Back in March of 2011, Eric Hosmer and Sal Perez hadn't even played in Omaha yet, and we started a crazy little Royals podcast. Through controversial trades, odd managerial moves, slumps, surges, winning streaks, and a couple of playoff appearances, we've been here to discuss it all, culminating in a World Series and the following rebuild. This is our final episode. All things must end, and this seems the right time. With an ownership change ahead, a new manager, and a new wave of players in the...
Oct 11, 2019•2 hr
Every season during spring training, we make some predictions. Some are good, some are bad. Sometimes we're way off. But we always go back and check how we did at the end of the year. This year is no different. In this episode, we round third and head home as we wrap up our ninth Royals season of coverage. We have one more episode of reminiscing to do, so this is the last show where we provide share our thoughts about the 2019 Royals and what lies ahead for the team. Next week, we'll welcome bac...
Oct 04, 2019•1 hr 28 min
After much speculation, Ned Yost has announced that he's retiring at the end of the season. He's been an interesting manager to follow...with some conflicting feelings. We discuss the dichotomy and Yost's legacy and impact on the current Royals, the past Royals, and most importantly, the champion Royals. He will have a special place in Royals history after two pennants and the most wins in franchise history, but he wasn't always everyone's favorite. We also brought up a few anniversaries occurri...
Sep 25, 2019•1 hr 9 min
This could be one of our weirder shows, in that we're talking about disappointment. Before that part, though, we recap some of the milestones ahead, including Jorge Soler's incredible season, and Whit Merrifield's excellence at the plate. But then, we got to talking about regrets. About disappointment. What were the disappointing storylines of the 2019 season? What would we have wished to see? And then, in the wider view, in the nine seasons during which we've done this podcast, what are some of...
Sep 18, 2019•1 hr 16 min
There are just a few weeks left in the season, and while the Royals won't be making the playoffs, there are still some storylines worth following as the year wraps up. We discuss what we're watching the rest of the way - momentum, improvements, milestones, and moments we want to see as this Royals season comes to a close. Follow us! Twitter: http://twitter.com/KCBaseballVault http://twitter.com/TheJeffReport http://twitter.com/michaelengel Email us! KansasCityBaseballVault@gmail.com...
Sep 13, 2019•1 hr 5 min
Finally! Jorge Soler hit home runs 39 and 40 in the last week, surpassing Mike Moustakas in the Royals record books and giving the Royals their first 40 home run season. If you've listened to our show for any length of time, you know that 40 homers was a milestone we were really rooting for, so with Jorge Soler's achievement, we had to celebrate a little bit. We discussed Soler's health, power, his place in the Royals lineup and what this season means for the Royals future. We also discussed the...
Sep 06, 2019•51 min
This week, the bombshell news came out that David Glass is negotiating the sale of the Royals, with expectations that the process will be complete by November. That's a franchise-altering story, and one that got us a bit excited. Glass is a lightning rod in Kansas City, but to his credit, he did evolve over the last 10 years or so. Still, it's a complicated legacy, and a new owner could be a very exciting development. We also discussed a few roster moves and talked more about Jorge Soler, as we ...
Aug 30, 2019•1 hr 1 min
Jorge Soler has had a huge second half, but in the last week, he hasn't had much of an opportunity to continue with it. Most of the lineup behind him has really struggled, and he's been stuck taking walks instead of hitting dingers. He's still on pace to break the Royals single-season home run record, but he's still got time. We also talked about the Royals' starting pitching and depth. All year we've seen their starters cover a lot of innings, and with the addition of Mike Montgomery, they have...
Aug 21, 2019•52 min
So since our last show, Jorge Soler went on a little hot streak, good enough to earn him AL Player of the Week honors. He added six homers to his total, putting him in position to push for a team record, and an unprecedented 40 home runs. We looked deeper at his season and particularly his past six weeks. He's finally looking like the player many expected when he signed with the Cubs, but he's done so by limiting strikeouts, walking more, and not sacrificing power. It's been impressive, and we'r...
Aug 14, 2019•1 hr 4 min
With a quiet trade deadline (for the Royals) the main news this week was an injury to Danny Duffy that will sideline him for a week. We discussed how the Royals will fill his spot in the rotation and what they could or should do instead. While we were talking injuries, we talked a bit about the latest on Adalberto Mondesi, who's still a couple of weeks away from returning from a shoulder injury. It'd be great to see him back on the field, but with the way the season is going, the Royals are exer...
