<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-contract-extension-maikel-garcia');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals agree to 5-year contract extension with Maikel Garcia');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Maikel-Garcia-throws-the-ball-to-first-base-in-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals agree to 5-year contract extension with Maikel Garcia</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-12T09:53:22-08:00">December 12th, 9:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-12T10:13:28-08:00">December 12th, 10:13am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals and third baseman Maikel Garcia <a href="https://x.com/JeffPassan/status/1999535600798474559" rel="noopener">are in agreement</a> on a five-year contract extension, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports. The deal reportedly includes a sixth-year club option. It has yet to be announced how much money the contract will pay Garcia.</p><p>“BREAKING: Third baseman Maikel Garcia and the Kansas City Royals are finalizing a five-year contract extension with a club option for a sixth year, sources tell ESPN. Garcia, 25, won a Gold Glove this year and will remain alongside Bobby Witt Jr. on the left side of the infield,” Passan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-open-trading-starting-pitcher-says-gm">Royals want to build a contending ball club</a> around shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Cementing their left side of the infield with Witt and Garcia for years to come could be a great move. Kansas City’s roster still has room to improve, but the Royals now have their third baseman of the future.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-jr-agree-historic-11-year-288-7-million-contract-extension">Witt signed an 11-year contract extension</a> worth over $288 million before the 2024 season. He does have multiple opt-outs beginning in 2031, but he’s clearly the franchise player.</p><p>Part of building a contender means developing a strong core. Garcia is clearly part of the Royals core of players.</p><p>Garcia, 25, enjoyed a tremendous 2025 campaign — his third full season in the big leagues. He was selected to the first All-Star team of his career and also won a Gold Glove and finished 14th in American League MVP voting. Garcia ultimately recorded a .286/.351/.449 slash line to go along with 16 home runs, 39 doubles, 23 stolen bases and an overall .800 OPS.</p><p>He hits the ball at a consistent level, can run the bases well, and takes care of business at the hot corner. There’s a lot to like about Garcia’s game, and now he’s being rewarded with a contract extension.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals agree to 5-year contract extension with Maikel Garcia

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-sign-former-guardians-nationals-outfielder-lane-thomas-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals sign former Guardians, Nationals outfielder in free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/oyals-GM-J.J.-Picollo-speaks-at-2024-Winter-Meetings.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals sign former Guardians, Nationals outfielder in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T16:39:38-08:00">December 11th, 4:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T18:00:13-08:00">December 11th, 6:00pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals are hoping to <a href="https://x.com/WillSammon/status/1999261248236716434" rel="noopener">reinforce their outfield</a> by adding veteran Lane Thomas, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic. Both sides have come to an agreement on a <a href="https://x.com/Feinsand/status/1999266187981783137" rel="noopener">one-year, $5.25 million deal</a> that includes $1 million in incentives, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.</p><p>KC is reportedly interested in Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernandez, but general manager J.J. Picollo clearly wanted some insurance in case a blockbuster trade is unattainable. Before this move, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-rumors-jon-heyman-drops-3-of-targets-free-agency">Royals were linked to other outfielders</a> like Harrison Bader, Austin Hays and Mike Yastrzemski (played 50 games with the team in 2025).</p><p>Although fans understandably want the organization to significantly upgrade the lineup, Thomas has proven himself to be productive in the past. He posted 28 home runs and 86 RBIs for the Washington Nationals in 2023 but scuffled tremendously with the Cleveland Guardians. A monster Game 5 in the 2024 American League Division Series, which saw <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cleveland-guardians/guardians-news-lane-thomas-grand-slam-tarik-skubal-mlb-world-buzzing">Thomas mash a go-ahead grand slam</a> off Tarik Skubal in the fifth inning, salvaged what was otherwise a rough one-and-a-half-year tenure in The Forest City.