Daily Clips
February 23, 2018
LOCAL
Royals have intriguing dark-horse candidates
Dozier, Zimmer, Hill in the mix to earn 25-man roster spots
February 22, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Asche looking to seize opportunity with KC
Royals are holding spring auditions for 3B, OF spots
February 22, 2018By Chris Gabel/MLB.com
Boulevard has a new Royals-themed beer. Sam Mellinger got the first taste
February 22, 2018By Sam Mellinger/KC Star
Formerly known as Raul, Royals' Mondesi will now go by his middle name
February 22, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
Royals outfielder Jorge Soler 'much more mobile' than last year
February 22, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
Who’s running sprints with a big smile at Royals camp? It’s Danny Duffy’s dog, Sadie
February 22, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Danny Duffy trolls teammate after Texas Tech loss puts KU alone in first in Big 12
February 22, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
National doughnut chain opening at Kauffman Stadium this season
February 22, 2018By Joyce Smith/KC Star
Royals Whit Merrifield says spring training photo shoot is as close as he’ll ever get to modeling
February 22, 2018By Kerri Stowell/FOX4KC.com
NATIONAL
Stoneman Douglas honored as spring games begin today
Special caps worn, signed, and auctioned, with proceeds going to victims fund
February 23, 2018By Anthony Castrovince/MLB.com
A’s will open 2019 season in Tokyo against Seattle
February 21, 2018By Susan Slusser/San Francisco Chronicle
Pirates acquire All-Star OF Dickerson from Rays
Bucs likely find starting left fielder while dealing Hudson, Gray
February 22, 2018By Adam Berry/MLB.com
Ranking Arizona spring training parks: Surprise at the top
February 22, 2018By Joe Mock/USA Today Sports
MLB TRANSACTIONS
February 23, 2018 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Royals have intriguing dark-horse candidates
Dozier, Zimmer, Hill in the mix to earn 25-man roster spots
February 22, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
The Royals' rebuild is in full swing, and that means several prospects in camp have a chance to make an impression and perhaps even crack the 25-man roster.
Many of those prospects will get their first shot this spring to impress as the Royals open Cactus League play on Saturday at Surprise Stadium against the Dodgers at 2:05 p.m. CT.
With a camp this wide open, let's identify three prospects who one could consider dark-horse candidates to make the Opening Day roster.
Hunter Dozier, IF/OF: Dozier, 26, was selected in the first round of the 2013 MLB Draft as a shortstop, was moved to third base, and since has played corner outfield and first base. It's near that time the Royals need to see what he can do at the Major League level. The club isn't committing to getting him 500-600 at-bats this season like they are for Jorge Soler, Jorge Bonifacio and Cheslor Cuthbert, but they sure would like to see that scenario unfold.
After a promising 2016 Minor League season in which Dozier hit .296 with 23 home runs and an equally promising camp last year, his 2017 regular season was virtually wiped out -- first by an oblique injury out of Spring Training, then a broken wrist in June. With Eric Hosmer gone, the Royals are going to give Dozier a solid look at first base -- he has the soft hands and athleticism to pull off the transition, though obviously he lacks the repetitions.
Kyle Zimmer, RHP: The Royals' first-round pick in the 2012 Draft, Zimmer has endured a series of injuries and surgical procedures, including one last fall to remove sutures from a previous surgery that had been causing discomfort (those sutures were left in deliberately at the time to promote healing). But now, Zimmer said he is throwing free and easy, and pain-free.
At 26, the clock obviously is ticking on Zimmer. But he still possesses terrific stuff and he was encouraged after a transition to the bullpen in '17. Nothing would make the Royals happier than to have Zimmer wow the coaching staff this spring and at least grab a spot in the bullpen. It's not out of the question.
Tim Hill, LHP: A 32nd-round pick in the 2014 Draft, Hill isn't on many fans' radars, and his Minor League numbers look pedestrian -- 3.57 ERA in 104 relief outings with 13 saves. But the Royals liked him enough to plop him on the 40-man roster last fall. He's no kid at 28, which probably helps his chances of cracking the roster.
What has caught the coaching staff's eyes is his funky, submarine-style delivery from the left side. The club is somewhat short of lefties in camp and he certainly would bring a unique look to the bullpen.
Asche looking to seize opportunity with KC
Royals are holding spring auditions for 3B, OF spots
February 22, 2018By Chris Gabel/MLB.com
A large chunk of baseball -- and life, really -- is learning from the past. Whether it's the last at-bat against a certain pitcher or which outfielder to try to score on and which to pull up at third against.
For Cody Asche, he learned a lot from his first Spring Training invitation on a Minor League contract last year. And he is applying as much as possible as he finds himself in the same situation this spring with the Royals.
