Daily Clips
February 12, 2017
LOCAL
Royals set for roster battles in Spring Training
February 11, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals owner Glass: 'I've always been a Bear'
February 11, 2017By Brett Johnston/Springfield News-Leader
NATIONAL
Braves, Reds have agreement on Phillips trade
February 12, 2017By Mark Sheldon/MLB.com
Samson discusses state of Marlins ownership
February 11, 2017By Joe Frisaro/MLB.com
MLB TRANSACTIONS
February 12, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Royals set for roster battles in Spring Training
February 11, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
It's what every fan and reporter loves to do this time of year: An early projection of the team's 25-man roster come Opening Day.
How many outfielders will the Royals carry? Do they need six or seven bullpen arms? Who will be the fifth starter? As one would expect, that 25th and final roster spot and the final bullpen spot will be the interesting battles in camp.
Here's our very early look at the possible 25:
Catchers: Salvador Perez, Drew Butera
Perez remains one of the best defenders in the game, and he also set a franchise record for home runs by a catcher with 22 last season. Butera provides a solid backup who signed a two-year deal after his .808 OPS and four home runs in 55 games in 2016.
First base: Eric Hosmer
Last year's MVP at the All-Star Game presented by MasterCard faded in the second half, but he still posted career highs in home runs (25) and RBIs (104).
Second base: Whit Merrifield
Merrifield is potentially a dynamic offensive player who has terrific speed and can play everywhere. He will battle Christian Colon for the starting spot.
Shortstop: Alcides Escobar
This could be Escobar's last season in a Royals uniform with Raul Mondesi waiting in the wings.
Third base: Mike Moustakas
An ACL injury in May robbed Moustakas of a potentially big year (he already had seven homers). He is poised for a big comeback.
Starting outfield: Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain, Jorge Soler
Gordon's fractured right wrist from last May is completely healed now, he says. Gordon needs a big bounce-back year. A left hand injury virtually wiped out Cain's final six weeks last season and really impeded the Royals' playoff drive. Cain also needs a big year -- he could be headed to free agency after 2017. And all eyes will be on Soler and his potential power. Can Soler adjust to American League pitching?
Designated hitter: Brandon Moss
Yes, general manager Dayton Moore has said Moss won't be a primary DH, that he'll see time in the corner outfield or as a backup first baseman. But the guess here is Moss will see plenty of time at DH.
Bench: Colon, Cheslor Cuthbert, Paulo Orlando, Billy Burns
Colon lost eight pounds in an offseason training program. It will be interesting to see how it translates onto the field. He could be at a crossroads in the organization. Cuthbert is likely to see time at DH -- he also is out of options and has nowhere to go but on the 25-man roster or be traded. Orlando wants to build on his breakthrough 2016 season (.302, 24 doubles, 14 steals), but he will have limited opportunity as a fourth outfielder. A very early guess is that Burns steals the final spot. The Royals could go with the one-dimensional weapon of Terrance Gore there, too. They also could go with slugger Peter O'Brien as a DH/OF if he has a big spring. Or they could go with a 12th pitcher.
Rotation: Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Jason Vargas, Jason Hammel, Nathan Karns
Moore has called this his best rotation yet. Duffy, who signed a five-year, $65 million extension, is the ace and Opening Day starter. Kennedy proved durable (195 2/3 innings) and effective (3.68 ERA) in his first year as a Royal in '16. Vargas posted a 2.25 ERA in three September starts coming off Tommy John surgery. Hammel should be a solid addition to the rotation and has averaged over 170 innings the past three seasons. As for the fifth spot, should be a good battle in camp among Karns, Chris Young, Kyle Zimmer and perhaps Matt Strahm and others.
