Yost’s belief, trust in those around him led to Royals Hall of Fame

According to Ned Yost, the moment everything changed for the Royals was in the seventh inning of the 2014 American League Wild Card Game on Sept. 30, 2014.

The Royals were down four runs to the A’s with Jon Lester on the mound, but Yost heard a murmur throughout the home dugout that got louder by the second.

“We’re not losing tonight, not to this guy,” Yost remembers hearing. “Let’s get on, let’s get over. We’re not losing this game.”

The Royals scored three in the eighth and tied it in the ninth before Salvador Perez’s walk-off hit in the bottom of the 12th. It was a historic moment in Kansas City.

And for Yost?

“That was the moment they went from thinking they were good to knowing in their heart that they were good,” Yost said. “And they were unstoppable.”

Bobby Witt Jr. May Be 2023’s Best-Kept Secret

Witt isn’t in the ultra-superstar tier yet, but his 2023 season has improved his projections to the point that he can legitimately be considered one of the default All-Star options at shortstop for the next five to seven years or so.

It’s not just his offense that’s taken a step forward; so has his defense, which was one of the sticking points in his profile as a prospect. It wasn’t a sure thing whether he’d be at short instead of third base long term; RAA (-7), DRS (-18) and UZR (-7) all hated his glove work last year, and his defensive numbers at third only grading out as “mediocre” was another negative data point. ZiPS is designed to be fairly conservative with the magnitude of its defensive projections for players with little experience, but it certainly thought that Witt was well below average defensively entering the season. But he’s improved by double digits in all the defensive metrics this season while exclusively playing short — enough that ZiPS thinks we should be confident now that he’s a league-average defender at the position, a noted improvement.

Rangers get closer Aroldis Chapman in trade with Royals

The Texas Rangers, who have emerged as one of the most dominant teams in the majors this season, pulled off the first major trade of the summer on Friday, snagging perennial All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman from the Kansas City Royals.

Cole Ragans, a 25-year-old starting pitcher, and Roni Cabrera, a 17-year-old outfielder, were acquired from the Royals in exchange.

Chapman, a free agent at season’s end, will join fellow lefty Will Smith and right-hander Josh Sborz in the back end of the Rangers’ bullpen, forming a devastating mix late in games. The Rangers’ bullpen ranks 24th in the majors in ERA, but Smith and Sborz have combined for a 2.71 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 4.59 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Pasquantino needs shoulder surgery, will likely miss rest of season

The Royals will be without one of their frontline sluggers for the rest of the 2023 season. Vinnie Pasquantino will undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, the team announced on Wednesday.

Pasquantino had been on the injured list with right shoulder instability since exiting the Royals’ game against the Orioles on June 9. It’s an injury Pasquantino has dealt with before; he missed about three weeks last year with the same soreness, but an MRI showed that the Kansas City slugger will require surgery.

“It’s tough,” Pasquantino said. “But this is something where we can just go ahead and attack this now and be better come 2024.”

The 25-year-old, who made his much-anticipated Major League debut midway through last season, had produced a .247/.324/.437 slash line with nine home runs and 26 RBIs in 61 games in 2023.

Picollo: Royals have no intention of trading Perez

The other scenario mentioned was trading Chapman as part of a package with another Royals player, which would help shed payroll. The Athletic reported that one club that spoke with Kansas City interpreted this scenario as an indication it wanted to move Perez.

This is highly unlikely, according to general manager J.J. Picollo, who spoke with Perez about the trade rumor.

“We don’t have any intention of trading Salvy,” Picollo said Monday afternoon. “It’s not something we’re looking to do. But it doesn’t mean that teams won’t ask about him. I will confirm the report was accurate, that the team called and asked about him. But unfortunately, it was leaked. Those conversations should remain private. In this case, it didn’t. The unfortunate thing is, he’s a player on our team, he’s trying to lead our team.

“And to deal with a trade rumor that was more inquisitive than anything, it was made out more than it should have been.”

Black coaches and players say Kansas City Royals’ academy to grow local talent has lost its way

The Urban Youth Academy would have been an ideal place for his all-African American team, the Kansas City Expos, to train for its demanding travel schedule that included tournaments outside the local program.

