MLB.com’s Anne Rogers wrote about how Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen is giving back to the community during the holiday season.
“At the end of the day, the people in Kansas City are super passionate about sports – about the Royals and Chiefs. And they show up for the players when the players are in season. I feel like now that I’m in the offseason, it’s my way of being able to show up for the people who support us.”
The Royals and Price Chopper have been giving out turkeys and holiday meals
at the UYA for several years, but last Friday was their first “Books and Birds” Thanksgiving drive-through giveaway for local families. The community event combined food, literacy and local partnership to support Kansas City families.
“I think our partners understood there’s a need this year,” said Donease Smith, executive director of administration at the UYA. “And they stepped up and decided that we were going to help families. Literacy is a big part of the work we do, too, so it became books and birds.”
David Lesky looks at the roster decisions from this past week at the non-tender deadline.
The Royals didn’t have many tough decisions, but they did have a couple.
I’m going to get to them, I swear. But first, I want to kind of go over what this deadline is. This is the time to basically commit that a team is going to give a contract to any player who is on the 40-man and not already on a guaranteed contract. We tend to think of it as arbitration-eligible players only, but it’s also for those who are not yet in arbitration. So for the Royals, that meant everyone but Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Bobby Witt Jr., Carlos Estevez, Salvador Perez, Cole Ragans and Alex Lange.
There will be times throughout the offseason, much closer to spring training for most, that the Royals announce they’ve reached a one-year deal with this player or that player. I implore you to not be that person who complains about them only committing one year to Vinnie Pasquantino or Maikel Garcia (if they’re not extended). They’re still under team control for as long as they’re under team control.
Pitcher List’s Dave Brown spoke with Jensen and teammate Noah Cameron about the community service a bit more.
Cameron said the Royals couldn’t have picked a better person to represent the team at an event like a turkey giveaway. And not only because Jensen is from the area.
“He’s just one of those people. He’s always there for others. That’s the type of person he is,” Cameron said.
Cameron could recall multiple examples when Jensen went out of his way to look after friends and teammates. One time involved driving about 4½ hours to pick up a stranded buddy who was on the way to spring training in Arizona but had their car break down.
“He just wants everyone to be together,” Cameron said. “He cares a lot.”
Nippon Professional Baseball’s Chiba Lotte sign former Royals pitcher Sam Long to a contract for the 2026 season.
Just Baseball’s Jordan Leandre names Kansas City as a good landing spot for former Atlanta Braves slugger Marcell Ozuna.
Jacob Milham Macob Jilham writes about MLB.com’s Jim Callis highlighting two Royals prospects from the Arizona Fall League.
Former Royals pitcher Dave Morehead passed away Tuesday. He was 82.
ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez looks at a creative bunch of MLB managerial hires this offseason.
The Boston Red Sox add veteran Sonny Gray to their rotation, signaling a larger St. Louis Cardinals rebuild.
Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Skenes is setting more records, this time in arbitration.
Diamond Centric’s Cory Moen profiles some potential Rule 5 picks.
Apparently people are adopting turkeys instead of eating them. Think of the chickens!
See how much a Superman comic sold for.
Today’s song of the day is Louisiana Saturday Night by Mel McDaniel.