</p><p>The 2014 fifth-round draft pick batted .189 with a .598 OPS in 92 regular season games for the Guards. Injuries contributed to his struggles, but the Royals obviously believe a healthy Thomas has something to offer. More reinforcements will probably be needed. KC failed to build on a successful 2024 campaign and finished short of the postseason with an 82-80 record in 2025. A feeble offense was a big reason why.</p><p>Bobby Witt Jr. maintained his elite standing among shortstops, Maikel Garcia broke through with an All-Star showing and Vinnie Pasquantino recorded 30-plus homers and 100-plus RBIs, but few others stepped up in the batter’s box. If the Royals take a conservative approach with their lineup once again, they will be watching the playoffs from home, once again.</p><p>Lane Thomas does not seem like a needle-mover based on his overall body of work, but he is determined to aid Kansas City’s revival mission by completing one of his own.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals sign former Guardians, Nationals outfielder in free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-pirates-royals-linked-astros-jake-meyers-trade-talks');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Pirates, Royals linked to Astros’ Jake Meyers trade talks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Astros-Jake-Meyers.jpg"><figcaption>© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Pirates, Royals linked to Astros’ Jake Meyers trade talks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-09T09:52:57-08:00">December 9th, 9:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-09T09:53:17-08:00">December 9th, 9:53am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Trade talks <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/3-blockbuster-mlb-trades-need-happen-blow-up-offseason">continue this offseason for several players in Major League Baseball</a>, during the league’s winter meetings in Orlando, Florida. Another player getting discussed in trade talks is Houston Astros outfielder Jake Meyers. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6874837/2025/12/09/mlb-trade-market-winter-meetings-ketel-marte/" rel="noopener">are apparently talking</a> to Houston about a possible deal, per The Athletic.</p><p>Houston is in need of pitching this offseason.</p><p>“They have spoken to the Pittsburgh Pirates about righty Mike Burrows, but those talks may have cooled since the Pirates acquired outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia from the Red Sox. The Kansas City Royals, dangling lefty Kris Bubic, are another possibility for Meyers, but they are exploring numerous other outfield possibilities as well,” Ken Rosenthal wrote.</p><p>Houston is also apparently speaking with Tampa Bay, about sending Meyers to the Rays in exchange for right-handed pitcher Shane Baz. The Astros are reportedly offering Meyers for other Tampa Bay starters as well.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-bob-nightengale-pirates-ketel-marte-trade-diamondbacks">Pirates have been in talks this offseason with teams</a>, offering pitching for offense. Kansas City is meanwhile rumored to be wanting some outfield help this offseason.</p><h2><b>Jake Meyers could be a sold addition to an MLB team</b></h2><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-jake-meyers-ties-yordan-alvarez-with-epic-franchise-record-vs-white-sox">Meyers has proven to be a solid bat during his time in MLB</a>. In the 2025 season, the outfielder hit at a .292 batting average. He collected 100 total hits, including three home runs on the campaign.</p><p>The outfielder’s best campaign with the Astros came in 2024. That season Meyers hit a career-high 13 home runs, and posted a career-high 61 RBIs. He is also known as an excellent defender.</p><p>There are other teams rumored to be interested in Meyers. The Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/royals-reds-among-teams-with-interest-in-jake-meyers.html" rel="noopener">have also checked in</a> with the Astros about him, per MLB Trade Rumors.</p><p>Meyers has played in Houston since the 2021 season. He was a part of the team’s 2022 World Series championship campaign. Meyers has posted more than 1,400 at-bats since he has been in Houston.</p><p>Houston finished the 2025 season with a 87-75 record, and placed second in the American League West.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Pirates, Royals linked to Astros’ Jake Meyers trade talks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-rumors-jon-heyman-drops-3-of-targets-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals rumors: Jon Heyman name-drops 3 OF targets in free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Matt-Quatraro.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals rumors: Jon Heyman name-drops 3 OF targets in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-08T10:11:03-08:00">December 8th, 10:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-08T10:11:03-08:00">December 8th, 10:11am</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut-based sports journalist with over five years of professional experience. After graduating from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, he has covered every sport from fencing to football in the online and print medium. Dan hopes to see his beloved Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After missing the playoffs in 2025, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-open-trading-starting-pitcher-says-gm">Kansas City Royals are looking for ways to bolster their roster</a> to get back on track. One clear option is adding more firepower to their lineup.