"I had all these wild thoughts of how things would go," Asche said of his spring invitation to White Sox camp a year ago, "and, really, when you show up it all goes out the window."
Asche, who was selected by the Phillies in the fourth round of the 2011 MLB Draft, made it to the Majors two years later. But he was waived in December 2016 and landed with the White Sox.
"My confidence level was probably at an all-time high coming out of camp: 'I'm going to conquer the world. Look at me, Philadelphia.'" Asche said. "'You didn't care for me and I go to another organization and make the team.' I'm at an all-time high. But baseball will humble you quick; I got to an all-time low."
Asche hit just .105 in 19 games with the White Sox and was sent to the Minors before he was again released after the season.
"It [stinks] to be cut loose from the team that drafted you and brought you up," Asche said. "It [stunk] to be let loose again last year. Aside from my big league numbers, I did really, really well in Triple-A. I thought I was a valuable asset, but others thought differently.
"Everything you go through in this game is for a reason. It really taught me to have that quiet, supreme confidence. Not that rah-rah confidence. But that quiet kind where I'm Cody Asche's No. 1 fan and always will be."
Asche, who hit .248 with a combined 22 home runs 2014 and '15 with the Phillies, came up as a third baseman and then moved to left field. Injuries forced him back to third and then he went back to left exclusively in '16. He then learned first base with the White Sox last spring and played some right field, too. He also was the designated hitter in 14 games.
With such versatility, it would seem the former Nebraska standout landed with the right club, with the Royals having to replace both corner-infield spots and without an obvious bat for manager Ned Yost to pencil in as the DH on a daily basis.
"It's always helpful if you have guys with versatility," Yost said. "We got him playing the infield early in Spring Training. And we're going to move him around the outfield, too, and get a real good evaluation of him at multiple positions."
"I think it's pretty black and white," Asche said of the opportunity in front of him. "They're pretty transparent with where the roster stands."
Cactus League games haven't yet started, but Cheslor Cuthbert and Hunter Dozier already look like the favorites at third and first, respectively. Asche gets it. He understands his place at this point.
You could pick 12 teams that look like they have gaping holes, but every team has a farm system for a reason," Asche said. "They have players that they like, and as a player coming in from the outside, you have to respect that. I was in that position once, too. I was the next guy up from the farm system. I know that those guys are going to get opportunities and I know I'm going to get opportunities.
"They lost three guys who have been everyday players for the better part of four years. Someone has to fill in those 600 at-bats. Hopefully a handful of those are mine, at some point in the year, whether it be Opening Day or in September or May or whenever."
Same guy, new name
It still says Mondesi on his jersey, but he may not always answer to Raul anymore. Royals infielder Raul Mondesi now goes by his given name, Adalberto, the team announced. Adalberto's father's name is Raul Mondesi, as is his older brother's.
Worth noting
• Alex Gordon will start Saturday's Cactus League opener in center field and Whit Merrifield will play there on Monday as the Royals seek a replacement for Lorenzo Cain, who signed a free-agent deal with the Brewers.
"We're just going to move guys around," Yost said.
• Catcher Salvador Perez will serve as the designated hitter on Saturday against the Dodgers as he won't be behind the plate until Wednesday against the Reds.
• Right-hander Trevor Oaks is slated to start on Sunday against the A's, and lefty Brian Flynn will make the start on Monday against the Giants. Both are 2:05 p.m. CT start times.
Boulevard has a new Royals-themed beer. Sam Mellinger got the first taste
February 22, 2018By Sam Mellinger/KC Star
Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City is making a Royals beer, and the brewery invited me out to hear about and taste it. I accepted, because I'm a dedicated journalist.
Jeremy Danner, Boulevard's ambassador brewer, had an interesting and intelligent description. Mine was simpler: it's a ballpark beer, and even having a sip (or three) on a day icy enough for schools to be cancelled it made me think of warmer weather and baseball. Watch the video above for our awkward non-handshake and Danner's answer when I asked if this was a playoff beer or a rebuilding beer.
(click link for video.)
Formerly known as Raul, Royals' Mondesi will now go by his middle name
February 22, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
You will always hear the nickname “Mondi” come from the mouths of Royals players and staff members.
But it may be time for fans to amend Google searches.
The athlete formerly known as Raul A. Mondesi is kicking the old moniker. He will go by Adalberto Mondesi going forward, the Royals announced Thursday.
It’s essentially “Alberto” with the word “add” in front, pronounced ADD-al-bear-toe.
The name was a mouthful for manager Ned Yost. Instead of using the “A” sound in the second syllable, he went with an “O” for “Adolberto.”
“I ain’t spittin’ it out,” Yost said.
Mondesi, 22, was originally known as Adalberto when he first signed with the Royals as a free agent in 2011. Upon his major-league debut during the 2015 World Series, he started going by Raul Mondesi, like his father, the former Dodgers star who in September was sentenced to eight years in prison in his native Dominican Republic for embezzling from the town for which he was once mayor.
