Lesky’s Notes: Getting forced into youth
The Royals were forced into a change of coaching staff because of their offensive ineptitude. They got Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jake Odorizzi and James Shields as part of the deal to get Wade Davis. The team is playing young players now. Lesky's newsletter is free and he tries to send new content almost every day during the season. He hopes you'll continue to subscribe to his newsletter.
Terry Bradshaw was fired by the Royals on Monday. JJ Picollo and Dayton Moore seem to be disconnected. Picolli won the battle with the hitting coach. Lesky worries that the guy in charge is overriding the one who is supposed to take charge. Lesy thinks the team will crash and burn soon. He thinks it's unfair that players Piculli worked hard to improve are sitting in the minors. The team needs to focus on developing young players. It's a good thing they didn't let the offensive weekend in Colorado cloud their judgment.
The Royals are not going to make a run at the division title. They have to decide on a few players. Andrew Benintendi won his arbitration case last weekend. Zack Greinke, Brad Keller, Michael A. Taylor, Nicky Lopez, Scott Barlow and Josh Staumont could be traded. The Royals won't take advantage of this opportunity. If they do, they could bring in some prospect help to fill in gaps.
The Royals are going to have to find a way to fill their big league gaps. Vinnie Pasquantino, Nick Pratto and Salvador Perez are all hitting well. They are also playing with MJ Melendez, Bobby Witt Jr. and Emmanuel Rivera. The team is going through a transition period. Lesky would give up Pratt and Frankie Montas for one of them. He would also consider German Marquez. Lesy's notes: The Royals need to be creative to get the most out of their young players. It's not easy to replace a starting pitcher. If they don't move Greinke and Keller, they will have trouble finding a replacement.
Royals are last in the league in first-pitch strikes. Some of their pitchers are at the bottom of the list. The Phillies won 80 games in 2018, 81 games next year, 28 games out of 60 in 2020 and 82 games last year. They're 18-20 this year and need to sell. Aaron Nola would be a good target for them. Lesky's Notes: Getting forced into youth. He'd bet on them being high on this leaderboard. It's possible they sign Sean Manaea. it's also possible to sign a player like Pratto.