</p><p>The Royals seem keen to follow through on that plan by <a href="https://x.com/JonHeyman/status/1998045535736041936" rel="noopener">adding at least one outfielder</a> in free agency. Amongst the players Kansas City is <a href="https://x.com/JonHeyman/status/1998070787849564320" rel="noopener">keeping close tabs on</a> includes Harrison Bader, Austin Hays and Mike Yastrzemski, via Jon Heyman of the New York Post.</p><p>Bader split the 2025 season with the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies. Over 146 games total, he hit .277 with 17 home runs, 54 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. Alongside his work at the plate, Bader is also a former Gold Glove winner.</p><p>What he doesn’t have though is an All-Star appearance, which Hays earned with the Baltimore Orioles in 2023. The outfielder played for the Cincinnati Reds in 2025, hitting .266 with 15 home runs, 64 RBIs and seven stolen bases.</p><p>The Royals have the most experience with Yastrzemski after acquiring him at the trade deadline. He hit .237 with nine home runs and 18 RBIs over 50 games in Kansas City. Over the entire 2025 campaign, Yastrzemski hit .233 with 17 home runs, 46 RBIs and seven stolen bases.</p><p>Whoever the Royals decide to add, it is clear they need some offensive help. They finished the 2025 season ranked 26th in runs scored with 651. While Jac Caglianone possess plenty of upside in right field, John Rave and Kyle Isbel could be replaced in left and center field respectively.</p><p>The Royals will have plenty of decisions to make throughout the offseason. Chief among them is which outfielder to add to their roster.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals rumors: Jon Heyman name-drops 3 OF targets in free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-open-trading-starting-pitcher-says-gm');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals open to trading a starting pitcher, says GM');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Royals-GM.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals open to trading a starting pitcher, says GM</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-02T07:07:12-08:00">December 2nd, 7:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-02T07:07:12-08:00">December 2nd, 7:07am</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut-based sports journalist with over five years of professional experience. After graduating from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, he has covered every sport from fencing to football in the online and print medium. Dan hopes to see his beloved Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-biggest-disappointment-after-missing-mlb-playoffs">missing out on the playoffs</a> in 2025, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/mlb-rumors-royals-star-kris-bubic-trade-candidate">Kansas City Royals are exploring all avenues towards improving their roster</a>. One option would be trading from their wealth of starting pitching.</p><p>The Royals finished the 2025 campaign ranked sixth in ERA with a mark of 3.73. That’s going to get teams calling asking about available assets. General manager JJ Picollo welcomes those calls, as <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/29/sports/sunday-baseball-notes-velocity/" rel="noopener">he is prepared to consider</a> all trades, via Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.</p><p>“Our starting pitching, we have some depth there,” Picollo said. “A lot of teams are looking for starting pitching, so if we have what they may be interested in, and they have an outfielder that would be of interest, then there’s potentially the opportunity to make a deal.”</p><p>Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo would both draw interest based on their veteran pedigree and recent results. Kris Bubic has been impressive over his last two years, drawing plenty of eyeballs as well. But if the Royals want the biggest haul possible, they’d trade away Cole Ragans.</p><p>Injuries held the left-hander to just three starts in 2025. However, he was an All-Star in 2024 after posting a 3.14 ERA and a 223/67 K/BB ratio. Under team control through the 2029 season, Ragans will be a top trade target for many teams around the league.</p><p>If/when they decide to swing a deal, Kansas City must target offense. They ended the 2025 season ranked 26th in runs scored with 651. Holding an arsenal of intriguing trade pieces, the Royals should have the firepower to massively bolster their lineup should they choose.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals open to trading a starting pitcher, says GM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-taylor-clarke-mj-melendez-not-tendered-kc');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals’ Taylor Clarke, MJ Melendez not tendered by KC');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Royals-manager-Matt-Quatraro.