With an off day on the calendar, the Royals’ news cycle was light - but there was still one story worth circling: Kansas City is trying new things, and not just for the sake of novelty.
Anne Rogers spoke with longtime Royals coach Miguel Garcia about Salvador Perez, who has known him since the Royals signed Perez as a 16-year-old. Perez said Garcia is the person who gets him ready to play every day, and that relationship has been built on a routine that has stayed remarkably steady over the years.
“I’ve known him since 2006 in the Dominican in instructional league,” Perez said. “That was the first time I met Miggy.
It’s been 20 years that I’ve been with him. All my career in the big leagues.
A little bit in the Minor Leagues. He’s a guy who gets me ready, who knows when I’m struggling, sees the video and tells me what I’m doing wrong to try to fix it.
I appreciate him a lot.”
Garcia said the process hasn’t changed much, even as Perez has grown into the greatest power hitter in Royals history. The emphasis, Garcia said, is still on keeping Perez’s swing loose and repeatable while staying locked in on the pitches he handles best.
“The main focus has always been to feel fluid with his swing,” Garcia said. “To be able to feel good, and with a fluid swing, and to concentrate on the pitches that he knows he can hit really well, which is middle to the pull side. Don’t leave the cage without a good swing, good fluid swings hitting the ball that way.”
Elsewhere, David Lesky wrote that the Royals deserve credit for experimenting during a lost season. This weekend offered a clear example: Noah Cameron had been pitching exceptionally poorly for the better part of six weeks, so Kansas City tried an opener and also had him call his own pitches.
The opener didn’t work, but the pitch-calling did. Lesky said he likes the willingness to test something different, even if it means trying two variables at once.
He also pointed to the big save opportunity given to someone he wanted to see in that role, plus the fact that Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen are already getting chances against everyone. For Lesky, it’s useful information for the team and a lot more interesting to cover than a Randy Dobnak start.
Around the Royals blogosphere, Caleb Moody at Kings of Kauffman wrote about Kansas City’s failure to sign Hudson DeVaughn, and Jacob Milham laid out three Royals players who could benefit if the club sells at the deadline.
A few other notes from around the sports world: Cody Bellinger is out 4-6 weeks with a hamstring strain, Shea Langeliers and Mark Leiter Jr are headed for surgery, and Kerry Carpenter hit the IL. Long-time Tampa Bay Buccaneers stalwart DT Vita Vea has requested a trade, Jamal Adams has joined the Minnesota Vikings, and UNC placed GM Michael Lombardi on administrative leave. In Missouri, the explosive diarrhea outbreak is expanding.
On the local front, Kansas City is putting together a bid to host matches for the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup. Sporting Kansas City is also trying to land a major signing and has increased its offer for Olympiacos winger Andre Luiz. And in a separate legal matter, Eric Bieniemy’s son was charged in the shooting of his mother.
In Other News...
Royals Deadline Plans Suddenly Come Down To One Costly Contract
The trade deadline always brings out the same uncomfortable math, and for Kansas City it may be less about adding help than making room for it. Even with the club still well short of the luxury tax line, the Royals could find themselves needing to trim money before they can spend it, a reminder that payroll flexibility can matter just as much as contention when August 3 gets closer.
One name sits at the center of that squeeze: Seth Lugo, whose contract carries real weight for a team trying to keep its options open. At 36, Lugo is owed $21.5 million in 2027 and comes with a conditional club option for 2028, which makes him a far heavier financial commitment than Michael Wacha, the more valuable of the Royals two veteran starters. If Kansas City decides it has to move salary to create maneuverability, Lugo is the contract that could define how far the front office is willing to go. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Injury Shuffle Just Took Another Turn Fans Wont Like
The Royals injury list keeps forcing the club to juggle its roster, and the latest round of movement at least brings a few familiar names back into the conversation. Maikel Garcia is beginning a rehab assignment in Double-A Omaha after the hand issue that has kept him out, while Kyle Isbel is still working his way back in Triple-A Omaha as the organization waits to see more before making any decisions on his activation.
Even with those recoveries underway, Kansas City just lost another arm from the mix, which opened the door for a fresh look in the bullpen. Beck Way has landed on the injured list, and Easton McGee is now getting his first chance to contribute after arriving in a recent trade, a reminder that for this Royals team, one setback often leads straight to another roster shuffle. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Just Made A Familiar Bullpen Bet Fans Know Too Well
The Royals added another arm to a bullpen mix that has long rewarded low-cost bets, sending 2025 10th-round pick Max Martin to Houston for Nate Pearson after the Astros designated him for assignment. Pearson brings the kind of raw stuff teams keep circling back to, with velocity and a still-lingering sense of upside, even as command problems have followed him through stops that have made him more intriguing than dependable.
Kansas City is clearly hoping its pitching group can get more out of Pearson in relief than other clubs have been able to. He already made his Royals debut on July 26, working a scoreless inning with a walk, and the next step is the part that has defined his career for too long: turning the tools into strikes and the strikes into something the Royals can actually count on. [Read more 🡒]