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.
Hamilton getting on base enough to be a threat is as always the key with him...
But Mondesi should see a ton of fastballs if Hamilton and Merrifield are hitting in front of him (I would hit Hamilton 9th and Merrifield first, with Mondesi hitting 2nd). It’s an interesting roster construction.
He’s not really blocking anyone at this point, so nothing is hurt. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin:
The time to strike is now, but ONLY if you get the right offer. You don’t just trade him for the sake of trading him.
. .
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho:
Hamilton getting on base enough to be a threat is as always the key with him...
But Mondesi should see a ton of fastballs if Hamilton and Merrifield are hitting in front of him (I would hit Hamilton 9th and Merrifield first, with Mondesi hitting 2nd). It’s an interesting roster construction.
He’s not really blocking anyone at this point, so nothing is hurt.
1) 2B Merrifield
2) SS Mondesi
3) C Perez
4) 1B O'Hearn
5) DH Soler
6) LF Gordon
7) RF Bonifacio
8) 3B Dozier
9) CF Hamilton
A lineup similar to this with Owings, Goodwin, Phillips, and Gallagher behind them seems decent enough for Opening Day. It's not going to push us past 500, but again, we'll be incredibly fun to watch IF we get on base. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Bufkin:
1) 2B Merrifield
2) SS Mondesi
3) C Perez
4) 1B O'Hearn
5) DH Soler
6) LF Gordon
7) RF Bonifacio
8) 3B Dozier
9) CF Hamilton
A lineup similar to this with Owings, Goodwin, Phillips, and Gallagher behind them seems decent enough for Opening Day. It's not going to push us past 500, but again, we'll be incredibly fun to watch IF we get on base.
Don't think you'll see Bonifacio, Goodwin and Phillips all on the 25-man, especially with Owings, Whit and Soler able to play the OF.
Phillips and Boni have options left -- one of them is going to the minors. Unless they just decide to dump Goodwin.
I'm a big fan of Phillips, and I'd love to see a Gordon-Hamilton-Phillips OF just for the D. Phillips had a good rookie year in Milwaukee in 2017, hopefully he can regain that after an awful 2018 with the bat. [Reply]
We can't all offer super insightful commentary like "Oh man they'll have two monster contracts underperforming" in reference to the Padres signing Hosmer and considering Machado. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Prison Bitch:
Ozzie Smith is the best defensive player ever, scoring higher than even Brooks Robinson in the fWAR tables. 67 WAR, didn’t destroy all that much value st the plate either since he played in a slapdick era where slapdicks at middle infield was fine. I used to say he was basically a hyped up Frank White but that’s not really true - SS is vastly tougher to play and hence Ozzie was worth about twice what White was over their careers.
Oh. Harold Baines is the worse choice I’ve ever seen. Even he said he was “shocked”. He and Bruce “hairy bush face” Sutter have no biz being in. All these mediocrities make it likely I’ll avoid ever going to Cooperstown
If Ozzie Smith didn't do flips , would he be in the HOF? :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho:
Re: Hamilton ... there isn’t much to lose there for KC other than dollars and there’s some serious upside.
He’s an excellent defender in CF. He can get to replacement level there even if he’s as bat with the bat as he was a year ago.
I could also see the Royals and all that OF grass at the K helping him regain some offensive value. He’s going to be encouraged to bunt and slash and take advantage of his speed as a Royal. If they can’t bring out an average offensive player in him, no one can.
^^^^^^
THIS
Plus, who are some of our most-promising and young assets? Junis, Keller, Lopez, Fillmyer. What is the best friend of developing pitchers that you don't want worrying about whether pitching to contact will constantly kill them? Defense. Specifically, outfield defense. This is a developmental move as much as anything - for the pitchers. I'm all for any move that helps those guys out as they mature. [Reply]
Originally Posted by siberian khatru:
Don't think you'll see Bonifacio, Goodwin and Phillips all on the 25-man, especially with Owings, Whit and Soler able to play the OF.