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals’ Taylor Clarke, MJ Melendez not tendered by KC</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-21T19:18:41-08:00">November 21st, 7:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-21T19:18:41-08:00">November 21st, 7:18pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals did not tender contracts to outfielder MJ Melendez and right-handed reliever Taylor Clarke for the 2026 season, <a href="https://x.com/Royals/status/1991993522426400862" rel="noopener">sending both players to free agency</a>, the team announced on Friday. The decision came ahead of MLB’s non-tender deadline, which required teams to offer contracts to arbitration-eligible players or let them enter the open market.</p><p>Melendez was once a top prospect in the Royals’ system, selected in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut in 2022 and spent four seasons with the Royals. However, the past two seasons have been challenging for the former catcher turned outfielder. In 2025, the 26-year-old appeared in 23 games with the Royals, managing just a .083 batting average (5-for-60) and posting a -14 wRC+. Moreover, Melendez struck out in 35.4% of his plate appearances and recorded only one home run and RBI.</p><p>The struggling outfielder spent the majority of the year at Triple-A Omaha, where he hit .261 with 20 home runs, 64 RBIs, and an .813 OPS. Melendez showed occasional power over the past three seasons, hitting 18 homers in 2022, 16 in 2023, and 17 in 2024, yet his major league batting average never exceeded .235. His exit now opens a 40-man roster slot for Kansas City.</p><p>Clarke, meanwhile, had a more productive 2025 season, achieving a career-best 3.25 ERA in 51 appearances after returning to the Royals organization on a minor league deal. He threw 55.1 innings with a 3.97 FIP, 0.85 WHIP, and limited opponents to a .194 batting average.</p><p>The 32-year-old excelled in the latter half of the season, as he posted a 1.82 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and .178 BAA. Despite this, Kansas City opted not to tender him a projected $1.9 million arbitration contract. Clarke will enter free agency alongside other relievers like Hunter Harvey and Sam Long, as the Royals look to reshape their bullpen, including adding Alex Lange to compete for a spot in 2026.</p><p>Earlier in the day, the Royals signed Jonathan India to an $8 million one-year deal and James McArthur to a one-year $810,000 contract. Kansas City’s 40-man roster now stands at 38, leaving two spots to fill as the team heads into the Winter Meetings in early December.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals’ Taylor Clarke, MJ Melendez not tendered by KC

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/mlb-rumors-royals-star-kris-bubic-trade-candidate');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Royals star a hot trade candidate who could be moved, but it’s not Cole Ragans');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Royals-Kris-Bubic-pitches-vs.-Guardians.jpg"><figcaption>Denny Medley-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Royals star a hot trade candidate who could be moved, but it’s not Cole Ragans</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-13T15:07:41-08:00">November 13th, 3:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-13T15:25:47-08:00">November 13th, 3:25pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matt Wadleigh is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints who used to lead NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball coverage while also specializing in MLB and NFL coverage. He was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno with his wife and two dogs. Matthew is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the GM Winter Meetings going on, plenty of rumors involving free agency and the trade buzz are kicking around. The San Francisco Giants and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/san-francisco-giants/giants-news-san-francisco-royals-agree-to-trade-pitchers-early-in-offseason">Kansas City Royals traded pitchers earlier in the week,</a> with Mason Black going to KC and Logan Martin going to SF.</p><p>Neither player is a major addition, but the Royals are expected to be somewhat active this offseason.</p><p>They have plenty of players who could be of interest to some teams, and now one player is reportedly picking up steam.</p><p>The Royals are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6805414/2025/11/13/royals-kris-bubic-trade-talks-mlb/?source=emp_shared_article" rel="noopener">garnering trade interest</a> in one starter, and it’s not Cole Ragans. Rather, it is Kris Bubic.</p><p>“Kansas City Royals lefty starter Kris Bubic, an All-Star last season, is garnering trade interest from multiple teams, league sources said. In need of offense and boasting some pitching depth, the Royals are open to the possibility of dealing Bubic, people familiar with the club’s thinking said,” according to Will Sammon of The Athletic.