Jump to content
Royals Keep

  • Major League Notes

    Notes about the team are posted here.

    88 rumors in this category

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The Kansas City Royals placed right-handed starter Stephen Kolek on the family medical emergency leave list on Thursday and promoted infielder Josh Rojas from Triple-A Omaha. There were no details immediately available on Kolek's situation.

      Rojas was not on the 40-man roster, so the Royals created space by transferring Jonathan India, who is out for the season with an injured left shoulder, from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL.

      Kolek has been a reliable member of the starting rotation. In his six starts, he put up a 3.32 ERA with eight walks and 27 strikeouts in 38 innings. He threw a four-hit shutout May 23 vs. the Seattle Mariners.

      The 31-year-old Rojas, a seven-year MLB veteran, was slashing .247/.309/.437 at Triple-A with six homers and 26 RBIs.

       

      Matthew Lenz

      Carlos Beltran is headed to Cooperstown! After receiving 358 votes (84.2%), the switch-hitting outfielder joins Andruw Jones as a member of the 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame class.

      Beltran, drafted in the 2nd round of the 1995 MLB Amateur Draft, played his first seven of 20 seasons with the Kansas City Royals. The 18-year-old from Puerto Rico needed just a little over three seasons in the minor leagues to debut on September 14th, 1998. He made the 1999 Opening Day roster and never looked back, slashing .293/.337/.454 with 22 home runs and 27 stolen bases on his way to winning American League Rookie of the Year. He'd make his first All-Star Game in 2004, weeks after being traded to the Houston Astros. Across 795 games with the Royals, Beltran slashed .280/.369/.500 with 149 home runs and 100 stolen bases accuring 24.8 bWAR.

      Despite establishing himself as one of the premier center fielders in baseball, donning the Royals' royal blue, it wouldn't be until he joined the New York Mets that his production and talents were truly recognized. In all, he'd go on to finish his career with three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, nine All-Star appearances, and a 2017 World Series champion.

      What hat will be featured on Beltran's bust? Let us know what you think in the comments.

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The Kansas City Royals made a pair of moves to bolster their bullpen before opening a four-game series vs. the Chicago White Sox on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium.

      Right-handers Eli Morgan and Mitch Spence were promoted from Triple-A Omaha, while right-handers Luinder Avila and Steven Cruz were optioned to Omaha. Thursday's game marks the ninth of 12 straight days the Royals are playing, including pitching 7⅓ innings Wednesday in a 10-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, thus the need for a bullpen refresh.

      Spence will be making his Royals debut. He was acquired in February shortly after being designated for assignment by the Athletics. Spence has made 67 MLB appearances over the last two seasons with the A's, including 32 starts, so he gives the Royals' bullpen a bit of length. Spence appeared in one game at Triple-A, starting Saturday and allowing four hits and one unearned run in five shutout innings.

      This is Morgan's second time coming up already this season. He was the extra pitcher called up for Saturday's doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers and picked up a three-inning save, giving up one hit and no runs, in the 8-2 triumph before being sent back to Omaha. Morgan signed a minor-league contract this offseason after appearing in seven games for the Chicago Cubs in 2025.

      Avila was called up last week and made his season debut Saturday in the first game of the doubleheader, surrendering five runs on eight hits and three walks in three innings. He then appeared Wednesday in relief, tossing another three innings, giving up six hits but allowing just one run.

      Cruz has posted a 14.40 ERA in five appearances, including allowing five runs in 1⅓ innings Wednesday.

       

      Brock Beauchamp

      We're looking for contributors to write Royals content over the offseason!

      First, feel free to reach out via email at brock.beauchamp@royalskeep.com or reply to this article.

      Writing Articles
      If you’ve ever wanted an audience for your Royals takes, this is the perfect place. While we generally lean into analytics and analysis, we also take a “come as you are” approach to baseball and give writers a lot of leeway to write about the game in a way that interests them. That could manifest in historical pieces, previews, or regular series. It’s a matter of finding your niche in the fandom and carving out a space for it. 

      Making Videos
      We're also looking for videographers! Most of our content is on the shorter side (3-7 minutes), though we have space for plenty of different formats and ideas. Like the writing side of the site, we usually lean into analytics, but it's not the only path we're open to exploring.

      It is also noteworthy that we pay our content creators. It’s certainly not enough to quit your day job. So don’t do that. However, it might be enough to show that we value your time, talent, and effort.

      If you know someone who might be interested in creating Royals content as a side job, please share this with them!

      Kevin O'Brien

       

      On Monday evening, MLB Insider Jon Heyman reported that the Kansas City Royals signed Hector Neris on a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training.

