Back in March of 2011, Eric Hosmer and Sal Perez hadn't even played in Omaha yet, and we started a crazy little Royals podcast. Through controversial trades, odd managerial moves, slumps, surges, winning streaks, and a couple of playoff appearances, we've been here to discuss it all, culminating in a World Series and the following rebuild. This is …

Every season during spring training, we make some predictions. Some are good, some are bad. Sometimes we're way off. But we always go back and check how we did at the end of the year. This year is no different. In this episode, we round third and head home as we wrap up our ninth Royals season of coverage. We have one more episode of reminiscing to…

After much speculation, Ned Yost has announced that he's retiring at the end of the season. He's been an interesting manager to follow...with some conflicting feelings. We discuss the dichotomy and Yost's legacy and impact on the current Royals, the past Royals, and most importantly, the champion Royals. He will have a special place in Royals histo…

This could be one of our weirder shows, in that we're talking about disappointment. Before that part, though, we recap some of the milestones ahead, including Jorge Soler's incredible season, and Whit Merrifield's excellence at the plate. But then, we got to talking about regrets. About disappointment. What were the disappointing storylines of the …

There are just a few weeks left in the season, and while the Royals won't be making the playoffs, there are still some storylines worth following as the year wraps up. We discuss what we're watching the rest of the way - momentum, improvements, milestones, and moments we want to see as this Royals season comes to a close. Follow us! Twitter: http:/…

Finally! Jorge Soler hit home runs 39 and 40 in the last week, surpassing Mike Moustakas in the Royals record books and giving the Royals their first 40 home run season. If you've listened to our show for any length of time, you know that 40 homers was a milestone we were really rooting for, so with Jorge Soler's achievement, we had to celebrate a …

This week, the bombshell news came out that David Glass is negotiating the sale of the Royals, with expectations that the process will be complete by November. That's a franchise-altering story, and one that got us a bit excited. Glass is a lightning rod in Kansas City, but to his credit, he did evolve over the last 10 years or so. Still, it's a co…

Jorge Soler has had a huge second half, but in the last week, he hasn't had much of an opportunity to continue with it. Most of the lineup behind him has really struggled, and he's been stuck taking walks instead of hitting dingers. He's still on pace to break the Royals single-season home run record, but he's still got time. We also talked about t…

So since our last show, Jorge Soler went on a little hot streak, good enough to earn him AL Player of the Week honors. He added six homers to his total, putting him in position to push for a team record, and an unprecedented 40 home runs. We looked deeper at his season and particularly his past six weeks. He's finally looking like the player many e…

With a quiet trade deadline (for the Royals) the main news this week was an injury to Danny Duffy that will sideline him for a week. We discussed how the Royals will fill his spot in the rotation and what they could or should do instead. While we were talking injuries, we talked a bit about the latest on Adalberto Mondesi, who's still a couple of w…

The trade deadline came and went and while there were fireworks in other places, in Kansas City it passed without any action, save a Jake Diekman trade in the lead up to the deadline. That means no Whit Merrifield trade, no Ian Kennedy deal. Not even Billy Hamilton. So we discussed some reasons the Royals have stated plus put our own interpretation…

The Royals have been playing well in the second half so far, with good offensive production and even a couple of shutouts. We talked about the recent performances of Jakob Junis, Brad Keller, Jorge Soler, and others. Meanwhile, the trade deadline is coming up quickly, and while the Royals have made some moves already, they have a couple of names wh…

The Royals had an active week to open the second half of the season. In the span of just a couple of days, they called up Bubba Starling, traded away Homer Bailey, and swapped Martin Maldonado for former Royals draftee Mike Montgomery. And on top of that, they also won three of their first four games (and won on the night we recorded as well). Brad…

At the all-star break, the Royals haven't been all that good, but there are a few bright spots. We made a lot of predictions before the season started, and every year at this time, we like to hold ourselves accountable, so we looked at how the first half went compared to our expectations. We were right on for some predictions and way off on others.…

This week, we finally caught up with Clint Scoles to talk about the Royals 2019 draft and the state of the Royals' farm system. Clint's insight and knowledge is unmatched, and we're always glad to have him on. He discussed Bobby Witt Jr., college players in the draft, named a few of his favorite picks, and then talked a bit more about the Royals mi…

The Royals did some roster movement this week, sending Adalberto Mondesi to the IL and calling up Humberto Arteaga to cover shortstop. Meanwhile, they sent Hunter Dozier on a rehab assignment in Springdale (and should be back in Kansas City soon). That'll lead to another move. And Ryan O'Hearn got sent to Omaha to get his mojo back with Jorge Bonif…

While we were away, the Royals added a lot of talent to their organization by way of the MLB Draft. This year, the Royals had the second overall pick in a draft with two huge prospects at the top of the draft. With a team-record bonus, they've signed high school shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. We discussed his profile along with the rest of the Royals' dr…

