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benp28 · 06-09-2025, 05:30 PM

International Amateurs

We just completed our monthly private practice with many young international amateur free agents who we hope can aid our club in the coming years. It was great to meet the players in-person and get to know them better, and I was able to improve my scouting assessment on all invitees.

In fact some of the players impressed me, since they showcased a higher potential than I had previously expected from them:

David Jauregui, 17 year-old CF out of Dominican Republic
Lean and athletic, David Jauregui hails from La Vega, Dominican Republic. He is a plus contact potential. He has significant upside once he tops his raw power potential. Jauregui can be a second division starter at center fielder.

Julio Molina, 16 year-old 1B out of Dominican Republic
Julio Molina is a big 6-foot-7, 220-pound first baseman from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He has plus power potential. He shows contact potential which should translate into an above average batting average. He has the potential for average strike zone recognition. Molina is projected to be an elite starting first baseman.

It was a great practice and none of the invitees disappointed in showcasing their talent.

And other players that I was able to further assess were:
David Baires, 16 year-old 3B out of Dominican Republic
Luis Laconi, 16 year-old 2B out of Venezuela
David Leal, 16 year-old 2B out of Dominican Republic
Jorge Otero, 16 year-old 1B out of Dominican Republic
Gerrie Snoek, 16 year-old RHP out of The Netherlands
Massimo DalSoglio, 16 year-old RHP out of Venezuela
Luis Salazar, 16 year-old LF out of Dominican Republic
Juan Zapata, 16 year-old RHP out of Cuba

Rule 5 Draft Trades & 42-man Changes

The Royals had the biggest roster crunch of recent years heading into the Rule 5 Draft and made some big decisions as a result. One decision not linked to the Rule 5 Draft was their latest long term extension. Having been promoted in September, Mike Gronkiewicz gets a 12-year contract (final two as TOs) with an AAV of $8m. For a player who is already above league average, and project to have plus contact and power to go with plus-plus speed and defense, this seems like a great deal for the Royals.

The Royals made five major and one minor trades in the lead up to the draft. Going in reverse order of scale, the Royals were not going to retain Jorge Joaquin on the 42-man roster (he had been added as an injury emergency in 2048) and to get anything back for him was a bonus – in this case a AAA IF from the Marlins.

Next up was another OF who played in 2048 but was going to be squeezed out heading into 2049 – RF Eric McCabe heading to the Phillies for a 23-year old OF.

Marty Birley was on the border of players the Royals thought they might lose but the 37th ranked prospect wasn’t going to feature for the Royals this season and the Royals decided to trade him and maximise the return. That return is potential plus-plus contact, plus power OF Alfredo Marinez, as well as a plus-plus range CF Deonte Clark.

C Luis Montoya is an elite defensive Catcher but with Saiz and Forester as locks for the 26-man, and Arturo Ruano in AAA, was surplus for the Royals. The Rays are happy to trade, with a starting point of plus glove infielder Maxwell Norlander, who has potential plus contact and power. The Royals were able to add another potential plus contact-power infielder in the deal in Alejandro Felix. The Rays also had #56-ranked prospect SP Dusty Bartosik in their farm and by adding 2047 International Amateur signing #65 ranked Nelson Arellano (a bottom 2B who would need some major growth to be Royals ready), along with OFs Joel Ellis (2046 10th Round) and Joe Johnson (2047 2nd Round), the Royals were able to get the job done.

The last two trades were unpopular with fans as the Royals moved on from an infielder and outfielder who have been big contributors to the Royals recent World Series victories. Josh Mangan had surprisingly accepted a QO and, at $18.9m was an expensive luxury for the Royals. The Royals received three players back from the Dodgers by retaining half of Mangan’s salary, the pick being #84th ranked Alfredo Cuevas, a 2045 International Amateur who projects above average contact with plus-plus power and plus defense. The only question mark is over his personality, with a lack of hustle the mark against him.

Finally, Estanislau, like Mangan, was an expensive luxury who had comparable ratings to younger, cheaper players on the Royals roster. The Royals retained 85% of his salary to do a deal with the Padres, the return another potential above average contact, plus-plus power prospect with strong defensive potential.

These moves have made the Royals younger, opened up some budget room for in season trades, but does come with risk as they have made two of the stronger NL teams stronger while removing some elite level depth within the ballclub.

That depth was further shallowed in the Rule 5 Draft, as the Giants continue their history of taking Royals Catchers, picking up Joey Haigh. This was the only loss for the Royals though, a better outcome than expected by Stewart.

Wednesday, December 16th , 2048
Signed RF Mike Gronkiewicz to a 12-year contract extension worth a total of $96,000,000.

