Anne Rogers contributed to this list of one big question facing each MLB team:
Royals: Will the bullpen have enough power?The Royals remade their bullpen with strike-throwers who know how to pitch. Will Smith will be their closer to begin the season, but others will get opportunities, including James McArthur. To be clear, all have good stuff, and McArthur sits 94-95 mph with nasty secondary pitches. They all pound the zone and will be reliable in the back end of games. But the Royals are missing a fireballer — somebody who can dominate hitters with high velocity. Internal options won’t help right away: Carlos Hernández (shoulder) will begin the season on the injured list, as will hard-throwing lefty Jake Brentz (hamstring). Prospects John McMillon (No. 18) and Will Klein (No. 19) both reach triple digits but will open the season in Triple-A Omaha. All four should be able to help Kansas City at some point in 2024, but when and how much is still to be determined.
Some opening day FAQ for tomorrow from both Rogers and Twins beat writer Do-Hyoung Park.
The Royals and Chiefs have submitted new lease agreements for review to Jackson County.
Kevin O’Brien goes bold with five predictions on Royals Reporter, including two moves from the rotation to the bullpen.
ESPN is reportedly considering opting out of its MLB contract after the season.
Free agent Jordan Montgomery finally has a team, just in time for opening day: the Diamondbacks are reportedly signing him for one year at $25 million with a player option for a 2nd year.
Former Twin Miguel Sanó will break camp with the Angels’ big club.
One detail in Kathryn Xu’s excellent Defector ($) piece on the Shohei Ohtani situation:
By the next time I assemble your midweek Rumblings, the minor league season will be underway. If you live near a minor league team, please consider going to games if that’s not already a regular activity for you. I do not receive any financial consideration for saying things like this; I just think fan attendance is crucial when MLB is looking to cut and cut and cut. Enjoy the games while you still can, if you can.
I just now learned that iPhone users can’t arrange apps however they want to on the home screen. Weird! That oddity seems to be going away with a new update.
Shipping company Maersk has been in trouble before for retaliating against whistleblowers who raised safety concerns.
The Ask a Manager letter of the week is this collection of stories of kindness in the workplace. That’s also going to be my inspiration for the OT question of the day: what’s an act of kindness that you’ll never forget?
SOTD: The Cure - Just Like Heaven
