Skip to main content

Royals Review

https://www.royalsreview.com/ | 372 entries published

\"A dim view of humanity\" -Lee Judge

Latest Entries

The legendary Slappie

In the 1850s, thousands of immigrants from the Bohemia region of Czechoslovakia settled in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Most of these immigrants settled into neighborhoods just southeast of downtown and worked at local meatpacking plants.  Two of those new Americans were Frank and Sofia Slapnicka.  The Slapnickas had four children; the youngest, named Cyril, soon developed […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Kansas City Royals news: Qualifying offers, Rule 5 protections

The Kansas City Royals protected two top-30 prospects from the Rule 5 Draft on Tuesday. MLB.com’s Anne rogers highlights some other Top-30 prospects that are now available for other teams in this winter’s draft. Vazquez, a shortstop, had a great Arizona Fall League performance again this fall, but he’s still just 21 years old and […]

3 months ago | 2 reads

Royals add Ben Kudrna, Steven Zobac to the 40-man roster

The Royals have added pitchers Ben Kudrna and Steven Zobac to the 40-man roster ahead of today’s deadline to protect eligible players from the Rule 5 draft to be held in December. The Royals did not add pitcher Frank Mozzicato or outfielder Gavin Cross, both former first-round picks who are eligible to be selected. Ben […]

3 months ago | 1 read

Trent Grisham and Gleyber Torres among four free agents to accept Qualifying Offer

For Royals fans looking for an upgrade in the lineup, two options are already off the board. Free agent second baseman Gleyber Torres of the Tigers and outfielder Trent Grisham of the Yankees both accepted the one-year Qualifying Offer to remain with their respective teams. Also accepting are pitchers Shota Imanaga of the Cubs and […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Vinnie Pasquantino is an extension candidate, but not this year

Vinnie Pasquantino has carved a spot on the Kansas City Royals as one part slugger, one-part core building block, and one part of quasi-mascot. His MLB debut season was tantalizing, and he finally had a fully healthy season in 2025 where he amassed some truly impressive counting stats: 30 home runs, 100 runs batted in, […]

3 months ago | 1 read

Kansas City Royals news: Team awards handed out

Anne Rogers writes about the team awards handed on yesterday. And all three won Royals team awards Monday, as voted on by the Kansas City chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Witt was named the Les Milgram Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive season — all four seasons of his Major […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Alex Gordon among 12 newcomers on Hall of Fame ballot

Alex Gordon, an All-Star outfielder who spent 14 seasons with the Royals, is among 12 first-time candidates for the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America unveiled its 2026 ballot on Monday. The other newcomers to the ballot include Ryan Braun, Shin-Soo Choo, Edwin Encarnacion, Gio Gonzalez, Cole Hamels, Howie Kendrick, Matt […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

What was the most exciting offseason move in Royals history?

I attended my first Royals game in 1988, and that was the first season I followed what was really happening to the team. By 1989, I was a baseball nut, asking to spend my birthday party at the Royals game with friends, tuning into “This Week in Baseball” each week, and reading coverage from Dick […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Royals Rundown: Royals in MVP Picture, Picollo Bites and Hall of Fame Debate

In this packed episode of Royals Rundown, hosts Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco break down the latest buzz surrounding the Kansas City Royals. With the offseason heating up, they explore key takeaways from general manager J.J. Piccolo’s recent comments, including trade priorities, pitching depth, and the organization’s focus on outfield upgrades. The duo also weighs […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

2025 Season in Review: Stephen Kolek

Last week, I covered how the Royals changed Ryan Bergert from a guy way out-performing his peripherals to one with significantly better peripherals to the point that even as he improved in total, he was underperforming the new ones. This week, I wanted to take a look at what they did with Stephen Kolek. The […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Kansas City Royals news: Cam Devanney can be big in Japan

Jaylon Thompson writes that Blake Mitchell is starting to feel like himself again in Arizona. “It’s a bunch of fun competing with these guys,” Mitchell said. “It’s great. I couldn’t imagine just sitting at home just doing the offseason right now. I would much rather be out here playing baseball, competing with these guys, my […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Kansas City Royals news: Rumors, rumors, rumors!

