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. 2: Deadline for teams to tender their eligible FA the qualifying offer.
Nov. 3: Free agency begins.
Nov. 4: Gold Glove winners announced (Gordon & Perez).
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.
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.
To see the 2018 Royals thread, go
here.
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Originally Posted by Mecca:
Why is Gordon hitting 3rd....also is Soler really going to be in the field a lot? He seems like a DH candidate to me.
I would have never signed Maldo, allowed Schwindel to catch (lol it would be fun), Soler DH and call it a day.
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Originally Posted by zigbazah:
Looks like the rain may let up around first pitch, but more rain is coming in the evening. They'll have a very narrow window to get the game in. It's going to rain on Friday, too.
I hate March/April baseball in midwestern states
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72-90
This is definitely not like those teams of the 00s. We have two bona fide star potential prospects playing in Mondesi and Soler. We have legit above average MLB players in Merrifeld and Gordon. Hamilton is solid player in center. Keller and Junis are two nice young starters. We aren't going to be very good, but this isn't those AAAA and Triple A teams we put out in the past.
Solid mix of prospects and guys who are legit MLB players for the most part. No winning team but will give us a solid season to watch.
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