Latest / Foul Territory / Kansas City Royals team preview with Jaylon Thompson

Transcript

Kansas City Royals team preview with Jaylon Thompson · Foul Territory

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: He's a guy that the Royals have high host for.
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: He's their number one prospect. He is someone that they
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: want him to hit.
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: Here we go. Let's talk about what really matters in
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: Kansas City this week, and that's the twenty twenty five
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: Royals Kansas City stars. Jalen Thompson joining us right now. Jalen,
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: great to have you on the show. Thanks you for
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: the time.
• 0:26
  Speaker 3: How you doing.
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: I'm doing good, guys. How are you guys doing? Thanks
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: for having me on.
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we're great. We're great. So we're gonna cue the
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: storylines and get into a team that went from one
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: hundred losses two years ago into the postseason last year.
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: All right, let's jump into it. So these are the
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: four that we're gonna go through with Jalen right now.
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: One hundred plus losses in twenty twenty three, playoff team
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: in twenty twenty four, and they did a little bit
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: of damage in the playoff to India. Spice Jonathan India
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: for Brady Singer thoughts, maybe more opportunities for Bobbywood Junior
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: to drive in runs. And then Jack Kags, the first
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: round pick from a year ago, could be coming to
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: the show soon and Bobbywood Junior finished in second place
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: to Aaron Judge. Can he top them this coming season?
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: All right, let's start at the top. Do you feel
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: like they did what they needed to do this offseason
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: to make sure that they're a playoff team again?
• 1:24
  Speaker 3: Jalen. I think they did.
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: When you look at what the Worlds did last season,
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: they had a thirty win improvement, going from one hundred
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: and six losses in twenty twenty three to winning eighty
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: six games last year, making the playoffs, beating the Baltimore
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: Orioles and then playing against the New Yor Yankees, and
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: they were competitive in that aods against the Yankees. When
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: you look at what the Worlds wanted to do this offseason,
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: their key goals was to keep Michael Waka and really
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: strengthen that starting rotation, and they did that really early.
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: They got out in front of it, and they brought
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: him back on a really nice deal that fits not
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: only the player, but the organization as well. So you
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: have Michael Waka coming back with Cole Reagan's and Steth
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: bluego and then you go back and you get a
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: Michael Lilrenzen. Now you have four all stars that are
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: in that starting rotation. In going with the offense, you
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: have Bobbie Wider, as you guys mentioned, Bennie Pasportino, Salado Prez.
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: They still wanted to add to that, and we know
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: we're talking about it with Johnathan India coming up soon.
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: But I think the cohesiveness of this team is something
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: that can really help them. Because they went to the
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: playoffs last year, they learned as a young unit what
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: it takes to get there. Now their whole thoughts this
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: season is let's go back and let's go further.
• 2:39
  Speaker 4: How's the swap of Brady Singer and Jonathan India really
• 2:43
  Speaker 4: gonna pan out? Because Singer was super reliable inning zeer.
• 2:47
  Speaker 4: But does this mean Bobby Witt might have a million
• 2:50
  Speaker 4: or a million and a half RBIs.
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: It might be a million and a half and a
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: couple more. Honestly, looking at what Bobby Wait Jr. Can
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: do on the field, I mean second thirty thirty season
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: last year, the first player first Church Stot to pretty
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: much do that, and then to have the ability to
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: continue hit at least twenty home runs his first three
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: years in the big leagues. He can He's a five
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: to a player in every sense of the word, and
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: now you're saying you're going to put someone like Jonathan
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: India in front of him, which the Royals they kind
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: of struggled with that Leos spot last year. That was
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: a big point of instance this all season. I believe
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: they had like five or six guys that they tried
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: in that Leos spot and nothing really stuck. So now
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: you're having Jonathan Idia come in, and he's a guy
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: that had twenty eight doubles last season, and as you
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: guys know those power alleys at Kaufman Stadium, that number
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: can definitely be sustained or it might even go up
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: some depending on how well he's going at the plate.