“I had a team,” said Hall. “We didn’t get to practice down there.”

The Urban Youth Academy facility, owned by the Kansas City Royals, was completed in 2018 just off the main drag of Kansas City’s most historic Black neighborhood.

Hall said, whenever he tried to arrange practice there, he’d go through the application process but was always told the fields were booked.

Then, he and others would see teams from outlying areas practicing there.

“It’s not for the African Americans in the inner-city. For baseball, it’s more for people out in Johnson County and kids that have money,” said Hall, whose son Allante went on to play catcher in the Minnesota Twins system after his time with the Expos.

“There’s others that do feel the same way, that it wasn’t really designed for the urban kids,” he said.

Royals Designate Hunter Dozier For Assignment

The Royals announced Monday that infielder Hunter Dozier, who’s playing out the third season of a four-year contract worth a guaranteed $25MM, has been designated for assignment. His spot on the active roster will go to infielder Nicky Lopez, who is returning from the 10-day injured list.

Dozier, 31, was the No. 8 overall selection in the 2013 draft, though that was generally regarded as an underslot deal that allowed them to go over slot to sign lefty Sean Manaea 26 picks later. Dozier was still a well-regarded prospect himself, but he struggled considerably in his first few pro seasons before a breakout showing between Double-A and Triple-A in 2016. He struggled in his first two big league looks in 2016 and 2018 but looked to have a breakout campaign in 2019, when he slashed .279/.348/.522 with a career-high 26 home runs.

Royals stadium in North Kansas City could replicate Wrigleyville, Northland leaders say

Elected officials north of the Missouri River say conversations are ongoing with the Kansas City Royals about the potential of building the team’s next stadium in North Kansas City.

On Friday afternoon, the mayor of North Kansas City and two Clay County commissioners issued an open letter about their efforts to move the team away from Jackson County.

For months, the Royals have been publicly discussing plans to relocate from Kauffman Stadium to a stadium in or around downtown Kansas City.

The team has spent most of its efforts studying the East Village neighborhood just north of City Hall in the downtown loop. But team leaders recently acknowledged that North Kansas City, a quick drive over the Missouri River, is among the finalists still under consideration.

In their letter, Northland officials described the possibility of a North Kansas City stadium that could replicate Wrigleyville, the iconic neighborhood surrounding Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. A mixed-use development “that will take our city and region to the next level” could provide not only a new stadium, but a wider development with homes, offices and entertainment.

The Royals Try a New Shift

One thing I absolutely didn’t expect: a five-man infield against Joey Gallo. The Royals had other plans, however. They pinched in their right fielder and rotated the rest of the outfield to compensate for it against him in his first at-bat of the season. The result was amusing, particularly if you’re a fan of the best laid plans going awry:....

Now, we can put everything together. On grounders, the Royals’ unconventional shift saves them 3.8 runs per 100 batted balls. On balls in the air, it costs them a combined 3.4 runs per 100 batted balls. That’s close enough that we should apply the tiebreaker, which is in favor of shifting. In other words, bringing in their right fielder against Gallo saved the Royals a tiny part of a run, at least per my calculations. We’re doing math in per-100-batted ball increments, but if you want to think in terms of plate appearances, my math says that the Royals save roughly 0.2 runs per 100 PAs. That’s the equivalent of roughly two points of wOBA, not exactly a huge savings.

In the end, perhaps the Royals’ shift is much ado about nothing. Or perhaps my analysis is wrong; I had to make a lot of assumptions to come to a conclusion, and some of them are closer to guesswork than scientific knowledge. I’m most surprised by how narrow the gap between the two options appears to be; it’s close to being a pure toss-up. That’s only the case because Gallo is so extreme of a hitter, though.

MLB Trade Rumors: Bartolo Colon Agrees to Sign With Unknown Team

Bartolo Colon has agreed to a deal with an unknown club reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). The right-hander wouldn’t divulge the team because he has not yet passed his physical.

Pretty sure it’s either the All-Stars or the Champs.

George Brett says young Royals remind him of his playing days

Sans Zdebonair, of course.

The words are flowing quickly from George Brett’s mouth. The greatest player in Royals history can’t stop talking about winning baseball in Kansas City.

He’s saying the same names and phrases you’ve heard before.

