Zero to Hero - A Scotsman in MLB

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For the fifth year in a row, the ALCS will see the Kansas City Royals take on the Houston Astros. The Astros have dominated so far, winning three of the first four, and four of the last five postseason match ups. Both teams swept their ALDS match ups. Over in the NL, the Dodgers will take on the Brewers, as Milwaukee are the only Wildcard team to progress to the LCS in 2045.

The Astros may not have won 118 games this year but remain the dominant team in baseball. They ranked 2nd in both runs and scored and runs against in the AL and, despite missing several key contributors surely enter the series as favourites.

J.J. Tjepkema once again fronts their rotation, and finished one win short of his second Triple Crown having led the league in ERA and K, alongside IP, BB/9, and pitcher WAR – he is the runaway favourite to win his 5th Cy Young award. Jon Elfstrom (3.00 ERA) and Juan Silva (2.91) are a formidable 2-3 punch to follow Tjepkema which should mean they don’t feel the absence of Juan Llamas who is three weeks from recovering from a partially torn labrum. In the bullpen, last year’s cheat code closer Robbie Austin is out, having ruptured a disc in miss back but his replacement in the closer role, Arturo Castillo, hasn’t missed a beat, recording as 83% save rate for his 5 saves with a 1.59 ERA. Former Royals Doug Campos and Pat Keeling will pitch out of the bullpen, having contributed ERAs of 3.80 and 4.26 respectively this season/

On the hitting side, former Royal Mike Thomas led the team with a .288 average while hitting 31 HRs and 106 RBIs. He was one of three Astros to have 100+ RBIs, 3B Nelson Aguirre (115) and Wilfredo Terrazas (112) joining him while Terrazas led the team with 41 HRs. Another former Royal CF Natalino Villa will bat second while trying to stay healthy having only played in 60 games while Mike Campney is listed DTD with a sprained wrist so it will be interesting to see if the Astros risk him against his former team,

The Royals won the regular season series 5-2 but history suggests the regular season has little bearing when it comes to October baseball.

Game 1 in Kansas City: Greg Moehring vs. J.J. Tjepkema (2042 Free Agent)
• Houston wins 8-5
• Tjepkema: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R
• Moehring: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R
• Doug Campos (W): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R
• Joe Manley (L)(BS): 0.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R
• Arturo Castillo (SV) 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R
• Houston HRs: Jake Synder (9th)
• Kansas City HRs: Jadon Tezeno (3rd, 2R), Arturo Oramas (4th), Bobby Nickelberry (5th)
• POTG: Nelson Aguirre (HOU) 2-4, BB, 4 RBI
• 1-0 Houston

Game 2 in Kansas City: Chris Kuehn vs Jon Elfstrom (2040 Free Agent)
• Kansas City wins 4-3
• Kuehn: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R
• Elfstrom: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R
• Dan Nichols (BS)(W): 3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R
• Castillo (BS)(L): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R
• Houston HRs: Kevin Barlow (7th)
• Kansas City HRs: Nickelberry (8th, 2R)
• Series Tied

Game 3 in Houston: Ben Lane vs Juan Silva (2038 Scouting Discovery)
• Houston wins 9-6
• Silva (W): 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R
• Lane (L): 4.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R
• Houston HRs: Jake Snyder (3rd), Zaire Prattis (4th), Wilson Terrazas (5th)
• Kansas City HRs: Luis Aceves (2nd)
• POTG: Natalino Villa (HOU) 4-5, 4 RBI
• 2-1 Houston

Game 4 in Houston: Jeremy Ogans vs Mike Sunden (2043 Trade WAS)
• Kansas City wins 4-3
• Ogans: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R INJ Radial Nerve 8-9 months
• Sunden: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R
• Curt Bogans (W): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
• Castillo (BS)(L): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R
• Juan Anaya (SV): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R
• Houston HRs: Snyder (2nd)
• Kansas City HRs: Oramas (9th, 2R), Aceves (9th, 2R)
• POTG: Sunden (HOU)
• 2-2 Series Tied

Game 5 in Houston: Moehring vs Tjepkema
• Kansas City wins 5-1
• Moehring (W): 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R
• Tjepkema (L): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R INJ 1 week
• Kansas City HRs: Aceves (2nd)
• INJ: Bobby Nickelberry D2D Back
• 3-2 Kansas City

Game 6 in Kansas City: Kuehn vs Elfstrom
• Kansas City wins 5-2
• Kuehn (W): 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R
• Elfstrom: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R
• Pat Ferrazzi (L): 1.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R
• Dan Nichols (SV): 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R
• Kansas City HRs: Nickelberry (6th), Covete (7th)
• 4-2 KANSAS CITY WINS

Series MVP: Luis Aceves (KC) 7-20, 3 HRs, 6 RBIs

 

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The Royals take out the Astros to earn their second trip to the World Series in 3 years, and 5th in 8 years. For the first time in that run it will not be the Los Angeles Dodgers that the Royals face as the Wildcard Brewers win a game 7 to take the series and earn their first trip to the World Series since 2032. That year, the Brewers won the World Series, defeating the Royals 4-1 in the teams only postseason match up to date.

It is going to be a little harder for the Royals after learning that they have lost SP Jeremy Ogans for 8-9 months after he was injured in game 4 of the ALCS. The more frustrating news is the loss of RP Juan Anaya, who had stepped into the closer role against the LHP-dominating Astros. Anays suffered an off field injury which is the real frustration but will miss the whole series:

First the bad news: Kansas City's Juan Anaya has a sprained ankle, an injury he sustained while slamming into a car stopped at a red light. Now the good news: the injury, which was thought to be more serious, will keep the Royals reliever out of action for only about 5 weeks.