Trades

Friday, December 4th , 2048
Traded 23-year old minor league RF Eric McCabe to the Philadelphia Phillies, getting 23-year old minor league LF Jon Garrison in return.
Traded 21-year old minor league 3B Marty Birley to the Boston Red Sox, getting 17-year old minor league LF Alfredo Marinez and 19-year old minor league CF Deonte Clark in return.
Traded 29-year old LF Josh Mangan (retaining 50%) to the Los Angeles Dodgers, getting 20-year old minor league 2B Alfredo Cuevas, 17-year old minor league CF Vicente Ramos, and 20-year old minor league C Danny Copeland in return.
Traded 29-year old 3B Estanislau Covete (retaining 85%) to the San Diego Padres, getting 17-year old minor league 2B Luis Mendoza in return.
Traded 24-year old C Luis Montoya, 20-year old minor league LF Joel Ellis, 18-year old minor league SS Nelson Arellano, and 19-year old minor league LF Joe Johnson to the Tampa Bay Rays, getting 19-year old minor league 3B Maxwell Norlander, 18-year old minor league 2B Alejandro Felix, and 22-year old minor league RHP Dusty Bartosik in return.
Sunday, December 6th , 2048
Traded 26-year old CF Jorge Joaquin to the Miami Marlins, getting 24-year old minor league 3B Mauricio Flores in return.

42-man Roster Additions

Friday, December 4th , 2048
Placed 2B Bernalldino Igrejas on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed 3B David de Anda on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed SS Jonathan Lish on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Saturday, December 5th , 2048
Placed SP Ken Logan on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed SP Jorge Zagal on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed RP Zion Merkerson on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed CL Zaire McKines on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Sunday, December 6th , 2048
Placed SP Tim Parsons on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed LF Jorge Morales on the secondary (42-man) roster.

Rule 5 Draft Transactions

Thursday, December 24th , 2048
Lost C Joey Haigh in the Rule 5 Draft to the San Francisco Giants.

Around the League

Despite his solid numbers, some fans questioned the value of the Ethan Chafin signing even as Los Angeles officials paraded him before the media this afternoon.

Chafin will surely bring a lot to the club, but he comes at a price of $12,700,000 over 1 year.

In career stats, the 35-year-old Chafin has won 124 and lost 43, recording 1623 strikeouts and 429 walks in 1504 innings with a 3.48 ERA. Opponents have hit .221 against him.