Eric Hosmer can be a star. And the young left-handed pitchers can turn into studs. And guys like Johnny Giavotella and Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez can win with talent AND chemistry.

“What were they doing in Double-A two years ago?” Brett says. “They were voted the best (darn) team in all of minor-league baseball.”

BTF Flashback: David Brazeal’s “The Peña”

Once upon a spring so dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious contest of forgotten score.
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my office door.
“‘Tis just Mr. Glass,” I muttered, “tapping at my office door—
Only him and nothing more.”

How distinctly I remembers how it’s been in past Decembers,
As each season’s dying embers wrought their ghosts across the plain.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; vainly I had tried to borrow
From Herk’s legacy of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Jermaine.
For the rare and radiant player whom the angels name Jermaine—
I got Neifi - oh, such pain.

And the silken sad uncertain promise of each high school pitcher
Thrilled me—-filled me with fantastic fervor never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
“‘Tis some young phenom entreating entrance at my chamber door,
Affeldt or Runelvys entreating entrance at my chamber door.
This it is, and nothing more.”

Our young arms I thought were stronger; hesitating then no longer,
“Sirs,” said I, “for those high pitch counts, your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is, I was napping, while Old Muser did his yapping,
Now the doctors, elbows zapping, zapping like Rosado’s sore,
Promise me that they will fix you.” Here I opened wide the door—-
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into the outfield peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing
Doubting, dreaming dreams no GM ever dreamed with such élan;
Half Dos Carlos still has impact, and I want a long-term contract,
He’s the biggest prospect intact.  Faintly came the word, “Beltran,”
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Beltran!”
Sign or trade him fore he’s gone.

Back into my office turning, for that long-term deal still yearning,
Soon again I heard a tapping, something louder than before,
“Surely,” said I, “surely, that’s a closer at my window lattice.
Let me see, then, who thereat is, and this bullpen depth explore.
Mike McDougal, Ryan Bukvich, Hill and others do implore.
All will have some saves in store.

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Peña, of the Pirates’ days of yore.
Not much of OPS knew he; loss of veteran pride did rue he;
Grounding to the right side knew he, was the perfect way to score.
Perched upon a bust of Dave Glass, just inside my office door,
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this manager beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By his bright and warm decorum made me want to scale a wall,
“Though thy attitude is sunny, we,” I said, “don’t have no money,
Optimistic silly Peña, Michael Tucker can’t play ball.
Tell me what the lordly plan is ‘ere this team impact the wall.”
Quoth the Peña, “Little ball.”

Much I marveled this ungainly man to hear discourse so plainly,
This the answer I’d been searching, all to end the Royals’ fall,
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Should be always cursed with seeing such a bad display of ball,
Randa, Quinn or Mayne may slug .350 but at least they all,
Might make runs with “Little ball.”

But the Peña, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only
Those two words, as if the world with those two words he did enthrall.
I was struck with inspiration—“Hitters: heed the situation!”
Called Ibanez: “Raul, come quickly! Even if your swing is sickly,
Make your outs always productive, lest the ump a third strike call.
Chirped the skipper, “Little ball.”

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
“Doubtless,” said I, “what he utters is the offense to install,
But with slugger Michael Sweeney, surely Peña’s not a meanie.
If our slugger bats with man on second and no outs at all—-
Surely then a mighty swing will not this Peña’s ire recall.
Still spoke Peña, “Little ball.”

This new manager beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of him, to heed his call;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to thinking
What about the shortstop stinking?  What if Angel’s bat should fall
Like it did for all last season, Though his glove did not appall?
Came the answer, “Little ball.”

Thus I sat engaged in guessing, Desi Relaford assessing,
While the Peña’s eyes cried tears of loss for Royal Byrd named Paul;
Thoughts on Mark D. Quinn alighting, hopes for no more Kung Fu fighting—
That his hamstring he’ll be righting, and can finally heed the call,
Even if his leather glove he leaves upon the bench till fall,
DH, too, plays Little Ball!

I had praised payroll taxation, contemplating my rotation.
Yankee seraphim whose money trickling, to KC would fall.
“Cash,” I cried, “Steinbrenner spent thee—by these dollars he hath
Pent the talent up in Gotham, leaving little for us all.
Leaving only Darrell May, Asencio to throw the ball.”
Quoth the Peña, “Little Ball!”