Bullpen: Kelvin Herrera, Joakim Soria, Strahm, Young, Mike Minor, Josh Staumont
Easily the biggest question mark on the team, which is strange to say about a Dayton Moore bullpen. Herrera is officially the closer now and he has big shoes to fill from predecessors Greg Holland to Wade Davis over the past few years. Soria? Man, he needs a bounce-back season. If the Royals are to have a shutdown bullpen again, they need Strahm as a setup guy -- he is simply too valuable here as a middle man. Minor, in the second year of a two-year deal, is coming off a lost season -- he will have his work cut out for him competing with Brian Flynn and Zimmer and all the non-roster veterans (Brandon League, Jonathan Sanchez, Chris Withrow, Al Alburquerque, etc.). Staumont isn't even on the 40-man roster, but the Royals believe he and his 100-mph fastball could be the surprise of camp.
Royals owner Glass: 'I've always been a Bear'
February 11, 2017By Brett Johnston/Springfield News-Leader
David Glass isn’t a champagne drinker, but the owner and CEO of the Kansas City Royals wouldn’t mind another soak — or two — in French bubbly.
In Springfield to speak at the Missouri State baseball team’s First Pitch event at the Bill Rowe Training Center at Hammons Field, Glass said Royals players seemed to enjoy dousing him in the visiting clubhouse following the team’s Game 5 World Series clincher in 2015.
“Now that I’ve (won it), I think we could enjoy more as we go through it instead of being so stressed,” Glass, an MSU alum, said.
It was until months after the champagne had dried that Glass said he could finally enjoy the achievement.
“The feeling of winning the World Series is unbelievable,” Glass said, “but you get so caught up in the moment you don’t really get to enjoy it or appreciate it until later.”
After an injury-riddled follow-up season landed his team with a break-even record (81-81) in 2016, Glass said his expectations are to play in a World Series.
“That’s my plan every year,” he said, “to play in the World Series and do our best to win it.”
The 2015 title was the result of a mission that began the day after the Royals lost Game 7 of the 2014 World Series to San Francisco.
“We lost in the ninth inning and all of us were so upset,” Glass said. “We had a meeting at the stadium the next day; the players came and a lot of the fans came. The players said, ‘the only way we’re going to get over this is to win it all next year.’ They came to spring training in ’15 determined, and they were on a mission all year.”
He said the players appeared inspired for a similar quest in 2017, in no small part to tragedy.
The team’s electric young pitcher Yordano Ventura died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic on Jan. 22.
“We’ve had a really tough (offseason) because of Ventura’s death,” Glass said. “The players are really close; they’ve taken it hard. But I think what it’s done is it’s given them a lot of inspiration to go out and play well this year for (Ventura).”
The buzz in the baseball world is that this could be Kansas City’s last chance to make a run, with a large portion of its core eyeing potential free agency at the end of the year, including homegrown All-Stars Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas.
“These kids came up together,” Glass said. “I watched them play together in Double A, there’s a bond that they have. With free agency and the escalating salaries in baseball, we can’t keep them all.
“Besides Ventura, they have special incentive this year, because they care enough about each other and they know that they won’t all be together next year.”
The goals are lofty too, for the Bears who open play on Feb. 17 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
All American junior Jake Burger said that first game is his only concern.
“You don’t really have a lot of expectations,” he said. “You just want to win that first game against Rhode Island. We’ve got a good team, great chemistry in the locker room, so that always bodes well.”
There were more than 475 MSU fans gathered for the event.
“(First Pitch) creates a cool atmosphere and a bond between the players and fans for the season,” Burger said. “You saw during the Regional run my freshman year (2015). We had a bond that was built the entire season.
“Springfield came out and supported us and you have to give credit to the fans because the atmosphere they build at Hammons (Field) is unbelievable.”
Glass said he pays close attention to the happenings at his alma mater. The building in his namesake, Glass Hall, which houses the College of Business, is undergoing a major expansion.
He cites the school’s growth from 3,000 students when he graduated to the 26,000 in 2016 as one of several pride points.
“I’m really proud of the school and what they’ve accomplished,” Glass said. “They’ve produced some great baseball players here. I’ve always been a Bear.”