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: So they have someone that can be on first base
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: when Bobby Blay Junior steps into the box. I think
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: that would be key for the Roles to starting off
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: the game with more run production. And then doubt only
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: helped the starting pitching staff as well. And I know
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: you mentioned Brady Singer. That was a move where the
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: Royals felt they had depth in their rotation and they
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: knew that if they wanted to get a leadoff hitter,
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: they targeted Jonathan Ny as the guy that could do that.
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: And the rescue of the pitcher, So it just kind
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: of made sense to swap those two former Florida Gator teammates.
• 4:22
  Speaker 4: We're going to talk about another Florida Gator, Jack Cackleon.
• 4:26
  Speaker 4: When's he gonna be there? He got his first year.
• 4:29
  Speaker 4: Last year, he dug in, he got to play in
• 4:31
  Speaker 4: the Fall League, got a nice Fall league. He's not
• 4:33
  Speaker 4: a two way guy. I know people say that. Listen.
• 4:36
  Speaker 4: I watched him a lot in college. He's not a
• 4:38
  Speaker 4: two way guy. So I know it says on here,
• 4:40
  Speaker 4: will he let him hit and pitch? I hope they
• 4:42
  Speaker 4: don't let him pitch. He just needs to go up
• 4:43
  Speaker 4: there and hit forty for the Royals. But when do
• 4:46
  Speaker 4: you think that we'll see him? Is he on track
• 4:48
  Speaker 4: to possibly see him this year?
• 4:50
  Speaker 3: Yeah?
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: And first and foremost, Aj, it's cool talking to you.
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: I was a Braves fan growing up, so I watched
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: you when you came over to the team. So really
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: great to do that.
• 4:59
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Yeah, for sure.
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: Going back to Caglion, he is a guy that the
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: Royals have high hopes for. He's their number one prospect.
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: He is someone that they want him to hit. That
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: is what they drafted him for. They really love his bat,
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: and they really were excited about what he did in
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: the Arizona Fall League when he hit those five home
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: runs in twenty one games. He really showed that he
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: could hit advanced MLB pitching. So he knew that they
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: knew that he's a guy that they would like to
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: see continue to hit moving forward in his career, and
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: that's where they have him at. They haven't shut the
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: door on him potentially pitching, but that was something that's
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: gonna come down the road if that is the case
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: for him. But for right now, he's going to be
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: a hitter. Rows General manager Jiji Piccolo. He said at
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: the recent Roles rally at the stadium that he is
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: is gonna hit. They're gonna potentially if he's going to
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: make an impact on the MLB roster, he might have
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: to work on his defensive skills and that he might
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: see some reps in the outfield if he continued to
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: progress and come along. But right now, he's going to
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: be a hitter, and that's what they wanted to be, all.
• 6:05
  Speaker 4: Right, So we got to hit him with here. I mean, Bobby, waitit,
• 6:08
  Speaker 4: Junior is something that nobody will ever remember. Unanimous second
• 6:14
  Speaker 4: MVP voting like, that's not what you're really looking for.
• 6:17
  Speaker 4: Does he take the next step and top the list
• 6:21
  Speaker 4: this year or is it something that you know until
• 6:24
  Speaker 4: Judge leaves, Bobby Wit doesn't win anything.
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: I think if it was any other year, I think
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: Bobby wood dream would have been the al MVP last season.
• 6:32
  Speaker 3: But you can't discredit what Aaron Judge did. He had
• 6:35
  Speaker 3: a historic season.
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: Those fifty eight home runs, those one hundred and forty
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: four RBIs hitting over three hundred. I mean, that was incredible.
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: So you got to give credit where it's due with
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: Aaron Judge. But what I told people and what I
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: really thought last season was Bobby Wood Drinan can do
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: what he did in twenty twenty four pretty much in
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty five, twenty twenty six and beyond. He's just
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: that kind of talent and it's not out the realm
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: of possibility that that could be the baseline for him.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: So if he can take his game to another level
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: in twenty twenty five, I don't see why he can't
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: be in discussion for winging the al MVP. This guy is,
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: like I said, he's incredible at all aspects of the game.
• 7:17
  Speaker 3: You when you watch him on a day to day basis.
