Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals are receiving calls from teams on left-handed relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

"The more intriguing development is that the Royals already are receiving calls on Aroldis Chapman, according to major-league sources who were granted anonymity so they could speak candidly. Chapman, who signed a one-year, $3.75 million, free-agent contract, is averaging 99.3 mph with his fastball and 87.9 mph with his slider, his highest velocities with those pitches since 2017 and '16, respectively.

"As for a trade happening in early May, it's the usual story: If a contender wants to overpay, the Royals are more than willing to listen. Clubs, though, generally are unwilling to engage in such conversations at this time of year, and the Royals know Chapman's value figures to build as the deadline nears and teams improve their offers, even with the club control diminishing."

Chapman, a seven-time All-Star, has posted a 2.84 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 12.2 innings entering Wednesday. The 14-year veteran has pitched for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees during his career. He's coming off a seven-season stretch with the Yankees in which he made three All-Star teams, saved 153 games and posted a 13.9 K/9 rate.

However, his time in the Bronx ended poorly, with the reliever registering a 4.46 ERA and losing his closer job. He was left off the Yankees' 2022 postseason roster after skipping a workout.

Chapman signed as a free agent with the Royals in January, and he's enjoyed somewhat of a career renaissance in Kansas City.

The Royals likely aren't going anywhere this season, however, as they sit in last place in the American League Central with an 11-27 record.

Chapman figures to be a top tradable asset with contending teams certainly looking for bullpen help, so it's possible the southpaw could be on the move.

Aroldis Chapman's first season with the Kansas City Royals is not off to the best of starts. The All-Star reliever slipped and fell at his house Saturday night resulting in a cracked tooth and a split lip, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com.

Chapman, 34, required stitches for his lip, which Rogers reported remains fairly swollen. He planned on playing catch Monday and throwing a bullpen session Tuesday before getting some game action during spring training.

Kansas City signed Chapman to a one year, $3.75 million deal on Jan. 27 after the seven-time All-Star decided to leave the New York Yankees following seven seasons in the Bronx.

Last season was far from the best for the left hander as he had a career-worst 4.46 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over 36 1/3 innings in 43 appearances. His time with the Yankees came to a bitter end as he was left off the ALDS roster after failing to show up to a team workout ahead of the series.

This injury is the latest of strange afflictions for Chapman who also had to be put on the IL last season after getting a leg infection from a tattoo.

Once he's able to get back on the mound Chapman is expected to compete with Scott Barlow for the closer role in Kansas City.

Zack Greinke has decided to remain where his career began for what could be his final season in Major League Baseball.

The veteran right-hander agreed to a one-year deal to remain with the Kansas City Royals, according to Bob Fescoe of 610 Sports Radio.

Fescoe noted the Royals will officially announce the deal on Tuesday.

Greinke spent the 2022 campaign with the Royals after signing a one-year, $13 million deal to return to the franchise. In 26 starts, he went 4-9 with a 3.68 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 73 strikeouts across 137 innings.

The 39-year-old began his career with the Royals in 2004 and spent his first seven seasons in Kansas City, finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2004, winning the Cy Young award in 2009 and also earning an All-Star selection that year.

He went 16-8 in his Cy Young-winning season with a 2.16 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 242 strikeouts in 229.1 innings across 33 starts.

Greinke joined the Milwaukee Brewers in 2012 and was traded to the Los Angeles Angels that year. He was with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2013 to 2015 before joining the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2016.

The Diamondbacks traded Greinke to the Houston Astros in 2019, and he remained with the franchise through the 2021 campaign.

One of Greinke's best seasons came in 2015 as a member of the Dodgers. He went 19-3 with a 1.66 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 200 strikeouts in 222.2 innings across 32 starts.

In 19 major league seasons, Greinke has won a Cy Young award, six Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, two ERA Titles and earned six All-Star selections.

While he's undoubtedly past his prime, Greinke should still be a solid contributor in the Kansas City rotation alongside Daniel Lynch, Brady Singer, Kris Bubic and Jonathan Heasley.

However, the Royals finished last in the AL Central with a 65-97 record. They've had a very quiet offseason and will be hoping young players like Bobby Witt, Brady Singer and Vinnie Pasquantino take steps forward to help them challenge for a playoff spot in 2023.

Free-agent reliever Aroldis Chapman has agreed to a deal with the Kansas City Royals, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

Chapman spent the last six seasons of his career with the Yankees, earning three All-Star selections. However, he had a rough 2022 campaign, posting an 4.46 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 43 strikeouts and just nine saves in 36.1 innings across 43 games.

The 34-year-old's struggles were likely a factor in the Yankees moving on from the left-hander. However, his relationship with the franchise appeared fractured after he was left off the team's roster for the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians following a missed workout.

Chapman was scheduled to work out at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 7, but he didn't show up as he remained at his home in Miami. The franchise then told him to remain away from the club.

"I think he questioned whether he was going to be on the roster or not," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters at the time.