Aug 07, 2019•51 min
The trade deadline came and went and while there were fireworks in other places, in Kansas City it passed without any action, save a Jake Diekman trade in the lead up to the deadline. That means no Whit Merrifield trade, no Ian Kennedy deal. Not even Billy Hamilton. So we discussed some reasons the Royals have stated plus put our own interpretations into the mix. Without seeing the offers, it's hard to say it's a missed opportunity, but some fans are nonetheless disappointed. After covering the ...
Aug 02, 2019•49 min
The Royals have been playing well in the second half so far, with good offensive production and even a couple of shutouts. We talked about the recent performances of Jakob Junis, Brad Keller, Jorge Soler, and others. Meanwhile, the trade deadline is coming up quickly, and while the Royals have made some moves already, they have a couple of names who may still be dealt. And if that's the case, the Royals have some performers in Omaha ready to step in, with strong performances by Ryan O'Hearn, Bre...
Jul 24, 2019•1 hr 3 min
The Royals had an active week to open the second half of the season. In the span of just a couple of days, they called up Bubba Starling, traded away Homer Bailey, and swapped Martin Maldonado for former Royals draftee Mike Montgomery. And on top of that, they also won three of their first four games (and won on the night we recorded as well). Brad Keller and Jakob Junis had key early second-half performances and the team is scoring some runs, too. Not a bad way to head towards the trading deadl...
Jul 17, 2019•1 hr 1 min
At the all-star break, the Royals haven't been all that good, but there are a few bright spots. We made a lot of predictions before the season started, and every year at this time, we like to hold ourselves accountable, so we looked at how the first half went compared to our expectations. We were right on for some predictions and way off on others. Follow us! Twitter: http://twitter.com/KCBaseballVault http://twitter.com/TheJeffReport http://twitter.com/michaelengel Email us! KansasCityBaseballV...
Jul 10, 2019•1 hr 4 min
This week, we finally caught up with Clint Scoles to talk about the Royals 2019 draft and the state of the Royals' farm system. Clint's insight and knowledge is unmatched, and we're always glad to have him on. He discussed Bobby Witt Jr., college players in the draft, named a few of his favorite picks, and then talked a bit more about the Royals minor league topics like the struggling lineup in Wilmington and the sudden pitching depth in the system. You can read Clint's work at RoyalsAcademy.com...
Jul 03, 2019•1 hr 5 min
The Royals did some roster movement this week, sending Adalberto Mondesi to the IL and calling up Humberto Arteaga to cover shortstop. Meanwhile, they sent Hunter Dozier on a rehab assignment in Springdale (and should be back in Kansas City soon). That'll lead to another move. And Ryan O'Hearn got sent to Omaha to get his mojo back with Jorge Bonifacio returning to KC. And through all that, the Royals might be fielding phone calls for some trade targets. We got caught up on those moves AND the u...
Jun 21, 2019•1 hr
While we were away, the Royals added a lot of talent to their organization by way of the MLB Draft. This year, the Royals had the second overall pick in a draft with two huge prospects at the top of the draft. With a team-record bonus, they've signed high school shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. We discussed his profile along with the rest of the Royals' draft, in particular their focus on college players (for the second year in a row). Aside from Witt, we talked about a few other names selected by the R...
Jun 14, 2019•1 hr 21 min
This week, the Royals didn't play much, due to off days but they made some moves, others were speculated, and they got a couple of improved starts from Danny Duffy and Brad Keller. Pitching - and many times starting pitching - has been a low point in 2019, but there may be some hope if a few starters can rebound and adjust. If not, well, it'll be a tough season the rest of the way. It may not need to stay like that though. Maybe not this year, but down the line, the Royals could see a lot of hel...
May 23, 2019•59 min
The big news this week was the call up of infielder Nicky Lopez, one of the more intriguing prospects in the Royals system right now. We discussed how Lopez will fit in the lineup and what he provides for the players he's hitting around, plus the general makeup of the team today and going forward. We also talked about the team's recent inconsistency, both in scoring runs and from the starting pitching holding games together. Follow us! Twitter: http://twitter.com/KCBaseballVault http://twitter.c...
May 17, 2019•47 min
The Royals offense has been clicking lately. A mix of patience, power, and speed has pushed them into the top five in runs scored in the AL. Unfortunately, the pitching has not done much with that offense, as the Royals entered Wednesday with the worst record in the league, despite a Pythagorean projection closer to .500. It mirrors some trends we've seen before, with some teams 20 years ago that had lots of talent at the plate ... and not as much on the mound. We looked at what might be sustain...
