Daily Clips
February9, 2017
LOCAL
Hosmer headlines list of 11 Royals in WBC '17
February 8, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Hammel inks two-year deal with Royals
February 8, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals acquire Dewees in exchange for Mills
February 8, 2017MLB.com
Key questions surround Hosmer heading into '17
A free agent after season, Royals All-Star looking to put together full season offensively
February 8, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals sign right-hander Jason Hammel to a two-year contract
February 8, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Fox Sports Kansas City plans to air special ‘Remembering Yordano Ventura’ on Friday
February 8, 2017By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Royals send right-hander Alec Mills to the Cubs for outfielder Donnie Dewees
February 8, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Here’s a first look at the Royals’ roster for spring training
February 8, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Royals’ opening day payroll could exceed $140 million for second straight year
February 8, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Seven things to know about new Royals pitcher Jason Hammel
February 8, 2017By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
NATIONAL
MLB plans to test new extra-innings rules in rookie ball, with Joe Torre's approval
February 8, 2017By Jeff Passan/Yahoo! Sports
Bailey out 4-6 weeks after right elbow surgery
Pitcher had arthroscopic procedure to remove bone spurs
February 8, 2017By Mark Sheldon/MLB.com
MLB TRANSACTIONS
February 9, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Hosmer headlines list of 11 Royals in WBC '17
February 8, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer has a special goal while playing again for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic: Win it all.
"I've taken pride in winning championships at every level, and it's happened at every level except for playing for [Team USA]," Hosmer said. "This will be my fourth time playing for them through high school and the Minors.
"We've taken third and fourth place but never won it. I want to change that."
The World Baseball Classic runs from March 6-22. In the U.S., games will air live exclusively in English on MLB Network and on an authenticated basis via MLBNetwork.com/watch, while ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN will provide the exclusive Spanish-language coverage. MLB.TV Premium subscribers in the U.S. will have access to watch every tournament game live on any of the streaming service's 400-plus supported devices. Internationally, the tournament will be distributed across all forms of television, internet, mobile and radio in territories excluding the U.S., Puerto Rico and Japan. Get tickets for games at Marlins Park, Tokyo Dome, Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Estadio Charros de Jalisco in Mexico, Petco Park, as well as the Championship Round at Dodger Stadium, while complete coverage -- including schedules, video, stats and gear -- is available at WorldBaseballClassic.com.
Hosmer is one of 11 Royals who will take part in the World Baseball Classic. With 11 participants, the Royals are tied for second most in the American League Central with Cleveland behind Detroit's 15.
Of the 11, six of the Royals are on their team's 40-man roster.
Shortstop Alcides Escobar and catcher Salvador Perez will play for Team Venezuela. Catcher Drew Butera will play for Team Italy and right-handed reliever Joakim Soria will play for Team Mexico. Left-hander Danny Duffy will play for Team USA and is listed under the roster designation of DPP, which stands for designated pitcher pool.
Each team has the option of using the designated pitcher pool, which works like this: A team can use up to 10 designated pitchers but can't have more than two on its active roster at a time. Those "active" designated pitchers can be replaced at the beginning of each of the next two rounds, but only by another designated pitcher.
Once a designated pitcher has been replaced, he cannot return to the active roster for a subsequent round. Using Team USA as an example, Duffy and Tanner Roark are the active designated pitchers for the first round of pool play, so they can be replaced on the roster before the second round or the championship round, but only by one of the team's other designated pitchers. And if a designated pitcher joins for the second round, he can be replaced for the championship round, but only by another designated pitcher.
Other Royals who will participate are right-hander Gabe Cramer and left-hander Jake Kalish for Team Israel; catcher Allan de San Miguel will play for Team Australia; and shortstop Mauricio Ramos and catcher Meibrys Viloria will play for Team Colombia.
Hammel inks two-year deal with Royals
February 8, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Right-hander Jason Hammel passed his physical on Wednesday and was introduced to the Kansas City media alongside general manager Dayton Moore at a news conference.
Here's what we learned:
The contract:
Hammel's two-year deal is backloaded, as expected. He will be paid $5 million in 2017 and $9 million in '18, with a $12 million mutual option in '19 that comes with a $2 million buyout. Hammel, 34, also will get, according to a source, a $250,000 bonus if he reaches 200 innings (which he has never done).
On whether Hammel was getting nervous about not having reached a deal this close to Spring Training:
"It was a strange offseason," Hammel said. "It didn't really go according to plan. It was the first time I had come off such a great season (15-10, 3.83 ERA), and I really didn't know what to expect."
