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11-02-2015, 05:00 PM | |
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*** Official 2016 Royals Offseason Repository ***
Well, folks, it has happened. The Royals stand triumphant, atop the heap of MLB. In this thread, we'll track the action as Dayton Moore continues The Process and attempts to defend the long-awaited title. Before we get to the meet of it, let's take a minute to reflect ... and say "I'm Sorry" to Dayton Moore. We gave you hell. Many of us called for your head. But you were right. You got it done. Congratulations. Mea culpa. Now, let's talk about the offseason: LINK TO 2016-18 PAYROLL INFO COURTESY OF ROYALS REVIEW The Royals will have a few priorities: Corner OF (x2) and 1 SP, IMO. The rest of the core is solid and will need little tweaking. Looking at the increase in ticket sales, merchandising, concessions, parking, etc., I think it's fair to assume the Royals GROSSED $100 million more this season, or close to it. That gives Glass and Dayton Moore much more flexibility on payroll for 2016 (hopefully). First order of business will be gauging the Alex Gordon market. If he can be resigned for 4-5 years at around $75-80 million total, it would be hard for KC to pass on that. He's still an above-average corner OF bat, and the Royals will need to bring in at least one proven guy to play in a corner if Gordon walks... and the whole market looks a lot like Alex - guys in their early 30s looking for huge, final contracts. Second order of business: Make a decision on Zobrist. It sounds like KC will pursue him aggressively. At 34, he's at risk of declining in a big way after a few years. If they could find someone to take on Omar Infante for eating 1/2 of his deal, that would be a great start to things. If they decide not to spend on Zobrist, KC will need to cobble together some sort of plan for 2B/RF that involves some cheaper options like Orlando, Colon, Dyson, etc. I could see them deciding his ability to provide great insurance at either 2B or in RF is worth the risk. Third order of business: Add depth to the rotation with a FA SP. Duffy, Ventura, Volquez and Medlen are locks for 4 spots, it seems. Kyle Zimmer may finally be ready to make a MLB impact, but his innings will be limited. That means KC needs insurance. Will it kill two birds with one stone (and insure against Duffy/Ventura regression) by signing a more top-tier guy? Or does Moore look to Chris Young/someone like him for this depth? Personally, I think Mike Leake would be a great fit with KC's defense and park, and I know Moore has long coveted him. He's still young - just 28 - and has succeeded in bandbox Cincinnati for years. Ian Kennedy, Mat Latos, Marco Estrada, and Justin Masterson are some other names that may pique interest (a little further down the list). Other than that, I don't think KC makes any major moves. Greg Holland will be interesting to observe, as they have one more year of control of him, and he will obviously miss all of that season. I wouldn't be surprised to see a pre-arbitration deal that pays him something like $15 million over the next two seasons, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him turned loose, period. The bullpen will rest upon Wade Davis/Herrera/Hochevar, filling in pieces around them. Bringing Madson back wouldn't be a surprise, but he could get a big deal from another team that is willing to pay him as their top setup guy or even their closer. I think the biggest prospects to watch in Spring Training will be: 1) Kyle Zimmer. The hype has built, died down, built again, etc. If he's healthy, he's filthy and a potential ToR arm. But what does he look like in ST, and how many innings can you reasonably expect from him if he does earn a rotation spot? It seems like 120-130 innings would be his limit unless they really stretch (or unless he has a lot of hidden innings from simulated games/extended spring training, which might push him to 150-160). Having another cheap, home-grown pitcher would be a significant boon for this team as it tries to extend the competitive window (and potentially give KC a strong 1-2 to build its rotation around in Zimmer and Ventura) 2) Bubba Starling. I'm trying to remain skeptical, but I like what I hear about Bubba from this season, and the performance has picked up. If KC does not sign someone to fill the RF slot, I think that's a strong indication KC's front office believes Starling will be ready to contribute in 2016. Dayton Moore has long said that when Starling's light flips on, it will happen quickly and burn brightly. Time will tell. After his STRONG Arizona Fall League Performance, he shot up my prospect chart. 3) Miguel Almonte. His late-season stint out of the KC bullpen went poorly, but Almonte has a plus-plus changeup, a good fastball, and a decent curve ball. He may be the dark horse in the rotation competition, and unlike Zimmer, he's set up to pitch a full 180 inning season. 4) RA Mondesi. The only player to debut in the MLB World Series has incredible tools. He still needs to refine his game, but again... he may be KC's best cheap, plus alternative at a key position (2B). His defense would be a boon from Day 1, but he needs seasoning with the bat before he's asked to hold down 2B full time. And, as always, here are the Prospects: Duncan’s Top 20 for 2016:
Spoiler!
Spoiler!
Last edited by duncan_idaho; 11-17-2015 at 09:49 AM.. |
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11-06-2015, 07:48 PM | #196 |
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Now we're talking shit
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11-06-2015, 11:14 PM | #197 |
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I finally read through McCullough's chat. He seems skeptical about Gordon and Zobrist, but that's no surprise.
He did say he thought the payroll would be $130-140 million next year. I thought the most interesting tidbit was that LoCain wants to see what Upton and Heyward get before even talking about an extension with the Royals. That can't be a good sign. |
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11-06-2015, 11:29 PM | #198 |
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One starting pitcher I would be interested to see that could have a good bounce back is Mat Latos.
Yes, I know, he sucked after he was traded from Miami. Why not entice him with a bounce-back one year deal, and with Kauffman and the Royals defense, where if he pitches well, he can get himself a big contract? Plus, with Eiland as the pitching coach can help.
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11-06-2015, 11:38 PM | #199 | |
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11-06-2015, 11:42 PM | #200 |
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*** Official 2016 Royals Offseason Repository ***
Ranking the free agents:
http://mweb.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on...power-rankings 5. Cueto 8. Gordon 10. Zobrist 45. Young 48. Madson
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Last edited by KChiefs1; 11-06-2015 at 11:50 PM.. |
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11-06-2015, 11:43 PM | #201 | |
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11-07-2015, 12:22 AM | #202 |
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Good point, I was not aware of his attitude in the locker room. If that is the case of his shitty/toxic attitude, then I don't want any part of him.
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11-07-2015, 09:30 AM | #203 |
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I would think it is the first time in history someone tore a groin while chatting with a ball.
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11-07-2015, 02:08 PM | #204 | |
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*** Official 2016 Royals Offseason Repository ***
Quote:
Another ranking: http://baseball-players.pointafter.c...6-Zack-Greinke 5. Gordon 6. Cueto 8. Zobrist 38. Young
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11-07-2015, 02:33 PM | #205 |
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Thoughts on Kazmir? Seems like he wouldnt likely break the bank. Maybe Santana type money?
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11-07-2015, 04:38 PM | #206 |
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GMDM won't sign him or guys that have that potential to be negative
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11-07-2015, 09:40 PM | #207 | |
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Would be a solid mid-range signing, but his late season fades the past few years are concerning. Not sure he helps increase the innings total of the rotation.
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11-07-2015, 10:06 PM | #208 |
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You know who's available in free agency that Dayton could bring in to help if we lose Gordon?
Nori Aoki |
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11-08-2015, 11:23 AM | #209 |
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11-09-2015, 01:38 PM | #210 | |
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2015-16 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
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