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MLB.com’s Anne Rogers reports on the Kansas City Royals officially adding outfielder Starling Marte to the roster and what his goals are in 2026.
“[Marte] is a longtime proven right-handed bat in the big leagues,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He’s had pretty neutral splits over the years. Obviously, his leadership, the teammate that he brings to the table is something that’s been well talked about over the years. He’s clearly somebody who takes a lot of pride in keeping himself ready to play and keeping himself in shape.”
“I value the guys and I feel comfortable,” Marte said in Spanish on Tuesday morning. “For me this will be a new season and [I’m committing] to doing the best I can to help the team. I know and I hope that everything gets better through the difficult times, to work through it and keep moving forward.”
Rogers also looked at four Royals players who could benefit from more playing opportunities as their peers depart for the World Baseball Classic, including outfielder Drew Waters.
This spring is really the switch-hitting outfielder’s last shot at showing he can be an asset for the Royals, whether that’s with his power or speed or defense, and he’ll have to break through an already crowded outfield. Getting a few more starts — when hitters are more likely to face Major League-caliber pitching — rather than in-game replacement appearances gives him a better opportunity to do that.
“Having the opportunity to have three or four at-bats on a regular basis in starts, not only is that great leading into the season, but just as an opportunity to go out and show what you’re capable of,” Waters said.
Sports Illustrated’s Curt Bishop advocates for the Royals to look for more pitching depending on Stephen Kolek’s recovery process.
They already have Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Noah Cameron, Kris Bubic and Michael Wacha, which is a pretty solid starting five. But Zack Littell, Nestor Cortes, Patrick Corbin, Tyler Anderson, Jon Gray and Marcus Stroman are still available as insurance options
There are also plenty of pitchers still on the market that can be used in both roles such as Joey Lucchesi and Max Kranick. The Royals don’t know how long Kolek is going to be out. If he returns quickly, then they should be fine, but a little more depth can’t hurt, especially if he ends up being out for a long time.
Team USA and Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. had a lopsided 15-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants in an exhibition tune-up. Witt had multiple hits leading off for a stacked Team USA lineup.
Vinnie Pasquantino’s grandpa “thinks [Team Italy] is in Italy.”
A new Royals Top 30 prospects list came out from MLB Pipeline, with catcher Carter Jensen leading the pack. Here are the system’s best graded tools according to the evaluators.
Hit: 55 – Jensen (Gamble)
Power: 60 – Jensen
Run: 70 – Angeibel Gomez
Arm: 65 – Josh Hammond
Defense: 65 – Asbel Gonzalez
Fastball: 70 – Dennis Colleran
Curveball: 65 – Michael Lombardi
Slider: 55 – David Shields (Steven Zobac, Justin Lamkin)
Changeup: 60 – Ben Kudrna (Hunter Patteson)
Cutter: 60 – Colleran
Control: 60 – Chourio
Kansas City Star’s Jaylon Thompson sits down with outfielder Kameron Misner, who joins the same team that drafted him out of high school.
Misner is a Poplar Bluff native. He knows all about the Kansas City Royals and has a little history with the organization. The Royals actually selected him in the 33rd round of the 2016 MLB Draft. It was a difficult choice to turn down the Royals. However, Misner decided to go to school — attending the University of Missouri — on a baseball scholarship. His decision was worth it. Misner was a 2017 Freshman All-American and set career marks during his junior season. It was enough for him to be selected by the Miami Marlins in the first round of the 2019 draft.
Royals Keep’s Philip Ruo ponders Marte’s role in Kansas City.
The short answer is that if everything goes right, Marte won’t need to feature in the starting lineup too often. The expectation is that he will offer the Royals added roster flexibility to start in place of the starters when needed and to provide rest to keep players fresh throughout the season.
The main area that Marte will be used against is left-handed pitching. The Royals greatly struggled against lefties in 2025. Despite the additions of right-handed Thomas and switch-hitting Collins, the outlook against lefties in 2026 was still not promising. Against lefties, Marte has posted a wRC+ above 100 in four of the last five seasons. Marte could offer relief for Collins or Caglianone in the corner outfield spots against lefties to help with the lineup’s overall production.
Kings of Kauffman’s Caleb Moody looks at another minor-league free agent standing out this spring.
Now, two weeks of spring training is hardly enough time to call any signing a home run, however when it comes to lesser-discussed minor league deals, performances like Pérez’s are definitely worth something.
Though it may only be a couple of outings, Pérez has lived up to the Royals low-risk commitment in him, not allowing a single earned run and sporting a 0.73 FIP, 0.75 WHIP and .200 BAA with a 40.0% K-rate.
Again, does this make Pérez an option for Kansas City’s 2026 bullpen? Likely not. However, what it does indicate is that he could be a much needed depth arm in their system, something they lacked last season.
David Lesky gave his analysis of the Marte addition at Inside the Crown.
The Athletic’s Keith Law puts out his first MLB Draft rankings.
His peer Jim Bowden also has good news on the ABS returns in spring training.
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Lance Brozdowski provides some nuance to pitchers’ changes in Florida or Arizona weather.
MLB suspends Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar for the 2026 season after another positive PED test.
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas is looking to contest his suspension after an alleged failed PED test.
Boston Red Sox infielder Brendan Rogers is looking at shoulder surgery, according to manager Alex Cora.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Gavin Stone is facing his own shoulder issues in camp.
New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean is “feeling better” after experiencing some odd symptoms last week.
Could the Minnesota Vikings pursue quarterback Kyler Murray?
The real-world environment is having an impact on the World Cup with 100 days to go.
Miami (Ohio) men’s basketball reaches 30 games in winning streak as March Madness looms large.
Pixar uses a familiar formula to fuel a new animal-human body-jumping movie.
Anthropic’s foray into headlines is paying off with AI users, as moral cloud hangs with the U.S. military.
Who is lining up for ice cream in single-digit weather?
Today’s song of the day is Mama Weer All Crazee Now from Quiet Riot.