</p><p>Bubic has spent his entire time in MLB with the Royals, and the 28-year-old was a first-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft.</p><p>In 2025, he went 8-7 with a 2.55 ERA, which marked career-highs in wins and ERA.</p><h2><b>Royals could keep Bubic despite trade buzz</b></h2><p>Now, there is a scenario where Kansas City holds on to Bubic, as Sammon wrote.</p><p>“To be clear, there is a path in which the Royals hold onto Bubic. Their rotation is a strength, and Bubic is among the reasons why. Trading him, however, presents a logical way to net the kind of return that improves their lineup, particularly, perhaps in the outfield, an area where Kansas City wants to upgrade.”</p><p>“The Royals may move someone other than Bubic — or multiple pitchers, which may or may not end up including Bubic. But league sources suggest that it’s unlikely that the Royals would trade Cole Ragans, their ace, especially after a down season and with him under club control for multiple seasons. It’s equally unlikely that they’d trade veterans Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo after both starters made commitments to Kansas City,” Sammon added.</p><p>The free agency market for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-framber-valdez-mlb-free-agency-gm-meetings">pitchers includes Framber Valdez</a>, Ranger Suárez and Dylan Cease, and stars such as Tarik Skubal is a massive name on the trade front, although the price will be expensive.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Royals star a hot trade candidate who could be moved, but it’s not Cole Ragans

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-looming-bobby-witt-jr-opt-outs-jj-picollo-take');   ga('set', 'title', 'Looming Bobby Witt Jr. opt outs draw JJ Picollo contention take');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Bobby-Witt-Jr-1.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Looming Bobby Witt Jr. opt outs draw JJ Picollo contention take</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-12T21:00:19-08:00">November 12th, 9:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-12T21:21:51-08:00">November 12th, 9:21pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is a veteran editor and writer for print and digital media. He also created and oversaw video and event production departments for legacy media brands. Mike is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals are coming off a disappointing season. After reaching the playoffs for the first time in eight years in 2024, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-eliminated-playoffs-angels">Royals fell short in 2025</a>. Kansas City finished the campaign just above .500 and five games out of a Wild Card Berth at 82-80.</p><p>Despite the team’s down year, Bobby Witt Jr. continued to impress. The All-Star shortstop has lived up to the massive 11-year, $288.8 million extension he signed with the Royals after the 2023 season. However, the deal could become significantly shorter if Witt wants an early exit.</p><p>The contract includes a series of four player-option years beginning after the 2030 season. The <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/pirates-could-be-free-agency-spenders-in-2025-26-offseason">possibility of losing</a> one of baseball’s brightest stars in his prime adds to the importance of roster building this offseason.</p><p>“I don’t know if I would use the word urgency, but there’s an awareness that we feel like we are in a window right now. Our goal is to extend that window beyond 2030. But we’re in a window where we have one of the best players in the game,” Royals GM J.J. Picollo said, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.</p><h2><b>Royals focused on Bobby Witt Jr. window</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Bobby-Witt-Jr.-2_143d0b.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“Our pitching staff going into 2026-27, we feel like we have enough, at least on paper. We have to build around [Witt] to help us achieve what we want to achieve, but we’re in that window where the expectations are a little bit higher,” Picollo added.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-jr-unprecedented-feat-vs-guardians">Witt continued his historic run in 2025</a>. The two-time All-Star became the first player ever with 15 home runs and 25 stolen bases in each of his first four seasons. Witt led the majors in hits (184) and doubles (47) while belting 23 homers and stealing 38 bags.</p><p>The Royals star contributed on defense as well, winning his second straight Gold Glove in 2025. And <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-american-league-platinum-glove-award">Witt added a Platinum Glove</a> to his collection with another dominant season.</p><p>Despite his considerable contributions, the Royals failed to reach the playoffs. Kansas City has only made the postseason once since winning the World Series in 2015.</p><p>“It was a kick in the teeth,” Picollo said. “We didn’t assume we were going to be in the playoffs, but it felt like at times we played like we thought we were a playoff team – then we found out we weren’t. Hopefully we grow and learn from it.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Looming Bobby Witt Jr. opt outs draw JJ Picollo contention take