This week, the Royals didn't play much, due to off days but they made some moves, others were speculated, and they got a couple of improved starts from Danny Duffy and Brad Keller. Pitching - and many times starting pitching - has been a low point in 2019, but there may be some hope if a few starters can rebound and adjust. If not, well, it'll be a…

The big news this week was the call up of infielder Nicky Lopez, one of the more intriguing prospects in the Royals system right now. We discussed how Lopez will fit in the lineup and what he provides for the players he's hitting around, plus the general makeup of the team today and going forward. We also talked about the team's recent inconsistenc…

The Royals offense has been clicking lately. A mix of patience, power, and speed has pushed them into the top five in runs scored in the AL. Unfortunately, the pitching has not done much with that offense, as the Royals entered Wednesday with the worst record in the league, despite a Pythagorean projection closer to .500. It mirrors some trends we'…

We recorded this episode on a pretty darn good day for Royals baseball, just after they swept a double header against Tampa Bay. That performance really helped out the numbers of the starting rotation, which had been faltering more than the bullpen for a change. Much of this season has seen the Royals bullpen blow leads or be more gas on the fire t…

The 2019 season hasn't gone quite as hoped for the Kansas City Royals. They've missed opportunities, blown leads, and generally, haven't played well. But there are bright spots. The key parts of the lineup have been productive, and there are even a few very fun surprises. The starters have generally been effective (which has limited the bullpen). B…

Since our last episode, the Royals haven't won a game and the bullpen continues to be an issue. The Royals made a number of moves, including sending Kyle Zimmer to Triple-A and calling up Richard Lovelady. But the veterans in the bullpen have struggled while the starting rotation and offense have been mostly okay. We discussed what might be next fo…

The 2019 Royals season is officially underway and it's - so far - a little exciting and a little underwhelming. They won two games but the bullpen has been shaky, and the Royals have missed a couple of early opportunities for wins. Nonetheless, some, like Brad Keller, Adalberto Mondesi, Jorge Soler, and others have stepped up early. Are the Royals …

The Royals found a replacement for Salvador Perez and did some juggling of the pitching staff as Opening Day approaches. After catching up on the news of the day, we made some predictions. Using Baseball Prospectus's PECOTA projections, we picked a few players and stats and guessed at if a player would surpass or fall short of the mark. It's one of…

The baseball free agency market is finally shaking loose. Manny Machado is getting his big payday. Mike Moustakas landed another one-year deal. Alcides Escobar will be an Oriole. The Royals snagged some free agents as well, all to bolster the 2019 pitching staff. After an AL-worst bullpen in 2018, how will the additions of Brad Boxberger, Jake Diek…

So far this offseason has been very quiet, but one of the milestones each winter is the publication of prospect rankings. Two of the big ones - Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America - recognized some Royals prospects, though, interestingly different groups. In the here and now, we also discussed the new contract for Whit Merrifield, including wh…

It's been quiet this offseason with a lot of attention in Kansas City going to the Royals' next-door neighbors, but we took time this week to talk about an old friend who'll be back in 2019. And since everyone is looking to the past these days, we looked at the up and down journey of Kyle Zimmer, who's back with the Royals after signing a one-year …

After a couple weeks off for the holidays, the Vault is back. And during that break, the Royals signed Terrance Gore. We discuss the Royals focus on adding team speed and his likely role within the organization. While we're hesitant to say that he will play much of a role, he's definitely got speed, as we've seen ourselves over the years. The Royal…

Is the Royals outfield wide enough? Are the Royals throwing away their shot? Kansas City sure didn't wait for it and went out and signed center fielder Billy Hamilton. It might be nice to have Hamilton on our side. On top of that move, the Royals signed utility man Chris Owings, and carved out some space on the 40 man roster to make room for likely…

The Royals took aim at locking down their 40 man roster, purchasing the contracts of three pitchers, claiming one and designating another for assignment. As they massage the roster, they also have some arbitration offers to consider. What will be the fate of Cheslor Cuthbert, Jesse Hahn, and Brian Flynn? Is new claim Conner Greene a good pickup? He…

The Royals made a couple more moves since our last episode, so we recapped the dearly departed, including some minor league free agents. But with new free agents come new signings, so we discussed the signing of post-hype prospect Michael Ynoa to a minor-league deal. It's low-risk, high-reward, which is right in line with how the Royals should appr…

The 2018 season is over, and we're now starting to see some transactions and roster decisions being made. For the Royals, their 2019 team is not likely to change that much from the team that ended 2018, but there are definite opportunities to improve the team for next year and beyond. We discussed how active they might be and where they may try to …

Every season, amidst the fun and games of spring training, we set some over/under marks for particular players and judge where we think they'll land. This year, our array of predictions were hit and miss, but the journey is half the fun, right? We reviewed the predictions from March, what went right, what went wrong, and what was close. Along with …