The Royals add two relievers, RHP Cheng Hsien Baker and LHP Julio Pesina. Ethan Chafin will move into the rotation and will pitch game 2 for the Royals.

The Brewer were a power hitting, pitcher dominant team in 2045, winning the NL Central with the 3rd fewest runs against while hitting the 3rd most HRs.

Their rotation is an all RHP set up, led by 2043 Cy Young winner Andy Pennington in the absence of David Armendariz, who suffered a forearm inflammation injury and has missed all of the playoffs. Pennington pitched the game 7 NLCS match up against the Dodgers, pitching 6 innings to help them to a shut out victory. Gredan DeGennaro was the pitcher led the team in ERA with a 3.45 rate helping him to 11 wins. In the bullpen, Davon DeLaine had an 85% success rate in racking up 35 saves while setup man Chris Lokey was the only other pitcher with an ERA under 4.00 (3.73).

On the batting side, the Brewers had three 30+ HR hitters, with David Maldonado (36), former Royal Juan Moreno (35), and Frank Posadas (30). Posadas led the club in batting average (.294) and RBIs (91) while both Maldonado (34) and Moreno (31) had 30-30 seasons.

The Royals did win the regular season series 2-1.

Game 1 in Kansas City: Ben Lane vs Josh Dearman (2042 Trade LAD)
• Milwaukee wins 2-1
• Dearman: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R INJ 4 months
• Lane (L): 6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R
• Arturo Camacho (W): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R
• Jim Robinson (SV): 0.1. IP, 0 H, 0 R
• Milwaukee HRs: Jorge Escobedo (3rd)
• Kansas City HRs: Jadon Tezeno (4th)
• POTG: Ben Lane (KC)
• 1-0 Milwaukee

Game 2 in Kansas City: Ethan Chafin vs Steve Mathews (2045 Trade CWS)
• Kansas City wins 5-3
• Chafin: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R
• Mathews: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R
• Luis Danys Rhodes (W): 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R
• Juan Leal (L): 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R
• Joe Manley (SV): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R
• Kansas City HRs: Edgar Mir (3rd, 2R; 6th, 2R)
• POTG: Edgar Mir (KC) 2-4, 2 HR, BB, 4 RBI
• 1-1 Series Tied

Game 3 in Milwaukee: Greg Moehring vs Andy Pennington (2042 Free Agent)
• Milwaukee wins 4-0
• Pennington (W): 9.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K, 108 PI
• Moehring (L): 5.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R
• Milwaukee HRs: David Maldonado (1st)
• 2-1 Milwaukee

Game 4 in Milwaukee: Chris Kuehn vs. Gredan DeGennaro (2041 Waivers ATL)
• Milwaukee wins 2-1
• DeGennaro: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R
• Kuehn: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R
• Shawn Denn (W): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R
• Dan Nichols (BS)(L): 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R
• Davon DeLaine (SV): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R
• Milwaukee HRs: Alfredo Luna (8th, 2R)
• Kansas City HRs: Luis Aceves (4th)
• 3-1 Milwaukee

Game 5 in Milwaukee: Lane vs Jim Robinson (2043 Trade CLE)
• Milwaukee wins 7-0
• Robinson: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R INJ
• Lane (L): 7.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R
• Juan Leal (W): 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R
• Milwaukee HRs: Maldonado (6th, 2R), Frank Posadas (8th, 3R)
• POTG: Frank Posadas (MIL) 2-4, HR, 4 RBIs
• 4-1 MILWAUKEE WINS

Series MVP: David Maldonado (MIL) 6-19, 2 HRs, 5 RBIs

The Brewers defeat the Royals 4-1 to win their second World Series after defeating the Royals by the same score in 2032. The Royals bats went quiet at the worst possible time while Andy Pennington put up one of the great pitching performances in the World Series, his game 3 no hitter coming with a solitary walk across 108 pitches and including 9 Ks. The Royals didn’t recover, scoring one run over the final three games of the series. A solitary World Series from 7 AL pennents and 14 AL Central division titles is a poor return but the Royals do keep putting themselves in the right place to go for the title.

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Kansas City Postseason Stats



Looking at the overall PS stats for the Royals hitters, everything was going well until that World Series. Estanislau Covete and Chris Morrow were worth a further look as the regulars with substantially below league average wRC+. Covete puts together his third negative WAR postseason performance in five years with the Royals but is only one year removed from a .923 OPS October performance last year. For Morrow it is his first sub 100 OPS+ performance, and his 1.207 OPS performance last year certainly earns him some runway.



Ben Lane went 0-3 across his 4 starts but also had a 6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R outing to start the World Series that should have put the Royals in position to take that game one. Mike Herzner was bad out of the bullpen, giving up 5 hits in less than 3 IP, while Dan Nichols had 3 MDs to only 2 SDs in a rare disappointing post season performance.

Owner Goal Review



Team Record:
I told you before the season to win it all, and you almost did! Next year we'll bring the championship home to Kansas City.

Extend your player:
It's no simple task signing a player who's reluctant to talk. Do your best to keep the conversation with Estanislau Covete going.

Improve Staff Cohesion:
Your efforts to improve staff cohesion have paid off. Well done!

Improve your team record:
I'm thrilled with your record in extra-inning games!

