps another organization will be able to coax something we’ve yet to see out of the once highly touted right-hander.

Royals Move Jorge Lopez To Bullpen

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The Royals have moved right-hander Jorge Lopez from the rotation to the bullpen, manager Ned Yost told reporters Wednesday (Twitter links via Alec Lewis of The Athletic and Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com). In some cases, “demotions” of young pitchers from the rotation to the ’pen are permanent in nature, but Yost indicated that this is quite likely a long-term move for the 26-year-old Lopez.

Lopez, acquired last July in the trade that sent Mike Moustakas to the Brewers, was viewed as a potential long-term option in the rotation at the time of that swap, but he’s yet to find any success in that role in his new organization. He’s made 17 starts since being traded (plus one relief appearance) and logged a disappointing 6.62 earned run average with a similarly discouraging 5.30 FIP. He’s averaged 7.6 strikeouts and 3.2 walks per nine innings pitched in his 85 2/3 innings as a Royal, with the main problem being his penchant for surrendering home runs. Lopez has given up 17 big flies in his short time with the Royals.

Only two of the 12 home runs surrendered by Lopez have come on his first trip through the order in 2019, though. And it’s safe to assume that following a move to short relief stints, Lopez’s 93.4 mph average fastball will tick upward. Scouting reports in Lopez’s prospect days actually touted him as a potential late-inning weapon, with Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen writing back in 2017 that Lopez sits 93-97 mph as a reliever with an above-average curve and an inconsistent changeup that flashed plus at times.

The move to the ’pen was essentially the Royals’ lone possible course of action if they hoped to both keep him in the organization and give someone else a look in his rotation spot. He’s out of minor league options and would’ve had to be passed through waivers in order to be sent down to the minors. Given the number of clubs on the hunt for controllable rotation and bullpen help, there’s little chance that Lopez would go unclaimed.

In his spot in the rotation, Kansas City turned to Glenn Sparkman tonight. The 27-year-old doesn’t exactly bring much prospect fanfare to the Royals’ rotation — although the Blue Jays did nab him in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft, only to return him at a later date — but he’s given the team plenty to think about so far in 2019. In addition to 6 1/3 scoreless innings in Triple-A Omaha, Sparkman entered play today with a 2.92 ERA and 17-to-7 K/BB ratio in 24 2/3 innings. If Sparkman is ultimately unable to secure a spot in the starting five, the Royals have alternatives on the 40-man roster in Triple-A in the form of Heath Fillmyer, Ben Lively, Scott Blewett and Arnaldo Hernandez.

Royals Assign Drew Storen To Double-A

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Drew Storen’s comeback bid took another step forward this week, as the Royals have assigned him to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, per Paul Boyd of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Twitter link). Storen, who signed a minor league contract back in February, opened the season building up arm strength in extended Spring Training with the Royals.

It’s been nearly 21 months since Storen set foot on a Major League mound. The longtime Nationals reliever spent the 2017 season with the Reds but made his final appearance on Sept. 1 that year, learning two weeks later that he would require Tommy John surgery. The timing of that procedure unsurprisingly wiped out his entire 2018 season and relegated interest in him to minor league offerings this past winter.

At his best, Storen sat near 95 mph with his fastball and demonstrated above-average swinging-strike, ground-ball and walk rates while serving as the Nationals’ closer. A former first-round draft pick, the now-31-year-old Storen owns a career 3.45 ERA with 99 saves, 8.5 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 0.78 HR/9 and a 46.1 percent ground-ball rate. His results dropped off in 2016-17 in a pair of mediocre seasons split between the Blue Jays, Mariners and Reds, as his fastball experienced a precipitous decline (90.2 mph average in 2017).

It’ll be interesting to keep an eye on Storen’s progress and velocity as he begins to work at the minor league level. There’s ample space in the Kansas City bullpen should he either restore some of that lost life on his heater or simply demonstrate an ability to work with a diminished fastball. Despite strong showings from Scott Barlow, Jake Diekman and a revitalized Ian Kennedy, Royals relievers as a collective unit rank 25th in the Majors in ERA (4.98), 22nd in FIP (4.58) and 18th in xFIP (4.55).

