Weekend Rumblings - News for December 7, 2024

Is Maikel Garcia a trade candidate?

Anne Rogers previews next week’s Winter Meetings.

Potential Trade Candidates With Singer already gone, the Royals might be more reluctant to trade from their Major League team, but there are still names to discuss. Third baseman Maikel Garcia has popped up in conversations because of his ability to play shortstop. The Royals were able to trade Singer because of their pitching depth, which also includes names like Alec Marsh, Kris Bubic and Daniel Lynch IV. That might extend to the bullpen, too, with young relievers Angel Zerpa and Carlos Hernández.

David Lesky notes that while the pitching staff was good, it could improve in one area.

One stat that can be really interesting to follow is how many swings and misses pitchers get on pitches inside the strike zone. Why that matters is that it indicates a couple of things. The first is good stuff. If you can get a hitter to whiff on a pitch they should theoretically be able to hit, that’s a good sign generally. The second is that it often means good command because hitters aren’t often whiffing on meatballs. It’s a very good trait to be able to get whiffs in the strike zone.

The Royals didn’t do that very well in 2024. They had one of the better pitching staffs in baseball last season, but this is one area that I’d like to see them target in any acquisitions. They finished 22nd in a percentage of pitches in the zone that hitters whiffed on. Zoom in a little bit more and they were 25th on whiff percentage on pitches in the heart of the plate. The Twins were actually the top of both lists. I will say that they were 14th in the shadow zone but still a strike, so there was that at least.

At ESPN Insider, Bradford Doolittle writes about what each team hopes to accomplish at the Winter Meetings.

To do: Wacha was really the Royals’ only core free agent, so jumping the market and signing him early was a big step in Kansas City’s quest to retain the considerable ground it gained in 2024. But Kansas City also needs to get better in terms of baseline talent, especially because teams that make the kind of leap the Royals did last season are subject to more-than-usual regression. Adding India to solidify the leadoff slot is an upgrade, though his positional fit is harder to pin down. That also opens a Singer-shaped hole in the rotation, one perhaps K.C. can fill with injury returnee Kyle Wright or by the rumored plan to shift Kris Bubic back to starting pitching. But then that opens a void in the bullpen, where Bubic was really effective. And so it goes. More than anything, the Royals have to find another middle-of-the-order bat. Soto would work. OK, fine. But a splash in the next tier of free agent outfielders would be worth it, especially given the Royals’ fairly limited trade resources.

MLB.com collects burning questions for each team at the meetings.

The Royals already got one big item checked off of their priority list this offseason when they traded for Jonathan India (and young outfielder Joey Wiemer), sending Brady Singer to the Reds. India, a second baseman whom the Royals think can increase his versatility defensively, will slot into the leadoff spot in the lineup, getting on base for Bobby Witt Jr. That one move alone deepens the Royals’ lineup, but they don’t view it as complete yet. Now, they’ve turned their search to a bat that can fit in the middle of the lineup, behind Witt, Vinnie Pasqauantino and Salvador Perez. Someone who can not only get on base, but also add power in the heart of the order. The Royals are evaluating the free-agent and trade markets here, and the open positions for an upgrade include third base and the outfield.

Pete Grathoff writes about Salvador Perez’s pictures from his trip to Africa.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter writes about Steamer projections for Royals catchers.

The free agent pitching market is through the roof, forcing teams to get creative.

The Mets sign Clay Holmes to a three-year, $38 million deal as a starter.

Shane Bieber returns to the Guardians on a one-year, $10 million deal with a $16 million player option.

The Rays sign catcher Danny Jansen to a one-year, $8 million deal.

Some free agency reunions that might be fun.

How Brent Rooker fixed the hole in his game.

Why aren’t the Orioles pursuing Juan Soto?

The Rockies are looking for a second baseman.

The Las Vegas Stadium Authority approved lease, non-relocation and development documents for a new A’s ballpark.

The St. Petersburg City Council approves bonds necessary to finance a $1.3 billion stadium.

Army football wins their first AAC championship.

ESPN officially joins Bluesky.

WWE is seeking a bigger stage, possibly Netflix.

Fake food products go viral on social media.

Why every restaurant has the same desserts?

Your song of the day is Steely Dan with Only a Fool Would Say That.