Long Term:
You made the playoffs. I had set out a longer vision to bring a championship to Kansas City by 2047, and that time isn't up yet. You do know it's been 2 years since this franchise has won? Just make sure we don't go too long before the next championship.

I am happy with your performance in accomplishing the goals I have given you. However, when I consider the on- and off-field success of the team, my overall mood with your performance is delighted.

Minor Leagues



Postseason

Omaha Storm Chasers [AAA] lost in the Championship.
Northwest Arkansas Naturals [AA] won the Championship.
Quad Cities River Bandits [A+] lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Columbia Fireflies [A] won the Championship.
Kansas City (ACL) Royals [R] missed the playoffs by 5 games.
Kansas City (DSL) Royals Stewart [R] lost in first round of the playoffs.
Kansas City (DSL) Royals Glass [R] lost in first round of the playoffs.


 

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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 Marmolejo, 16 year-old RF out of Mexico
Lean and athletic, David Marmolejo hails from Córdoba, Mexico. He has a great stroke and projects to hit for a high average. His speed can be a difference-maker in the game. He has plus overall defensive skills. Marmolejo is a right fielder with plenty of tools and a lot of upside. He has potential to be a first division starter.

Alexis Ramos, 16 year-old RF out of Panama
Lean and athletic, Alexis Ramos hails from Cativa, Panama. He has plus-plus raw power, generated more with strength and leverage than bat speed. He grades out as an above average right fielder defensively. He should be very good at taking bad pitches and drawing walks. Ramos can be a second division starter at right fielder.

However, a few invitees left me disappointed as they did not appear to match my previous assessment, although they may still end up being future stars:

Jesus Escudero, 16 year-old CF out of Dominican Republic
Jesus Escudero is a long, lean athletic center fielder who was born in Esperanza, Dominican Republic. He uses his entire intimidating frame to do real damage at the plate. A true threat. He has above average contact potential. At maturity he should have an above average eye and draw 70 walks each year. Escudero is a reliable hitter in the organization's grand scheme.

And other players that I was able to further assess were:
Alvaro Angulo, 15 year-old RF out of Dominican Republic
Rogelio Flores, 16 year-old C out of Mexico
Ramiro Saiz, 16 year-old 3B out of Venezuela
Rogelio Alba, 16 year-old 2B out of Dominican Republic
Ismael Flores, 16 year-old SS out of Cuba
Jesus Mendizabal, 16 year-old SS out of Dominican Republic
Zidan Sudani, 16 year-old 3B out of South Africa
 

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A regular season that was one game from equalling the regular season record with an expected record one better than that must be considered a success. Both batting and pitching statistics ranked at, or near, the top of most statistics while the running and defense were equally impressive.

The Royals were strong at home and on the road, in extra inning and one run games, and against LHP and RHP (although slightly better against RHP).



Catcher

Mike Murphy added value to the Royals in 2045 but his defense was weak enough that a bat 18% better than league average only translated to 1.4 WAR. For comparison Zach Herr, now with the Red Sox, created the same WAR from a 74 OPS+. In addition, Murphy’s rating have started to decline and a $6m Team Option may not be the best path for the Royals.

Mike Woods struggled with the bat but retains elite defense and has a track record of producing at an above league average level. Nelson Canjura struggled to an 84 OPS+ in AAA but may have an inside track on a role if the Royals decide to move on from Murphy.

Infield

Luis Aceves was excellent in his everyday 1B role, adding 4.4 WAR from a 148 wRC+ while becoming only the 5th Royal to reach 40 HRs on the season, while setting a top ten placing for OPS (10th) and slugging % (3rd). He is currently looking for 8-year, $176m extension but, with another year on the league minimum the Royals are happy going year to year. Gilberto Matos is wrecked, is due $18m in 2046, moved into a DH role while missing half the season, and put up a 105 wRC+ while having his 4th consecutive postseason with a negative WAR rating. There is a limited market for Matos and it is likely the Royals will move on from the 2033 Scouting Discovery out of Colombia.

For the first time in his MLB career there are questions over 2B Edgar Mir. Mir hit under the Mendoza line with a 74 wRC+ and struggled to justify a position in the starting line up. Royals Scouting Director Christensen still sees Mir as an above average MLB player and, as with Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals will accommodate his decline in the best way possible. Next year is a $12m Team Option which the Royals will happily pick up.

3B Estanislau Covete (145 wRC+) struggled with injury and his lack of defensive ability as he only played in 69 games in 2045. If the Royals move on from Matos, though, there is likely to be a regular DH spot available and the Royals have Covete pencilled in despite entering his final year of arbitration with a likely $12m price tag. Arturo Oramas had his first year as an everyday starter and put up a 124 wRC+ with elite defense to contribute 4.6 WAR to the Royals. While not in the running for an extension, Oramas is the de facto starting 3B for 2046. Luis Aguilar earned his chance with stellar seasons in AAA but didn’t manage to hit at the MLB. As a left handed hitter, he retains value and the Royals would like to give him a chance to open the 2046 season on the roster but he may be a vicitim of roster crunch. Juan Colunga was protected a switch hitting better than average defender but didn’t get a chance after struggling in AAA and the Royals are likely to need his 42-man slot. More likely to keep a spot on the 42-man roster is Andres Morales. While not excelling at AA in 2045, Morales is only 22 and the Royals will hope to see him take a step forward over the winter.