“Peña!” said I, “dugout leader!  Ask a Baseball Primer Reader!
Little Ball, they say, is not conducive to Mike Sweeney’s call.
What of Harvey’s blooming power, just last Fall his finest hour—
Arizona’s budding flower, whacking line drives off the wall?
Is there room for sluggers herewith, shall we his sweet swing forestall?”
Quoth the Peña, “Little Ball.”

“Peña!” said I, “clubhouse leader, we don’t have a Derek Jeter!
On the grave of Ewing Kauffman—by the Game we heard us call—
Tell this soul if there’s a reason, to believe sometime this season,
We shall be our fans a-pleasin’, by a fine display of ball—
Pass the Tigers?  E’en the Twinkies! Pass them in the standings all!
Quoth the Peña, “Little Ball.”

“Be those words our sign of parting, Muser clone!” I shrieked, upstarting—
“Get thee back into the dugout.  Let thine quips the press enthrall!
When our bullpen lost Hernandez, what I came to understand is,
There’s a hundred cheap Joe Randas waiting to receive a call.
Woe to Mr. Glass for nixing Randa to the Cubs et al.
Quoth the Peña, “Little Ball.”

And the Peña, offense stunting, still is bunting, still is bunting
On the green expanse of Kauffman though my head hurts from it all;
And the team has kept on losing, while the fans in seats are snoozing.
And a record of .500 teases as the seasons crawl
And the team from out that cellar where it’s buried every Fall

Wins renown for Little Ball.

Andy Carey, helped preserve Larsen’s perfecto, dies

RIP,

Andy Carey, a former Yankees third baseman who helped preserve Don Larsen’s 1956 perfect game, passed away on Dec. 15 in Costa Mesa, Calif., his family announced. He was 80.

A career .260 hitter, Carey played in 11 Major League seasons from 1952-62, beginning with the Yankees at age 20 in ‘52 and spending nine seasons wearing pinstripes.

Born on Oct. 18, 1931, in Oakland, Calif., Carey signed with the Yankees after spending a summer playing semi-pro ball in Weiser, Idaho. As New York’s everyday third baseman in ‘55, Carey led the league with 11 triples and was known as a solid defender and clutch hitter.

Carey played on four Yankees World Series teams, winning rings with the 1956 and ‘58 squads. He is remembered as playing a key role in Larsen’s Oct. 8, 1956, perfecto against the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium.

[Yuniesky] Betancourt Back With Royals

When he fits in well around the clubhouse, he really fits in well AROUND the clubhouse!

The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has signed utility infielder Yuniesky Betancourt to a one-year Major League contract for 2012. Consistent with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed…

“We have been looking for a utility infielder who could play short, third and second base and we feel Yuni is a great fit,” said Royals’ General Manager Dayton Moore. “He brings a right-handed bat with some power and is a guy we know fits in well in the clubhouse.”...

Betancourt is a career .268 hitter with 189 doubles, 60 home runs and 375 RBI in seven seasons for the Mariners (2005-09), Royals (2009-10) and Brewers (2011).

Grantland (Rany J): The MLB Prospect Bubble

In 21st-century baseball, when teams do overpay in prospects, it’s usually for stars. Most famously, in 2007 the Braves gave up Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (who started to find himself this season after a trade to Boston) — but at least they traded for Mark Teixeira, an acknowledged superstar.

The blowback from the Teixeira trade seems to have made teams even more conservative about trading prospects, even for elite major league talent. As a result, for perhaps the first time in baseball history, minor league prospects seem to be overvalued by MLB front offices. ...

To put this in terms that Billy Beane can understand: We’ve reached a point where trading away prospects is the new market inefficiency. ...

For that reason, an ambitious team with a deep farm system — the Royals, for instance, or the Nationals — should take advantage of MLB general managers’ prospect fetish to cash in some of their lottery tickets for established players who might help them win in 2012.

Rany makes some excellent points here. Prospects can serve two purposes for an organization - building blocks on the parent club or trade chits for the pieces that will get you over the hump - and teams seem to be more inclined these days to use them for the first purpose without giving enough thought to using them for the second purpose.

