David Lesky digs into the hire of Mike McFerran as assistant pitching coach.
Early in the interview, he says that being a good pitcher comes to one thing and it’s how to consistently get outs. He’s very big on a pitcher being who he is. For McFerran, he believes that his job is to help any one individual pitcher get outs, which comes down to a pitcher’s identity. Coaching more than the player (meaning the person as well) is something that sets McFerran apart. He’s certainly not the only one who does this as coaching has become much more, let’s say, human, but he does it well.
As I like to do when the Royals do something, I reach out to people much smarter than me. It was universal praise, and maybe even more than what I heard about the Connor Dawson hire. I think some of that is something I’ve talked about so many times in the past that pitching coaches can be more impactful than hitting coaches. It’s a simple reason for me. Pitchers dictate the action and hitters respond to what that pitcher has done. So it makes sense that the person helping the player who dictates the action can be a little more impactful.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro makes a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Accompanying Quatraro on his National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum visit on Nov. 24 was his wife, Chris, and sons George and Leo, aged 10 and eight, respectively.
“Being from Upstate New York, we’re back in the Albany area for Thanksgiving, and my wife had the idea we’ll come out here a day early and spend a little time, bring the boys to the Hall of Fame and get them to experience it for the first time,” Quatraro said. “I’ve been fortunate to come here throughout my life, and it’s brand new every time.
“I was very fortunate as a kid. We played our American Legion state tournament here. We got to play high school games here and some recreational games here from time to time. I’ve been to the Hall of Fame a handful of times, most recently when I was managing in the New York-Penn League. We’d bring a whole team here for the morning before a game when we played in Oneonta.”
Mike Axisa at CBS Sports writes about one thing each team should be thankful for.
Kansas City Royals: Garcia’s breakout
Maikel Garcia has been a trendy breakout pick the last few years and the breakout arrived in 2025: .286/.351/.449 with 16 homers and 23 stolen bases. His 5.6 WAR was a top-15 mark among position players. Bobby Witt Jr. is a fully formed superstar and now he has a heck of a running mate in Garcia. Vinnie Pasquantino is pretty good too. If Jac Caglianone figures things out soon, the Royals will suddenly have one of the game’s most dynamic lineups.
Underdog withdraws from a gaming license application in Missouri, leaving the Royals looking for a new sports betting partner.
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Former Royals pitcher Tyler Zuber re-signs a minor league deal with the Marlins.
Royals minor league coach Kevin Kuntz, son of Rusty, joins the Athletics organization.
Brendan Donovan will not be traded unless the Cardinals are “blown away” by an offer
The Giants sign reliever Sam Hentges to a one-year deal.
The Angels are in talks to buy out Anthony Rendon.
Jake Fraley returns to the Rays on a one-year, $3 million deal.
The Red Sox may be interested in multiple big bats.
Brewers ownership is reportedly concerned about payroll.
Anthony Castrovince at MLB.com comes up with some blockbuster trade ideas.
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Yourr song of the day is Tones and I with Cloudy Day.