Royals Rumblings - News for June 24, 2019

The Royals just split a series with the best team in the AL.

I just want to take a minute to acknowledge how incredible the Royals “Salute to the Negro Leagues” game is every year. Here are a couple of quick links for you to support the Negro League Baseball Museum in their effort to keep the history of the Negro Leagues alive.

You can also donate directly to the NLBM using this link.

Jorge Soler wants to compete in the Home Run Derby ($).

Major League Baseball has not yet reached out to Soler’s camp about competing in the event, according to a source. When asked in Spanish whether he would like to compete, Soler smiled.

“Sí,” he said, beaming.

A minor league round-up from the Athletic ($):

• On Brady McConnell’s mysterious hand injury
• The hitters at Wilmington talk about their learning curve
• Catching up with Chris Lubanski

Jorge Soler is eligible for arbitration after the 2019 season; still under team control through 2021.

By going to arbitration, the rest of Soler’s contract that he signed with the Cubs in 2012 would be voided. But the Royals still would have Soler under club control through 2021, his final year of arbitration. He could become a free agent after the ‘21 season.

Jack McGee makes the case to re-sign Alex Gordon.

Doc Riddle wrote up a “Prospect Watch” on under-the-radar prospect Nathan Eaton.

Eaton doesn’t strike out at an unmanageable pace, though for the type of hitter he seems to be (gap-power, slash-and-run), I’d like to see those Ks decrease, a bit, but these K rates are virtually in-line with 2018’s Idaho Falls performance. He’s drawn 28 walks, this season, and has struck out only 12 times in 82 plate appearances in June. Hopefully, that’s a sign of things to come.

The Royals Advanced-A affiliate, the Wilmington Blue Rocks, had a pretty cool promotion over the weekend:

Jackson Kowar made his AA debut over the weekend, and it was a doozy.

The Los Angeles Dodgers became the first team in baseball to win three consecutive games via a walk-off home run from a rookie...

The New York Yankees have hit a home run in 26 consecutive games.

Watch Mariano Rivera hit an inside-the-park home run on “Old-Timer’s Day.”

MLB Players are speaking out against the All-Star voting system ($).

The Athletic had a really interesting article about the Texas Rangers “de-loading” program and its epic failures ($).

US considering ban of all 5G technology made in China.

A giant octopus attacked a diver in the Sea of Japan.

On this day in history, in 1948, the Soviet Union put a blockade on West Berlin.

Your song of the day is “26 Miles” by The Four Preps (I just watched Bad Times at the El Royale and, I gotta tell ya, that’s becoming one of my favorite movies).