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 Prison Bitch:
Chris Getz more p@ssy than we do
It's pretty hilarious that GMDM's justification for keeping Getz on the roster was because he "kept Hos and Moose serious and accountable" or something like that. [Reply]
Originally Posted by tk13:
I think if Mondesi didn't look so overmatched last year it's an easy call. I have high hopes for him but you can't run him out there every day if he's struggling to hit .100 either. Posted via Mobile Device
His AAA OPS last year suggests if he's given enough at-bats, it'd be almost impossible for him to be as all-time historically inept offensively as Escobar was last year. Yeah, GMDM gave us a World Series, but wow, but it makes no sense to me to trot Escobar out there, let alone pay millions in the process. [Reply]
Originally Posted by FringeNC:
His AAA OPS last year suggests if he's given enough at-bats, it'd be almost impossible for him to be as all-time historically inept offensively as Escobar was last year. Yeah, GMDM gave us a World Series, but wow, but it makes no sense to me to trot Escobar out there, let alone pay millions in the process.
They don't think Mondesi is ready and think he needs a bit of a wake-up call. Think that's why Escobar is back.
Mondesi had some maturity and focus issues emerge last year. They don't want to just hand him the position as a result.
Escobar is a known quantity who will play solid defense and then as super cheap. [Reply]
For Hos' sake, he best hope to not suck with that FO - they don't exactly strike me as being particularly genuine or pro-player. Check out this doozy by their co-owner today.
Originally Posted by :
Co-owner Ron Fowler said Myers never embraced the role of "franchise face" and should be more in his comfort zone with Hosmer in the fold.
"We're hoping Eric is that guy," Fowler said. "Myers has a lot of great qualities, but he frankly does not want to be the leader in the clubhouse. That's just not in his DNA. If there was a player who was more positive about us going after Eric than Myers, I don't know who it would be."
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho:
They don't think Mondesi is ready and think he needs a bit of a wake-up call. Think that's why Escobar is back.
Mondesi had some maturity and focus issues emerge last year. They don't want to just hand him the position as a result.
Escobar is a known quantity who will play solid defense and then as super cheap.
Perhaps -- but why pay 2.5 million for a guy who will probably have a negative WAR? If you are a contender, MAYBE you hope for a rebound and pay. Seems insanity for us. [Reply]
Originally Posted by FringeNC:
Perhaps -- but why pay 2.5 million for a guy who will probably have a negative WAR? If you are a contender, MAYBE you hope for a rebound and pay. Seems insanity for us.
Because if Mondesi is hitting .100 it is doing jack squat for his development, or anyone else on the team. You have to let guys take their lumps, but you can't let them sit there all season and ruin them either. No one is going to say Escobar is great, but Mondesi put up a -0.7 WAR last year in 25 games. The way he was playing he could have been a legit -3 or 4 WAR player. If that happens, then who plays SS? You at least need a body to throw in there. At least you know Escobar will play solid D. [Reply]
Originally Posted by FringeNC:
Perhaps -- but why pay 2.5 million for a guy who will probably have a negative WAR? If you are a contender, MAYBE you hope for a rebound and pay. Seems insanity for us.
The alternative is Ryan Goins or Ramon Torres.
With Escobar, at least he's a respected big leaguer who Mondesi takes seriously as someone he has to beat out. [Reply]
@JoshVernier610: “I’ll question his ability to use a cell phone,” Hosmer joked when asked about Ned. “He said I hadn’t reach out to him and I have the text messages in my phone that have conversations with us.” #Royals https://twitter.com/mlbnetwork/statu...53772433944577 [Reply]
Originally Posted by Sure-Oz:
@JoshVernier610: “I’ll question his ability to use a cell phone,” Hosmer joked when asked about Ned. “He said I hadn’t reach out to him and I have the text messages in my phone that have conversations with us.” #Royals https://twitter.com/mlbnetwork/statu...53772433944577
Lol. Maybe Ned was on too many pain meds and didn’t remember talking to him. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin:
Lol. Maybe Ned was on too many pain meds and didn’t remember talking to him.
Josh agrees
@JoshVernier610: Ned’s surprisingly strong with technology, but he was admittedly hopped up on painkillers for a majority of the offseason due to a near-death experience. Some people made way too much out of this. https://twitter.com/royal_champions/...77547942875136 [Reply]
