Maybe it's me but the rebuilds are lasting so much less time before being dismantled these days. The Reds started bringing up their core around 2023 and are now shopping Hunter Greene and Tyler Stephenson. The Tigers prepped for an onslaught around 2023/2024, and now are dealing Skubal most likely. The Jays are looking to deal many people associated with the mid-decade run. And the Royals...after the callups of Witt, Pasquantino, Garcia, Massey and Caglianone inferred that something big was on the horizon...are in last, and without a real shot. Not that the dream is fully over, but...Witt may not be a perennial playoff hero for a bit.
The current status of this Royals team is....dire. Bobby Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino, Maikel Garcia, Kyle Isbel, Kris Bubic, Cole Ragans and Carlos Estevez are all hurt. So...what is the point, really? Knowing that Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha will likely be dealt, Jac Caglianone is one of the few reasons to go to games right now, and he's only hitting .254 with 40 RBIs and a team-leading 17 homers. Beyond him...eesh. Carter Jensen's doing pretty well but only hitting .235. Salvador Perez is now good for homers and nothing else. Isaac Collins is *fine*. Michael Massey's having an improved, healthy year, hitting .266 with 36 RBIs, but it's not enough to rest the team on. Nick Loftin and Tyler Tolbert are playing amusing fill-in roles but aren't much more, despite Tolbert's .866 OPS as a bench piece. Caglianone, Jensen and Luinder Avila are the only people here under 25, and the reinforcements that have come in are all like 28 or so. Which doesn't bode well for next year.
We're really at the point where the bizarre stuff can wander out and onto the big league club. Randy Dobnak, former Twins hero and rideshare driver, is back in the bigs after years of minor league work, and his last start was a 7-inning scoreless 4-hit affair against his old team. I have no idea how Dobnak's gotten his stuff together, but I'm honestly thrilled for him. If Topps had any justice he'd be an Update Series inclusion, but you have to make your mark around May for that apparently. We're probably gonna get Ryan Bergert back up if starters get traded, that'll at least be interesting. Career Royals minor leaguer John Rave is also getting starting opportunities, in the Kyle Isbel role which is very fitting. And Starling Marte is still employed by an MLB team, despite his power numbers having completely dissipated.
People will be dealt, even though it won't be anything huge [cause they're all hurt]. And it's gonna lead this team to a really odd place. They could still go for it next year, they still have Witt and Garcia...but they don't have enough built around them to really warrant it. They could sign free agents...I guess? If they really wanted to. I'd hate to waste a sure thing like Bobby Witt. But...will it be worth it if the infrastructure just wasn't worth it?
Coming Tonight: Alright, Jeffers might be staying where he is so...ANOTHER catcher who's being linked to the Yankees.