Jadon Tezeno (121 wRC+) was solidly above average in his third season in the majors, adding a 1.062 EFF rating at SS to a bat that is 23 HRs for 3rd place on the roster. Still in the early years of a long term contract it is unlikely the Royals move on from Tezeno this off season. Edgar Noriega would at least make the Royals ask the question, however, as despite a tepid 96 wRC+ he put up 3.0 WAR behind an all-MLB glove. This was Noriega’s first year in the Majors so he will return on a minimum league contract in 2046.

Neither Jonathan Mumby nor Juan Montelongo made a ML appearance and both struggled but Mumby in AAA and Montelongo in A ball meaning Mumby is most at risk of 42-man roster squeeze.

Outfield

Five players played substantive games for the Royals in 2045 and all have a case to be back in 2046, albeit some with bigger fights on their hands than others.

In the no fight class are RF Bobby Nickelberry and CF Jorge Corujo. Nickelberry had an up and down season with three months of above league average hitting, and three months below. Despite those three difficult months he still hit 34 HRs and, with Aceves, will be heart of the Royals batting line up. Corujo will be hitting much earlier after leading the AL in SB with 73, good enough for the 3rd best Royals season ever. For a plus-plus contact hitter, a .268 batting average was not good enough but the Royals are confident in his ability to improve in his second full season.

The more challenging positions come for the Chris’ – Albright, Kern, and Morrow. Morrow led the trio with 119 wRC+, hit 21 HRs while stealing 100% of his 17 attempts, and is a left-handed hitter in a team that struggles for that skill. Albright is a speedy, base stealer, with a great personality and potential plus power. Kern has the same power potential as Albright with potential for slightly higher contact ability but has a lack of speed and baserunning prowess. Kern is the only one of the three with a 65 range to allow him to play CF on Corujo’s rest days. The likely order of retention is Morrow/Kern/Albright unless the Royals decide that 2046 is a year to carry 14 batters.

Luis Maldonado made his debut at the end of the season and is a competent player that is unlikely to get past the Chris’ and can only play the corners while Sergio Ruiz has a bat that hasn’t proved it can play at the majors but he brings elite defense and plus speed as well as a durable injury proneness. Both players have two more options years and should expect to start the season in AAA.

Offseason / Early 2046 Overview

C Mike Woods
1B Luis Aceves
2B Edgar Mir
3B Arturo Oramas
SS Jadon Tezeno

LF Chris Morrow
CF Jorge Corujo
RF Bobby Nickelberry

DH Estanislau Covete / Chris Albright

C Nelson Canjura
IF Luis Aguilar
IF Edgar Noriega
OF Chris Kern



Starters

Greg Moehring had another very strong year for the Royals with an AL-leading 19-2 record from 33 starts. His 1.08 WHIP and 63 FIP- contributed to his 6.4 WAR and him looking for a $40m/year 6-year contract to avoid hitting free agent. Moehring is fragile and will turn 30 next year, both of which are red flags. His 15 WAR in 2.5 years are the counterpoint and his contract will likely be the final decision for the Royals who will at least earn a supplemental 1st round pick should they not sign him.

Jeremy Ogans had an 18-win season with his 1.01 WHIP and 77 FIP- helping him to 4.6 WAR. However, he required radial nerve surgery in his elbow after getting injured in the playoffs and won’t return until June/July in 2046. An $8m arbitration figure is difficult to stomach for a player destined to spend half of the season on the Injured list but may be exactly what the Royals needs come July next year. The Royals will attempt a hard bargain to bring Ogans back and avoid losing him for nothing.

Ben Lane stayed healthy all season and pitched well without hitting the heights of his battery mate Moehring as his HR/9 rate crept above 1.0. At $12m next season, the Royals will be happy to have him putting up over 4 WAR with an 84 FIP- although they will still be hoping a successful S&C stint over the winter could turn him into more of a workhorse and back over 200 IP.

Mike Herzner was better than league average but not by a lot when he returned from injury, a 93 FIP- to go with a 1.10 WHIP and 14-8 record. A .385 QS% is probably not enough from an average SP and certainly not worth the 3-year, $24m Herzner is looking for. A QO will be issued but no long term contract is in the offing for Herzner.

Ethan Chafin was the success story of the year, moving back into the Starting Rotation and utting up 3.6 WAR in 20 starts. The 31-year old is a FA who the Royals will have to decide to either make an offer to or issue a QO – if he was not wrecked it would be an easy decision but the Royals may decide that limiting pitch counts and pulling him early with signs of tiredness will allow them to manage his workload and make him an efficient 4/5 starter.

Chris Kuehn, the trade deadline acquisition, provided solid pitching in 11 starts, going 5-2 with a 3.10 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. Kuehn is due $16m in arbitration and, if he can repeat this 5 WAR season, will be more than worth the price.

Bullpen

Curt Bogans made room for Chafin’s return to the starting rotation after a poor start to the season. He was much better in the bullpen and he will likely return despite being a Free Agent as the Royals look to let their leading pitcher of all time retire as a Royal – this was made easier by a 2.39 RP ERA in 15 games.

Luis Danys Rhodes has a Team Option for $10m, a bargain for the stopper who put up 4.4 WAR and is likely battling with his colleague Dan Nichols for the AL Reliever of the Year Award.

Nichols is a Free Agent and he may be looking for too much money for his next contract as the 40-year old must surely be caught by father time at some point. Two years at $17m will not work but a 2-year contract with lower amounts and a TO may tempt the Royals to run their stoppers back one more time.

