David Lesky looks at the dreaded question: what does selling look like for the Kansas City Royals? But first, the Inside the Crown author is not giving up…yet. [$]
Everybody is very quick to make a proclamation about what a team should do at the deadline. The second a losing stretch hits, the calls for “SELL” grow louder and louder. But the reality is that there is plenty of nuance for a team sitting in the middle of a very crowded pack. Yes, at this moment, the Royals are toward the bottom of that pack and trending the wrong direction, but I’m pretty sure the only American League teams to not have been declared sellers at some point this season are the Tigers and Yankees. That is NOT to say that I believe the Royals are going to turn it around and get back to the top of this crowded group. It’s just that they can.
Royals Data Dugout looks at rookie Jac Caglianone’s first two weeks in the big leagues and what pitchers are already doing against Caglianone.
It’s abundantly clear pitchers are going to avoid the strike zone against Caglianone, whose 48% zone rate is 400th among 448 hitters with 40+ plate appearances in the league this season. Dialing back his aggression and looking for outer-half pitches he can extend his arms on is paramount for his future success, as is finding a way to get the ball in the air more often.
Bleacher Report advocates for Michael Massey’s benching, and already has a replacement in mind.
While the other options presently on Kansas City’s roster haven’t been much better, how have the Royals not at least given Cam Devanney a shot in the bigs? He has a .939 OPS and 12 home runs at Triple-AMassey’s Omaha this season, and he can play anywhere in the infield. The 28-year-old isn’t one of their premier prospects, but it’s worth finding out if he could provide a temporary jolt to a lineup in which only four players have hit at least four home runs.
FanSided’s Robert Murray confirms veteran pitcher Rich Hill will not opt-out of his minor-league deal right now, but if the right opportunity arises…
Rich Hill had a June 15 opt-out clause in his contract with the Kansas City Royals, but will remain with the organization, sources say. If Hill is not in the Majors, and another team is willing to offer a Major-League contract, the Royals “will not stand in his way,” one source said.
KCTV5 highlights Gates Bar-B-Q’s proposal to the Royals, and it isn’t about the food.
Kings of Kauffman’s Oliver Vandervoort looks at a possible in-state trade target for Kansas City.
ESPN ranks all 30 MLB lineups, and the Royals sitting at 26th still somehow feels too high.
The Kansas City Royals fall outside the top 20 in both the CBS Sports’ and The Athletic’s newest power rankings. [$]
ClutchPoints’ Christopher Hennessy ranks the top 10 players in the Royals franchise history.
ESPN’s Buster Olney voices what baseball fans are saying around the league after the Boston Red Sox traded away Rafael Devers.
Former Royals player Ryan O’Hearn jokes about how the Devers trade made his path easier.
Devers makes his first impression on the San Francisco Giants and clears the air about his future in the field.
Keep up to date on the MLB Combine!
MLB.com examines Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound, serving as an opener in his pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
CBS Sports’ Dayn Perry implores Ohtani to bring back the classic pitcher’s jacket for mound-to-base flair.
Molly Knight call’s Ohtani’s return “the most thrilling June game I ever did see.”
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden looks at six possible trades, none involving the Royals buying or selling. [$]
CBS Sports’ Matt Snyder says the Pittsburgh Pirates need to buckle down and extend star pitcher Paul Skenes.
AP reports the Philadelphia Phillies sat outfielder Nick Castellanos after he made an “inappropriate comment” following his defensive replacement on June 16.
The Toronto Blue Jays DFA’d reliever Erik Swanson (15.19 ERA in 6 games) and put starter Bowden Francis (2–8, 6.05 ERA) on the 15‑day IL due to a right shoulder impingement.
The Cincinnati Reds placed pitcher Graham Ashcraft on the 15-day IL and recalled rookie Luis Mey.
The New York Mets lose pitcher Tylor Megill after right elbow sprain, with a reported timetable of four to five weeks recovery.
The Wander Franco trial will resume on Monday in the Dominican Republic.
USL Women’s Super League champion Tampa Bay Sun announced its plans for a 15,000-seat stadium. Maybe the Tampa Bay Rays could play there?
How having days off in the NBA Finals is helping players and the overall product.
Washington Nationals bat-retrieving dog Bruce makes his MLB debut doing what he does best.
A New York zoo is missing a wallaby, so keep an eye out.
A Maryland man hit the jackpot when cleaning out his car.
On this day in 1983, astronaut Sally Ride became America’s first woman in space as she and four other NASA astronauts blasted off aboard the space shuttle Challenger on a six-day mission. A National Geographic documentary was released yesterday on streaming about Ride’s journey.
Today’s song of the day is Johnny by Eric Church.