Rays & Royals
Submitted by: ShaquilleOatmeal
Rays
| Name | Age | Level | P1 | P2 | Availability | Years | AFV | Salary | Surplus | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Kudrna | 22 | Minors | SP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.2 | 4.2 | 5.2 | 6.3 | ||
| Asbel Gonzalez | 19 | Minors | CF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.1 | 7.3 | 9.1 | 10.9 | ||
| Blake Mitchell | 20 | Minors | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19.6 | 15.6 | 19.6 | 23.5 | ||
| Yandel Ricardo | 18 | Minors | SS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14.4 | 11.5 | 14.4 | 17.3 |
Total Value:
48.30
Royals
| Name | Age | Level | P1 | P2 | Availability | Years | AFV | Salary | Surplus | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Baz | 26 | Majors | SP | LRP | Very low | 3 | 39.6 | 11 | 28.6 | 22.8 | 28.6 | 34.3 |
| Chandler Simpson | 24 | Majors | OF | 5 | 28.5 | 11.7 | 16.8 | 13.4 | 16.8 | 20.2 |
Total Value:
45.40
Comments
4
I don't see a reason to keep both Simpson and Mangum in 2026. Very similar players, with Mangum being a better defender, but quite a bit older. Simpson's defense never improved like I expected, and he's barely playable at this point. He's good enough to be a long time MLBer, but limited in so many things that I see his upside as maybe a league average player if everything breaks right. Even his SB #s weren't as impressive as I expected. With that speed and the new rules, a 78% SB clip isn't anywhere near what I expected. In a season of massive disappointments, Simpson was a big disappointment to me. Among the worst defense I've ever seen, got thrown out on the bases way too much. The Rays need a reset. Their farm is barren, their young MLB talent for the most part has the ceiling of an average player at best. The Royals have an excellent core but need additional pieces. This gets them a large window to maximize their MLB talent. Win for both sides.
I’m not a fan of the KC players other than Mitchell, so this trade would be a negative for me. As for Simpson, I agree with the overall sentiment that Simpson had a disappointing rookie year. Where I guess I disagree is what that means for his future. I thought he was rushed to the Majors and was in no way ready for the Majors when he was called up (at least in the field). He was playing a lot better in the field by year end, though still not great. I think he’s capable of nearly a .400 OBP, average or better defense and 75+ SBs. That’s a valuable player to have, even if he has a lot of similar skills to Mangum. If the Rays keep both though, one has to be the everyday CF. I do not like an entire no-power outfield.
NEWSLETTER? SURE, SIGN ME UP!
I'm a little worried about Mitchell cause in 2 plus seasons he's not exactly living up to the hype, I'd still love to get him of course but wouldn't go crazy or overpay, Kudrna has struggled since leaving High A so that was a few red flags to me, I was never a believer in Simpson but he did win me over this season as a fan but I just don't see him as a good option on this roster which sucks cause he seemed like the type of guy you'd want in the clubhouse.
Thanks for the input! Simpson's bat is pretty much what I thought it would be. I think as a rookie, he will strike out more and walk less than he ever will again. I think in a full season, he becomes a slightly above average bat. That's about what I expected. That's useful for possible playoff teams that need a corner OF like the Royals, but I don't see the Rays as a playoff team for the next half decade just based on what they have in house. As far as what they are getting, I'm not concerned about Mitchell any more than I would be about any catcher. They hit A+/AA, they struggle except if they are the best C prospects ever (Posey/Wieters/Rutschman). High school catchers just have so much to learn.