The younger Mondesi said he wasn’t too hard-pressed about the name people called him, but he thought a change might do him some good. Mondesi, a longtime prospect at shortstop, won the starting job at second base last year but was demoted within weeks when he struggled at the major-league level.
With Alcides Escobar back on a one-year contract, it’s unlikely Mondesi will log significant time at shortstop in the major leagues this season. There is still a slim chance Mondesi might beat Whit Merrifield for the job at second base, like last spring.
“I wanna go back to that name because I feel comfortable,” said Mondesi, who grew up in the Dominincan Republic. “That’s my second name and everybody in the Dominican — they know me by that name.”
Royals outfielder Jorge Soler 'much more mobile' than last year
February 22, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
The outfield drills on a backfield here were ending. It was almost time for lunch.
Royals outfielder Jorge Soler was the last player in line and first base coach Mitch Maier shouted from his spot on the infield that this ground ball was the last one he’d serve.
Soler got himself set, chased the hit down and aired a throw to third base. The ball spiked into the dirt near second base.
“One more!” Soler called out, no accent to be detected as he shook his head at himself.
Maier prepared to knock another baseball his direction. Soler backed up and took a spot at the front of the line again. The hit rolled into right field. He scooped the baseball up with his glove without missing a step, then fired another throw.
It didn’t make it cleanly. The baseball skipped again.
This scene on Wednesday, two days after the beginning of full-squad workouts, will hold little significance as spring training wears on.
But it provides a glimpse of Soler’s progress, which has impressed manager Ned Yost in these early days of camp.
“He’s really moving well,” Yost said on Thursday. “Mitch mentioned it to me. ‘Man, he’s really moving well.’ I started bearing down on him a little bit and watching him and, yeah, he looks great out there. He’s really moving good.”
Mobility was one of several shortcomings for Soler last season, his first with the Royals after being acquired from the Cubs in the trade of closer Wade Davis. An oblique strain hampered him at the plate. He struggled to hit major-league pitching and spent the offseason tinkering with his swing — he brought his bat closer to his body and put more weight on his back foot.
Soler also took time to hone in on improving his nutrition. He finally heeded advice given to him by trainers in the Cubs’ organization years ago. He stopped eating sweets, ate more vegetables, avoided unhealthy foods during the week.
When he arrived at the Royals’ complex for physicals, Soler found he had dropped 19 pounds since the end of last season.
Soler said he felt slow last year, that he plodded through his work.
The weight loss has already paid dividends.
“Where he really looks good to me is in the outfield shagging balls,” Yost said. “He looks much more mobile than he did last year.”
Who’s running sprints with a big smile at Royals camp? It’s Danny Duffy’s dog, Sadie
February 22, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Anyone who follows Danny Duffy on social media knows he often posts pictures and videos of his dog Sadie, who is an Alaskan Malamute.
Sadie has known Duffy for nearly her whole life. During his rookie season in 2011, Duffy adopted Sadie as a puppy after visiting her every single day for a month.
“I was a little bit lonely, that was before I met my wife,” Duffy told me two years ago. “I ... needed a companion, so I got Sadie. She has actually grown up a lot now. She’s bigger than me now if you can believe that, and I’ve had a blast with her.”
Sadie is 7 years old now and weighs 120 pounds. She was at Royals’ spring-training camp in Surprise, Ariz., on Thursday and still has a ton of energy as you can see from the video above, which The Star’s John Sleezer shot. (click link for video.)
“She’s never met a stranger in her life, bro,” Duffy told John.
I believe it.
Danny Duffy trolls teammate after Texas Tech loss puts KU alone in first in Big 12
February 22, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Here’s a shocking development*: Kansas is all alone atop the Big 12 men’s basketball standings.
*Actually, that’s not surprising at all, right? Happens every year, no matter the gloomy outlook from some Jayhawks fans
Texas Tech lost 79-71 to Oklahoma State on Wednesday night and missed out on a chance to stay even with KU in the Big 12 standings.
As many Kansas City sports fans know, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes remains a vocal fan of the Tech basketball team, because that’s he played for the Red Raiders football team.
Another professional athlete in KC also played at Tech: Royals pitcher Nathan Karns.
So, after the Red Raiders loss, Royals left-hander Danny Duffy couldn’t resist having a little fun with Karns. Duffy retweeted Oklahoma State’s tweet that included the final score:
@duffkc41: .@NathanKarns im sorry for your loss.
Short and to the point.
Duffy is not a huge Jayhawks fan, but he is a clubhouse prankster, so this likely had less to do with his excitement over KU being in first in the Big 12 and more to do with giving a teammate a hard time.
Karns took it in stride.