06-09-2025, 05:30 PM	#598
benp28 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2024 Posts: 684	December 2048 - Offseason International Amateurs We just completed our monthly private practice with many young international amateur free agents who we hope can aid our club in the coming years. It was great to meet the players in-person and get to know them better, and I was able to improve my scouting assessment on all invitees. In fact some of the players impressed me, since they showcased a higher potential than I had previously expected from them: David Jauregui, 17 year-old CF out of Dominican Republic Lean and athletic, David Jauregui hails from La Vega, Dominican Republic. He is a plus contact potential. He has significant upside once he tops his raw power potential. Jauregui can be a second division starter at center fielder. Julio Molina, 16 year-old 1B out of Dominican Republic Julio Molina is a big 6-foot-7, 220-pound first baseman from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He has plus power potential. He shows contact potential which should translate into an above average batting average. He has the potential for average strike zone recognition. Molina is projected to be an elite starting first baseman. It was a great practice and none of the invitees disappointed in showcasing their talent. And other players that I was able to further assess were: David Baires, 16 year-old 3B out of Dominican Republic Luis Laconi, 16 year-old 2B out of Venezuela David Leal, 16 year-old 2B out of Dominican Republic Jorge Otero, 16 year-old 1B out of Dominican Republic Gerrie Snoek, 16 year-old RHP out of The Netherlands Massimo DalSoglio, 16 year-old RHP out of Venezuela Luis Salazar, 16 year-old LF out of Dominican Republic Juan Zapata, 16 year-old RHP out of Cuba Rule 5 Draft Trades & 42-man Changes The Royals had the biggest roster crunch of recent years heading into the Rule 5 Draft and made some big decisions as a result. One decision not linked to the Rule 5 Draft was their latest long term extension. Having been promoted in September, Mike Gronkiewicz gets a 12-year contract (final two as TOs) with an AAV of $8m. For a player who is already above league average, and project to have plus contact and power to go with plus-plus speed and defense, this seems like a great deal for the Royals. The Royals made five major and one minor trades in the lead up to the draft. Going in reverse order of scale, the Royals were not going to retain Jorge Joaquin on the 42-man roster (he had been added as an injury emergency in 2048) and to get anything back for him was a bonus – in this case a AAA IF from the Marlins. Next up was another OF who played in 2048 but was going to be squeezed out heading into 2049 – RF Eric McCabe heading to the Phillies for a 23-year old OF. Marty Birley was on the border of players the Royals thought they might lose but the 37th ranked prospect wasn’t going to feature for the Royals this season and the Royals decided to trade him and maximise the return. That return is potential plus-plus contact, plus power OF Alfredo Marinez, as well as a plus-plus range CF Deonte Clark. C Luis Montoya is an elite defensive Catcher but with Saiz and Forester as locks for the 26-man, and Arturo Ruano in AAA, was surplus for the Royals. The Rays are happy to trade, with a starting point of plus glove infielder Maxwell Norlander, who has potential plus contact and power. The Royals were able to add another potential plus contact-power infielder in the deal in Alejandro Felix. The Rays also had #56-ranked prospect SP Dusty Bartosik in their farm and by adding 2047 International Amateur signing #65 ranked Nelson Arellano (a bottom 2B who would need some major growth to be Royals ready), along with OFs Joel Ellis (2046 10th Round) and Joe Johnson (2047 2nd Round), the Royals were able to get the job done. The last two trades were unpopular with fans as the Royals moved on from an infielder and outfielder who have been big contributors to the Royals recent World Series victories. Josh Mangan had surprisingly accepted a QO and, at $18.9m was an expensive luxury for the Royals. The Royals received three players back from the Dodgers by retaining half of Mangan’s salary, the pick being #84th ranked Alfredo Cuevas, a 2045 International Amateur who projects above average contact with plus-plus power and plus defense. The only question mark is over his personality, with a lack of hustle the mark against him. Finally, Estanislau, like Mangan, was an expensive luxury who had comparable ratings to younger, cheaper players on the Royals roster. The Royals retained 85% of his salary to do a deal with the Padres, the return another potential above average contact, plus-plus power prospect with strong defensive potential. These moves have made the Royals younger, opened up some budget room for in season trades, but does come with risk as they have made two of the stronger NL teams stronger while removing some elite level depth within the ballclub. That depth was further shallowed in the Rule 5 Draft, as the Giants continue their history of taking Royals Catchers, picking up Joey Haigh. This was the only loss for the Royals though, a better outcome than expected by Stewart. Wednesday, December 16th , 2048 Signed RF Mike Gronkiewicz to a 12-year contract extension worth a total of $96,000,000. Trades Friday, December 4th , 2048 Traded 23-year old minor league RF Eric McCabe to the Philadelphia Phillies, getting 23-year old minor league LF Jon Garrison in return. Traded 21-year old minor league 3B Marty Birley to the Boston Red Sox, getting 17-year old minor league LF Alfredo Marinez and 19-year old minor league CF Deonte Clark in return. Traded 29-year old LF Josh Mangan (retaining 50%) to the Los Angeles Dodgers, getting 20-year old minor league 2B Alfredo Cuevas, 17-year old minor league CF Vicente Ramos, and 20-year old minor league C Danny Copeland in return. Traded 29-year old 3B Estanislau Covete (retaining 85%) to the San Diego Padres, getting 17-year old minor league 2B Luis Mendoza in return. Traded 24-year old C Luis Montoya, 20-year old minor league LF Joel Ellis, 18-year old minor league SS Nelson Arellano, and 19-year old minor league LF Joe Johnson to the Tampa Bay Rays, getting 19-year old minor league 3B Maxwell Norlander, 18-year old minor league 2B Alejandro Felix, and 22-year old minor league RHP Dusty Bartosik in return. Sunday, December 6th , 2048 Traded 26-year old CF Jorge Joaquin to the Miami Marlins, getting 24-year old minor league 3B Mauricio Flores in return. 42-man Roster Additions Friday, December 4th , 2048 Placed 2B Bernalldino Igrejas on the secondary (42-man) roster. Placed 3B David de Anda on the secondary (42-man) roster. Placed SS Jonathan Lish on the secondary (42-man) roster. Saturday, December 5th , 2048 Placed SP Ken Logan on the secondary (42-man) roster. Placed SP Jorge Zagal on the secondary (42-man) roster. Placed RP Zion Merkerson on the secondary (42-man) roster. Placed CL Zaire McKines on the secondary (42-man) roster. Sunday, December 6th , 2048 Placed SP Tim Parsons on the secondary (42-man) roster. Placed LF Jorge Morales on the secondary (42-man) roster. Rule 5 Draft Transactions Thursday, December 24th , 2048 Lost C Joey Haigh in the Rule 5 Draft to the San Francisco Giants. Around the League Despite his solid numbers, some fans questioned the value of the Ethan Chafin signing even as Los Angeles officials paraded him before the media this afternoon. Chafin will surely bring a lot to the club, but he comes at a price of $12,700,000 over 1 year. In career stats, the 35-year-old Chafin has won 124 and lost 43, recording 1623 strikeouts and 429 walks in 1504 innings with a 3.48 ERA. Opponents have hit .221 against him.