Losing Juan Anaya (51 FIP-) to an off field injury during the post season was a tough blow for the Royals after the 25-year old put up a great season managing the MR innings to the tune of 53 games and 75 IP. He will be due over $4m in arbitration but the Royals will bring him back.

Joe Manley had a 91% success rate as he racked up 22 saves for the season and is one of the great closers in the game. However, with an $8m arbitration figure the Royals may be tempted to see what the trade market for a player who only pitched 30 innings. Nate Avis and Julio Pesina are the final two pitchers due arbitration with Pesina not making an appearance in the Major Leagues in 2045 and therefore unlikely to receive an offer while Avis’ 1.94 ERA was a great comeback season but his arbitration number of $5.6m for the fragile reliever makes his return a coin flip.

Offseason / Early 2046 Overview

SP Chris Kuehn
SP Ben Lane
SP Jeremy Ogens
SP TBC
SP Ethan Chafin

RP Joe Manley
RP Luis Danys Rhodes
RP Dan Nichols
RP Juan Anaya
RP Curt Bogans
RP Bob Capozziello
RP Cheng Baker
RP TBC
RP TBC

 

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Owner Goals

Nothing of particular note for the Royals this offseason as reaching the playoffs, sign Estanislau Covete, and building a championship team are understandable requests. The acquisition of an All Star is slightly perplexing for a team with multiple All Stars already but Stewart will keep eyes open for appropriate trades or Free Agents for this.



Finances

A big year for the finances to ease the road to success for Stewart. There were two fan increases – with the huge news that the market size has increased to average while fan loyalty has increased up to great giving the Royals two blue and one green ratings in the fan metrics. Those increases say owner Sherman increasing the Royals budget by another $10m, totalling $50m increases in 4 years.

You have just been informed from the team owner Jeremy Sherman that latest research has shown that the market size for the Kansas City Royals has increased to "Average".
That's very good news, keep up the good work!

You have just been informed from the team owner Jeremy Sherman that latest surveys among fans have shown that their loyalty to the Kansas City Royals has increased to a "GREAT" rating.
That's excellent news, keep up the great work!

You will have $290,000,000 available for the total team expenses. Given your current spending on staff and other costs, this should allow you a team payroll of around $200,000,000.

You may now set your ticket price for next year. You have until the Winter Meetings end on December 13th , 2045, 43 days from now, to set the price. Season tickets will start selling at that point. You have until the end of the pre-season to set your Scouting Budget, Player Development Budget, Draft Budget, and Intl Amateur FA Budget.



Personnel

The Office of the Commissioner has informed you that the following staff member of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (TL, AA) has decided to retire:

Hitting Coach Diogenes Diaz

Stewart was not comfortable with the minor league options so they will go externally for a replacement for Hitting Coach Diaz.

Minor Leagues

Awards

The Royals had 4 award winners in the 2045 Minor League season – with Manager of the Year awards for A Ball Manager Alan Williams and AA Manager Robert Donovan. Julio Lucio, 2040 Scouting Discovery, won the AA Outstanding Pitcher Award while 2041 8th round selection C.J. Binkle was the AAA Reliever of the Year.

Retirements

The Royals only saw one draftee from the top ten rounds retire as 2036 7th rounder SS Ken Overstreet retired from AA.

Prospect Review

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Personnel

AA Hitting Coach Elmer Figueroa
DSL (Glass) Hitting Coach Branfiel Concepcion

Awards

Luis Danys Rhodes wins his first Reliever of the Year Award while Colin Stewart wins his record extending 6th Manager of the Year award in another fairly barren year for the Royals in award season as only Luis Aceves and Jadon Tezeno join those two as award winner.

In the wider world, both Cy Young winners were unanimous with Keondre Dampier winning his second in a row in the National League while J.J. Tjepkema wins his 5th Cy Young, and third AL award after wins in 2035 and 2036. Royal Moehring came 2nd in the AL voting.

In the MVP races, Vince Elkins won his 4th award, the first 4-time winner since Barry Bonds won his 7th back in 2004.

AL Great Glove
NL Great Glove
AL Platinum Stick 1B Luis Aceves KC | SS Jadon Tezeno KC
NL Platinum Stick
AL Manager of the Year Colin Stewart (6) KC
NL Manager of the Year Robert Martinez MIL
AL Reliever of the Year Luis Danys Rhodes KC
NL Reliever of the Year Andres Landaverde CHC)
AL Rookie of the Year 1B Edgar Parra MIN
NL Rookie of the Year SS Juan Baca PHI
AL Cy Young J.J. Tjepkema (5) HOU
NL Cy Young Keondre Dampier (2) WAS
AL MVP CF Sergio Rivera SA
NL MVP SS Vince Elkins (4) LAD

Pre-Arbitration Extensions & Trades

Saturday, November 4th , 2045
Signed SP Ethan Chafin to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $45,000,000.



Signed RP Joe Manley to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $8,500,000.
Signed C Mike Woods to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $1,850,000.
Signed 3B Estanislau Covete to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $11,700,000.
Signed SP Jeremy Ogans to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $8,400,000.
Signed 1B Luis Aceves to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $3,000,000.
Signed RP Juan Anaya to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $4,180,000.
Signed SP Chris Kuehn to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $15,700,000.
Thursday, November 9th , 2045
Signed RP Curt Bogans to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $5,800,000.
Saturday, November 11th , 2045
Traded 28-year old RHP Nate Avis and 21-year old minor league SS Zach Wells to the Atlanta Braves, getting 17-year old minor league SS Lupe Aguilar, 18-year old minor league C Alejandro Ramos, and $10,000,000 in cash in return.
Wednesday, November 15th , 2045
Signed CF Chris Kern to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $2,750,000.
Signed LF Chris Albright to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $2,750,000.

