@ClintScoles: Players have enough respect for GMDM that at this point I would be shocked if a Hos deal doesn't get done. Wouldn't have came out otherwise

@DBLesky: LRT: Great point by Clint. When the #Royals want a deal, they get one. I can't think of one deal they wanted but didn't get done.

And while he was very good in '14, the way Bumgarner tortured him the 9th of Game 7 is what nightmares are made of.

The problem with guys with wide splits in the post-season is the aggression of the opposing manager. From the 5th inning on, you could see a specialist come in at any second. If the tying run is on 2nd in the 6th or later, out comes the LOOGY and those guys give him fits.

Hosmer's a streaky hitter and he can hit anyone when he's on, but that's what you'd be counting on - that he catches a hot streak at the right time. Because if he's just 'fair to middlin', aggressive post-season managers will match him up to death.

Moose and Cain have better post-season skill-sets, IMO. I think the changes Moustakas made to his swing a couple of years ago make better equipped to handle lefties and righties, thus making him less matchup prone. Cain's strength at the plate is that he does a nice job staying inside the ball so while righties give him some grief, he's actually surprisingly adept at dealing with the power pitching you see more of in the post-season. I'm not sure how - he has a shockingly long swing for a relatively small player, but he makes it work for him. Guys really do struggle to get inside his kitchen. And even if he's struggling, his defense in CF is more valuable than Hosmer's at 1b.

chalk me up as another Moose over Hos vote

I don't know how the Royals find the compromise between Hos and Boras wanting a 10 year deal to Hos working out the actual deal he deserves (somewhere between Belt and Myers' deals).

I will be miffed if we opt to overpay him with a contract we can't afford over someone who projects to age much better (Moose) or making an effort to maintain a cyborg in the bullpen (Herrera).

Off topic but still interesting to watch...the MLB film of the 1973 ASG @ Royals Stadium.

https://youtu.be/gDl5iKLItfU










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Agree with everything. Well, except for calling Cain relatively small.

He's 6-2, 210. More "average" than small.


And me, too. I think Moustakas' skillset will age much better.

Hosmer's swing is just so long and complicated... I worry it's going to slip in a hurry when his athleticism erodes.


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For whatever reason (maybe his young age, post season exploits, clubhouse leader, etc.), I still think Hoz will get a huge multi year deal for a shit ton of money thanks partly to the things mentioned above and the fact that Boras is his agent. I mean, look at the deal Hayward got.

All that being said, I pray the Royals are not the one to give it to them. It would be endlessly stupid for a number of reasons (most having already been mentioned in this thread). The Royals should look at the Joe Mauer deal that the Twins gave him as a cautionary tale. It basically closed their competitive window. It was stupid.

As others have said, Moose is the much better bet between the three, but I fear Boras will price the Royals out on him too. But if the Royals (rather, Glass and his money) are goin to give out a crazy deal to someone, it should be Moose. Just my .02.

Yeah; small isn't fair, I was thinking more along the lines of slight. He isn't someone that is big enough to be generating power through strength; he'll do it with quickness and precision.

And the way he swings seems to make both of those things more difficult. I still don't know how he'll be able to keep it up and I'm sure he'd make me look like an idiot because I see a swing that should definitely get him beat up inside by hard-throwing righties. Yet he seems to manage it pretty well. If I were a pitcher I'd be the guy that just says "eh, **** that; the last guy he hit wasn't me" and I'd try to throw it 94 at his hands....then he'd smoke it.

I do feel like age will hit him pretty hard as well. I just don't see how that swing of his will be repeatable enough when age starts to slow him a bit. He has a tendency to do the ol' chopping wood bit as well but he just does such a nice job of getting his hips/shoulders turned so he can pull his hands inside. As his body slows down just a little, any stiffness in his hips will keep him from being able to open up on time and you'll see those balls that he's lacing into LC right now end up fisted to shortstop as his hands will come in before his body clears out and he'll just lock up. He'll know what he needs to do, his body just won't be quite quick enough to let him do it.

I used to just assume Cain would rob someone in FA, but the past winter showed teams are backing away from these red flags a bit and deciding to try and spend more on locking their own up. I guess you could say even Gordon scared teams off which reduced his expected price and that 5th year he wanted to grab from some GM

I could see Cain - if he has a good healthy year - getting only 3 years on his FA deal.

It just depends on what teams are after. Look at that dumb-shit deal that Desmond got; Fowler's was only a little better.

1-trick ponies weren't getting a damn thing in FA, especially if that trick was power, but all-around players (even supposed all-around players that aren't, like Desmond), were still getting deals for way too much and way too long.

If Cain can manage 550 ABs, someone's gonna offer him $80 million+ provided that he still plays superlative defense and can get in the 12-15 HR range with 20ish SBs.

Agree.

If he stays healthy and is a good all-around player along the lines of 2013-16 Cain, he's going to get a big deal (and KC will get a comp pick).

If he plays 120 games or less again, his best bet might be coming back to KC on an incentive-laden deal.


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I don't see a reason we can't sign Moose and Hosmer.

I love me some LoCain but he's the most expendable and I'd let him go if the other two will sign. There's more "ifs" with Cain.

You're not the only one. I had my suspicions that was a strong possibility.

Do you not agree?