Via Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star, Royals GM Dayton Moore details the elements of an uncertain offseason for Kansas City. The organization will go “one of two ways”, according to Moore. The first option is obvious; the club could choose to “gut the team” in a complete teardown, saving money and going for high draft picks. But Moore does detail an ambitious alternative: trying to retain their free agent stars. “Everybody assumes that we are just going to just get blown away in free agency, and we don’t have a chance,” he tells Dodd. “They may be right, but I think everybody felt that way about Alex Gordon at the time. That fell back to us. You just never really know.” Indeed, there are rumblings that one of the Royals’ biggest offseason priorities will be to retain star first baseman Eric Hosmer. But with the 2017 Royals’ payroll setting a franchise record for the fifth consecutive year while delivering a losing season, Moore does make one blunt concession. “It’s very clear to us that we need to get younger and more athletic. We’re going to continue with that mindset as we go forward into the future.”
More from baseball’s central divisions…
- Ken Rosenthal details the elements of a bittersweet postseason for Reds scouting director Chris Buckley in a piece for The Athletic (subscription required and recommended). Seven players originally signed by the Reds are currently playing October baseball with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, including infielders Didi Gregorius and Justin Turner. While the presence of former Cincinnati signees gives Buckley a clear rooting interest, it also evokes painful memories of the two scouts he lost to cancer in recent years.
- David Waldstein of the New York Times tells the fascinating story of how superstar infielder Jose Ramirez first came to the Indians. According to Waldstein, Ramon Pena (then an international scout for Cleveland) attended a three-game showcase in the Dominican Republic largely to gawk at invitees Jorge Alfaro and Martin Peguero, but noticed Ramirez playing with surprising confidence and determination. During a subsequent telephone call with a local trainer who represented the players, Pena was focused on trying to sign Alfaro. When he learned that Alfaro was asking for $1.5 million, the conversation shifted to Ramirez. Pena eventually talked the trainer down from $300,000 all the way to $50,000. After an agreement was in place, however, Pena was unable to gather the papers required for Ramirez to play in the United States, so he sat out the 2010 season and instead spent the year working out at the Indians’ facility in Boca Chica. The team managed to get Ramirez’ papers in order in time for the 2011 season, and Ramirez sped through the minor leagues, making his MLB debut just two years later.
Wrong player reference page for Jose Ramirez.
El nombre es José. U owe me Juan dollar.
Fixed, thanks!
KC better be careful IMO, talk of signing all of these guys nearly past (and some past) their primes to ‘competitive’ contracts may just make them look like the Tigers this year or the White Sox in previous years: overpaid guys not worth their salaries so you cannot even trade them when you realize you need to rebuild and trade away players to get good prospects..
Could even look a lot like the early years of the Moore era, sans the upcoming prospects in the pipeline
Dayton Moore referring to re-signing Alex Gordon as a good outcome for the Royals should be worrisome to Kansas City fans, along with the targeting of Hosmer as the team’s “best” free agent-to-be.
You know that’s not the point Moore was making. He was simply saying that people assume they can’t compete with the open market for their FAs – but that the Gordon signing says otherwise.
Agreed. First base should be an easier position to replace. They should rebuild. They should have traded those guys last year when they traded Wade Davis
The reason Alex Gordon “came back” to them in free agency is because the Royals over-valued their own player. The Gordon contract will hamstring the Royals like Mauer’s contract did the Twins.
At least Mauer did SOMETHING this year. Wasn’t Gordon the worst every day player in MLB?
Gordon was awful at the plate. And while his defense isn’t worth $20 mil – it is extremely valuable.
The good news is he came on offensively late in the season – hopefully that carries over. With his defense – an OPS of even .700 makes him fairly useful.
Hitter… Because of his defense I’m almost positive he was a +WAR player.
The worst everyday player in the majors – by far -was Pujols. Gordon provides some value defensively.
“Worst” or “Best” player discussion doesn’t involve contract. That’s a Value discussion – which isn’t what this is. Stop trolling.
Not quite to the same degree though – the Gordon contract is only for 2 more years and was only 4 total.
That was the market value for where he was 2 years ago! Now you might not liked the signing but the market sets the value, not the team!
Unless you’re the Cardinals and sign a middling reliever like Cecil for 30+ million for 4 years but that’s another story for another day…
Ramirez is just such a fun player to watch ply. Not sure anybody expected him to reach the level of production he has reached. Glad hey locked him up for a few years, looking like quite the bargain now.