       

      Neris pitched for three teams last year: the Braves (two outings; one IP), the Angels (21 outings; 14 IP), and the Astros (12 outings; 11.2 IP). In 26.2 overall innings, the 36-year-old righty reliever posted a 6.75 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, 5.35 FIP, and -0.1 fWAR. He was primarily hurt by a 16.7% HR/FB rate, his highest mark in that category since 2019 (when he was with the Phillies). 

      While the results weren't good, Neris did post a strikeout rate of 28.2% and a K-BB% of 15.3%, both solid marks. He also had a 26% CSW and 28.3% O-Swing%, indicating he can generate strikes and chase pitches, two qualities the Royals are seeking from their relievers in 2026.  

      Neris struggled to find the strike zone consistently and gave up too many hard hits, according to xwOBACON. That said, the stuff was pretty solid last year from a 36-year-old reliever. 

      Hector Neris TJ-2025.png

      Neris sported six pitches last year, with his splitter (43.5%) and four-seamer (40.5%) being his most utilized offerings. Of his six pitches, five had TJ Stuff+ marks of 100 or higher, and four had grades of 50 or higher. He also generated a 28.6% whiff rate, with his splitter sporting a 35.9% whiff rate, the best mark in that category of his six offerings .

      The splitter has seen an increased usage by Neris over the past two seasons. He's thrown it over 40% of the time in 2024 and 2025 after only throwing it 28.8% of the time in 2023. Consequently, his four-seamer usage over the past two years has declined while splitter usage has risen, as seen in his career pitch-tracking chart via Savant.

      chart (5).png

      Because he's on a Minor League contract, Neris will have to earn his spot on the Royals roster this spring. If he doesn't make the roster, he has the option of becoming a free agent after Cactus League play.

      As of now, the Royals' bullpen seems pretty set with Carlos Estevez as closer and Matt Strahm, John Schreiber, and Lucas Erceg serving as setup men. Nick Mears, Alex Lange, Daniel Lynch IV, Bailey Falter, Steven Cruz, and James McArthur will likely battle Neris for a spot in the Kansas City bullpen in Spring Training. 

      Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

      Kevin O'Brien

       

      On Tuesday morning, in some unexpected news, Robert Murray of Fansided reported that the Royals signed pitcher Aaron Sanchez on a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training. 

       

      Sanchez is a former highly touted arm from the Blue Jays organization who made the All-Star team as a 23-year-old in 2016. That season, he made 30 starts, pitched 192 innings, won 15 games, posted a 3.00 ERA, 3.55 FIP, and accumulated a 3.5 fWAR. After the year, it was thought that Sanchez would be the ace of the Toronto rotation for a long time.

      Unfortunately, injuries and ineffectiveness have limited Sanchez's career since that All-Star campaign. 

      Since 2017, Sanchez has accumulated a 2.0 fWAR in 79 starts and 367.2 IP. His ERA rose to 4.25 in 2017 and 4.89 in 2018 before ballooning to 5.89 with the Blue Jays and Astros in 2019. After missing all of 2020 due to injury, he had a nice bounce-back campaign with the Giants in 2021, posting a 3.06 ERA in nine appearances and 35.1 IP. However, things regressed back to awful levels in 2022, as he sported an ERA of 6.60 in 15 appearances and 60 IP with the Nationals and Twins.

      The 33-year-old righty hasn't pitched at the Major League level since that 2022 season, and he actually did not pitch at all at any level in 2025. In 2024, his last season in the Minors, Sanchez posted a 7.92 ERA and 6.49 FIP in 14 outings and 61.1 IP with the Buffalo Bisons, the Blue Jays' Triple-A team. Not only was Sanchez hit hard that season (19.4% HR/FB rate), but he also struggled with command (1.05 K/BB ratio) and didn't show great stuff either, based on TJ Stats metrics. 

      Aaron Sanchez TJ AAA-2024.png

      Sanchez's groundball rate was decent at 44.3% with the Bisons, and he also limited productive contact, posting a .336 xwOBACON. That said, he sported below-average stuff with a 93 TJ Stuff+ mark overall, and his zone rate (44.4%), chase% (24.3%), and whiff% (23%) were subpar as well. Thus, when he made mistakes, hitters made him pay dearly (illustrated by the HR/FB rate). With Buffalo, his curveball, which he threw 20.3% of the time, was his best offering, as it sported a 100 TJ Stuff+, 33.6% chase%, 35.7% whiff%, and .292 xwOBACON. 

      Below is a breakdown of Sanchez's curveball against left and right-handed hitters via TJ Stats. It's possible that pitching coaches Brian Sweeney and Mike McFerran think he could improve his repertoire this spring, with the curveball as his foundational offering (it generated a 35.1% CSW against right-handed hitters). 

      Aaron Sanchez CU TJ AAA-2024.png

      After taking a year off, Sanchez returned to baseball by pitching with Toros del Este of the Dominican Winter League (LiDOM) this winter. The former All-Star thrived in his return to the mound in LiDOM, posting a 1.55 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 3.78 K/BB ratio in eight starts and 46.1 IP. His strong performance earned him top pitching honors in Winter League play. 