For the fifth time in their history, the Royals have reached 100 losses. That's not good, but we tried to add some perspective to the mark, in light of the Royals decent and much-more-watchable second half of the year. Along with that is the emergence of Whit Merrifield as a consistent and dynamic star, Adalberto Mondesi as a hopeful phenom, and Ry…

It's been a difficult year, but the last month hasn't been so bad. A number of Royals have started hitting, including surprises like Ryan O'Hearn, and a couple of pitchers have been great. It makes for a more entertaining second half and an encouraging finish to the season. We discuss Jakob Junis, Adalberto Mondesi, Brad Keller, and O'Hearn as well…

This week we covered the end of Danny Duffy's season and the impact his varied ailments might have on him going forward. We also talked about the shifting perception of his contract and trade value. In other injury news, we expressed disappointment in Jorge Soler's setback during his rehab stint. After a strong start, a flukey injury shut him down …

On Wednesday, the Royals traded Lucas Duda for cash, opening up a roster spot just in time for September call-ups to start showing up. We discussed Duda's storied legacy in Kansas City from Day One to now. With the roster spot, a whole batch of minor leaguers could be called up to the majors, including some names who've been waiting for their shot …

Ya know, Luke Hochevar wasn't the all-star we may have hoped for after being the first overall selection in the 2006 draft, but he had his moments in his Royals career. We discussed his recent retirement and the up and down career Hoch experienced with the Royals. We also discussed some of the recent moves, including the release of Blaine Boyer and…

Mike Moustakas has been traded, but the world keeps turning. While we say goodbye to Moose, we say hello to Brett Phillips and Jorge Lopez, two former top-100 prospects who are ready for the big leagues right now. Is it the right move? Should the Royals have gotten younger prospects? And anyway, how does it fit with the current crop of Royals prosp…

The All-Star Break was good to the Royals and they came back somewhat rejuvenated in the second half. We discussed their positive week back, and the impact of some good, young starting pitching leading the way. Can it hold up in Yankee Stadium? We also discussed Mike Moustakas and his potential trade suitors. The trade deadline will have passed bef…

The Royals limped...crawled...technically made it to the All-Star break and are on pace for a franchise-worst record. There weren't a lot of positives in the first half, but Jeff and Mike made some predictions in March and had to check on the status of those calls at the break. We discussed Jorge Soler, Alex Gordon, Jakob Junis, Mike Moustakas and …

The way this season has gone, it's a miracle the Royals get an All Star representative (even if it's in the rules that they do...) but we discussed Sal Perez as this year's sole representative. He gets a sixth appearance in a row, despite a rough stat line. But that's the type of year it's been. And the Royals have also run into injuries, particula…

The Royals have had a terrible June and a miserable 2018, so when it comes to positive news, there isn't a lot to report. The Royals did promote two significant prospects though, sending Khalil Lee to Double-A and Nicky Lopez to Triple-A. We discussed their significance and what might be reasonable expectations. Then we talked about the rough June …

With the Royals well below .500, the sell-off has started. It started a few weeks ago with Jon Jay, but he's only got a couple of months as a Royal on his resume. Kelvin Herrera, however, has been a Royals since 2006 and now goes to the Washington Nationals. Herrera was such a huge part of the Royals success in 2014 and 2015, and he's one of the mo…

So your team just got shut out by the Reds. They've scored 23 runs in two weeks. What the heck do you do? Well, you look at a few positives, mostly some good performances from Ian Kennedy, Jason Hammel, and Danny Duffy. We talked about some of those starts, plus we assessed the Mike Moustakas trade market (even though Dayton Moore says they won't t…

The Royals entered the 2018 MLB Draft with more money available than any other team and loaded up on college pitching to pair with a promising group in A ball. To discuss the picks and the Royals' approach, Clint Scoles of Baseball Prospectus Kansas City tracked down Lonnie Goldberg, Director of Scouting for the Kansas City Royals. They discussed h…

A couple of weeks ago, we had Clint Scoles give us a preview of the Royals draft and now that the picks are all in, he joined us again to talk about the results. It's an unexpected set of picks, but there's talent there. Clint covers the big names, the approach, and what it means for the Royals future. We also discussed Brad Keller, Danny Duffy, a …

The Royals had some success this week, including some solid pitching performances by Brad Keller, Danny Duffy, and Jason Hammel. We covered some of the recent DL moves and the way it's shifted the pitching staff. We also discussed Jon Jay's successful May, Hunter Dozier's adjustment to the big leagues, and took another look at how trade values may …

After a week off, we got caught up and despite a poor record, we sought out some bright spots through the first two months of the season, including a few emerging bullpen arms, some developing trade value, "hacking" baseball strategy, and the optimism of baseball's annual draft. To help prepare for this year's draft, we brought on Clint Scoles to s…