Kevin Goldstein: Royals Top 11 Prospects

System in 30 Words Or Less: Despite graduating five players from last year’s Top 11 to create one of the most exciting young teams in the majors, this system remains among the best.

Five-Star Prospects
1. Wil Myers, OF
2. Bubba Starling, OF
Four-Star Prospects
3. Jake Odorizzi, RHP
4. Cheslor Cuthbert, 3B
5. John Lamb, LHP
Three-Star Prospects
6. Mike Montgomery, LHP
7. Yordano Ventura, RHP
8. Jorge Bonifacio, OF
9. Kelvin Herrera, RHP
10. Jason Adam, RHP
11. Chris Dwyer, RHP

Nine More
12. Elier Hernandez, OF: This big-money signee ($3-plus million) from the Dominican has the potential to be a special bat in an outfield corner.
13. Christian Colon, SS/2B: His Double-A season was a big disappointment, especially for a player with a limited ceiling.
14. Bryan Brickhouse, RHP: This third-round pick has velocity and a curveball, but it’s not pretty.
15. Yamaico Navarro, INF: He’s ready to produce as a Wilson Betemit type with more positional flexibility.
16. David Lough, OF: Some still believe in him as a second-division starter, but most see a future fourth outfielder.
17. Noel Arguelles, LHP: This Cuban lefty has moxie and command, but will he miss bats at the upper levels?
18. Brett Eibner, OF: Injuries affected his full-season debut, but questions about his hitting remain.
19. Kevin Chapman, LHP: Chapman is a power lefty with mid-90s heat, but it can get straight.
20. Humberto Arteaga, SS: He’s a potential defensive wizard who will need to make great strides with the bat.

Rule V Results

1.Astros take Rhiner Cruz from Mets.
2.Twins take Terry Doyle from White Sox.
3.Mariners take Lucas Luetge from Brewers.
4.Orioles take Ryan Flaherty from Cubs.
5.Royals take Cesar Cabral from Red Sox; traded to Yankees for cash.
6.Cubs take Lendy Castillo from Phillies.
8.Pirates take Gustavo Nunez from Tigers.
  21.Braves take Robert Fish from Angels.
22.Cardinals take Erik Komatsu from Nationals.
23.Red Sox take Marwin Gonzalez from Cubs.
  25.Diamondbacks take Brett Lorin from Pirates.
  29.Yankees take Brad Meyers from Nationals.

Royals Review: Royals Fired Frank White For Being Too Critical?

I wasn’t pitch-fork ready when I heard that Frank White was not returning to Royals broadcasts in 2012. However, Jeff Passan has made the discussion a little more interesting:

I’m told the Royals fired Frank White because team thought he was too critical. To fire him is bad. To fire him for that is unconscionable.

...The Royals are in a tough spot here. The team/FSKC has every right to go in another direction, and in the past White has been fairly prickly about being denied or removed from similar Royal-for-life-I’m-a-Famous-guy roles. A number of fans are upset about Frank being fired and a few days the Royals are going to take some heat for it. For me, I’m much more concerned about why he was fired.

I agree with Passan—who is a nationally respected baseball writer with KC ties—that firing Frank for being critical of the team is a bad thing. The odd, and scary thing, is that I would have never considered him critical in the first place. I can begrudgingly understand and even warrant that a team would not want a truly critical voice on team broadcasts (although this could also mean more entertaining TV and maybe more money, etc). But if Frank White was too critical what could they possibly want? Can any of us name three negative things the man said? Coupled with the short-sighted decision to dump Fanfest in favor of focusing on out-of-town corporate junketers this summer, we’re looking at a rough winter from Royals leadership.

Are the bad old days of a paranoid ownership returning?

Thanks to Pa Tech.

Source: Jonathan Broxton, KC a match

Former Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton has reached agreement on a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, a baseball source told ESPN.com.

The deal is contingent on Broxton passing a physical exam Wednesday, the source said.

Broxton, 27, is 25-20 with a 3.19 ERA and 84 saves over seven big league seasons. He was a National League All-Star in 2009 and 2010, but made only 14 appearances for the Dodgers last season before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in September.