       

       

      The Royals likely picked up Sanchez due to his strong Winter League performance, hoping that he can show something on the mound again, whether at the Minor or Major League level. It's unlikely that Sanchez will make the Royals rotation, as it is incredibly deep right now with Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Kris Bubic, Noah Cameron, Ryan Bergert, Luinder Avila, and Stephen Kolek all vying for spots this spring.

       

      That said, the Royals likely want pitching depth, just in case their rotation gets hit by injury again like it did a season ago. Furthermore, Sanchez could generate some trade interest for a pitching-desperate team, especially if they are hit by injury in Spring Training play. Such a situation could net the Royals a low-level prospect, cash, or a bench player who could provide needed depth in the system. 

      Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

      Kevin O'Brien

       

      On Monday, the Kansas City Royals announced that they hired Mike McFerran as assistant pitching coach. McFerran replaces Zach Bove, who left earlier this month for the head pitching coach role with the Chicago White Sox.

       

      McFerran is only 32 years old but has a diverse coaching history, with much of his time spent at his alma mater, Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, Wake Forest University, and the Sacramento Athletics. With Wake Forest, he served as an associate head coach and pitching lab coordinator, helping develop first-round draft picks such as Ryan Cusick and Rhett Lowder. After a successful tenure with the Demon Deacons, he moved on to the Athletics organization, where he primarily worked with Minor League pitchers for the past two seasons. 

      The Royals' new assistant pitching coach had a pretty interesting interview on "And That's The Game" from Pro Batter Sports last year, when he was a member of the Athletics organization. In the podcast, he discussed his unique coaching background and his overall coaching philosophy. 

      When it came to replacing Bove, the Royals were looking for someone who shared Bove's ability to work closely with pitchers, especially in game strategy and pitch design, according to MLB.com Royals beat writer Anne Rogers. With his extensive background in pitch mechanics and incorporating science, data, and technology to develop athletes, especially pitchers, it seems like Kansas City found that fit with McFerran.

      Here's a snippet from Rogers' piece that provides background on McFerran's coaching history, especially during his tenure at Wake Forest.

      Quote

      The Royals were looking for someone with a similar skillset as Bove when putting together their list of candidates. And McFerran brings an innovative mind to pitching and strategy. His time at Wake Forest is particularly interesting; as the pitching lab coordinator, he helped “interpret and define the developmental direction of throwing athletes in collaboration with the coaching staff, while using the advancement of data and technology to maximize their performance and minimize their risk of injury,” according to the Wake Forest Baseball website.

      With the McFerran hiring, the Royals' coaching staff should be complete for the upcoming season. In addition to Bove, the Royals needed to replace assistant hitting coaches Keoni DeRenne and Joe Dillon. They found those replacements in Connor Dawson of the Brewers and Marcus Thames of the White Sox. 

      Photo Credit: © William Purnell-Imagn Images

      Brock Beauchamp

      How To Install On iPhone or iPad
      How To Install On Android Device

      Developing a pure, native app for either Android or iOS is a breathtakingly expensive endeavor, which is why we haven’t done it, despite so many requests over the years. Thankfully, technology has met us halfway, and PWAs (Progressive Web Applications) have reached maturity in the marketplace.

      What is a PWA? It’s effectively a pseudo-app that works much like a native application but doesn’t require tens of thousands of dollars in development to produce. It creates a single browser instance and maintains it as if it were an application. It’s basically a standalone browser tab, dedicated specifically to Royals Keep.

      From this app instance, you can receive notifications; the typical browser interface is removed, and the site is presented clearly, using as much screen real estate as possible, all without sacrificing any functionality. The site is faster, more reliable, and offers more mobile functionality than a standard web browser.

      Additionally, a newer, completely updated Royals Keep is coming later this year, and that will add even more app-like features, making PWA usage even better for all our users.

      With that said, here’s how you turn Royals Keep into an app on your mobile device.

      How To “Install” Royals Keep on iPhone or iPad Using Safari

      First, go to the home page of Royals Keep at https://royalskeep.com/.

      1. Tap on the ellipses (…) at bottom right of screen.
      2. Tap “Share” in pop-up menu.

      ios1.jpg

      3. Tap “View More”.
      4. Tap “Add To Home Screen”.
      5. Tap “Add”.

      ios2.jpg

      That takes you to your home screen on iOS, where you can move the Royals Keep app around, just as you would any other app.

      Additionally, you can turn on notifications for them. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://royalskeep.com/notifications/options/.

      ios3.jpg

      How To “Install” Royals Keep on an Android Device Using Chrome

      First, go to the home page of Royals Keep at https://royalskeep.com/.