Arbitration & Qualifying Offers

Tuesday, November 21st , 2045
SP Greg Moehring rejected the qualifying offer
SP Mike Herzner accepted a 1-year qualifying offer worth a total of $18,900,000.
RP Julio Pesina was not offered arbitration, becomes a free agent.
RP Dan Nichols accepted a 1-year qualifying offer worth a total of $18,900,000.

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 Marmolejo, 16 year-old RF out of Mexico
Lean and athletic, David Marmolejo hails from Córdoba, Mexico. He has shown the ability to utilize his tremendous speed to hit for an elite average. He is an elite runner. Speed is a key part of his game. As he matures he is expected to provide above average defensive value. Marmolejo has good potential and a very promising future.

Alexis Ramos, 16 year-old RF out of Panama
Lean and athletic, Alexis Ramos hails from Cativa, Panama. He has tape measure power potential. He has good hands and makes difficult plays look easy. He should demonstrate good plate discipline. Ramos has the dynamic tools needed to make an impact in the majors.

However, a few invitees left me disappointed as they did not appear to match my previous assessment, although they may still end up being future stars:

Jesus Escudero, 16 year-old CF out of Dominican Republic
Jesus Escudero is a long, lean athletic center fielder who was born in Esperanza, Dominican Republic. He should eventually be an above average contact hitter in the big leagues. He is a young player with above average power potential. At maturity he should have an above average eye. Escudero can be a second division starter at center fielder.

And other players that I was able to further assess were:
Ismael Flores, 16 year-old SS out of Cuba
Rogelio Flores, 16 year-old C out of Mexico
Ramiro Saiz, 16 year-old 3B out of Venezuela
Rogelio Alba, 16 year-old 2B out of Dominican Republic
Alvaro Angulo, 16 year-old RF out of Dominican Republic
Jesus Mendizabal, 16 year-old SS out of Dominican Republic
Zidan Sudani, 16 year-old 3B out of South Africa

Around the League

Retirements

Tuesday, October 31st , 2045
3B Juan Borja retired from professional baseball.
Atlanta Braves: RP Jake Ovca retired from professional baseball.
Atlanta Braves: RP Mike Matheson (AA Mississippi) retired from professional baseball.
Boston Red Sox: LF Billy Mumaugh retired from professional baseball.
Boston Red Sox: RP Ernesto Soriano retired from professional baseball.
Chicago Cubs: 1B Tyson Kendrick Jr. retired from professional baseball.
Chicago Cubs: RP Sergio Tercero (A Myrtle Beach) retired from professional baseball.
Chicago Cubs: SP Tyrese Johnican retired from professional baseball.
Chicago White Sox: SP Ronnie Chapman retired from professional baseball.
Cincinnati Reds: 2B Nate Meredith retired from professional baseball.
Cincinnati Reds: CL Joe Kohl retired from professional baseball.
Cincinnati Reds: CL Josh Roberts retired from professional baseball.
Cleveland Guardians: C David Vargas (AA Akron) retired from professional baseball.
Colorado Rockies: 1B Zach Ferguson (AA Hartford) retired from professional baseball.
Colorado Rockies: SP Danny Sizemore (AAA Albuquerque) retired from professional baseball.
Colorado Rockies: SP Josh Cook retired from professional baseball.
Detroit Tigers: CL Art Burnett retired from professional baseball.
Milwaukee Brewers: 3B Eric Rose retired from professional baseball.
New York Mets: 3B Joe Butler retired from professional baseball.
New York Mets: SS Alexis Ramirez (AA Binghamton) retired from professional baseball.
New York Yankees: CL Kevin Azeem retired from professional baseball.
New York Yankees: CL Shamar Waltower retired from professional baseball.
Philadelphia Phillies: SP Sergio Guevara (AA Reading) retired from professional baseball.
Pittsburgh Pirates: 1B Kwang-sub Kim retired from professional baseball.
Pittsburgh Pirates: RP Trajano Forca (A+ Greensboro) retired from professional baseball.
Pittsburgh Pirates: SP Brad Barber retired from professional baseball.
Pittsburgh Pirates: SP Juan Ventura retired from professional baseball.
San Antonio Avalanche: 2B Chris Ryder retired from professional baseball.
San Diego Padres: LF Luis Rojas retired from professional baseball.
San Diego Padres: LF Tyshawn Milbry (AA San Antonio) retired from professional baseball.
San Francisco Giants: RP Julio Castillo retired from professional baseball.
SP Dave van der Molen retired from professional baseball.
SP Josh Manly retired from professional baseball.
SP Timothy Theophanous retired from professional baseball.
Washington Nationals: RP Amari Malachi retired from professional baseball.

Colorado Rockies: Retired #73 in honor of Joe Kohl. 

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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 Marmolejo, 16 year-old RF out of Mexico
Lean and athletic, David Marmolejo hails from Córdoba, Mexico. This young man's swing is a thing of beauty and projects to be one of the best pure hitters of his generation. He has plus-plus speed with advanced instincts on the basepaths. He grades out as an above average right fielder defensively. Marmolejo is projected to be an elite starting right fielder.

Ismael Flores, 16 year-old SS out of Cuba
Ismael Flores is a wiry framed shortstop who was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. He has the potential to display plus power from the right side of the plate. He has above average contact potential. He is a smooth defender at shortstop. Flores should be a regular starter.