That said, one team's loss is another's gain, and Kansas City hopes Chapman can return to form in 2023.

Feinsand reported Jan. 18 that the Royals were among the teams interest in signing Chapman, so it's no surprise the two sides reached an agreement.

Adding Chapman to help close out games alongside Scott Barlow gives Kansas City some more certainty out of the bullpen in 2023, though they'll likely need to make some other additions to remain competitive.

While getting the development of their young pitchers back on track is a priority for the Kansas City Royals, the team hasn't closed the door on one-time ace Zack Greinke.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Monday the Royals are "leaving the possibility open," but the right-hander "probably would need to accept a low base salary that could grow with incentives based on innings pitched."

Greinke spent his first seven seasons in MLB with Kansas City and established himself as an elite starting pitcher, winning the American League Cy Young Award and making the All-Star team in 2009.

The 39-year-old returned to the Royals for the 2022 season, and he remained effective for a pitcher of his age. In 26 starts, he went 4-9 with a 3.68 ERA and a 4.03 FIP.

At a time when more pitchers are hitting triple-digit velocity than ever, Greinke was an anomaly as his sub-90 mph fastball caused trouble for opposing batters.

The Royals have a new manager, Matt Quatraro, and J.J. Picollo is in his first offseason running the front office. To the extent that you can start a new rebuild with an organization that hasn't had a winning record for seven years, that's what Kansas City is doing.

Signing Greinke would largely be a sentimental play because his individual contributions are unlikely to change the team's trajectory in 2023. Rotation depth isn't a pressing need after the Royals signed Jordan Lyles and Ryan Yarbrough.

But fans and the organization would enjoy seeing the six-time All-Star end his career in Kansas City. He's fourth in franchise history in pitching WAR (28.8) and eighth in innings (1,245), per Baseball Reference.

Starting pitcher Zack Greinke is reportedly "expected to return" for a 20th MLB season in 2023.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Thursday the Kansas City Royals are "interested" in re-signing Greinke, who compiled a 3.68 ERA across 26 starts for the club this season while playing on a one-year, $13 million contract.

The 39-year-old right-hander said after his final start of the season he wasn't sure whether he'd be back next year.

"I don't really know for sure what's going to happen," Greinke told reporters in early October. "We'll figure it out eventually, but I don't know at the moment."

He posted solid overall numbers in 2022 despite a low strikeout rate (4.8 per nine innings) basically unheard of in the modern game. He was able to remain effective thanks to limiting walks (1.7 per nine) and keeping the ball in the park (14 home runs allowed in 137 innings).

Greinke was drafted by the Royals in 2002 and made his major league debut for the club in 2004. His first stint in K.C. ran through 2010.

The Florida native proceeded to make stops with the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Houston Astros before returning to the Royals ahead of the 2022 campaign.

His career resume includes the 2009 AL Cy Young Award, six All-Star selections and six Gold Glove Awards.

Baseball Reference shows him having a fringe Hall of Fame case, including a career WAR (76.4) that's slightly above the average Hall of Famer.

Coming back for at least one more season will give him an opportunity to keep building the case that he deserves a place in Cooperstown.

If Greinke returns but doesn't re-sign with Kansas City, it's possible he could generate interest from contenders in free agency as an option for their back end of their rotation.

Another one-year deal with the Royals seems like the most likely outcome, though.

The Kansas City Royals hired Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro as their next manager, the team announced Sunday.

ESPN's Jeff Passan first reported the news.

Quatraro will take over for Mike Matheny, who was fired after the Royals finished 65-97 in 2022. Kansas City also extended its postseason drought to seven seasons.

"We are extremely excited to have Matt leading our club and core of talent," general manager J.J. Picollo said. "Matt has great experiences throughout his career that have prepared him for this. He thoroughly impressed us all during our interview process and is clearly respected across the industry."

The organization has already undergone some major changes to atone for its recent futility. In addition to moving on from Matheny, the Royals fired pitching coach Cal Eldred. Dayton Moore was ousted as president of baseball operations before the regular season ended.

It wasn't just that Kansas City's fortunes took a sharp downturn after it made back-to-back World Series appearances in 2014 and 2015. Moore's plan to rebuild around young pitching hasn't worked out, and there aren't a bevy of top prospects to generate optimism for the future.

Bobby Witt Jr. and MJ Melendez both made their MLB debuts in 2022, and neither is older than 23. Kansas City's pitching staff was also tied for the second-youngest (27.3) in the league, per Baseball Reference.

Although the cupboard isn't totally bare, this isn't like in the early 2010s, when Kansas City had a farm system brimming with potential.

Quatraro's top priority will be helping to see Picollo's long-term vision through.

Given his experience in Tampa and before that with the Cleveland Guardians, the 48-year-old is a natural fit. He knows what it's like to work within a small-market team that needs a steady flow of homegrown talent to thrive.

