We will know a World Series matchup by Tuesday at the latest, as the Mets and Dodgers finalize their NLCS matchup in Los Angeles today and possibly tomorrow. At this moment*, the Dodgers lead the Mets 2-1. If the Dodgers win tonight, they will punch their ticket to the World Series for a matchup with the Yankees.
*Update: It is now 4-1 Dodgers.
It’s been a bit of a light past few days for Royals news, which makes sense, considering they had their end-of-the-year press conference last Monday. There are still a few things to write about, but nothing is worth a whole post. In the offseason, I will try to write at least a “Jottings” every week and maybe a more in-depth post or two, depending on my time and availability to write.
In this edition of the “Jottings,” I look at Royals assistant GM Scott Sharp withdrawing his name from the Giants GM job, a new podcast on “Farm to Fountains,” and a brief look at how Royals first-round pick Jac Caglianone is doing in the Arizona Fall League.
Sharp No Longer Candidate for Giants Job
It’s been widely rumored that many in the Royals organization—including the coaching staff and the front office — would be considered for open positions this offseason.
Assistant GM Scott Sharp has been with the Royals for 18 years and was recently tied to the open San Francisco Giants GM job. Sharp had been mentioned a few years back for the Phillies and Angels jobs, and considering the Royals’ recent success, it makes sense why new Giants President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey would consider Sharp for the GM position in San Francisco.
This weekend, however, Sharp announced that he would be withdrawing his name from consideration.
According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, Sharp withdrew due to family considerations, though Rosenthal didn’t clarify the details of those “considerations.”
Sharp is undoubtedly capable of running an MLB organization, and the Royals’ success in 2024 at both the Major and Minor League levels should make him an intriguing candidate for teams in the future. Sharp has been known for his work in player development, and though the Royals farm system is still a work in progress, it has taken significant steps forward since JJ and Sharp ascended in the organization after 2022.
Expectations are high from a fanbase frustrated by seeing the Dodgers outperform the Giants in the NL West and outspend them in free agency. This is not a “rebuilding” project by any means, and I can see whoever Posey tabs in the position needs to have a plan to turn around the ship quickly.
Picollo and Sharp did that in 2024, helping build a team that won 30 more games this season than in 2023. Thus, it makes sense why the Giants considered Sharp for GM, hoping he could build something similar in San Francisco as he did with JJ in Kansas City the past few seasons.
The “family considerations” part shows that while being an MLB GM is a rare opportunity, not every situation is the right fit.
Sharp has been with the Royals for almost two decades, and his family seems pretty settled in Kansas City. Moving to a new part of the country, especially an area where Sharp’s family is unfamiliar, can be daunting. I applaud Sharp for recognizing that and putting the family first, even if he may have had to pass on what could’ve been his first GM job. Announcing his “withdrawal” shows he was a pretty legitimate candidate, perhaps on the cusp of getting an offer.
As someone who grew up a Giants fan and has many family members who bleed black and orange, it’s disappointing that Sharp didn’t make his way to San Francisco to help provide a jolt to the organization. That said, he will likely get more attention from other clubs for openings in the future, especially if the Royals continue their winning ways in 2025 and beyond.
Drop the Ball Podcast on “Farm to Fountains”
“Farm to Fountains” has been working hard recently to create off-season content. One of the new features they have unveiled over the past month is a new podcast from staff members Matthew Robison and Jackson Wilks. The podcast “Drop the Ball” can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Robison and Wilks have had the “Drop the Ball” podcast for a while. However, it was a general KC sports-centric podcast, as they also discussed the Chiefs. With the “Farm to Fountains” partnership, they will post more baseball-specific podcast items on the website and the typical podcast platforms.
Check out the most recent episode from October 16th. In it, they discuss the 2024 season and look forward to what could be on the horizon this offseason.
Jac Caglianone Off to Slow Start in AFL
There is a lot of hype about the Royals’ top prospect, Jac Calgianone. According to MLB Pipeline, he’s the 17th-best prospect in baseball and the most high-profile Royals prospect playing with the Surprise team in the Arizona Fall League.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t gotten a stellar start in AFL play.
In eight games and 35 at-bats, he has a slash of .229/.243/.286 with an OPS of .529. He only has two extra-base hits (both doubles), and has 11 strikeouts to only one walk. There were a lot of concerns about his contact ability and swing-and-miss in college at Florida. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done anything to squash those concerns in Arizona.
Should we be worried about this rough AFL performance?
I am not so sure I would go to that point just yet.
The strikeouts seem high this fall from many top prospects. Tommy Troy of the Diamondbacks has 12 strikeouts. Kristian Robinson of the Red Sox also has 12 strikeouts. Bryce Eldridge of the Giants, who played in Double-A this past season, has 13 strikeouts and only two walks in 29 at-bats.
On the hitting end, players work on specific things in their at-bats. Thus, AFL performance can be exciting, especially if it’s on the positive end, but it doesn’t always translate to the spring. Peyton Wilson is a prime example of this. He posted a .822 OPS in the AFL in 2023 but only had a .719 OPS with Northwest Arkansas this past season.
It’s high quality when Caglianone makes contact this fall, even if it hasn’t netted in many base hits yet.
Cags also showed that same power and batted-ball ability in his brief time in the Quad Cities. The numbers weren’t eye-popping with the River Bandits (.241 average and .690 OPS in 126 plate appearances), but he could launch balls when he got a hold of them.
There is a lot of hope that Caglianone can join Bobby Witt, Jr. at the Major League level in a couple of seasons and be part of that long-term position-player core in Kansas City. The early High-A and AFL numbers haven’t been promising, but I would still stress patience with Cags, who could benefit from a winter break to rest, recover, and prepare for Spring Training in Surprise in 2025.
If Cags is producing underwhelming lines by this time next season, then I think Royals fans can push the panic button.
However, we’re not even close to that point yet, and Cags still deserves the benefit of the doubt as the top prospect in the Royals system (just barely ahead of Blake Mitchell, who also had a slow start in the Surprise when he was drafted in 2023).
Photo Credit: Denny Medley USA TODAY Sports
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