Despite only being in camp for the last couple weeks, Royals spring training is well underway, with the meat of their Cactus League schedule picking up this week. It's the first year for Kansas City's new coaching staff, and while Spring Training results don't exactly translate to regular season wins, there's always stuff to take away from the first couple weeks in Arizona. While speaking to 610's Fescoe In The Morning on Monday, Royals Insider Josh Vernier explained some of the things he's noticed so far.
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"Another thing that's really stood out is that for as much blame as Mike Matheny and the coaching staff have received for the tension in the clubhouse last year, I do think that certain leaders like Whit Merrifield and Andrew Beninetendi have gotten a pass," he said. "He may not have agreed with how this new generation goes about their business, but he was trying to relate, he was trying understand, he was trying give them their space. But a lot of those guys that broke in last year, it wasn't necessarily Matheny's thumb that was on them, it was the hazing or razing – hazing's the wrong word – the rookie treatment that was laid upon them ... when they struggled right out of the gate, and Merrifield realized this is going to be another losing season, I think he made a lot of the rookie's lives quite uncomfortable."
You can listen to Vernier's entire interview in the embedded player below: