It’s finally not raining here in Arizona and baseball will happen today. With Spring Training games beginning today, some questions about the direction of this organization will be answered very soon. Here are some things that I want to see from the Royals this Spring Training.
- Over in a Royals Review roundtable, I already outlined one thing that I’m dying to see this spring:
“I want to see a couple of the AAA guys step up and force the Royals hands. It’s been a while since a prospect has really forced the Royals to call them up. I’d really like to see some combination of Nicky Lopez, Richard Lovelady, Josh Staumont, Trevor Oaks, and Scott Barlow perform so well during Spring Training that the Royals don’t have an option to leave them in AAA.”
When was the last time a Royals prospect played so well at AAA that the Royals had no choice but to call them up to the big leagues? Eric Hosmer in 2011 comes to mind. Hosmer came out hitting .439 and the Royals just couldn’t leave him in Omaha anymore. How many prospects since have done that? You could argue that Richard Lovelady did last year. Frank Schwindel has hammered the ball despite atrocious peripherals. Jorge Bonifacio was pretty good in 2017, and I’m ready to see it happen again. I want one of the aforementioned Lopez, Lovelady, Staumont, Oaks, Barlow, etc. to be so good this spring that the Royals can’t justify leaving them in Omaha anymore.
- I just want everyone to make it out of Surprise healthy. Jorge Soler, Danny Duffy, and Adalberto Mondesi have had troubles staying healthy consistently, and all appear to be healthy to begin 2019. I would love to see them all get through Spring Training healthy heading into the regular season.
- I want to see the core of prospects stick together and head to Wilmington. The last thing I want to see the front office do is make someone stay in Lexington, like they did with Michael Gigliotti last year. Move the entire team to Wilmington and adjust accordingly. Don’t hold one guy back to save face for a non-prospect. Make the core the priority, and make everyone adjust to them, not the other way around.
- I want to see some of the journeyman go away. Ben Lively, Homer Bailey, Brian Flynn, need to move on. It’s time for some of the young guys to get a chance. I am all for high reward fliers like Brad Boxberger and Jake Diekman. They offer REAL value to the team. Lively, Bailey, and Flynn are just in the way. I appreciate what Flynn has done for the team, but it’s time to get younger, and more talented.
- I’m ready to see Adalberto Mondesi turn into a bonafide all-star. Some improved plate discipline, a little more consistency in the field, normal power and speed, the whole bit. If we see the potential of Mondesi start to play out this spring, I am going to be ecstatic approaching April.
Photo Credits: Benny Sieu – USA TODAY Sports
Royals Farm Report 
Your list of those to go away is awfully short, probably due to space. There are at least five more hurlers that could be added to that list without even seeing them in a spring training game. Adam, Sparkman – just to name a couple – are standing in the way of getting a good look at Lovelady and Staumont to name two more.
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I expect to see Sparkman, Adam et.al to anchor the Omaha staff and get a few innings in KC if injuries occur. Barlow, Oaks, LIvely, Staumont will also be in Omaha most of the season. I expect Lovelady in KC by June. He is the real deal.
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I like the thought … but would rather see all the pitchers in Omaha to start the season where they will actually play more consistently and in better weather than April-May in KC-Chi-Minn and so forth. Then bring them up in May-June, hot and ready to go.
And here’s to Bubba having a sizzling spring to the point KC has to make an outfield trade of some sort to make room for him!!!
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