Jesse Rogers at ESPN writes what each AL Central team has left to do this offseason.
What they’ve accomplished so far:
Adding Collins should help with production from the outfield, which was lacking last season. No matter the position out there, the Royals ranked near the bottom of the league in OPS. Strahm and Mears fit in the bullpen, as the team traded Angel Zerpa for Collins (and Mears) but lost oft-injured reliever Hunter Harvey to free agency.What they still need to do: The Royals’ task hasn’t
changed: attempting to find more offense to put around all-world player Bobby Witt Jr. It’s likely to come via a trade rather than any of the free agents left on the market. The team might still add to the bullpen, but there has been quite the roster churn for Kansas City so far. And remember, the Royals were active during trade season last July, so the roster will look very different on Opening Day this year as opposed to 2025.
Preston Farr at EightOneSix projects how some Royals hitters will fare in 2026.
A full season from Jac Caglianone gets him close to 30 home runs, but questions about chase and healthy contact continue to limit him some. Still, a 12% walk rate and .819 OPS would come pretty close to “as-advertised” for the 23-year-old slugger. Vinnie Pasquantino projects here to lead the team in home runs again, this time with 36. That’s four more than he finished with in 2025 and his .510 projected slugging percentage would be a career-high. Also of note, the projection sees Vinnie’s walk rate taking a step up in 2026, falling more in line with where he finished in his first two MLB seasons rather than the sub-8% numbers we saw in 2024 and 2025.
The local NAACP chapter awards Salvador Perez the Martin Luther King, Jr. Diversity Advocate Award in Sports.
Michael Coyle at Royals Keep looks at the rotation depth in 2026.
The Braves sign infielder Jorge Mateo to a one-year contract.
The Yankees sign outfielder Seth Brown to a minor league deal.
Several teams are interested in free agent Miguel Andujar.
Who are the players most likely to be traded?
Will Luis Arraez land a multi-year deal?
The Yankees are willing to include opt-outs in their offer to Cody Bellinger.
Should the Red Sox look to move Masataka Yoshida?
The Rockies deny they prevented Kris Bryant from attending a 2016 Cubs reunion.
Should the MLBPA call owners’ bluff and push for a salary cap on their terms?
At the Athletic, a look at the players that received exactly one Hall of Fame vote. [$]
Knuckleballing legend Wilbur Wood dies at age 84.
The NFL coaching carousel continues as Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott got the axe despite being an Admiral.
The Miami Dolphins hired Jeff Hafley to be their new head coach. Just don’t Google his coaching history.
The Chiefs are bringing back former Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy to be the old-new Chiefs OC.
Today’s Off Topic: I bought a bike yesterday. I’ve never been a cyclist, but a rowing coach I’m using wants cycling of some kind included as cross training. Plus my wife and kids all have bikes; I’m the one who cannot ride with them until I buy a bike. So I bought a used one for super cheap. It’s an old, 1990s Raleigh C-30. It needs a new tube thing for the rear tire, but otherwise it looks very well cared for. New seat, new tires, chain in good shape. I’ll get it tuned up and get riding here soon. The guy owned a bike trainer for indoor riding too, and he included it. I’ll ride in my basement as soon as I get the bike fixed and figure out how the trainer thing works. This is really a validation experiment – invest minimal dollars to see if I’ll commit to it. If I do, then I’ll be willing to spend a bit more for something better.
Any cyclists here? What bike brands do you like? If you’re in the KC area, where are your favorite places to ride? Trolley trail, Indian Creek trail, etc etc?
Your song of the day is The Mars Volta with Blacklight Shine