Ian Kennedy, The Reliever, Is Interesting

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When the Royals moved Ian Kennedy to the bullpen, it seemed to mark a rock-bottom moment for the right-hander’s value. Kennedy was owed a total of $33MM from 2019-20 after a two-year stretch in which he logged a 5.06 ERA and 5.17 FIP. He was being taken out of a rebuilding team’s rotation in favor of Homer Bailey, another veteran whose underperforming contract was being paid off by another team.

Fast forward a couple of months, and not much has gone right with the Royals’ pitching staff, but the Kennedy bullpen experiment has been nothing short of excellent. While teams still won’t be interested in his contract, they may have interest in acquiring Kennedy if the Royals are willing to pay down some of the salary.

It’s only 19 2/3 innings, but Kennedy has a 3.20 ERA with a 23-to-2 K/BB ratio and a 47 percent ground-ball rate out of the bullpen. His average fastball has jumped from 91.9 mph to 93.4 mph now that he’s working in short stints. Perhaps there’s reason to be skeptical of the strikeout rate given a lack of swinging strikes, but Kennedy is also among the league leaders in weak contact induced. Opponents are averaging just 84.7 mph in terms of exit velocity against him, and Statcast pegs his .266 expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA) in the 86th percentile league-wide.

Kennedy has dropped his changeup entirely in favor of a four-seam/curveball/cutter arsenal that has proven to be more effective than his prior pitch mix. While his curve has never been a source of many whiffs, Kennedy is suddenly sporting a 17.7 percent swinging-strike rate on the pitch — up substantially from the roughly nine percent mark he posted in the three prior seasons. He’s altered his release point on his curve and picked up more movement than he’s seen in recent seasons, which has not only led to misses but also quite a few more ground-balls (55 percent). Kennedy’s curve hasn’t generated great results yet (both the homers hit against him this season have come on the pitch) but the .444 average on balls in play opponents have recorded against that offering figures to regress.

Prior to Opening Day, Kennedy would’ve been the type of arm one would expect to receive a minor league contract and a Spring Training invite in a free-agent setting, but he now looks more like a reliever who’d command a reasonably significant big league deal. If he can sustain this output or even improve upon it, he could even be the type of pitcher who’d command a two-year pact in a theoretical open market. He doesn’t have the track record for clubs to look at him as a David Robertson/Andrew Miller type that’d make $11-12MM per year, but we’ve seen quite a few two-year deals in the $4-7MM annual salary range in recent offseasons — even for pitchers who don’t have lengthy track records (e.g. Jesse Chavez, Brandon Kintzler, Anthony Swarzak).

It’s suddenly not crazy to think that in a couple months’ time, teams could view Kennedy as reliever worth paying $5-7MM per season. Some teams may already be starting to think that way. If the Royals were willing to pay down $10-11MM of next season’s $16.5MM salary (and the prorated equivalent of that sum for the remainder of the 2019 campaign), Kennedy could suddenly be movable. Being movable is different than having much in the way of positive trade value, but the very fact that it appears possible is a nice, somewhat unexpected development for Kansas City.

And if the Royals were willing to pay down even more of that sum, perhaps they could pry a decent return out of the whole deal. No team is going to give up anything of value just for the right to pay Kennedy at what could be the high end of his market value, no matter how well he throws between now and July 31. If the Royals pay him down to the point where he’s only owed a couple million dollars in 2019 and 2020, though, surplus value could be created.

There has already been a bit of chatter involving Kennedy, though there’s no indication of actual trade talks. Recent suggestions of some type of deal involving Dominic Smith don’t make any sense to me, even if Smith is blocked by Pete Alonso in New York. But if Kennedy can sustain his bullpen renaissance — and the numbers suggest that he can — then the Royals can score some salary relief and maybe even a mid-range prospect or two this summer. This outcome isn’t what they were anticipating when they signed Kennedy, but it’s about as good as they could’ve hoped for when they moved him to the ’pen.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/18/19

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The latest in minor moves from around the game…

