My sports world is in a tailspin.
The Chiefs are struggling, the Blues are awful, and the Timberwolves are the Timberwolves. Nothing seems to be going right.
The Royals, at least, are interesting in these
early days of the offseason. The team hasn’t made any major moves, but there have been smaller transactions, rumors, awards and related controversies, plus at least one former Royal in the news for baseball reasons.
None of the sections below truly warranted their own column so I decided to just empty out what I’ve been keeping an eye on, starting with the name game.
Be By Bo Bullen
For years, I’d never met personally met another person with the first name Cullen. I can’t even recall meeting another person with the surname Cullen, but that’s more common.
I’m a big hockey fan, and throughout the years I’ve watched on TV guys play named Matt Cullen and John Cullen and Mark Cullen. According to hockey-reference.com, there have been seven NHL players with the last name Cullen. Lest we forget Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen.
Then there was the Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones, won a gold medal in the 2008 games and then another, plus two silvers, in 2012. Dude rocked it, and it was cool watching a guy who shared my uncommon first name exceeding on the international stage.
This past summer, my brother-in-law and oldest son and I went to Planet Comicon Kansas City, and it was on that day I finally met a first-name-Cullen: author Cullen Bunn. If you haven’t read any of Bunn’s works, you’re missing out. I’m currently about halfway through his comic series titled The Sixth Gun, and it rocks. It was wonderful finally meeting another Cullen.
About a week later, I met another one, this one a ten-year-old going to summer camp with my sons.
Recently, I heard that the Royals have hired one Cullen Maxey away from the Diamondbacks (he also once worked for the NHL’s Coyotes, who are now the Utah Mammoth, and don’t let anyone tell you differently). Excellent!
It sounds like Maxey’s main priority is finally figuring out the Royals stadium issue. Here’s that he does so in a satisfying way, i.e., keeping them in Missouri. Maxey worked for the D-Backs for about two decades, and I wouldn’t be disappointed if he stayed with the Royals for just as long.
Fourth & Fourth
Awards were voted on last week, and two Royals finished fourth in their respective races.
First, Noah Cameron finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting in which Sacramento’s Nick Kurtz unanimously won. Which he should have. No qualms there. I had qualms about Cameron’s finishing spot, though. He should’ve finished higher than that.
Same with Bobby Witt Jr. in the voting for American League Most Valuable Player. He finished behind Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh, as he should have, but he also finished behind Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez. I’m sorry, but what? How? The only reason I can think of is that Cleveland finished with a better record. Let’s be clear: Bobby Witt Jr. had a better season than did Jose Ramirez.
Which brings me to the ultimate question about once you get past the winner of these awards: who cares? Should I care that BWJ finished fourth and not third? I don’t think that’s going to cost him down the line when he’s in consideration for Cooperstown. If you ain’t first, you’re last, and all that jazz.
I feel more strongly about Cameron finishing fourth than I do Witt, though. Cameron deserved to finish higher. But you know what they say about deserving something.
New Look Starting Rotation?
News—or rumor—broke last week that the Royals were receiving calls about trading Kris Bubic.
I won’t lie, if I were the one in charge and received a phone call about trading Bubic, I wouldn’t let the other team off the line until we had a deal. This is a no-brainer. Dude’s been hurt most of his career, he has one solid half-season, and now other teams want him?
Sell!
If the Royals end up dealing him, that leaves the rotation with four spots, presumably, taken: Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Noah Cameron. The Royals previously cut ties with Kyle Wright and Michael Lorenzen.
That leaves the newly acquired Mason Black, Ryan Bergert, and Stephen Kolek battling for the fifth and final rotation spot. I’d give the edge to Bergert.
How’s that starting rotation make you feel? Ragans-Lugo-Wacha-Cameron-Bergert? I feel good about it. Not great, but good.
The Future of India
Another Royal possibly on his way out? Jonathan India, who had a disappointing debut season in Kansas City after coming over from Cincinnati for Brady Singer. India’s numbers fell hard, and now it’s a question of whether the Royals will tender him a contract offer.
He’s projected to make $7.5 million in 2026. In baseball terms, that’s not much, but I think it’s still an overpay. Would he take less? Certainly, the Royals should ask his agent. He’s not going to get that figure on the open market, and he also won’t land a multi-year deal. Come back to the Royals on a more team-friendly deal, Jonathan.
Cooperstown Out of Reach
The BBWAA dropped the names of its newest candidates. Of the dozen listed, none will make it, and I’d be shocked if a third of the names even made it back on the list next year.
Here are the names: Ryan Braun, Shin-Soo Choo, Edwin Encarnacion, Gio Gonzalez, Cole Hamels, Matt Kemp, Howie Kendrick, Nick Markakis, Daniel Murphy (who I could’ve sworn still played), Hunter Pence, and Rick Porcello.
Oh, yeah. And Alex Gordon.
The is one weak Hall of Fame group. Sure, all of those guys had solid careers, a few (including Gordon) had good careers, but did any of them even have very good careers? Maybe Hamels. That’s it. And let me be clear, very good is a run below Hall of Fame.
If I had a vote—and I should, I’m super good at this—I wouldn’t vote for any of the new guys on the ballot. As far as returning candidates, count me down for Beltran (whom I’ve forgiven, and so should you), Andruw Jones, Manny B. Manny, and Alex Rodriguez. I’d think about voting King Felix, Torii Hunter, Andy Pettitte, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley.
Overall: quite an underwhelming crop of candidates.
Fish Can’t Fly
Not too long ago, The Athletic ran a piece on the strange downturn of Mike Trout’s amazing career. This article ran about the same time as the column I wrote about the ten best players I’ve ever seen, in which I included Trout’s name.
Then on Facebook, the world’s best and most reliable source of news and information, I came across a graphic that showed that Mike Trout has many postseason RBIs (one) as does pitcher Andy Pettitte (one).
Well, I checked the facts on baseball-reference.com, and yep, it’s true—both Mike Trout, a generational hitter, and Andy Pettitte, a pitcher who spent most of his career in the American League, have one career postseason RBI.
Trout’s came on a solo home run against the Royals.
