The Royals are impressed with Randy Dobnak
through his first two starts, writes Anne Rogers.“I’m just here to pitch,” Dobnak said. “If they want me to start, if they want me in long relief, at the end of the day, I’ll do whatever the team needs. I’ve done both over my career over the years. My mindset is any time I get the ball, just go out there and do my thing.”
Manny Randwaha writes about Kyle Isbel’s performance with three hits in a rehab start.
When he was placed on the IL in early June, Isbel
said that the key to his recovery would be managing the inflammation, and so the timetable for a return was uncertain. Now that he’s back on the field in game action, the key will be to keep from reaggravating the foot.
“It’s just getting the inflammation down, and then there’s not really a timetable on it,” Isbel said. “Just more symptom-based. … Just a lot of pressure in the bottom of my foot.”
Kiley McDaniel at ESPN has farm system snapshots for each team.
System snapshot: The system has improved the past few years: Recent draft additions SS Josh Hammond and LHP David Shields have been trending up, RHP Kendry Chourio and CF Angeibel Gomez were signed internationally, and money was spread around in the 2026 draft to land CF Zion Rose, RHP Taylor Rabe and RHP Jack Slightom. Lefties Justin Lamkin and Maxx Yehl are sleepers who could move quickly.
Biggest need: It feels like continuing to add potential impact talent is the long-term focus, but I could see the Royals adding some prospects that can help the 2027 big league team if they see a clear path to filling a role and thus shortening the list of winter needs.
FanGraphs ranks Bobby Witt Jr. as the player with the second-most trade value in baseball.
There’s not really much point in talking to team sources about Witt’s talent. What are they going to say? Instead, we mostly talked about his contract, and whether it should push him down the list a bit. I tried to model it to get a sense of how much of a negative to assign it in my head, but truthfully, I struggled to put a value on it. If you think that the highest AAV he could realistically achieve when getting a new deal at age 31 is $40 or $45 million, the odds of an opt-out aren’t that high, and it won’t cost you that much to renegotiate. If you think that the top end of the salary range has been permanently expanded by the Soto and Tucker deals, it’s a more pressing concern. But even if you treat Witt as being on a four-year deal, he projects as the best player in baseball for those four years. I’m also not particularly concerned with the downside of him declining and then accepting the option; hitters don’t have the same career-altering injury risk that pitchers do, so the odds of taking a huge L on the deal are meaningfully lower.
I know that talking about economics in a baseball article isn’t that exciting, but it’s worth dwelling on the contract in Witt’s case. That’s because there aren’t really any other negatives to be had here. Witt is on a Hall of Fame trajectory.
The Royals activated Nate Pearson and optioned Eli Morgan to Omaha.
Brian Sparks at Sports Illustrated writes that Luinder Avila could be a 2027 rotation option for the Royals.
There will be a public hearing on a rezoning plan for the proposed ballpark development at Crown Center on Monday.
Boston may be interested in Angels shortstop Zach Neto.
Which teams could be interested in Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman?
How Boston’s winning streak changed the trade deadline.
Who should trade for Luis Arraez?
The Reds won’t do a full rebuild, and will retool for next year.
Clay Holmes says the Mets aren’t talking contract extension.
Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger will have season-ending surgery.
Does the Hall of Fame need to take another look at Kenny Lofton?
Mark Cuban’s firm buys a minority stake in the Athletics.
LeBron James signs a two-year deal with the 76ers.
Tony Romo is arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence.
Kansas City hotels had their ten highest-revenue days ever during the World Cup.
Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have agreed to delay closing their billion merger well into next year.
Marmot researchers have put the animals on OnlyFans to raise money.
Your song of the day is Steely Dan with Do it Again.