Phillips and Boni have options left -- one of them is going to the minors. Unless they just decide to dump Goodwin.
I'm a big fan of Phillips, and I'd love to see a Gordon-Hamilton-Phillips OF just for the D. Phillips had a good rookie year in Milwaukee in 2017, hopefully he can regain that after an awful 2018 with the bat.
Unless Phillips looks dreadful in ST and Boni is just crushing the ball, I think Boni goes down without question and they start with the all-world outfield defense of Gordon, Hamilton and Phillips. Not likely to look the same all year, but it's a good strategy to start things off. Plus, I THINK we know what Boni is...but Phillips just needs to be given a ton of at-bats and see if he can figure it out at the plate while making highlight reel throws from RF. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Prison Bitch:
Ozzie Smith is the best defensive player ever, scoring higher than even Brooks Robinson in the fWAR tables. 67 WAR, didn’t destroy all that much value st the plate either since he played in a slapdick era where slapdicks at middle infield was fine. I used to say he was basically a hyped up Frank White but that’s not really true - SS is vastly tougher to play and hence Ozzie was worth about twice what White was over their careers.
Oh. Harold Baines is the worse choice I’ve ever seen. Even he said he was “shocked”. He and Bruce “hairy bush face” Sutter have no biz being in. All these mediocrities make it likely I’ll avoid ever going to Cooperstown
I agree with you completely about Harold Baines. I’m glad I visited Cooperstown when I was a kid before it became the Hall of Pretty Good. So many sportswriters suck! [Reply]
Originally Posted by PunkinDrublic:
I agree with you completely about Harold Baines. I’m glad I visited Cooperstown when I was a kid before it became the Hall of Pretty Good. So many sportswriters suck!
It is easy enough to skip the stuff honoring the pretty good and focus on the great. Cooperstown is a magical place that every baseball fan should visit. [Reply]
Really bad signing IMO just for the fact it will take away at bats from guys we want to see perform such as Phillips. If they are planning to go Gordon/Boni, Hamilton, Phillips EVERYDAY I guess I'll listen but I Don't trust them to do that. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BWillie:
Really bad signing IMO just for the fact it will take away at bats from guys we want to see perform such as Phillips. If they are planning to go Gordon/Boni, Hamilton, Phillips EVERYDAY I guess I'll listen but I Don't trust them to do that.
Honest question. Do you REALLY think any of the above will be key contributors to our next championship run? Many of our best outfielders will be at Wilmington this year, w/ the likely exception of Khalil Lee. Hamilton upgrades our outfield defense, which is key to winning for us - it helps out our pitchers and takes us back to the defensive culture we need to rebuild. This is a transition outfield - kinda like the Gordon, Cabrera, Francona outfield was (except this one will be better).
Besides, he's only on a one year deal Even if you do think Boni and/or Phillips will be key contributors to our next championship run, with options, it's not like Phillips or Boni are going to rot on the bench. They'll get at-bats at the MLB level or the MILB level. It's just a matter of which for 2019. [Reply]
Originally Posted by dallaschiefsfan:
Honest question. Do you REALLY think any of the above will be key contributors to our next championship run? Many of our best outfielders will be at Wilmington this year, w/ the likely exception of Khalil Lee. Hamilton upgrades our outfield defense, which is key to winning for us - it helps out our pitchers and takes us back to the defensive culture we need to rebuild. This is a transition outfield - kinda like the Gordon, Cabrera, Francona outfield was (except this one will be better).
Besides, he's only on a one year deal Even if you do think Boni and/or Phillips will be key contributors to our next championship run, with options, it's not like Phillips or Boni are going to rot on the bench. They'll get at-bats at the MLB level or the MILB level. It's just a matter of which for 2019.
Phillips could definitely be part of our next run. He could be the next Alex Gordon. Great defensively, decent power, can walk. The only question is can he hit. [Reply]