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/san-francisco-giants/giants-news-san-francisco-royals-agree-to-trade-pitchers-early-in-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', 'Giants, Royals agree to trade pitchers early in offseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/San-Francisco-Royals-agree-to-trade-pitchers-early-in-offseason.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Giants, Royals agree to trade pitchers early in offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-11T11:46:19-08:00">November 11th, 11:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-11T11:46:19-08:00">November 11th, 11:46am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.spiering.3" rel="facebook">Chris Spiering</a>Chris Spiering graduated from the University of San Diego with a Communication Studies Degree. He spent his final year as the Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris used to manage the betting team at ClutchPoints and now contributes about the NFL, MLB, NCAA Sports, and NBA, but he follows most sports, including NCAA Basketball. Chris also covers San Diego State men's basketball for East Village Times.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The MLB offseason is in full swing now, and MLB teams are aiming to improve their roster for the 2026 season. The Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants were two teams capable of making the postseason last season, but could not get there. These two teams just <a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1988323040724386177" rel="noopener">agreed on an early offseason trade</a>.</p><p>“The San Francisco Giants and KC Royals swap right-handed pitchers with Mason Black going to KC and Logan Martin going to SF.”</p><p>Mason Black has not had a successful start to his major league career. In 2024, he started eight games in nine appearances, ending with a 6.44 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 31 strikeouts, and 15 walks. In 2025, he made just one appearance, pitching 4.0 innings and allowing three earned runs. It’s a very small sample size, but the Giants felt that it was not working, and now Black will aim to revamp his career with the Royals.</p><p>The Royals are trading Logan Martin to the Giants. Martin has yet to make his major league debut and seems to be far from doing so. He ended last season in High A+ pitching for Quad Cities. He ended with a 3.45 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 91.1 innings. He started all 22 games played on the season and established himself as someone who can be relied on. The Giants are getting someone who could be a big factor in their success down the road.</p><p>The Giants and Royals are not going to scare anyone right now in terms of lineups and starting rotations. The Royals contain Bobby Witt Jr, who is one of the best players in the game. However, the rest of the lineup is not deep enough. The Giants now have Rafael Devers, and a full season with him in the lineup will improve their chances.</p><p>If these two squads want to make the postseason in 2026, they must make more trades to improve their rosters. The Giants recently hired <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/san-francisco-giants/giants-news-tony-vitello-ig-welcome">Tony Vitello as their new manager</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Giants, Royals agree to trade pitchers early in offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-american-league-platinum-glove-award');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bobby Witt Jr. wins American League Platinum Glove award');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Bobby-Witt-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bobby Witt Jr. wins American League Platinum Glove award</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-07T22:59:55-08:00">November 7th, 10:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-07T23:21:55-08:00">November 7th, 11:21pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is a veteran editor and writer for print and digital media. He also created and oversaw video and event production departments for legacy media brands. Mike is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals endured a disappointing 2025 campaign. After snapping an eight-year postseason drought in 2024, Kansas City once again missed the playoffs. Fortunately Royals fans got to enjoy another strong season from Bobby Witt Jr. Kansas City’s All-Star shortstop boasts a rare power/speed combo. And <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-ss-bobby-witt-jr-snipes-mets-runner-with-spinning-throw-out">Witt always dazzles defensively</a>.</p><p>The fourth-year pro won his second straight Gold Glove in 2025. And on Friday, Rawlings <a href="https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1987006354406445516" rel="noopener">announced that</a> Witt was awarded the American League Platinum Glove, per Talkin’ Baseball.