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 Chiefspants:
Awesome recap and story - I’ve read it before from Rany but the re-read always gives me chills. I am sure being born in the 90’s and having my biggest home run be “Carlos Beltran’s Opening Day walkoff” until 2014 impacted my opinion a bit.
However, if Gordo strikes out there - the entire World Series changes. We go down 1-0 and go into NY locked up at 1-1, IE, the same situation as the 2014 World Series. Terry Collins likely doesn’t burn Familia for no reason in Game 3 to “boost his confidence”. And if the Mets are up 2-1 in Game 4 with a rested Familia, we could very well be looking at back to back WS losses.
Gordo’s home run was easily the most iconic and significant moment of the series.
Could we argue Gordo and Brett’s homers were at least equal in significance?
I hear ya......I really do.
but living through the heartache of losing to the yankees year after year in the ALCS was harsh.
In 76, we lost game 5 (best of 5 back then)
In 77, we were up 2 games to 1 to yanks, then lost two in a row. We were up 3-2 in game 5, at home, going into the top of the 9th - then gave up 3 in top of 9th, and lost the series in chiefs-like style
In 78, we lost 3 games to 1 to yankees again
In 80, when Brett hit that home run - a whole city exorcised the devil.
Originally Posted by Chiefspants:
Awesome recap and story - I’ve read it before from Rany but the re-read always gives me chills. I am sure being born in the 90’s and having my biggest home run be “Carlos Beltran’s Opening Day walkoff” until 2014 impacted my opinion a bit.
However, if Gordo strikes out there - the entire World Series changes. We go down 1-0 and go into NY locked up at 1-1, IE, the same situation as the 2014 World Series. Terry Collins likely doesn’t burn Familia for no reason in Game 3 to “boost his confidence”. And if the Mets are up 2-1 in Game 4 with a rested Familia, we could very well be looking at back to back WS losses.
Gordo’s home run was easily the most iconic and significant moment of the series.
Could we argue Gordo and Brett’s homers were at least equal in significance?
And Brett went on to have a HOF career. Not so much for Gordon.
Gordon is done. And he wants to keep it that way apparently. He is just stealing money from the Royals at this point.
Of course I thought Gordon never should have had an big contract. It was obvious he was declining at a very rapid rate a few years ago. But you could never say that about him around the hometown hero folks at that time. They would have been livid at any suggestion of it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJJasonp:
I hear ya......I really do.
but living through the heartache of losing to the yankees year after year in the ALCS was harsh.
In 76, we lost game 5 (best of 5 back then)
In 77, we were up 2 games to 1 to yanks, then lost two in a row. We were up 3-2 in game 5, at home, going into the top of the 9th - then gave up 3 in top of 9th, and lost the series in chiefs-like style
In 78, we lost 3 games to 1 to yankees again
In 80, when Brett hit that home run - a whole city exorcised the devil.
But yeah, both were great!
The only thing that I'll counter with is that I never got to see the Royals' glory days.
I started liking the team in 2003. My versions of 76-79 were 100 loss seasons while stories of Brett and Frank seemed like tales from the old west. The idea that the Royals would be called by Joe Buck in October seemed more like a practical joke than something that could even be in reach.
Even in 2014, the Royals seemed to pull what small market teams are sometimes lucky enough to do. They got hot at the right time and had a chance to win it all. But then the Giants did what Major League Baseball has built itself to do - allowing a big market team to win another title and putting the small market Royals in their rightful place. With a result like the Rays and Rockies before them, I worried it may be the Royals only real shot at winning it all.
Gordo's homer was an exorcism of the Major League enforced futility the Royals have had since the strike, and it paved the way for prominence.
Ah, even if we disagree, it's fun to think about again. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Meatloaf:
With all due respect, Duncan, did you see his stats last year? Calling for cutting him now isn't just about his non-performance this Spring, but his overall downward trend since signing that huge contract. Apparently, the guy won't listen to anyone as per making changes, and with the guaranteed contract, he seems to feel that he doesn't have to. As management, I simply would not tolerate that kind of attitude and performance.
Of course I did. But nobody in Baseball takes Spring Training stats for a veteran player as something to make a decision on, good or bad.
That’s my point. If he’s just as bad early this year as he has been the past 2, maybe they’ll move on or at least move him out of the lineup.
But there really is nothing to gain by cutting him now. Those ST stats could be a sign that the adjustments he saidhe was making over the winter didn’t work, or they might not. They’re not trying to compete this year, not really. There isn’t a good young player blocked by his presence until Bonifacio is reinstated.
His contract is a sunk cost. They’re not getting out from under it. All that can happen if they cut him now is that he goes elsewhere. If he performs for that team, you’ve even more embarrassed by the situation.
Originally Posted by RubberSponge:
And Brett went on to have a HOF career. Not so much for Gordon.
Gordon is done. And he wants to keep it that way apparently. He is just stealing money from the Royals at this point.
Of course I thought Gordon never should have had an big contract. It was obvious he was declining at a very rapid rate a few years ago. But you could never say that about him around the hometown hero folks at that time. They would have been livid at any suggestion of it.
Sorry, but I’m going to say bullshit to the statement that his decline at this rate was obvious unless you’re talking about things that have happened since he signed the deal.
Decline hadn’t started in 2014 or 2015. They were practically identical seasons, and Gordon was about 20 percent above average offensively both years, with excellent defense.
It was not obvious this cliff was coming at the time of his deal. The market came back a bit on him, and they got him for fewer years and a smaller AAV than anyone forecast at the start of FA. Detractors locally or nationally were few and far between.
It sucks the Royals are strapped with this now, but don’t act like it was a clear, obvious thing. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chiefspants:
The only thing that I'll counter with is that I never got to see the Royals' glory days.
I started liking the team in 2003. My versions of 76-79 were 100 loss seasons while stories of Brett and Frank seemed like tales from the old west. The idea that the Royals would be called by Joe Buck in October seemed more like a practical joke than something that could even be in reach.
Even in 2014, the Royals seemed to pull what small market teams are sometimes lucky enough to do. They got hot at the right time and had a chance to win it all. But then the Giants did what Major League Baseball has built itself to do - allowing a big market team to win another title and putting the small market Royals in their rightful place. Much like the Rays and Rockies before them - and I worried it may be the Royals only real shot at winning it all.
Gordo's homer was an exorcism of the Major League enforced futility the Royals have had since the strike, and it paved the way for prominence.
Ah, even if we disagree, it's fun to think about again.
Ohh the league took notice. They capped the royals on Latin spending. Then juiced the ball.
I find it funny. The big market teams dwarf others on spending, are usually the only ones involved in big Japan free agents. But when a small market team builds a system by overspending on pennies compared to them the league steps in. [Reply]