Selecting Quatraro also sends a message that ownership isn't expecting an immediate turnaround. The Royals are likely years away from contention, so the new manager should get plenty of time in the dugout to establish a new culture.

The Kansas City Royals will be looking for a new manager ahead of the 2023 season.

Kansas City general manager and executive vice president J.J. Picollo announced the team will not bring back manager Mike Matheny or pitching coach Cal Eldred after finishing in last place in the American League Central at 65-97.

The Royals hired Matheny ahead of the 2020 season after Ned Yost, who led them to the 2015 World Series crown, retired. The team had not enjoyed a winning season since that championship, so expectations were not exactly sky-high at the start of the new manager's tenure.

Yet he didn't lead a turnaround, going 26-34 during his first season, which was shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 74-88 in his second. Things went even worse in his third, which is why the franchise is now looking elsewhere after Wednesday's decision.

Matheny was a four-time Gold Glover during his 13-year career as a catcher, but he is likely best known among baseball fans from his time as the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals.

He led the Cardinals from 2012 until they fired him after 93 games in the 2018 campaign, finishing 591-474 with four postseason appearances. However, things trended in the wrong direction during his time as manager for St. Louis considering the team won the World Series the year before he took over the role.

The Cardinals reached three straight National League Championship Series during his first three years as manager and advanced to the World Series once in that span, losing to the Boston Red Sox in 2013.

They then missed the playoffs in three straight seasons for the first time since 1997-99, prompting the front office to fire him in the middle of that third campaign.

Matheny never enjoyed the early success from his St. Louis tenure with Kansas City and will now be looking for a new job after he was fired.

ESPN's Jeff Passan suggested it was the "first move in what's expected to be a giant managerial carousel this winter," so he likely won't be the only one in that position this offseason.

The Kansas City Royals fired president of baseball operations Dayton Moore. J.J. Picollo will take over as general manager and executive vice president.

Moore provided a comment to The Athletic's Andy McCullough and Ken Rosenthal.

"I’m really thankful for the opportunity," he said. "I’m proud of our culture and what we accomplished in Kansas City. I’m disappointed we weren’t able to see it through. But I have confidence in John Sherman, J.J. Picollo and the entire baseball operations department to finish it off."

The Royals hired Moore as their general manager in May 2006. At the time, Kansas City was on its way to a 62-win season and a 21st consecutive year of missing the playoffs.

By the end of 2015, the franchise claimed an American League pennant (in 2014) before going all the way and winning its second World Series title the next year. Moore was the architect of those squads and built the roster through a variety of means.

Salvador Perez and Kelvin Herrera signed with the Royals as teenagers. Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas, Danny Duffy and Greg Holland were drafted by the team. Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain arrived in the Zack Greinke trade. And Kansas City had the last laugh on the 2012 trade of Wil Myers, which netted James Shields and Wade Davis, the latter emerging as one of MLB's best relievers.

As much as Moore did for the organization, credit for those two World Series trips only extended him so much goodwill. The Royals haven't had a winning record since 2015, and they haven't finished .500 since 2016.

Kansas City hasn't been able to develop homegrown talent. A recent report by The Athletic detailed how Moore's heavy focus on pitchers in the 2018 MLB draft has yielded a disappointing return so far. Royals pitchers are 28th in WAR (6.1) and 27th in FIP (4.47), per FanGraphs.

Moore addressed the story and posited "most of those comments come from somebody criticizing simply with a critical spirit." He added it "wasn't factual" and "left out a lot of important things that, I think, speak to the upside of where we are and where we're going with our pitchers."

For some, his response illustrated why a change in leadership was required.

Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com ranked Kansas City's farm system 21st in MLB in August, so there isn't a wealth of young talent soon coming up through the pipeline. Bobby Witt Jr. has shown promise, but Nick Pratto struggled so much he earned a demotion to Triple-A.

Picollo has a tall task ahead to build another contender in Kansas City.

Kansas City Royals reliever Amir Garrett attempted to make amends after throwing his drink toward a fan at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.

Following Monday's 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins, Garrett told reporters he contacted the fan and "had dialogue and stuff like that."

"There was no hard feelings there," he said. "I sent a jersey to him and his son, stuff like that. He was very grateful because it could have went south. But he was very kind to me, and I was letting him know how upset I was that in the moment I reacted like that."

While standing in the dugout during a 9-2 defeat to the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 2, the southpaw tossed his drink toward a fan in the first row.

Garrett apologized the following day on social media.

MLB suspended Garrett for three games, which was originally slated to go into effect starting Monday. However, he's appealing the ruling, thus allowing him to remain eligible for the time being.

Garrett was also suspended seven games last season for his role in a bench-clearing brawl when the Cincinnati Reds played the Chicago Cubs. That suspension was ultimately reduced to five games after appeal.

The 30-year-old logged one inning of work in Monday's game. He has made 41 appearances this season, posting a 4.45 ERA and 34 strikeouts across 32.1 innings.