  • Cory Spangenberg, designated for assignment Tuesday by Milwaukee, cleared waivers and has been outrighted to AAA-San Antonio, tweets MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. It’s a bit of a surprise that Spangenberg wasn’t claimed, given his versatility and near-league-average offensive performance when afforded full-time play. The former tenth overall pick’s plate discipline continues to slide, however, and this year his strikeout rate had plummeted to a career-worst 33.9% at San Antonio. In 329 plate appearances for San Diego last season, the 28-year-old slashed .235/.298/.362 with a 32.4% strikeout rate, though his output in 2015 and ’17 for the team – his two previous seasons uninterrupted by injury – was far better. Spangenberg has MLB experience at nearly every non-catcher position on the diamond, so any prolonged hot streak should afford him another big-league opportunity in the near future.
  • The Royals have requested unconditional release waivers on 1B Frank Schwindel, tweets Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star. Schwindel, 26, was in his seventh season in the KC system but had plunged to unfortunate depths in ’19, slashing just .186/.237/.286 over 76 plate appearances in the surface-of-the-moon environs of the Pacific Coast League. Schwindel was designated for assignment by Kansas City on Tuesday.

Alex Gordon Discusses Future Plans

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There has been some indication that Royals outfielder Alex Gordon might hang up his spikes at the end of the year, but his hot start has him leaning in the other direction. The veteran tells MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan that he’s “at about 60-40” in favor of continuing his career past the 2019 season.

Gordon is all but certain to be a free agent at the end of the year after earning $20MM in the final guaranteed season of his contract. The deal comes with a $23MM mutual option and $4MM buyout. It’s all but unfathomable that the Kansas City organization will pony up the extra $19MM, even with Gordon in the midst of a revival.

There’s an argument to be made that the Royals ought to be preparing to deal away Gordon, even if it means paying down much of the remainder of the deal. The 35-year-old’s renaissance after three poor campaigns at the plate is increasingly believable. He’s swinging at and making contact on pitches in the zone more than ever before, leading to a career-low 12.8% strikeout rate.

Gordon’s power output will likely shrink once his 17.4% HR/FB rate comes back to earth, but it’s now plausible to view him once more as a solid hitter, good defender, and quality clubhouse presence of the sort that many contenders would love to have. He isn’t suddenly a premium market asset. But in the midst of this Nick Markakis act, Gordon would be of clear interest even with some anticipated regression.

Trouble is, Gordon has 10-and-5 rights, meaning he can veto any deal. And it doesn’t sound as if he has the slightest bit of interest in a swap. (Neither is it clear that the Royals would be so inclined, particularly given that they’re actually putting out word that they think they can make a run at a Wild Card.)

“I don’t want to play anywhere else,” says Gordon. “Yeah, I want to retire as a Royal. I’ve established my family here with my kids. This is home.”

That probably settles that so far as a mid-season trade is concerned. But what of the future? That same commitment could well set up an ongoing relationship with the Royals. GM Dayton Moore wouldn’t weigh in on that possibility, but it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see the sides line up on a deal to keep things going. It’s arguable that the team should save its plate appearances for younger players, but every team needs its veterans and this one has managed to find roster spots for questionably suited fits in Lucas Duda and Terrance Gore.

Alex Gordon, Unlikely Trade Candidate?

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  • While Alex Gordon is posting big numbers and can be a free agent after the season, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (subscription required) feels “the safer bet is that he stays put, then re-signs with the Royals and finishes his career in Kansas City.”  The long-time face of the Royals franchise can’t be traded without his permission due to 10-and-5 rights, though if he did want to be dealt, “the Royals almost certainly would try to accommodate him.”  There’s also a notable financial element to any potential Gordon trade, as the $4MM buyout attached to his $23MM mutual option for the 2020 season would become a $4MM assignment bonus in the event of a trade, as the mutual option would then be voided.  Plus, Gordon still has roughly $15MM remaining on his $20MM salary for the 2019 season.

Royals Designate Frank Schwindel For Assignment

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The Royals have designated first baseman Frank Schwindel for assignment in order to open a spot on the roster for infield prospect Nicky Lopez, whose previously announced promotion to the Major Leagues is now official (Twitter link via Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star).

Schwindel, 26, opened the 2019 season on the active roster with the Royal but appeared in only six games before returning to the minors. He’s had a rough go of it so far in Triple-A Omaha, hitting just .186/.237/.286 with a homer and four doubles through 76 trips to the plate. That said, Schwindel enjoyed a much more productive 2018 run in Omaha when he hit .286/.336/.506 with 24 homers and 38 doubles, and he’s generally been a productive bat since arriving on the scene in Triple-A back in 2017.