Anne Rogers talks to J.J. Picollo on his objectives this offseason, including upgrading the outfield. “That’s one of the objectives. Our outfield hasn’t been as productive as we needed it to be over the last two or three years. We’re back at it again, trying to figure things out. We’ve got a young player who […]

3 months ago | 2 reads

Do the Royals have the pitching depth to make a trade?

It seems like a lot of people are assuming the Royals can trade from their starting pitching depth, and I felt like I wanted to be one of them. However, I started thinking about how deep is this depth that they would be trading from? There are a lot of arms that could start in […]

3 months ago | 6 reads

Taylor Made? Breaking Down Royals Trade Options and Rumors

In this episode of the Royals Rundown podcast, hosts Jacob Milham and Jeremy “Hokius” Greco dive into the Kansas City Royals’ offseason strategy and the latest trade rumors heating up the hot stove. They break down which outfielders could land in Kansas City, including Jarren Duran, Taylor Ward, and Jo Adell and debate the pros […]

3 months ago | 3 reads

Potential trade target: Brendan Donovan

J.J. Picollo has been quite clear that he is looking for outfielders, with several rumors already matriculating out of the general manager meetings in Las Vegas this week. But the Royals may be creative in their pursuit to upgrade the worst-hitting outfield in baseball. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that they have […]

3 months ago | 2 reads

Figuring out how to watch sports now is a mess

Every year for the last few years, we write articles here about how to watch the Kansas City Royals. Just two decades ago, that you would have needed such a guide would have seemed ridiculous. Back then, to watch the Royals you would simply do so on cable television or listen on the radio. The […]

3 months ago | 3 reads

Bobby Witt Jr. finishes fourth in MVP voting

Even in a down year, Bobby Witt Jr. is among the best in baseball. The Royals shortstop finished fourth in American League MVP voting in results released Thursday, behind winner Aaron Judge of the Yankees. Witt finished second to Judge last year. Bobby hit .295/.351/.502 with 23 home runs and 38 steals, while leading the […]

3 months ago | 2 reads

Kansas City Royals news: Kris Bubic drawing trade interest

At The Athletic ($), Will Sammon writes that Kris Bubic is popular in trade talks. Darragh McDonald also talks about this article at MLB Trade Rumors: As Sammon points out, another thing working in the club’s favor is that a lot of other pitchers with upside are seemingly unavailable. Recent reports have downplayed the trade […]

3 months ago | 2 reads

Picollo: Royals seeking everyday left-fielder and right-handed bat

General managers are meeting this week in Las Vegas, laying the groundwork for deals this offseason. Free agency is officially open, and the Royals have clear needs in their lineup. While they got another All-Star performance from Bobby Witt Jr., a breakout season from Maikel Garcia, and 30-home-run seasons from Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez, […]

3 months ago | 2 reads

Should the Royals forfeit a draft pick to sign a big free agent?

Free agency has officially begun, and the Royals certainly have clear needs they will need to address, particularly in the outfield. While the Royals sound more willing to explore the trade path than a free agent market that is thin in outfielders, they have also shown to be flexible and adapt to the market. Last […]

3 months ago | 2 reads

Kansas City Royals news: A new offensive philosophy?

The Royals believe a new focus from the coaching staff can turn around the offense ($): Their preparation for a job interview with the Royals prompted the same conclusions the Royals reached long ago: They have to make better decisions in the batter’s box. Kansas City has revised its hitting coaching staff this offseason, though […]

3 months ago | 2 reads

MLB should model its extra innings like Super Smash Bros.

Major League Baseball officially calls the player who begins the inning during regular season extra inning games the “automatic runner” in the rules. That is an objectively boring name. Baseball fans have dubbed this player the “ghost runner,” which is far more interesting, even if it’s not technically accurate; they’re just as real as any […]

MLB

3 months ago | 0 reads

Potential trade target: Jarren Duran

The Royals enter this offseason looking to upgrade an outfield that produced the fewest runs in baseball last year. One intriguing trade target who could help change that is Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, whose name has surfaced frequently in trade rumors this winter. Jarren Duran is a 29-year-old from California who debuted in 2021. […]

3 months ago | 4 reads