</p><p>The Platinum Glove honors each league’s best defensive player, regardless of position. The two winners are chosen from the season’s Gold Glove recipients through a fan vote. Witt won his first Platinum Glove this year. San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. represented the National League, winning the award for the second time in three years.</p><h2><b>Bobby Witt Jr. dazzles in down year for Royals</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Bobby-Witt-Jr.-2.jpg"><figcaption>Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Witt tied Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong with a major-league leading +24 <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/outs_above_average?type=Fielder&amp;startYear=2025&amp;endYear=2025&amp;split=yes&amp;team=&amp;range=year&amp;min=q&amp;pos=&amp;roles=&amp;viz=show" rel="noopener">Outs Above Average</a>, via Baseball Savant. And his <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&amp;stats=fld&amp;lg=all&amp;qual=y&amp;type=1&amp;month=0&amp;ind=0&amp;startdate=&amp;enddate=&amp;season1=2025&amp;season=2025&amp;team=0&amp;sortcol=22&amp;sortdir=default&amp;pagenum=1" rel="noopener">23.6</a> Defensive Runs Above Average (Def) was tops among non-catchers according to FanGraphs.</p><p>Witt’s offensive production dipped a bit from 2024, when he finished second in AL MVP voting. However, his strong defense helped him finish third in the American League with 7.1 bWAR. Witt trailed only MVP frontrunners Aaron Judge (9.7) and Cal Raleigh (7.4).</p><p>While the two-time All-Star was off his remarkable 2024 pace, he still had a phenomenal season at the plate. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-jr-unprecedented-feat-vs-guardians">Witt made history</a> as the first player to ever reach 15 home runs and 25 stolen bases in each of his first four seasons. He finished with 23 homers and 38 steals, along with 88 RBI and 99 runs while leading the majors in hits (184) and doubles (47).</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-jr-makes-history-449-foot-home-run-vs-rangers">Witt also reached a personal milestone</a>, belting career home run No. 100 this season. He became just the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-jr-accomplishes-impressive-feat-with-stolen-base-vs-rangers">third player in MLB history</a> with 20 multi-stolen base games and 100 homers before playing 600 games. Only Eric Davis and Hanley Ramirez have accomplished the feat.</p><p>Despite Witt’s prodigious effort, the Royals were eliminated from playoff contention. Kansas City went 82-80, falling five games shy of a Wild Card berth. It’s a disappointment after last year’s postseason run. In 2024, the Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles in the ALWCS. The team then lost to the New York Yankees in the Division Series</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bobby Witt Jr. wins American League Platinum Glove award

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kc-cuts-intriguing-ex-first-round-pitcher-ahead-of-injury-return');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals cut intriguing ex-first-round pitcher ahead of injury return');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Royals-news-KC-cuts-intriguing-ex-first-round-pitcher-ahead-of-injury-return.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals cut intriguing ex-first-round pitcher ahead of injury return</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-04T18:41:47-08:00">November 4th, 6:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-04T18:41:47-08:00">November 4th, 6:41pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals made waves across Major League Baseball on Tuesday afternoon after placing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-3-consecutive-moves-before-mlb-opening-day">right-hander Kyle Wright</a> on outright waivers. The 30-year-old, a former first-round pick by the Atlanta Braves in the 2017 MLB Draft and the 2022 National League wins leader, never threw a big-league pitch for the Royals after a shoulder capsule procedure derailed two full seasons.</p><p>The New York Post Sports’s Jon Heyman took to his official X account (formerly known as Twitter) <a href="https://x.com/JonHeyman/status/1985810678146277415" rel="noopener">to confirm</a> the roster move and summarize Wright’s situation.</p><p>“Kyle Wright placed on outright waivers by Royals. Former 5th overall pick won 21 games and Cy Young votes in 2022. Lengthy rehab process after capsule surgery, recovered from oblique strain. Bounceback candidate in 2026.”</p><p>The move ends a calculated two-year gamble by the team, which acquired the right-hander after his shoulder surgery in late 2023. His tenure with the Royals was dominated by injuries—he missed all of 2024 while rehabbing and suffered additional setbacks in 2025, including a hamstring strain in spring training and an oblique injury during a rehab assignment. Those lingering issues prevented him from ever throwing a pitch in a major league game for Kansas City, leading to his placement on outright waivers.