Latest news and updates about the Royals
With the expiration date of the current competitive bargaining agreement between the Major League Baseball Players Association and the owners looming over the end of the season like a supermoon in the sky, you can be assured that there will be lots of digital ink spilled all year long about the key negotiating issues. This […]
The Royals announced they have signed former All-Star catcher Elias Díaz to a minor league deal. Díaz spent 106 games with the Padres last year and hit .204/.270/.337 with nine home runs. The Venezuelan-born Díaz began his career with the Pirates in 2015, but was non-tendered after the 2019 season. He signed on with the […]
Spring Training games start today! Like, real baseball games (that don’t count in the standings)! In yesterday’s Rumblings, Max posted that Stephen Kolek would start today’s game against the Rangers. Jaylon Thompson wrote an entire story about it for The Star: “I’m excited for it,” Kolek said. “It’s a great honor to be the first […]
The Royals have had a full squad working out all week and tomorrow they’ll begin their first exhibition matchups. Spring training performances can be difficult to judge. Many players are working on new pitches, new swings, and with new teammates. The thin, dry air of Arizona is not like the environment players will play in […]
Last week, Royals Review Editor-in-ChLast week, Royals Review Editor-in-Chief Max Rieper asked us to highlight a minor leaguer to watch this spring. I immediately volunteered to write about a guy with a fantastic name who has been racing through the Royals’ system: Carson Roccaforte. Roccaforte was drafted by KC in the 2023 Competitive Balance B […]
At the end of January, I wrote an article about the Kansas City Royals potentially moving a starting pitcher for prospects. The Royals have enviable depth, and I think there are six guys – Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Kris Bubic, Noah Cameron, and Ryan Bergert – who really should be in an MLB […]
Jaylon Thompson wrote about the first full-squad workout on Monday. The Royals expect most of the spring competition to be reserve roles. The starting lineup is pretty much set with Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez leading the way. “I mean, without naming names, it’s very obvious who some of the […]
With apologies to Steve Busby, Paul Splittorff, and 1972 Roger Nelson, the first true ace of the Kansas City Royals was a Brooklyn, New York native named Dennis Leonard. After graduating from high school, Leonard walked onto the baseball team at Iona University, a small Catholic (4,000 students) college located just north of the Bronx. […]
We all have regrets. That includes baseball teams like the Royals, who have the moves that didn’t pan out, the moments that didn’t go their way, the pivotal decisions that could have worked out differently. Time travel stories and alternate histories are some of my favorite genres of fiction. What if a man decides to […]
The Royals will spend the next few weeks shaping the roster that they will carry to Atlanta for the season opener. One large factor in deciding who makes the team will be which players have options remaining. Options allow teams to send a player to the minors without exposing them to be claimed by another […]
It’s the first week of spring training, pitchers are climbing back onto the mound, hitters are getting their first swings in, and optimism is in the air. And yet, for fans of the Royals, there’s still that lingering feeling that something is missing. All winter long, the expectation has been that the front office would […]
Quinton Lucas gave a State of the City address and noted his desire to keep the Royals in KCMO. John Sherman had some comments. Word got back to Royals owner John Sherman. On Monday, Sherman addressed Lucas’ speech and offered his takeaway. “I appreciate him wanting to do that,” Sherman said. “And I appreciate that […]
The Royals had made moves to contend in 2014, but still, their postseason run had a “we’re just happy to be here” feel, where every day the team was playing with house money. They parlayed that attitude into a pennant, falling just short of winning one of the most improbable championships in modern baseball history. […]
At this time of year, I tend to start thinking through what my expectations are for the coming season. Having a base model in my head helps me avoid overreacting to early-season noise. Part of that process includes looking at the AL Central, the main competition the Royals need to beat to reach the playoffs. […]
The Royals announced they have signed left-handed pitcher John Means to a two-year minor league deal. Means is a Gardner, Kansas native who was an All-Star with the Orioles in 2019, but has battled injuries the last four seasons. Means graduated from Gardner-Edgerton High School and attended Fort Scott Community College before being drafted by […]
The Kansas City Royals look to enter 2026 with a much-improved outfield over the, shall we say, less-than-stellar 2025 outfit. But they could still use another bat, preferably a right-handed hitter who could be a platoon guy as there’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos. Kauffman Stadium has been home to a few […]
Last week I asked fans to chime in with the Royals Review fan survey, asking them what they thought about the Royals, downtown baseball, and the state of baseball. We had nearly 400 responses to our fan survey this year. This isn’t a scientific poll, just a fun internet poll. And it’s certainly not binding (unless […]
In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco are joined by Royals beat reporter Anne Rogers for an inside look at Kansas City’s spring training and the direction of the franchise heading into the new season. The conversation covers everything from the optimism surrounding camp to the buzz building for […]
Max covered the big story yesterday: The Royals traded for A’s pitcher Mitch Spence. Anne Rogers covered it for MLB: The Royals were interested in Spence ahead of the 2023 Rule 5 Draft, but the A’s scooped him up from the Yankees with the first pick. In ‘24, he posted a 4.58 ERA across 35 […]
The Royals announced they have acquired 27-year-old right-hander Mitch Spence from the Athletics in exchange for right-handed pitcher A.J. Causey. Spence pitched in 32 games last year for the A’s, eight starts, with a 5.10 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 84.2 innings. He was designated for assignment earlier this week. Spence was originally a 10th-round […]
The Kansas City Royals were active in making moves toward the beginning of the offseason. They acquired some key pieces via trades. Nick Mears, Isaac Collins, Matt Strahm. They also signed Lane Thomas. Now, comparatively speaking, the rest of the division did not do a whole lot. The Twins and White Sox are tanking and […]
A late-blooming out of nowhere relief pitcher is one of the great understated joys of baseball, and the Yankees acquired one of their own prior to the 2025 season. Fernando Cruz, who was drafted nearly two decades ago in 2007 by the Royals, didn’t make his major league debut until 2022, at the age of […]
Anne Rogers writes about how Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic are focusing on staying healthy. Everything is about staying on the mound this year. “We want to be out there,” Bubic said. “Cole is as competitive as it gets as well. We want to be out there playing with our guys every fifth day. We […]
Left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic has won his salary arbitration case against the Royals, according to MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand, and will receive his requested salary of $6.15 million. The Royals had offered $5.15 million. Bubic had a breakout season last year, posting a 2.55 ERA in 20 starts, with 116 strikeouts in 116.1 innings, earning […]
Most readers here love the game of baseball and love our Royals, but there are some seasons that truly test us. The hitters can’t hit, the pitchers can’t throw strikes, the ball gets kicked around the field, and the losses pile up. By June, you already have an eye towards Chiefs training camp. You’re a […]