As Zach Bove was hired away to be the pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox, the Royals had an opening. They have filled that opening with Mike McFerran.
Anne Rogers covered that hiring here.
McFerran,
32, spent the last two seasons with the Athletics, first as pitching performance coach in 2024 and then Minor League pitching coordinator in ‘25. Those were his first two years in pro ball, as he came from the college ranks. McFerran was the pitching lab coordinator and director of player development at Wake Forest from 2021-23, during which nine pitchers were drafted, including Rhett Lowder (No. 7 overall by the Reds) in ‘23.
Jaylon Thompson at the KC Star also covered that news here.
McFerran could bring a similar analytical approach. He served as the pitching lab coordinator at Wake Forest from 2021-2023. His role included using data and technology to maximize performance and minimize the risk of injury. Some of the pitchers he worked with include Rhett Lowder (Cincinnati Reds) and Shane Smith (White Sox) collegiately and former KC prospect Mason Burnett (Athletics).
Salvador Perez was named the team captain for Team Venezuela for the World Baseball Classic.
Perez is set to make his fourth WBC appearance. He is hitting .346 with two home runs and eight RBIs in eight career games. In 2023, Perez was named an All-WBC selection after leading Venezuela through the tournament.
Dave Brown at Pitcher List interviewed Noah Cameron.
Cameron finished in fourth place on the AL ballot after Kurtz and a teammate, shortstop Jacob Wilson, and Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony. Cameron, who received three second-place votes (including one from the writer of this story), posted a 2.99 ERA in 24 starts, and produced additional stats that made him worthy of consideration.
At Kings of Kauffman, Mike Gillespie writes about how the Mets’ trade for Marcus Semien may make Jeff McNeil available for trade.
At Royals Keep, Kevin O’Brien ranks the top five prospects in the Royals system.
Mike Petriello at MLB dot com assesses which teams are the best fit for Nolan Arenado.
He also talks about which teams could emulate the Blue Jays path to winning and cites the Royals.
Ben Clemens at FanGraphs goes through the non-tender decisions from Friday.
Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai has fighting words for the Dodgers.
Myles Garrett is threatening the single-season sack record.
Brian Kelly blames LSU for his inability to get a job.
Chauncey Billups has pleaded not guilty in his mafia poker games case.
Your song of the day is Swingrowers with No Strings Attached
