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]
A single man going to one of the best weather and hot chick markets in the entire US. Sorry KC but that would sell me, even while pocketing less money.
If he already had a wife and kids, it maybe would have been different.
But SD is a baseball wasteland. Their system is fairly stacked, but something out there just ruins baseball careers. I wouldn't bet on the development level of the Padres franchise and these young players. [Reply]
He'll probably perform OK for about five of those eight years. After that, it'll be like Pujols with the Angels. We'll get a sandwich pick (number two with Cain's pick) and have money available to maybe get some starting pitching. Didn't they draft a first baseman first pick last year? [Reply]
Originally Posted by gblowfish:
He'll probably perform OK for about five of those eight years. After that, it'll be like Pujols with the Angels. We'll get a sandwich pick (number two with Cain's pick) and have money available to maybe get some starting pitching. Didn't they draft a first baseman first pick last year?
One that is probably at least 5 years away.
None of this makes me thrilled about the Royals honestly, this a team losing major league talent with the worst farm system in baseball. Sounds like a bunch of losing years. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigBeauford:
He had a great post season performance, but was his even as great as Madison Bumgardners post season performance when looking at the last decade?
Eric Hosmer can strike out the rest of his career and I'll still believe he is the greatest baseball player of all time just for his part winning WS for the Royals. No one else has to share my exaggeration of him being the greatest all I care about is how much fun watching him and the Royals winning a World Series. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry:
I would bet the reasons for Hosmer going to San Diego is how the contract was structured. Royals probably had lower amounts in the beginning with no opt out clause and wouldn't go 8 years.
I mean that's great and all but at the end of the day it's team losing most of it's best players with nothing to replace them. Do we really trust a front office that basically hasn't "hit" in the draft in 7 years to rebuild a team? The rules have vastly changed in the way a team can be built than they were back when this team was built the first time.
Consider me skeptical that a front office that has amassed a big 0 in terms of talent that matters in the last 6-7 years is gonna just spin around and do the job like gangbusters. [Reply]
Originally Posted by lewdog:
A single man going to one of the best weather and hot chick markets in the entire US. Sorry KC but that would sell me, even while pocketing less money.
If he already had a wife and kids, it maybe would have been different.
But SD is a baseball wasteland. Their system is fairly stacked, but something out there just ruins baseball careers. I wouldn't bet on the development level of the Padres franchise and these young players.
This thinking is mainly a myth. Studies have shown generally the most attractive women are more often located in the Northeast while the most attractive men are located most often in the Midwestern states.
6 of the top 9 states with the most attractive women are in the Northeast.
5 of the top 8 states with the most attractive men are in the Midwest.