Weekend Rumblings - News for January 28, 2023

Jan 28, 2023 - 2:09 PM

Blair Kerkhoff writes about the Aroldis Chapman signing.

“He was looking for an opportunity to rebound,” Picollo said. “They pursued us as much as we pursued them. There was interest on both sides. “We have a pretty clear understanding what happened at the end of last year. These things happen in sports. He was as disappointed in how the year ended as the Yankees were.”...

“We haven’t assured him anything,” Picollo said. “No promises were made that he would be our closer. We had that conversation with Scott Barlow as well. ... I don’t even want to call it a competition. Scott Barlow is our closer.”

Anne Rogers writes about the due diligence the Royals did to investigate Chapman.

“Clearly, that’s something that’s important to us, to do that background,” Picollo said. “… We felt very comfortable with what had happened in the past and what we uncovered, which I’m not at liberty to discuss. We were concerned with figuring it out, but unconcerned moving forward. What I would like to say about that, too, is that there are many players that we’ve done the same type of work on in the past that we came to the conclusion that they don’t fit our culture. And that was not the case for Aroldis. We feel like we’ve done the proper work. That was seven years ago. There were no prior incidents. There were no incidents after that. There is a little bit of speculation of what may or may not have happened, but we feel like we’ve got the facts and feel like we can be comfortable with Aroldis on our team and in our community.”

Earlier this week, Vahe Gregorian wrote about the Adalberto Mondesi trade.

So this move offers Mondesi a reset that perhaps could help him realize at least some semblance of his potential as or before he turns 28 in June. And it provides the Royals with clarity as they have sought to prioritize Witt as the everyday shortstop.

It should be said that Picollo politely disagreed with the suggestion it stands for a broader organizational shift. With only a year remaining on Mondesi’s contract, he said, “It was likely he was going to end up playing somewhere else in the future, anyway, so I don’t think it’s the end of an era.”

It sure seems like another statement of an ongoing transition from one, though, gradually at first with Picollo’s ascent to the GM role in late 2021.

David Lesky at Inside the Crown writes about the off-season plan.

To be upset that we’re now going into the seventh season since they last even finished at .500 and they’re still a year or two away in the front office’s minds is frustrating. But I also think the moves they’ve made and what they represent show a little of what I’ve thought for awhile now. They messed up and it was a pretty bad mess-up over the last few seasons. The past can’t be changed now. And the man at the top, John Sherman, showed with his actions that he believed Moore was the biggest issue. That’s all we can take from the fact that he left the majority of the front office in tact. Time will tell if he’s right, but Picollo (and Matt Quatraro) seem to be putting their stamp on the team.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter has four Royals non-roster invitees to camp to watch.

MJ Melendez is doing work.

The Orioles have checked in on Zack Greinke.

Former Kansas City Athletics pitcher Ray Herbert dies at the age of 93.

The Rangers sign former Royals pitchers Danny Duffy and Ian Kennedy.

Jeff McNeil signs a four-year, $50 million extension with the Mets.

The Rays sign pitcher Peter Fairbanks to a three-year, $12 million extension.

The Braves extend manager Brian Snitker.

A radical remodel of television rights in baseball could be coming.

The Blue Jays are moving their fences in, but raising them higher.

Which players have the most intriguing opt outs after this year?

Cuba’s WBC roster is confusing.

Travis Kelce is officially listed as “questionable” for Sunday.

Aryna Sabalenka wins the Australian Open, her first grand slam title.

Artificial skin can detect nearby objects without even touching them.

The glories of dining out alone.

The biggest snubs among Oscar nominations.

Your song of the day is Supertramp with Dreamer.