As the season comes to a close after an awful season, there is a possibility of some hope since the team played better in late August to the end of the season.
Here are all the important dates you need to know for the 2018-19 MLB offseason. Some of them do involve the Royals, such as:
Oct. 29: As of 9 a.m. ET on Monday, all eligible players are free agents (Escobar - good riddance).
Oct. 31: Most contract option decisions are due on this date (Hammel should be declined, resulting $2 million buyout and Peralta should be accepted, resulting $3 million increase to the payroll, and could be future flip for additional minor leaguers if he performs well).
Nov. 6-8: General manager meetings in Carlsbad, California.
Nov. 12: Deadline for free agents to accept or reject the qualifying offer.
Nov. 14-15: Owners meetings in Atlanta (possible future CBA discussions).
Nov. 20: Deadline for teams to add eligible minor leaguers to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft.
Spoiler!
The Royals announced they've added RHPs Arnaldo Hernandez, Josh Staumont and Scott Blewett to the 40-man roster, protecting them from next month's Rule 5 draft. Blewett appeared to take a big step in the Arizona Fall League. The 40-man roster is full right now.
Nov. 26-29: MLB Players Association executive board meeting in Dallas (possible future CBA discussions).
Nov. 30: Non-tender deadline.
Dec. 9-13: Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. This is typically when all offseason hell breaks loose.
Dec. 13: Rule 5 Draft (could see the Royals taking a stab here).
Jan. 11: Deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to submit 2019 salary figures (I believe KC has some arb-eligible players).
Feb. 1-20: Arbitration hearings. You win some, you lose some.
Mid-Feb. : SPRING TRAINING!
As usual, let's have a good off-season discussion on ways that the Royals can/should/would do to improve. I will try to update the OP as the off-season goes along. And Duncan, you're more than welcome to provide us some information that I can add onto the OP. Just let me know.
Originally Posted by Prison Bitch:
I don't know a thing about Matheny so I'll stipulate everything you and Duncan said.
But not the "bible study" thing. Not without evidence.
Totally fair. To my knowledge the Cardinals posters were on a consensus about that so I believed them - maybe one of them (DJ?) can comment more. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Prison Bitch:
People spewing the "bible study" charge need to back it up with evidence, or admit they're full of shit.
That exact line was used against DM for years. Then he won the WS. And suddenly it disappeared.
What evidence do you want? It’s a rumor I’ve heard a few different places on the internet.
Do you want a Cardinals beat writer expounding on it? That doesn’t exist. No reporter is going to write about it.
It’s pretty clear he played favorites for veteran players, continuing to run them out through extreme struggles at the expense of PT for bright young talent (see Oscar Taveras and Allen Craig for one example). Wong and Grichuk also have lost PT to uninspiring veterans and were given little rope.
I didn’t connect that to his bible study group until reading rumors about that on forums I visit. Don’t remember if DJ and this crew have talked about it, but I’ve seen it in other places. Maybe he just likes shitty veterans... but its awfully convenient that guys known to attend his study group get huge amounts of leeway from him on performance.
It’s a rumor and I’ll fully admit that.
Whatever the reason, his track record with veterans and young players is atrocious and not the type of leadership KC will need moving forward. [Reply]
Then it's settled. It's an unsubstantiated, and almost assuredly false, innuendo.
It's pretty un-American to go after a man's character. I'm guessing his job tactics have a lot of room to criticize, but there isn't one among us who'd like our character being attacked. Esp without proof. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Prison Bitch:
Then it's settled. It's an unsubstantiated, and almost assuredly false, innuendo.
It's pretty un-American to go after a man's character. I'm guessing his job tactics have a lot of room to criticize, but there isn't one among us who'd like our character being attacked. Esp without proof.
I agree. The next time Matheny signs onto Chiefs Planet and sees these attacks against him, he's going to be pretty pissed! [Reply]
Originally Posted by RealSNR:
I agree. The next time Matheny signs onto Chiefs Planet and sees these attacks against him, he's going to be pretty pissed!
Good comeback. Except I'm not talking to Matheny. I'm talking to Duncan and Pants. Now scram. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Prison Bitch:
Then it's settled. It's an unsubstantiated, and almost assuredly false, innuendo.
It's pretty un-American to go after a man's character. I'm guessing his job tactics have a lot of room to criticize, but there isn't one among us who'd like our character being attacked. Esp without proof.
It’s not attacking his character to point out fact A:
Matheny hosted a bible study group with his players
Fact b:
Matheny was overly loyal to many of his veterans, playing them despite horrible performance levels, usually at the expense of talented young players
Fact c:
Those vets were know to be members of the Bible study group.
Now, maybe it’s just a coincidence. Draw what conclusions you want from that cluster. [Reply]