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:
Rogelio Flores, 17 year-old C out of Mexico
Ramiro Saiz, 16 year-old 3B out of Venezuela
Alvaro Angulo, 16 year-old RF out of Dominican Republic
Alexis Ramos, 17 year-old RF out of Panama
Rogelio Alba, 16 year-old 2B out of Dominican Republic
Jesus Escudero, 17 year-old CF out of Dominican Republic
Jesus Mendizabal, 16 year-old SS out of Dominican Republic
Zidan Sudani, 17 year-old 3B out of South Africa

Development Lab

Bobby Nickelberry has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his defense at right field.

Estanislau Covete has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his defense at third base.

Edgar Noriega has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his defense at shortstop.

Chris Morrow has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his defense at center field.

Mike Woods has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his defense at catcher.

• No noticeable changes.

Edgar Mir has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working hard with staff to improve his defense at second base.

• Infield arm rating improves by <5
• Infield range rating improves by 5
• Infield error rating improves by <5
• Turn doubleplay rating improves by <5

Rule 5 Draft Trades & 42-man Changes

Trades

Friday, December 1st , 2045
Traded 22-year old minor league 3B Andres Morales to the San Francisco Giants, getting 18-year old minor league 2B Bernalldino Igrejas and $3,000,000 in cash in return.
Traded 32-year old C Mike Murphy and $5,000,000 in cash to the Chicago Cubs, getting 21-year old minor league SS Quadir Blade in return.
Traded 26-year old minor league SS Jonathan Mumby, 21-year old minor league CF Jorge Asebedo, and 22-year old minor league RHP Julio Lucio to the Minnesota Twins, getting 23-year old minor league 2B Julio Rosario, 18-year old minor league C Arturo Ruano, and $5,000,000 in cash in return.
Traded 22-year old minor league RHP Julio Veloz to the New York Yankees, getting 17-year old minor league 2B Jesus Perea, 22-year old minor league LF DeMario Zamano, and $1,500,000 in cash in return.
Saturday, December 2nd , 2045
Traded 28-year old 1B Gilberto Matos and 21-year old minor league 2B David Archuleta to the Boston Red Sox, getting 21-year old minor league CF A.J. Terry in return.
Wednesday, December 6th , 2045
Traded 26-year old minor league LHP Sergio Valle, 24-year old minor league 2B Eddy Cordero, 24-year old minor league 2B Randy McCormick, 22-year old minor league RHP Eric Burden, 19-year old minor league RHP Attilio Amore, and 20-year old minor league RHP Tim Butkiewicz to the Boston Red Sox, getting 18-year old minor league CF Jake Andree and 16-year old minor league RHP Juan Armenteros in return.
Sunday, December 10th , 2045
Traded 22-year old minor league SS Jorge Pintado and 19-year old minor league 3B Jesus Quintana to the St. Louis Cardinals, getting 20-year old minor league LHP Juan Montoya in return.

42-man Roster Additions

Thursday, November 23rd , 2045
Placed RP C.J. Binkle on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed RP Eli Blyden on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed 2B Nelson Maldonado on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Friday, December 1st , 2045
Placed RP Yoichiro Curtsinger on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed 2B Randy Braun on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Placed 2B David Archuleta on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Saturday, December 2nd , 2045
Placed SP Chad Johnston on the secondary (42-man) roster.
Monday, December 4th , 2045
Placed CF Max Schwind on the secondary (42-man) roster.

Rule 5 Draft Transactions

Sunday, December 24th , 2045
Lost SP Benton Geldart in the Rule 5 Draft to the Cleveland Guardians.
Lost C Juan Llanas in the Rule 5 Draft to the New York Mets.
Lost SP Jon Lewis in the Rule 5 Draft to the Seattle Mariners.
Lost LF Juan Escobedo in the Rule 5 Draft to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Lost 2B Juan Medina in the Rule 5 Draft to the New York Mets.
Lost 3B Guadalupe Loayza in the Rule 5 Draft to the Los Angeles Angels.

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Financial Update

As we get closer to the start of the season, I have reviewed the team's financial state as of this moment.
As a reminder, you have $290,000,000 available for the total team expenses for the season.

Development Lab

Juan Colunga has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his defense at third base.

• No noticeable changes (poor).

Nelson Maldonado has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his defense at second base.

Randy Braun has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his defense at second base.

Nelson Canjura has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his defense at catcher.

Arturo Oramas has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his defense at second base.

Chris Albright has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his defense at left field.

• No noticeable changes.

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:

Alexis Ramos, 17 year-old RF out of Panama
Lean and athletic, Alexis Ramos hails from Cativa, Panama. He has tons of raw power and someday he'll challenge for home run titles. He is a quality defensive right fielder. At maturity he should have an above average eye. Ramos has all the skills scouts look for in a right fielder.

Rogelio Alba, 16 year-old 2B out of Dominican Republic
Rogelio Alba is a wiry framed second baseman who was born in Guerra, Dominican Republic. He has a quick bat that handles most fastballs, but off-speed stuff can challenge him. Expect a batting average around .250. His raw strength and quick wrists should give him above average power. Expect modest production from Alba once he fully develops.

However, a few invitees left me disappointed as they did not appear to match my previous assessment, although they may still end up being future stars:

Jesus Escudero, 17 year-old CF out of Dominican Republic
Jesus Escudero is a wiry framed center fielder who was born in Esperanza, Dominican Republic. He has potential to make consistent hard contact. He has raw above average power. He has great strike zone recognition. Escudero has potential to unleash his obvious talent both on the field and at the plate.

