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:
Hosmer has earned near unlimited equity with our franchise, i.e. DM, for what he's done here. He's been involved in so many huge moments that if he wants a Shithead gone, then the Shithead be gone.
The triple vs Oak in the WC game, the winner game 2 vs ANA in extras, the ASG HR/MVP, the gold gloves, the 2-run HR game 4 vs Hou, the mad dash in the WS clincher. He's done more for the fans than no-names could ever dream of.
The triple vs Oakland is probably the single best AB I've seen in 35 years of watching the Royals.
"We've got options," Yost said. "I can throw [Hunter Dozier] over there. I can throw [Whit Merrifield] over there, or [Ryan O'Hearn] or [Frank Schwindel]. I can throw [Cheslor Cuthbert] there, too."
Originally Posted by DeepSouth:
First Base options without Hosmer;
"We've got options," Yost said. "I can throw [Hunter Dozier] over there. I can throw [Whit Merrifield] over there, or [Ryan O'Hearn] or [Frank Schwindel]. I can throw [Cheslor Cuthbert] there, too."
Originally Posted by :
Royals scout kicked out as unusual free-agent camp opens
Associated Press
By RONALD BLUM
As teams started spring training workouts across Florida and Arizona, the players' association had a Kansas City Royals scout escorted out of the union's opening training session for unsigned free agents.
About 15 players attended the first day of workouts Wednesday at the union's camp in Bradenton, Florida. Media was barred from the IMG Academy. The scout was told he was not welcome but could set up a session with an individual player at the player's discretion, several people familiar with the situation said. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized.
More than 90 players remain without agreements among the 166 who exercised their free-agency rights last November, the most sluggish market since the final offseason of collusion in 1987-88.
Originally Posted by Buehler445:
I’m going to infer that moose and hoz were at the workout?
Former Royals Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas, both represented by agent Scott Boras, are not attending the free-agent camp, which includes many free agents but few, if any, represented by Boras, who offers his players his own training sites.