Hammel stopped his answer there and interjected this about Yordano Ventura's passing:
"I feel a need to express my condolences to Royals nation and the Ventura family. I truly feel that if that unfortunate passing doesn't happen, you guys aren't talking to me. I'm going to do my best to not necessarily replace him, because he had such a bright future ahead of him, but I know what I bring to the table. And I want to win."
Royals ownership stepped up and eased the mandate to trim payroll, allowing the signing of Hammel, which will push the payroll past $140 million again:
"When we took the proposal to [president] Dan and [owner] David Glass," Moore said, "they said, 'Absolutely, do what you need to do. We owe it to our fans, to this team and this group of players. Let's sign the best pitcher we can.' … The Glass family always has been very supportive of anything we needed to do. You know, it's [David Glass'] job to validate our judgment, substantiate our judgment, ask tough questions. Obviously based on the circumstances, where we are with this group, we feel we will win. Once again, Mr. Glass said, 'Do you what you need to do to make this team better.' Dan was pushing that throttle down as well."
Is there more flexibility to add more pieces?
"Right now, I don't think there's much left we need to do," Moore said. "This deal completes our rotation [with Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Jason Vargas, Hammel and Nathan Karns]. There will be competition for some spots in the bullpen in Spring Training."
On Hammel's elbow issue in September deterring offseason interest in him:
"Without getting into detail," Hammel said, "that was kind of the holdup for a lot of teams. That's my guess. The fact of the matter is that I'm 100 percent healthy, and I had been. I wasn't on the postseason roster because we had a really good team with the Cubs."
On former Cubs teammate Jorge Soler, now a Royal, too:
"Great kid, fun in the clubhouse," Hammel said. "And he'll bring a big bat to the lineup."
On the pitch (slider low and off the plate) that Hammel, then with the A's, made to Salvador Perez in the 2014 Wild Card Game, hit by Perez down the left-field line for the game-winner:
"I made my pitch, as I've done a million times in my career," Hammel said, laughing. "He's a great hitter. Sometimes you tip your cap. That moment was his. He was able to -- big guy, big reach. I made my pitch, low and away. But I'm very excited to see him not do that to me anymore."
On whether Hammel met any Royals on Wednesday:
"I met Danny Duffy about 15 minutes ago," Hammell said, "and the first thing he said to me was, 'Are you ready to get weird?'"
Royals acquire Dewees in exchange for Mills
February 8, 2017MLB.com
The Royals acquired Minor League outfielder Donnie Dewees from the Cubs on Wednesday in exchange for right-hander Alec Mills, who was designated for assignment earlier in the day when the club signed free-agent pitcher Jason Hammel.
"Alec is a kid with tools," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "It was difficult, but we had other arms we felt we needed to protect."
Dewees, 23, split last season between Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach and Class A South Bend, hitting .284 (146-for-514) with 25 doubles, 14 triples, five homers, 73 RBIs and 31 stolen bases between the two stops. He played 94 of his 129 games at South Bend, where he led the Midwest League in triples (12) and tied for 17th in runs scored (65). The left-handed-hitting Dewees was a Midwest League All-Star in 2016, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored in the contest on June 21 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dewees was a second-round selection by the Cubs in the 2015 Draft out of the University of North Florida.
Mills, 25, made his Major League debut with the Royals in 2016, also spending time at Triple-A Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas last season.
Key questions surround Hosmer heading into '17
A free agent after season, Royals All-Star looking to put together full season offensively
February 8, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
For years under general manager Dayton Moore, the Royals prided themselves in their no-superstar roster construction.
But the truth is, the Royals do have players hovering on the edge of stardom, namely Lorenzo Cain, Danny Duffy and Eric Hosmer.
And the one player right now closest to that edge, if you talk to club officials, is Hosmer.
In fact, how well the Royals do in 2017 largely could hinge on Hosmer.
Hosmer, 27, has all the tools for stardom. He hits for power, he drives in runs, he can hit for average, and despite the highly subjective defensive metrics out there, he is considered by the coaching staff as one of the best defenders in the business.
But there are two predominant questions surrounding Hosmer in 2017: Can he finally put an entire season together offensively and, perhaps more importantly, will he be wearing someone else's jersey before the season ends?
Hosmer burst onto the national scene with the 2014 and 2015 playoffs, and earned Most Valuable Player honors in the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard with two hits, including a home run. And Hosmer set career highs in home runs (25) and RBIs (104) last season. But the Royals believe he hasn't reached his peak.
"There is still a ceiling there," Moore said recently. "There is still potential for growth. But we know that he is the type of player that can carry a club."
And that's what the Royals may need from Hosmer this season: to be a difference-maker.