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: You see even just the skill set, how he rounds
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: the basis, how he goes from first to third. Those
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: things are kind of uncanny and can't be taught, and
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: Bobby just has that. And then he's continuing to develop
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: as a leader in getting more mature as he continues
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: to go through his MLB career. A lot of advice
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: and help has come from Salvador Perez, who's the captain
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: of the Royals, and Salvias said it himself, sometimes let
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: Bobby take the lead and you know, help go through
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: some things in the locker room, because you know, he's
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: the guy, He's the one that they want out front
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: and center. And I think Bobby has really embraced that.
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: He's always so pleasurable with the media and everything like that.
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: So I believe that if there's a year for him
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: to win the al MVP, it definitely can't be.
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: Twenty twenty five bonus questions for you, Jalen, Let's do
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: some quick hitters and try to get through as many
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: fancues as possible. So here's Ricky said, Well, Lorenzen be
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: a two way guy. I think this one can just
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: be an easy yes or no answer. I'm assuming that
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: they're not gonna let him hit, are they?
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: No? No, he's gonna kiss this year? Okay?
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: And then Michael says, care to ask if Brady Singer
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: was the only starter floated? Were there any other names
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: being shopped this offseason.
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: I'm sure the Royals probably looked at all aspects of
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: their team, but Bray Singer was the one that they
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: settled on.
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: I have one for you. And then I think there's
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: one more fan question than AJ will finish. Anthony Santander
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: was a pursuit, a late pursuit this offseason. R Ken
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: Rosenthal reported on it. How much do you think they
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: needed a guy like that for their outfields? And what
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: did it say about what their plans were when they
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: pivoted to Carlos Estevez? Clearly that was the guy. They
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: didn't feel like there was going to be anyone else
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: in that range to their liking. I personally thought they
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: should have pivoted to Jerks and Profar. I know he's
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: not the power guy unless you're buying exactly what he
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: did last year, but do you think it would have
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: been a nice fit for that outfield?
• 9:15
  Speaker 3: What about you?
• 9:16
  Speaker 4: Yeah?
• 9:17
  Speaker 3: I both.
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: I thought that both of those guys could have been
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: a good fit as well. But the Rolds really wanted
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: was someone in the mild that order that could, you know,
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: have some power, be an impact back when you get
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: past Bobby Bobbie with Junior Ni Fast, Martino, Salade Perez.
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: You want someone that could hit in that five or
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: six range, and they couldn't find that.
• 9:34
  Speaker 3: You know, they they talked about it openly.
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: JJ Piccolo said, they tried, they were active, but you know,
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: you can't make a trade with teams that don't want
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: to trade their own players, so, you know, and as
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: with Santander in Profar, they they had other commitments that
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: they wanted. I think I read somewhere where Profar wanted
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: to be either with the Padres or the Braves. So
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: there's nothing you can really do about that if that's
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: where he wants to go. So the world's definitely try.
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: And you know, that's not to say that they probably
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: won't team to keep trying depending on what happens in
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: spring training or what happens during the middle of the season,
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: but right now they're content with what they have.
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: That's true. Profar as big Braves guy, I did read
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: about that as well. They've got a good connection with
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: you know, certain international players like curo Us. Out's a
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: big connection for them. Okay, last fan question, and then
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: AJ will finish here. Ricky says, will Joey Weimer get
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: a chance to start in the outfield? Could be a
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: cheaper renfro option.
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: Yeah, they're really excited about Joey Weimer. They're gonna look
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: and see what he can do this off seat. I
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: mean in spring training. You know, they they acquired him
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: for a reason. So he has a lot of skill
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: sets that if he can put together, he could be
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: someone that could draw some starts in their outfield. Because
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: Rose manager Matt Putreal he loves to be versatile and
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: move people around, so that's what he's going to do
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: this season. So I wouldn't put it out of the
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: question to see Weimer get some starts out there.
• 10:50
  Speaker 4: All right, all right, I got I got three questions
• 10:52
  Speaker 4: to finish with you. One on the Royals, Not on
• 10:54
  Speaker 4: the Royals. One, how's their stadium coming? I haven't heard
• 10:58
  Speaker 4: anything about it since kind of the beginning of last year.