Broxton was attractive to numerous clubs because of his willingness to sign a one-year deal and go back on the market as a free agent next winter. The Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and New York Mets all actively pursued him before he decided to sign with Kansas City….

Terms of Broxton’s agreement with Kansas City weren’t immediately available, but sources said he was seeking a deal in the $4 million to $6 million range.

VIDEO: Vh1 Releases The New Baseball Wives Supertrailer!

The new series will follow the lives of five wives, ex-wives and girlfriends of professional Baseball players as they struggle to balance relationships, friendships and chaos. The Baseball Wives are: Anna Benson (wife of retired Arizona Diamondbacks’ Pitcher Kris Benson), Tanya Grace (ex-wife of retired Chicago Cubs’ First Baseman Mark Grace), Chantel Kendall (ex-wife of Kansas City Royals’ Jason Kendall), Brook Villone (wife of Ron Villone) and Jordana Lenz (linked to no particular athlete in particular – but I’m sure she has an MLB ex or two somewhere).

Report: Bruce Chen, Royals agree

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals agreed to a $9 million, two-year contract with left-hander Bruce Chen on Wednesday, solidifying their starting rotation heading into next season, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

They call him Bruce.

Dodd: On Hosmer, the Rookie of the Year and why age matters

Intermocking NY Yankee fan that threw Hosmer’s 1st career HR back…begins now!

In just his third full year of professional baseball, Hosmer batted .293/.334/.465 with 19 homers and 27 doubles in 128 major-league games. His adjusted on-base percentage plus slugging (OPS+) was 118. And if you want to put all these numbers in historical context, here we go:

Here is the list* of players that batted at least .290/.330/.465 with a 118 OPS+ at the age of 21 (with a couple qualifiers):

*During their first or second major-league season

*Minimum 500 plate appearances

... Eddie Matthews; Mickey Mantle; Ted Williams; Albert Pujols; Stan Musial; Hal Trosky; Arky Vaughan; Del Ennis; Frank Robinson; Hank Aaron; Ken Griffey Jr.; Bob Horner; Orlando Cepeda; Miguel Cabrera; Joe Medwick; Vada Pinson; and Joe DiMaggio.

That’s 17 names. And just three — Cabrera, Pujols and Griffey — in the last three decades.

Christensen: Time has come to put Camilo Pascual in the Twins Hall of fame

With Patrick Reusse’s urging, I’ve been voting for Pascual, but I must admit that I knew little about the Cuban righthander’s career this summer, when we were putting together stories for Bert Blyleven’s Hall of Fame induction. I started interviewing folks about Blyleven’s legendary curve ball, and the ones who remembered, were quick to mention his predecessor.

“The best curve ball in history, and a guy who gets overlooked, is Camilo Pascual,” White Sox broadcaster Steve Stone said.

Hawk Harrelson heard us talking and launched into a story:

“We had a rainy day at the old Met, and Camilo did something I’d never seen somebody do: He struck out three guys all sitting on their butt. Rocky Colavito was hitting third, I was hitting fourth, and Jim Gentile was hitting fifth. The ground was wet, and we got out there so far—wham! Right down on our butt.”

“and Camilo did something I’d never seen somebody do”...and you still haven’t, because it nevah happened™. (™: Tracer Meth-a-done)

Jonathan Sanchez Traded for Melky Cabrera

The Kansas City Royals have announced that the club has acquired left-handed pitchers Jonathan Sanchez and Ryan Verdugo from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for outfielder Melky Cabrera.

Brown: Royals reportedly set to corporately rename Kauffman Stadium

Arvest: With the promise of a man…

For perhaps $3-6 million annually over the next 21 years, the Kansas City Royals reportedly are willing to sell out their founder, the late Ewing Kauffman, and rename their ballpark after a bank. Or maybe they’ll just marginalize Kauffman a little bit and call the place “Whichever Bank Field at Kauffman Stadium.”

...KHSB-TV, the NBC station in K.C., reports that the Royals home park might go corporate as soon as Monday:

  Sources close to the Royals say the corporation is a bank but they would not confirm which one.

  However, it is worth noting that the chairman of the board of Arkansas based Arvest Bank is the son of the late Sam Walton of the Walmart family.

  Royals owner David Glass is the former CEO of Walmart.