      1. Tap on the vertical ellipses (…) at top right of screen.
      2. Tap “Share…” in pop-up menu.

      android1.jpg

      3. Tap “Add to Home Screen”.
      4. Tap “Install”.

      android2.jpg

      That takes you to your home screen on Android, where you can move the Royals Keep app around, just as you would any other app.

      Additionally, you can turn on notifications for the site. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://royalskeep.com/notifications/options/.

      android3.jpg

      Cory Moen

      Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was placed on the 10-day injured list with low back tightness, which has kept him out of a few games recently. This move is retroactive to July 21, so the first day he will be eligible to come off the injured list is July 31.

      In a corresponding move, the Royals have selected the contract of shortstop Andrew Velazquez. Velazquez last appeared in a major league contest in 2023 with the Angels. He has major league experience every year from 2018-2023 and has played at Triple-A the past few years with the Braves, Yankees, and the Diamondbacks and Royals this year. 

      Across 58 Triple-A games this year, he has hit for a slash line of .270/.333/.370. He's played shortstop, second base, and all three outfield positions this year, so expect to see him at multiple positions when he is on the field.

      To make room for Velazquez on the 40-man roster, RHP Stephen Kolek was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list. 

      Cory Moen

      The Royals have placed RHP Beck Way on the injured list and recalled RHP Easton McGee.

      Way, a rookie, has pitched in 19 games with the Royals this year with a 3.86 ERA and 4.95 FIP. He has 21 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings pitched in those 19 games.

      McGee will make his Royals debut, previously having pitched in the majors for the Rays, Mariners, and Brewers. Over 13 career games at the major league level, he has thrown 26 1/3 innings and has recorded 17 strikeouts with a 3.08 ERA and 3.61 FIP.

      McGee was acquired two weeks ago from the Milwaukee Brewers for cash considerations. Since being acquired, he has thrown six innings over three appearances at Triple-A Omaha with seven strikeouts and six runs given up, good for a 9.00 ERA. 

      Matthew Lenz

      The Kansas City Royals are shifting titles and responsibilities in their front office. Brooks Sherman, formerly the president of business operations, is now president of real estate and development. His primary responsibility will be looking for a new ballpark location.

      In his place, Anne Rogers of MLB.com is reporting that the Kansas City Royals have named Cullen Maxey the President of Business Operations. In a statement, Royals chairman/CEO John Sherman said, "...this is a day that helps change our organization and prepares us for the future." Maxey was previously the Executive Vice President, Business Operations and Chief Revenue Officer with the Arizona Diamondbacks for 16 seasons.

      In Arizona, Maxey was part of the leadership team responsible for the planning and construction of the $200 million Salt River Fields Complex. He also led the team that transitioned the Diamondbacks' broadcast from the regional sports network model to a team-managed multi-platform distribution. Most notably for fans, he was one of the key figures behind "value item pricing" at the concession stand. His efforts led the D-backs to have the lowest Fan Cost Index in MLB for many consecutive years.

      While the impact of front office roles can be hard to measure, how do you think Maxey and Sherman's new roles will impact the Royals organization? Let us know in the comments!

      Cory Moen

      The Royals have acquired RHP Nolan Hoffman from the Phillies. The Royals sent RHP Manuel Colon to Philadelphia in return. 

      Hoffman has thrown 4 2/3 innings for the Phillies this year, striking out two and walking three. At the Triple-A level, Hoffman has thrown 34 1/3 innings, stirking out 40 and walking 18 with a 5.24 ERA over 30 relief appearances. He was designated for assignment earlier today.

      Colon has thrown in the Arizona Complex League and at Single-A Columbia, throwing 29 1/3 innings combined (27 in the Complex League). He has a combined 5.83 ERA with 37 strikeouts and 12 walks in that time. 

      Philip Ruo

      The Royals announced last week their broadcast schedule for Spring Training games in the Cactus League, outlining how fans can enjoy the Royals as they prepare for the 2026 MLB season.

      The Royals begin playing games this Friday, February 20 at 2:00 p.m. CT against the Texas Rangers at their shared stadium in Surprise, Arizona.

      Only three of their games will not be broadcast in any format this Spring. All three of those games fall on days where two games are played.

      Three games will be televised on Royals.tv, the new home for Kansas City’s regular season games:

      • March 5 vs. the Texas Rangers - 7:05 p.m. CT

      • March 13 vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks - 8:05 p.m. CT

      • March 17 vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers - 8:05 p.m. CT

      You can find our guide on how to watch Royals.tv here.

      29 games will be available for audio streaming on royals.com. 22 of those games will be available on a radio broadcast; 16 games on 96.5 The Fan (including the three Royals.tv broadcasts), and six on The Bet 1660. The remaining seven games will air exclusively at royals.com. See the post from the Royals above for the breakdown of which games will be available on which stations. All games are listed on Central Time.

×
×
  • Create New...