May 09, 2019•53 min
We recorded this episode on a pretty darn good day for Royals baseball, just after they swept a double header against Tampa Bay. That performance really helped out the numbers of the starting rotation, which had been faltering more than the bullpen for a change. Much of this season has seen the Royals bullpen blow leads or be more gas on the fire than fireman, but the script was flipped up until Jakob Junis and Glenn Sparkman dominated the Rays. But that's the micro level. On a bigger scale, the...
May 02, 2019•1 hr 8 min
The 2019 season hasn't gone quite as hoped for the Kansas City Royals. They've missed opportunities, blown leads, and generally, haven't played well. But there are bright spots. The key parts of the lineup have been productive, and there are even a few very fun surprises. The starters have generally been effective (which has limited the bullpen). But despite a recent strong run, the bullpen has been rough with a couple of exceptions. The bottom of the lineup has struggled. It hasn't been fun. Sl...
Apr 25, 2019•1 hr 10 min
Since our last episode, the Royals haven't won a game and the bullpen continues to be an issue. The Royals made a number of moves, including sending Kyle Zimmer to Triple-A and calling up Richard Lovelady. But the veterans in the bullpen have struggled while the starting rotation and offense have been mostly okay. We discussed what might be next for this struggling group and how it lines up with the big picture. Of course, it's not all gloom. Lovelady dealt in his debut. Ryan O'Hearn and Hunter ...
Apr 11, 2019•1 hr
The 2019 Royals season is officially underway and it's - so far - a little exciting and a little underwhelming. They won two games but the bullpen has been shaky, and the Royals have missed a couple of early opportunities for wins. Nonetheless, some, like Brad Keller, Adalberto Mondesi, Jorge Soler, and others have stepped up early. Are the Royals doomed? Is this a brief glitch? Will Kyle Zimmer get a shot to shut down games? Well, it's too early to tell, but we'll find out over the next 157 gam...
Apr 04, 2019•48 min
The Royals found a replacement for Salvador Perez and did some juggling of the pitching staff as Opening Day approaches. After catching up on the news of the day, we made some predictions. Using Baseball Prospectus's PECOTA projections, we picked a few players and stats and guessed at if a player would surpass or fall short of the mark. It's one of our favorite shows to record every year, and this time was no exception. Hear our thoughts on Adalberto Mondesi, Brad Keller, Whit Merrifield, Jakob ...
Apr 03, 2019•1 hr 22 min
The baseball free agency market is finally shaking loose. Manny Machado is getting his big payday. Mike Moustakas landed another one-year deal. Alcides Escobar will be an Oriole. The Royals snagged some free agents as well, all to bolster the 2019 pitching staff. After an AL-worst bullpen in 2018, how will the additions of Brad Boxberger, Jake Diekman, and Drew Storen shake out? Is there anything left in the tank for Homer Bailey? How strange will future offseasons become? We discuss it all this...
Feb 21, 2019•1 hr 7 min
So far this offseason has been very quiet, but one of the milestones each winter is the publication of prospect rankings. Two of the big ones - Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America - recognized some Royals prospects, though, interestingly different groups. In the here and now, we also discussed the new contract for Whit Merrifield, including what it means for the roster, the minor league rising stars, and the Royals contention window. Mostly, it's a nice payday for Whit and allows him to avo...
Jan 31, 2019•54 min
It's been quiet this offseason with a lot of attention in Kansas City going to the Royals' next-door neighbors, but we took time this week to talk about an old friend who'll be back in 2019. And since everyone is looking to the past these days, we looked at the up and down journey of Kyle Zimmer, who's back with the Royals after signing a one-year MLB deal. Speaking of big names who had injury problems...15 years ago this month the Royals signed slugger Juan Gonzalez in hopes of keeping the beli...
Jan 17, 2019•54 min
After a couple weeks off for the holidays, the Vault is back. And during that break, the Royals signed Terrance Gore. We discuss the Royals focus on adding team speed and his likely role within the organization. While we're hesitant to say that he will play much of a role, he's definitely got speed, as we've seen ourselves over the years. The Royals also acquired two players during the Rule 5 draft, selecting Sam McWilliams out of Tampa Bay's organization and trading for Chris Ellis (drafted by ...
Jan 04, 2019•59 min
Is the Royals outfield wide enough? Are the Royals throwing away their shot? Kansas City sure didn't wait for it and went out and signed center fielder Billy Hamilton. It might be nice to have Hamilton on our side. On top of that move, the Royals signed utility man Chris Owings, and carved out some space on the 40 man roster to make room for likely Rule 5 picks as they finish up a somewhat busy but curious Winter Meetings. Programming note: While what you've known as BP Kansas City is being abso...
Dec 13, 2018•53 min
