“Well, there is always next year,” Kansas City Royals fans have said for the past ten years.
The Athletic’s latest power rankings feature Levi Weaver comparing today’s Kansas City Royals more to the 2023 squad than last year’s. [$]
The stories of the Tigers and Royals were twin flames last year — two AL Central teams ascending from the mire to claim a surprise playoff spot. But while the Tigers have continued to improve this year, the Royals look more like the 2023 squad that finished 56-106. OK, they’re not quite that bad. But they’re definitely not on pace to hit last year’s 86-win mark, either.
With Kansas City looking more and more like sellers this summer, Royals Data Dugout looks at their premier piece.
But with Kansas City (39-45, pending Monday night’s outcome in Seattle) descending in the American League standings, now with the fourth-worst record in the Junior Circuit, the Royals own perhaps the prized piece of this summer’s trade market. The aforementioned player option is a formality at this point, and it is sure to be declined — barring a devastating injury — that’ll put Lugo back on the open market this offseason. With 2025 going awry in a hurry, there’s only one practical option for KC: Dealing Lugo to the highest bidder.
Hey, CBS Sports still has Kansas City as a bubble team ahead of the trade deadline. That has to count for something, right?
K.C. right now isn’t much better than the Braves, and normally, a team in such a position wouldn’t qualify for bubble-dom. However, refrain from forthcoming – that third AL wild-card spot has a particularly loud and permissive siren call. That’s why the Royals show up here. For K.C. to be any kind of notable buyer, though, they’ll probably need to be at least .500 by the time the true run-up to the deadline comes, and of course, they’ll still need to remain within reasonable range of that final playoff spot. In other words, the Royals need to flip the script on their terrible June in a hurry.
Craig Brown is trying to find new ways to describe the same Royals’ struggles over at Into the Fountains.
Is changing the name of the opponent and the location of the game enough to tell the difference that this was any different from the one yesterday? Maybe I’m jaded, but it’s difficult to taste the excitement of a rally that consists of a single, a walk, a hit batter and a fielder’s choice. Yes, in Kansas City Royal Land, that constitutes a rally. They scored a single run. It’s a damn rally. Do not “at” me. Or @ me.
Yardbarker’s David Hill looks at three trade destinations for Royals pitcher Seth Lugo, and tosses the other New York team’s hat in the ring.
New York Yankees
On the surface, the Yankees have a solid rotation, fronted by starters Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt. However, Rodon has been inconsistent of late, allowing 12 runs, 11 earned, in 16 innings before firing six shutout innings on June 24. The Yankees’ search for a fifth starter has led to pitchers Carlos Carrasco and Marcus Stroman, both of whom have struggled in their opportunities.
Lugo would be a stabilizing force in the Yankees’ rotation, potentially moving Rodon and Schmidt back a spot. After falling short to the Dodgers in the 2024 World Series, there is even more pressure to bring a championship back to the Bronx. Lugo could be the missing piece the pitching staff needs.
Prospects Live sets the table for Kansas City’s 2025 draft in their latest draft preview.
With a whopping five selections in the first one hundred picks, the Royals are positioned optimally to impact this 2025 draft in a big way. With plenty of monetary capital to move players up or down their board, the Royals are sure to be a major influence in this draft and could easily make things difficult on opposing organizations drafting in the late first round. A homerun class would be a massive get for a Royals organization that feels like it’s on the cusp of a breakthrough.
Sam McDowell at the Kansas City Star looks at what Jac Caglianone needs to change after a disappointing skid. [$]
A game found Jac Caglianone in the way you dream about as a kid — trailing by one run, bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, game in his hands. The rally required seven minutes to build, and then? Poof.
Baseball America’s latest mock draft sends two prepsters to Kansas City in the 2025 MLB Draft. [$]
Yahoo Sports links Jonathan India and Carlos Estevez with trade deadline buyers.
Bleacher Report has an enticing offer outlined if Kansas City trades Lugo to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Caleb Moody at Kings of Kauffman looks at an old friend who is having a familiar struggle in the Detroit Tigers’ bullpen.
Congratulations are in order to the Ercegs! Lucas and his wife Emma announced that they were expecting their first child.
Check out Tom Verducci’s All-Star ballot, sans the Royals.
CBS Sports’ Matt Snyder examines whether the Washington Nationals’ rebuild was even really worth it.
Former Royals player Paul DeJong was activated from the IL after a nasty pitch to the face back in April.
Former Royals pitcher Luke Weaver wants to limit “silly” catcher’s interference calls.
Houston Astros All-Star Yordan Alvarez is shut down after a setback in recovery from a broken right hand.
The Arizona Diamondbacks banned a season ticket holder after multiple fan interference incidents, including three ejections over the years.
The San Francisco Giants already exercised the 2026 option for manager Bob Melvin. The NL West club is 45-40 so far in 2025.
Clayton Kershaw is racing against time while chasing the coveted 3,000 strikeout mark.
The Milwaukee Bucks waived Damian Lillard and signed Myles Turner in NBA free agency.
Number-two-ranked Coco Gauff is bounced from the first round at Wimbledon, losing to unseeded Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska.
Detroit Red Wings legend and Hockey Hall of Famer Alex Delvecchio passed away at 93.
The New York Giants trade tight end Darren Waller to the Miami Dolphins, and the former Raiders tight end will come out of retirement.
Game studio 2K Sports teases a return to collegiate basketball games, counterprogramming with ESPN’s announcement of the same.
Scooby stole the cash, but no snacks? What a horrible cosplay as “Tuscaloosa Police Department have issued a request for help to unmask a Scooby-Doo costume-wearing criminal who stole cash from a convenience store.”
Christopher Nolan’s next film, The Odyssey, has a teaser trailer in theaters.
I am on a big Appalachia kick, so today’s song is Ben Fuller’s version of O Death.