NATIONAL
Braves, Reds have agreement on Phillips trade
February 12, 2017By Mark Sheldon/MLB.com
The Reds are close to completing a trade that will send second baseman Brandon Phillips to the Braves, MLB.com confirmed via a source on Sunday. Neither club has confirmed the deal.
There is an agreement between the teams in place, but there are still some hurdles. Because the Reds would be paying most of Phillips' $14 million salary for 2017, the Commissioner's Office must approve the trade. Phillips, who has full no-trade rights, appears to have waived them to clear the way for the Stone Mountain, Ga., native to play for his hometown club.
According to sources, the Reds will receive two Minor Leaguers, LHP Andrew McKirahan and RHP Carlos Portuondo.
MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal first reported a deal was in the works on Saturday evening. Rosenthal also reported that Braves infielder Sean Rodriguez is expected to be out three-to-five months recovering from left shoulder surgery after he was injured in a car accident, which likely contributed to Atlanta resuming its pursuit of Phillips.
Phillips, who has a full no-trade clause in his contract, blocked a trade to the Braves in November and has also declined trades last winter to the Nationals and D-backs.
Phillips, 35, has spent the last 10 seasons in Cincinnati, including all three of his All-Star campaigns. He hit .291/.320/.416 with 11 home runs, 64 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 141 games in 2016.
With Phillips leaving, the Reds have achieved one of their major offseason goals in trying to clear a middle infield spot. Both Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera -- who was acquired from the Mets for Jay Bruce in August -- will compete for the spot. Peraza, who batted .324 for the Reds last season, would appear to have the inside track. The team has also made efforts this winter to move shortstop Zack Cozart. If Cozart is dealt, Peraza and Herrera would form the new Cincinnati middle infield.
Samson discusses state of Marlins ownership
February 11, 2017By Joe Frisaro/MLB.com
Marlins president David Samson on Saturday downplayed reports that the organization is considering a purchase offer and stressed that the club's primary focus in 2017 is to be a postseason contender.
"There's obviously a lot of buzz -- there are rumors," Samson said. "There's all sorts of stuff that happens all the time. Are these rumors different than other rumors? Time will always tell what happens."
Samson said at FanFest at Marlins Park that about once a month the organization is approached by someone interested in purchasing the team.
"You always listen to anything, because that's responsible," Samson said. "But the commitment to Miami that I feel, that we feel, never wavered. If you think about all the times back in 2002, I'm not sure people were lining up to replace John Henry."
Henry sold the club to Jeffrey Loria, who previously owned the Montreal Expos, for $158 million in 2002. As part of a multi-team transaction, Henry gained ownership of the Red Sox.
In recent months, speculation has surfaced that Loria, 76, is open to selling the Marlins. A Forbes report on Thursday claimed the Marlins had a "handshake agreement" to sell the team for about $1.6 billion.
"I have never commented to anyone anything like that," Samson said of the reported handshake agreement. "I have no idea what that means."
According to The New York Times, Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared is married to Ivanka Trump, is interested in purchasing the Marlins and has pursued a deal for several months.
"Certainly, the Commissioner and I have spoken," Samson said, referring to the report of Joshua Kushner's interest in the club, "and that led to the Commissioner making the statement that he made."
On Thursday, Major League Baseball issued a statement emphasizing that Joshua Kushner's father, Charles Kushner -- who was convicted in 2005 of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion and witness tampering -- is not connected to a potential sale of the Marlins.
"Under Major League Baseball rules, the Commissioner's Office must be informed of any conversation about a potential sale," the statement read. "The Commissioner's Office has not heard directly or indirectly of any conversation involving Charles Kushner."
MLB TRANSACTIONS
February 12, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
Chicago Cubs / Pedro Strop / Signed, ( 2017)(avoids arbitration)
Cincinnati Reds / Zach Walters / Signed to a Minor League Contract
Toronto Blue Jays / Jonathan Díaz / Signed to a Minor League Contract