Though details of Rick Renteria’s contract were unreported when he was named manager of the White Sox, FanRag’s Jon Heyman now reports that Renteria received a three-year contract that runs from 2017-19. Renteria will earn $1.1MM in 2017, $1.2MM in 2018 and $1.3MM in 2019, according to Heyman’s report. The appointment of the 55-year-old Renteria, who had previously served as a bench coach with the White Sox and as the manager of the Cubs, came after an unsuccessful five-year run at the helm for former White Sox All-Star Robin Ventura. While it’s early in the season and the White Sox aren’t expected to contend following the offseason sale of Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, Renteria has the team off to a nice 11-9 start.
The Royals are off to a terrible 7-14 start and have scored far and away the fewest runs in baseball (54). However, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reports that even in spite of the team’s poor play, the front office has shown no willingness to engage other clubs in trade talks. Similarly, FanRag’s Jon Heyman hears from a rival executive that the Royals are “very, very quiet so far” in terms of communication with other teams. That’s not surprising for virtually any club in late April, but as Morosi and Heyman point out, those conversations may very well be coming sooner rather than later. Kansas City is set to lose Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Alcides Escobar and Jason Vargas to free agency at season’s end, and if the team isn’t contending, any of the bunch could be marketed in trades. Late-inning relievers Kelvin Herrera and Joakim Soria, both controlled through 2018, could also be candidates to move.
Kyle Gibson is facing a pivotal juncture in his career with the Twins, writes La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Per Neal, Twins personnel have indicated that with Gibson off to a poor start in his followup effort to last year’s unsuccessful and injury-plagued year, tonight’s start could impact his standing in the club’s rotation. Gibson spoke to Neal and suggested that the importance of his next several outings is hardly lost on him. “They know what I have been, what I haven’t been and what I can be,” says Gibson. “…That doesn’t mean they won’t say, ‘Hey, go figure it out in Triple-A,’ or anything like that. I don’t think it makes me immune from that. But knowing the confidence they have in the pitcher that I can be is reassuring.” The former first-rounder has been hampered by shoulder and back injuries since a very good 2015 season (3.84 ERA, 6.7 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 53.4 percent ground-ball rate in 194 2/3 innings).
The thing is, the Royals don’t really have a solid offense. I mean you cannot reasonably expect to have long term success with a defensively loaded team.
Literally Mous is an okay bat (who had one above average year at the plate and hasn’t shown since, so I’m not sold on “average to above average bat”) with a decent glove, Escobar is anemic with the bat but good with the glove, Whit Merrifield is well replacement level can’t expect much from him, Hosmer is okay with the bat, real good with the glove. Perez, good with the glove, Meh with the bat.
Outfield is the same thing, Gordon and Cain (Gordon more than Cain) Both really glove first outfielders with Cain carrying an okay bat when healthy. I can’t speak for Bonifacio but if precedent is here I’m guessing he’s a defense oriented guy.
Even their bench is defense oriented with Butera, Colon and Cuthbert who are all known as supreme defenders while having bad bats.
Even their off-season offensive acquisitions haven’t even produced anything let alone shown up. We haven’t seen Soler, and Moss has a .135/.233/.308 clip rn with 3 HR and only 5 RBI. Can you say All Star? I know samples are small right now, but he was their big offense addition outside of Soler.
You cannot win ball games where you maybe prevent one or two runs but can’t even score the difference in your defense. They took the “defense win championships” way to seriously for the last few years.
The Minnesota Slumpenders. They’ll beat a reigning CY winner and then face some lefty with an 86 MPH fastball and a 6 ERA and make him look like Sandy Koufax.
Losing streak, that you need to end. Who you gonna call? Slump Busters!
By available metrics, Hosmer actually isn’t good on defense. He might be good at scoops and the like but has poor range.
Can I just sit and dream about Kelvin Herrera setting up for Kenley Jansen? I’m sure the package would have to be substantial but let’s look into it, Dodgers!
Renteria is my favorite pale hose manager in a while. Genuine guy.
I agreed with him coming back with Robertson since he threw just 15 pitches, but when that guy reached I would have yanked him. Maybe Renteria just got lucky, but he proved today he has what it takes to manage a team with 1 eye clearly focused on the future & the other on today. Abreu was the star, but the team MVP (Avi Garcia) gave Robertson the cushion he needed. The confidence earned having to get Martinez out there will probably pay greater dividends than just winning today.
Go Cubs as they battle the Bo Sox today. You have to root for them whenever they face an AL team.