The move to designate Schwindel buys struggling veteran Chris Owings some additional time on the active roster. Kansas City signed the former D-backs utilityman to a one-year deal worth $3MM this past offseason, but Owings has mustered only a .143/.209/.244 output in 129 trips to the plate so far. For now, he’ll continue to try to sort things out at the MLB level, but Lopez’s arrival will further cut into his already dwindling playing time.

Royals Promote Nicky Lopez

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The Royals have selected the contract of young infielder Nicky Lopez, per a club announcement. Righty Jake Newberry will be optioned to open an active roster spot; the 40-man move will be announced tomorrow.

Lopez’s ascent comes as a bit of a surprise. It was just two days ago, after all, that the club indicated it’d be utilizing Whit Merrifield primarily at second base. Instead, the veteran will be bumped into right field while Lopez will take the reins at the keystone. GM Dayton Moore explained that he and skipper Ned Yost changed course after discussing the matter over the weekend. (Via Rustin Dodd of The Athletic, on Twitter.)

The 24-year-old Lopez was taken out of Creighton in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. He is known more for his sturdiness than the types of loud tools that would suggest a lofty ceiling in the majors.

Lopez’s contact ability and keen approach were on display last year, when he logged a .382 on-base percentage and walked more than he struck out in a season split between the two highest levels of the minors. Entering the current campaign, he was billed as one of the organization’s ten best prospects.

While Lopez was already very much on the radar, it’s fair to say he has raised his stock quite a bit already in 2019. He hasn’t yet added significant power — and may never do so, unless he can follow the paths of a select few others that have turned contact ability into dingers in the majors — but Lopez has taken his skillset to new heights in the early going.

Over 138 plate appearances this year for Omaha, Lopez carries a .353/.457/.500 slash line with an outlandish combination of twenty walks against just five strikeouts. (That sort of BB/K ratio is associated with the original Billy Hamilton and his contemporaries, not the active Billy Hamilton who’ll soon be Lopez’s teammate.) He has also successfully swiped nine bags in a dozen attempts, which suggests an avenue for expanding his offensive value with a club that is more willing than most to tempt fate on the base paths.

Whit Merrifield Seeing Less Time In Outfield

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Royals utilityman Whit Merrifield racked up a career-high 39 outfield appearances a year ago, but he’s probably not going to approach that total this season. The Royals are wary of the physical toll that the outfield could take on Merrifield and will try to keep him at his primary position, second base, as much as possible, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com and Rustin Dodd of The Athletic explain.

While Merrifield has already accrued 11 outfield appearances this season, he hasn’t played there since April 11, Flanagan notes. In the Royals’ estimation, the decision to keep Merrifield out of the grass has likely helped him continue his impressive run of durability this season. Merrifield logged 303 of a possible 324 appearances from 2017-18, including 158 of 162 last year, and has been present in all 40 of the Royals’ games in 2019.

Unlike last year, when he was by far the brightest light on a 58-win team, Merrifield’s one of several standouts on this season’s club. At 14-26, the rebuilding Royals are still looking way up toward the majors’ contending teams, but Hunter Dozier, Adalberto Mondesi, Alex Gordon and Jorge Soler are among offensive regulars who have joined Merrifield in providing reasons for optimism. Merrifield, who’s a few months removed from signing a team-friendly extension, is slashing .294/.352/.531 (131 wRC+) in his age-30 season with 20 extra-base hits (eight doubles, six homers and six triples), seven steals and just 27 strikeouts in 180 plate appearances.

Between Merrifield and Mondesi, Kansas City’s infield looks as if its locked down for the near and long term, which will have ramifications on other members of the organization. For instance, those two are blocking hot-hitting middle infield prospect Nicky Lopez, whom general manager Dayton Moore spoke about Saturday.

“There’s nobody left to call up right now [where] there’s a chance to play every day,” Moore said. “What I will say is that yes, we’re very excited about Nicky Lopez and he will have a bright future on this team, we hope.”

The 24-year-old Lopez has hit an eye-opening .363/.463/.513 (151 wRC+) with three homers and nine steals in 134 PA with Triple-A Omaha, all while drawing 20 walks and striking out just five times. Still, if we’re to believe Moore, a promotion isn’t imminent.

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