And other players that I was able to further assess were:
Jorge Arizmendi, 17 year-old SS out of Panama
Ignacio Vargos, 17 year-old LHP out of Venezuela
Jesus Villareal, 16 year-old CF out of Dominican Republic
David Marmolejo, 16 year-old RF out of Mexico
Jesus Mendizabal, 16 year-old SS out of Dominican Republic
Ramiro Saiz, 16 year-old 3B out of Venezuela
Zidan Sudani, 17 year-old 3B out of South Africa


Saturday, January 20th , 2046
Signed international amateur 3B Zidan Sudani out of South Africa to a minor league contract with a $3,300,000 signing bonus.
Signed international amateur SS Jorge Arizmendi out of Panama to a minor league contract with a $650,000 signing bonus.
Thursday, January 25th , 2046
Signed international amateur RP Ignacio Vargos out of Venezuela to a minor league contract with a $250,000 signing bonus.
Wednesday, January 31st , 2046
Signed international amateur CF Jesus Villareal out of Dominican Republic to a minor league contract with a $400,000 signing bonus.


Fall League News

It wasn't easy but the Virginia Beach Maulers made it look that way.

Starter Jeff Mole shut out the Garland Bears despite having what he later called "sub-par" stuff, and the Virginia Beach Maulers cruised to victory, 3-0. Mole allowed only 3 hits and rang up 3 strikeouts but insisted later that he did not deserve primary credit for the win.

"It didn't feel quite right today, but I got a lot of help to get through," he said. "I trusted my catcher and the guys behind me bailed me out more than once when I screwed up."

This year, Mole has worked 39.2 innings with 26 strikeouts en route to a 4-0 record and a 0.68 ERA.


Transactions

The big trade of the offseason say the Royals move on from Chris Morrow as he ended up as Chris-man-out from the logjam in the outfield. The same was true for young CF Luis Maldonado, who was wrapped into a trade with the Braves that nets the Royals 28-year-old 2041 AL MVP Juan Minnelli. It may be a one season rental but with plus-plus contact, plus gap power with above average speed, and above average power, the Royals think he will add some missing outfield punch without sacrificing much in defense.

Friday, January 12th , 2046
Traded 26-year old LF Chris Morrow, 20-year old minor league RHP Errol Walbourne, 22-year old CF Luis Maldonado, and $10,000,000 in cash to the Atlanta Braves, getting 28-year old LF Juan Minnelli (retaining 30%) in return.
Placed LF Juan Minnelli on the active roster.

Hall of Fame

The first franchise players from Stewart’s era find themselves on the ballot for the Hall of Fame this year as Bobby Witt Jr. and Mason Barnett both featured. Neither made the biggest impression with Witt Jr.’s 38.2% 7th on a list that saw three new members inducted into Cooperstown. Coby Mayo (97.2%) and Ricky Tiedemann (91.7%) were both inducted in their first years while it was 4th time lucky for Julio Rodriguez (80.6%). James Wood (72.6%) just missed out on being first ballot while Corey Seager will need to find just over 7% of voters next year, his final on the ballot.

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Development Lab

David de Anda has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his defense at shortstop.

Jorge Morales has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his defense at left field.

Bernalldino Igrejas has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his defense at shortstop.

• No noticeable changes.

Jonathan Lish has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working hard with staff to improve his defense at second base.

Sean Gedney has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working hard with staff to improve his defense at first base.

• Infield arm rating improves by <5
• Infield range rating improves by <5
• Infield error rating improves by <5
• Turn doubleplay rating improves by 5

Arturo Ruano has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working hard with staff to improve his defense at catcher.

• Catcher arm rating improves by 5
• Catcher ability rating improves by <5
• Catcher framing rating improves by 5

Luis Aceves has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his two-strike approach.

Jadon Tezeno has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his quality of contact.

Ben Lane has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his strength and conditioning.

Chris Kern has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working with staff to improve his quality of contact.

• No noticeable changes.

Juan Montelongo has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working hard with staff to improve his quality of contact.

• Current babip rating improves by 5

Jorge Corujo has completed his training in the development complex, and as you are aware, he has been working hard with staff to generate gap power.

• Current gap rating improves by 5

Preseason & Spring Training

It was the usual set up of 6 starting pitchers, no bullpen roles, and players learning new positions to start Spring Training.

The Royals do have a few injuries to start the season with 42-man roster players Jeremy Ogens, Steve Mitchell, Tim Hoffman, and Nelson Maldonado all starting the season on the injured list. The Royals go 4-3 to start Spring Training.

Thursday, February 22nd , 2046
Purchased the contract of SP Chad Johnston from Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of 2B Juan Montelongo from Class A Columbia.
Purchased the contract of RP Yoichiro Curtsinger from Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of RP C.J. Binkle from Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of RP Eli Blyden from Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of SP Mike Gaytan from Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of RP Tim Hoffman from Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of CL Steve Mitchell from Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of 2B Randy Braun from Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of CF Sergio Rulz from Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of 3B Juan Colunga from Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of 2B Nelson Maldonado from Triple A Omaha.
Purchased the contract of CF Max Schwind from Triple A Omaha.
Invited non-roster C Luis Montoya to Spring Training camp.
Friday, February 23rd , 2046
Invited non-roster SP Mike Krebs to Spring Training camp.