</p><p>Financially, the move saves roughly $1.8 million in projected arbitration cost and opens a 40-man roster slot before the Rule 5 Draft deadline. If unclaimed, Wright can elect free agency and seek a minor-league deal with another club. Given his 2022 track record, he could attract interest from pitching-needy teams looking for a low-risk reclamation project.</p><p>For the front office, this decision underscores the organization’s shift from speculative rehab bets to healthy depth and cost control. Kansas City finished 82-80 in 2025, missing the playoffs but showing clear progress toward contention. General manager J.J. Picollo is now focused on durability and availability as cornerstones of a more competitive 2026 roster.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-makes-another-trade-with-royals-kyle-wright-jackson-kowar">Wright’s story</a> underscores the fragility of pitching promise in today’s game. Once a 21-game winner for a reigning World Series champion, he now stands as a reminder of how quickly injury can turn potential into uncertainty. For the Royals organization, the move was less about giving up on talent and more about taking a pragmatic step toward a healthier, more stable future.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals cut intriguing ex-first-round pitcher ahead of injury return

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-salvador-perez-signs-two-year-deal-to-remain-in-kansas-city');   ga('set', 'title', 'Salvador Perez signs two-year deal to remain with Royals');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Royals-catcher-Salvador-Perez-13-smiles.jpg"><figcaption>© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Salvador Perez signs two-year deal to remain with Royals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-04T17:41:32-08:00">November 4th, 5:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-04T18:27:02-08:00">November 4th, 6:27pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/10-greatest-kansas-city-royals-players-all-time-ranked">Kansas City Royals legend Salvador Perez</a> is not going anywhere. On Tuesday night, the Royals <a href="https://x.com/Royals/status/1985874759985336558" rel="noopener">announced that</a> they have come to terms with Perez on a two-year deal, which would take him to his age-37 season. The new contract is <a href="https://x.com/anne__rogers/status/1985880021206974707" rel="noopener">worth a guarantee</a> of $25 million for the duration of the contract, as reported by Anne Rogers of MLB.com.</p><p>The Royals initially had a club option worth $13.5 million to keep Perez in tow for the 2026 season. Instead, Kansas City decided to lock up one of the most important players in franchise history to a longer-term contract that guarantees more money.</p><p>The structure of the contract, as per Rogers, involves a signing bonus and some deferred money, but overall, the deal works out to around $12.5 million per annum for Perez.</p><p>Perez may no longer be one of the best catchers in MLB, as his defense has slipped as he’s aged. That is to be expected; of the 155 games he played in last season, only 92 came at catcher. This slippage on defense made his overall production fall, as his contributions in 2025 were only worth 0.5 fWAR.</p><p>Nonetheless, the 35-year-old catcher still has plenty of pop, and he could very well rebound as a backstop. He hit 30 home runs last year and drove in 100 batters, although that did come on an overall substandard .730 OPS with a .284 OBP.</p><p>The Royals finished with an 82-80 record last year, as some of their team’s biggest strengths include fielding and pitching. It’s their offense that needs some work; they finished with just 651 runs last year, which was the<a href="https://www.mlb.com/stats/team/runs/regular-season" rel="noopener"> fifth-worst</a> tally in MLB this past season.</p><p>Keeping Perez around as a source of pop from behind the plate was a no-brainer, and the Royals did it at such a bargain price as well.</p><h2><b>Salvador Perez is a Royals legend through and through</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Salvador-Perez-with-KC-Royals-1.jpg"><figcaption>William Purnell-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Loyalty to a single team seems asinine in today’s professional sports landscape. But every now and then, there emerges a perfect marriage between club and player. For Perez and the Royals, this most certainly is the case.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-manager-salvador-perez-plan-postseason-push">Perez has been a fixture for the Royals</a> since 2012, providing valuable leadership on and off the field. He was a huge member of their 2015 World Series-winning squad, and he’s been durable to boot, playing in at least 129 games in every season since 2013 (except for the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season).</p><p>He might be 35 years of age already, but make no mistake about it, what he does for the Royals is indispensable.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ben
Kudrna

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Ben Kudrna

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Ben
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