Hosmer's performance dropped dramatically after that MVP performance in the All-Star Game. From July 20 on, Hosmer hit .217 with a .286 on-base percentage and a .665 OPS. No one could pinpoint the issue, including Hosmer.
"Just one of those things that happens in baseball," Hosmer said after the season.
The Royals still believe Hosmer can max out in the 30- to 35-homer range with 120 RBIs and a .300 average. They also believe he's more respected inside the game for his defensive prowess than outside.
"Coaches, players, his own pitchers recognize what he does defensively," manager Ned Yost said. "He saves countless runs with his ability to pick throws in the dirt. It also allows our infielders to be more aggressive with their throws knowing he is there. That translates into more outs."
But how long will Hosmer be around? He is signed to a $12.25 million deal for 2017 and can become a free agent after that.
Moore has pledged he will try to keep his home-grown products but acknowledges, "We know we can't keep them all."
Departures by Hosmer, Cain, third baseman Mike Moustakas and shortstop Alcides Escobar are real possibilities for the small-market Royals.
A Hosmer exit could sting the most.
"He's the one guy I would definitely try to keep," one rival agent said. "There's just too much potential there."
If Hosmer walks, it could signal the inevitable changing of the guard for the Royals, who are hoping a prospect such as Ryan O'Hearn (49 homers the past two Minor League seasons) could eventually take his place, while the next wave of prospects like Raul Mondesi, Hunter Dozier and Cheslor Cuthbert also establish themselves as regulars.
"Change is inevitable," Moore said. "Like I said before, we'll do what we can to keep our own guys. We're not going to just let them all walk. But the reality is you won't keep them all."
Royals sign right-hander Jason Hammel to a two-year contract
February 8, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Three months ago, Jason Hammel never expected to conclude his offseason here on the bottom floor of Kauffman Stadium. Hammel, 34, was a free agent after posting a 15-10 record and 3.83 ERA for the World Series champion Chicago Cubs. He ranked as one of the top starting pitchers on the market.
The Royals, meanwhile, expected to be bit players in free agency, an organization that was not searching for free-agent starters and constrained by a rising payroll. Club officials liked Hammel, general manager Dayton Moore said, but they did not see a match.
But a confluence of events would transpire over the course of the winter, a combination of tragedy and injury concerns and a market for starters that never quiet materialized. And here was Hammel on Wednesday afternoon, walking into an afternoon press conference after signing a two-year, $16 million deal to join the Royals starting rotation in 2017.
Hammel will make $5 million this season and $9 million in 2018. The contract also includes a $2 million buyout on a $12 million mutual option for 2019. To make room on the 40-man roster, the club designated for assignment right-hander Alec Mills, who was then dealt to the Chicago Cubs for minor-league outfielder Donnie Dewees.
The Hammel deal represents the last significant addition for a Royals team trying to return to the postseason after a disappointing 81-81 finish in 2016. It also comes just weeks after the death of starting pitcher Yordano Ventura, who was killed in car crash in his native Dominican Republic on Jan. 22. That fact weighed on the mind of Hammel on Wednesday, so much so that he opened his press conference by spending a few moments on Ventura.
“I feel like I need to express my condolences to, first of all, Royals Nation and the Ventura family,” Hammel said. “Just because, I truly feel that if that unfortunate passing doesn’t happen, you guys aren’t talking to me. So I’m going to do my best here to — not necessarily replace him, because he had quite the bright future ahead of him — but I know what I bring to the table. And I want to win.”
Sitting aside Hammel, Moore echoed the sentiment. Three weeks ago, the Royals were not in the market for a starting pitcher. But the death of Ventura left a void, both off the field and on. And club officials felt a responsibility to fill the hole with a piece that would help the Royals’ homegrown, championship core compete in 2017.
“We were very surprised, truthfully, that he remained on the market as well,” Moore said. “Once we got through, I guess, the shock of Yordano, obviously we’ve got to move forward. We’ve got a baseball season to play. We’ve got a team that we’re responsible for and players that we’re committed to.”
As the Royals sifted through potential solutions in the starting rotation, club officials kept coming back to one name: Hammel.
“There’s one guy out there that really makes us better,” Moore said.
From a baseball perspective, the Royals have acquired a starting pitcher who has posted a 3.68 ERA while exceeding 500 innings the last three seasons. He will slot somewhere in the middle of the starting rotation, occupying a space behind Danny Duffy and Ian Kennedy, and offering depth alongside Jason Vargas and whoever emerges from spring training as the club’s fifth starter. For now, it appears right-hander Nathan Karns is the favorite to win that spot after being acquired from the Seattle Mariners in an offseason trade for Jarrod Dyson. Moore said Karns’ status in the rotation was “not a slam dunk”, but it appears a likely course of action.