• 11:00
  Speaker 4: Has that started? Have they already started the process to
• 11:03
  Speaker 4: build the new stadium? Because remember that was why they
• 11:05
  Speaker 4: said they spent money.
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: They haven't started the process to build a new stadium yet.
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: They're still trying to have discussions about where the new
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: stadium will potentially be. They had a vote last year
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: where it didn't go through, so they're trying to just
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: see where it's the best spot to put this new stadium.
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: But they do want to build one, and they are
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: still working hard to try to figure out where exactly that's.
• 11:28
  Speaker 3: Going to be.
• 11:30
  Speaker 4: Okay, got it. And then my next one is, since
• 11:32
  Speaker 4: I know you're you're an Atlanta transplant cobras. By the way,
• 11:36
  Speaker 4: in case no one's ever seen this, I was a
• 11:37
  Speaker 4: zombie babble head once. That's how much they loved me
• 11:39
  Speaker 4: in Atlanta. They made me a zombie but for the
• 11:43
  Speaker 4: walking dead, so they made me a walking dead guy.
• 11:46
  Speaker 4: Are you rooting for the Chiefs this weekend in some
• 11:48
  Speaker 4: game they're playing in or are you're rooting for the
• 11:50
  Speaker 4: Crats as Eagles e L G L E s By
• 11:53
  Speaker 4: the way.
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: Well, I'm a Falcons fan. I'm Atlanta Falcons fan, so
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: I know pain and no heartbreak. But living in Kansas City,
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: I think you have to go with the Chiefs. And
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: I think it's a it's gonna be a cool story
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: if they can get this three p. It's never been
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: done in the Super Bowl era, so I think the
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: Chiefs are gonna take it home.
• 12:13
  Speaker 4: No, I got one more, one more, one more, sorry, Jalen.
• 12:15
  Speaker 4: How's your driving? Can you drive a stick shift?
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: I never drove a stick shift in my life. I've
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: been automatic, So.
• 12:23
  Speaker 4: Yeah, okay, no, no, no, wait, this is going somewhere.
• 12:28
  Speaker 4: Have you ever been pulled over for reckless driving?
• 12:31
  Speaker 3: Let me ask you that no, never has done have
• 12:34
  Speaker 3: done that?
• 12:35
  Speaker 4: Are you sure? Because I know what fan you are,
• 12:37
  Speaker 4: and every single person that I know, Okay, that's a
• 12:41
  Speaker 4: Georgia fan. Guess what they get. They get pulled over
• 12:44
  Speaker 4: for reckless driving, So be careful in Athens people.
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: That's true, that is true. But Georgia did win, and
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: they have beaten Florida a whole bunch of times this year.
• 12:59
  Speaker 4: The thing is a turning, The time is a turning.
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: It's turning.
• 13:02
  Speaker 4: Turn.
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: AJ was gonna start telling us about all the players
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: that got in trouble during the tea baure and just
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: start running through all the.
• 13:13
  Speaker 4: Did you watch the thing they did on Netflix? Nobody
• 13:16
  Speaker 4: got in trouble. It was the perfect all right, right,
• 13:19
  Speaker 4: right right.
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: Sure, well, Jalen, if you do, we'll finish with this.
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: If you do learn stick shift. AJ is letting anyone
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: that learns stick shift borrow his car for one day.
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: That's what we learned earlier in the show. It's a
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: really random thing, but it's popped up and it's become
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: very popular.
• 13:34
  Speaker 4: So we'll both take. I didn't say which car though,
• 13:37
  Speaker 4: I didn't say which car you could borrow.
• 13:39
  Speaker 3: That's fine, that's fine.
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: We'll take a crappy car. Jail and I aren't rich.
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: We're not complaining or unless I don't know something, but
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: case okay, I don't pay that well, Jayalen, great to
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: have you on here for the first time.
• 13:52
  Speaker 3: Hope you had fun.
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: You were awesome man, great pace, and thanks for running
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: through the Royals with us.
• 13:55
  Speaker 3: We'll see you during the season. Thank you guys so much.
• 13:58
  Speaker 3: Hope to join again.