Royals even up series against the Atlanta Braves with another loud night from the bats.
Royals Data Dugout looks at what is next for Kansas City this week.
While the Seth Lugo extension is as much about 2026 and 2027 as anything, swapping Hoffman for Grichuk is at least a hint the Royals view themselves as squarely in the race heading into August. At this point, I’d be shocked if they turned around and traded away Carlos Estevez or subtracted from the 26-man roster at all. This may well be it for Kansas City’s deadline moves as there’s simply not a lot in the tank that wouldn’t negatively impact the future — which is where the focus should still lay. Between the Grichuk-Hoffman swap and last summer’s flurry of veteran additions, however, I suspect Picollo may shop for another bargain hitter or two. Perhaps another mid-20s reliever on the 40-man roster, like Eric Cerantola or Evan Sisk, could net a Grichuk-esque return.
Kevin O’Brien looks at Kansas City’s newest callup Thomas Hatch ahead of Wednesday’s game.
Hatch’s overall TJ Stuff+ has been slightly below average at 98, but he sports three above-average offerings stuff-wise. That includes his cutter (27.2% usage, 102 TJ Stuff+), sweeper (8.1% usage, 103 TJ Stuff+), and his slider (5.9% usage, 104 TJ Stuff+). He doesn’t generate a ton of chase overall (24.2%), but he’s been successful with his cutter, which not only has a 29.9% whiff rate, but a 40.5% chase rate as well. The 30-year-old former Cubs draft pick is coming off a pretty solid start in his last outing against Buffalo, which could explain why the Royals opted to pick up Hatch’s contract over some other options, like Dallas Keuchel and Justin Dunn, who also have MLB experience.
Thomas Hatch’s final line: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K pic.twitter.com/fQHOm4mWFO
— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) July 20, 2025
Another week, another deadline regarding the Royals stadium situation.
In Clay County, where the Royals had once discussed building a ballpark near 18th and Fayette in North Kansas City, commissioners there have just four more meetings between now and Aug. 26. The commission meetings are held on Thursdays at the Clay County Administration Building in Liberty, Missouri. The commission has meetings scheduled for July 31, Aug. 7, Aug. 14 and Aug. 21 – prior to the Aug. 26 deadline.
The Royals’ neighboring Kansas City Chiefs had some words regarding the stadium situation from Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt.
“Yeah, I know Mark Donovan spoke to you all a week ago and shared that we’ve made a lot of progress,” Hunt said. “And that’s absolutely true and that progress is on both sides of the state line. We’re grateful to have two really good options. I don’t want to get into how close we are to making a decision because I found over time with stadium situations that until they’re done, they’re not done.”
SoDo Mojo’s Jason Wang looks at the Lugo extension in relation to the Seattle Mariners.
Given his results and what had been impending free agency, he was naturally one of the most sought-after starting pitching targets at this year’s deadline, with teams across the league vying for his services. However, now that he’s off the board, contenders wanting to bolster their rotation will need to look elsewhere. The Mariners are all set when it comes to starting pitching depth, but had Lugo been sent to a rival contender, it could have spelled trouble for Seattle. With the Mariners treading water in the AL Wild Card race, every win matters. If he had gone on to earn even a handful of wins for an opposing team, it could have been the difference that pushed Seattle out of the postseason picture.
FanGraphs’ new crowdsourced trade value tool has Bobby Witt Jr. as the third-most valued player, with Maikel Garcia making an appearance.
ESPN’s latest trade deadline chatter has Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan a favorite target for AL East clubs.
FanGraphs’ updated Top 100 prospects has one Royals prospect listed, with catcher Carter Jensen at 66th overall.
Just Baseball’s Tyler Jadah has Kansas City listed among the AL sellers ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.
Royals rookie Noah Cameron still has some long odds in the AL Rookie of the Year race, according to BetMGM.
A look back on how gambling scandals can rock baseball amidst the latest investigations.
The Minnesota Twins seem poised to be deadline sellers after an intradivision trade with the Detroit Tigers.
The Chicago Cubs debuted a ceremonial patch to honor Ryne Sandberg after the franchise legend passed away.
The Baltimore Orioles traded pitcher Seranthony Domínguez to the Toronto Blue Jays, in between a doubleheader between the teams.
The Chicago Cubs invest in the front office with a big contract extension for Jed Hoyer.
Swimmer Katie Ledecky now owns 25 of the top 26 times ever in the 1,500-meter freestyle with latest championship win.
Learn about how offseason work created the “Chris Rule” in Kansas City, named after All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones.
David Skilling looks at the off-field legacy of Gisele Bündchen’s ex-husband and “Ted” actor, Tom Brady.
Evan Pagano looks at the stadium food options around Kansas City.
Lance Brozdowski has an “easy fix” for New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler.
How is a record-breaking haul of krill a bad thing?
The night sky might be looking very different this week with some notable meteor showers.
Personal tragedy drove a leading epidemiologist to new professional paths.
Today’s song of the day is Only One You by T.G. Sheppard.