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.
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.
Soler in the field creates the opportunity to have O'Hearn and Schwindel in the lineup instead of some scrub with no power playing a corner outfield position. [Reply]
Red Men 97
Twinks 82
Royals 73
White Sux 70
Tiggers 66
That might be semi-optimistic on the Royals, depending on who you talk to. But I actually think it's closer to correct and maybe a tad under what they'll perform. I think their Indians prediction is all wrong. No way they sniff that close to 100 wins. The whole Central Div is going to get beat up badly by the other divisions. Indians will win the division with 92 wins. [Reply]
I literally have no idea, so I thought I should ask; how are the White Sox young players doing? I know they had a huge influx of young talent from trades. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla:
I literally have no idea, so I thought I should ask; how are the White Sox young players doing? I know they had a huge influx of young talent from trades.
Suck ass. Moncada is what they feared his floor would be: 260-20-75 with 150k. Dude struck out like mad in AA and that’s why he got dumped. (His #1 fangraphs minor league peer was.....Carlos febles)
The other guy they got for Sale, Michael Kopech rocketed thru the minors and onto top-15 prospect lists. Made his debut last July to a large crowd (of drunks) at Comiskey and blew his elbow out. Lol
Eloy Jimenez is the top-5 they got in the Quintana deal. Monster AAA numbers, got a 6/70m deal before he played a game.
Side note: they signed Machados cousin Yonder Alonso thinking it would help sway Machado. Decided to sign in SD. Now Sux left with another slow one dimensional DH slug [Reply]
The White Sox rebuild could be going a lot better.
Moncada has not curbed the K rate problems and it makes him a much less impactful player than he could be or was thought to be.
Kopech and Reynaldo Lopez still have time to put it together. Dylan Cease hasn’t debuted yet and could be better than either of them.
Jimenez looks legitimate to me, but it sure they’re going to get enough from the rest of the roster to successfully complete the rebuild.
Re: Indians... woof, that lineup is bad.
Lindor and Ramirez are legitimate stars (though Ramirez’s struggles down the stretch last year may have revealed a way to attack him), but the lineup gets thin in a hurry after them.
They added Jake Bauers and Carlos Santana, who are good OBP/25 Hr bats, but it’s just a bunch of guys otherwise. Their pen is also pretty weak compared to previous years.
They’ll win the Central, probably, with around 90 wins. But their window looks to be closing. [Reply]
The division is screaming to be snatched from the Indians. But we don't have the guns to do it. What I'm dreading is the Twins having an over-achieve season and sneaking in. I still have PTSD from their fans coming into Kaufman for all those years - they're the most off-putting bunch of idiot-fans in the central. Our high A guys can't get here soon enough. Ugh. [Reply]