It's the end of the world as we know it... and we feel... fine?
2018 is a season of transition for the Royals, or at least it is at this point. Dayton Moore is back. Will he swing full into THE PROCESS 2.0? Or will he try to load up again and make some reload magic happen?
Pending Free Agents:
1B | Eric Hosmer | San Diego Padres, 8 years, $144 million ($5 million signing bonus; $20 million/year in Yrs 1-5; $13 million/year in Yrs 6-8 wth player opt out)
Spoiler!
(DI's Guess: Texas Rangers, 6, $118 million)
3B | Mike Moustaskas | Kansas City Royas, 1, $6.5 million
Spoiler!
(DI's Guess: Los Angeles Angels, 5, $98 million)
CF | Lorenzo Cain | Milwaukee Brewers, 5 years, $80 million
Spoiler!
(DI's Guess: San Francisco Giants, 4, $68 million)
RP | Mike Minor | Texas Rangers, 3, $28 million
Spoiler!
(DI's Guess: Los Angeles Angels, 3, $35 million+ $12 million team option
SP | Jason Vargas | New York Mets, 2, $16 million
Spoiler!
(DI's Guess: Baltimore Orioles, 2, $29 million)
SS | Alcides Escobar | Kansas City Royals, 1, $2.5 million
In case I, picks would be #32, 33, and 34, if Alex Cobb of Rays signs for $50 million guaranteed.
Kansas City will likely have 5 of the top 40-45 picks in the draft, and the bonus pool money should rival that of the teams drafting 1-3 in the 2017 draft. This should give KC tremendous flexibility in acquiring talent that otherwise might slip or not be "signable."
2018 Draft Names to Watch
RHP Kumar Rocker, N Oconnee HS, Georgia.
Spoiler!
Possibly goes top 10 but is a big, physical SP with ace potential. Moore and co. will be all over him if he slips a bit and could offer top 10 money at No. 16
OF Jarred Kelenic, Waukasha West HS, WI
Spoiler!
Kelenic is the top prep bat, toolsy OF. Royals would be ecstatic to have shot at him.
1B Triston Casas, American Heritage HS (FL).
Spoiler!
Tremendous raw power, best in HS bats. Royals typically like HS arms or HS bats with "special" tools. He qualifies.
RHP Carter Stewart, Eau de Gallie HS (Ga).
Spoiler!
Another big, physical specimen with huge upside. More likely to be available mid-first than Rocker.
ANY Any, Any (Any). Any current top projected pick who slides for injury concerns. Includes current top prospect prospect SP Brady Singer, U of Florida. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BlackHelicopters:
You’re the stoooooooooop. I said current state. Can you read? Of course, a good draft changes everything. I said current state. The future drafts are not current state. Idiot.
So you were assuming that we were adding no one in the draft or through Latin America over the next ten years? Really, no one before the 2009 draft would have imagined we were five years away from reaching a World Series.
I was accounting for the multiple picks we had in the first round as well as the Latin American prospects we picked up on this year. Apologies if I offended you. [Reply]
Hos doesnt sound like a very good teammate. Maybe its just a sweet lemons approach, but requiring guys to be cut/getting pissed that Moose gets the fan vote opportunity (shitty teammate even if his mom was healthy). [Reply]
Originally Posted by KC Tattoo:
It's funny you say that because that doesn't make a difference in that Eric Hosmer is my all time favorite basically replacing Derrick Thomas at that title and I already know Patrick Mahomes II is soon to be the next greatest ever. So I'm like he's the greatest regardless of those before that were betterment him. I'm posting for fun and partly in jest. I'm going miss Hosmer as a Royal but he made seasons fun to watch. For that he is the greatest.
If you would just say "favorite" instead of "greatest", nobody would disagree. But to declare Eric Hosmer as the "greatest" ever is just silly. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Sure-Oz:
@JoshVernier610: Dayton Moore believes there was a desire from Hosmer to return. Moore says the Padres offer was better, but notes KC’s offer would have set a franchise record. Adds it would have required a moves to offset the added payroll & even a signing of LoMo would require the same. #Royals
Sounds like bring on the rebuild. No lomo
@BNightengale: The #Royals say they will stay pat and go into rebuild and will not pursue any marquee free agents now that Eric Hosmer went to #Padres
Originally Posted by KC Tattoo:
It's funny you say that because that doesn't make a difference in that Eric Hosmer is my all time favorite basically replacing Derrick Thomas at that title and I already know Patrick Mahomes II is soon to be the next greatest ever. So I'm like he's the greatest regardless of those before that were betterment him. I'm posting for fun and partly in jest. I'm going miss Hosmer as a Royal but he made seasons fun to watch. For that he is the greatest.
Then you are showing you age....no one made baseball in KC more exciting and fun to watch than George Brett.
Eric Hosmer...even as good as he played during an important time....couldn't hold one string of George Brett's jockstrap. [Reply]
The Royals are a literal after-thought for me this year. I'll watch them to see if any surprise players come on like Whit, but I fully expect a 90-loss season, maybe worse. [Reply]