Royals GM Dayton Moore did not strike a particularly optimistic tone yesterday with regard to the the organization’s major free agents, as Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star reports on Twitter. “We’ll see what the market dictates, we’ll stay engaged with our current free agents,” said Moore. “But I’m not sure if it’s at the levels that everyone’s talking about. It may be extra challenging for us.” The Kansas City organization will get a chance to begin figuring out just how much it’ll cost to keep Eric Hosmer or Mike Moustakas when it sits down today with agent Scott Boras, as Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports.
- Moore also discussed the fact that he’ll stay with the Royals after owner David Glass declined to allow him to interview with the Braves, as Dodd further writes. “I simply left that in Mr. Glass’s hands,” said Moore. “If he wanted to grant permission, then that would signal to me that he didn’t want me here. If he denied permission, that would tell me he wants me here.” That’s certainly an interesting perspective. Moore did emphasize, too, that he’s happy both to remain in charge of the Royals’ baseball ops and to put the speculation behind him. He is under contract in Kansas City through the 2020 campaign, Dodd further reports, and it seems as if there’s good cause to expect the relationship to continue for the foreseeable future.
- Unsurprisingly, GM Rick Hahn suggests the White Sox are open to trading their few established veteran hitters this winter, as ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick writes. With the club still “focused on the long-term,” says Hahn, it will entertain offers on first baseman Jose Abreu and outfielder Avisail Garcia. Hahn explained: “At some point, not necessarily this offseason, we have to make the decision: Are we best served by extending them through what we project to be the bulk of our (competitive) window, or are we better off making a move like some of the others we’ve made and trying to reinforce the future with prospects?'” It’ll be interesting to see what kinds of offers are dangled for both players and whether Chicago truly seeks to initiate extension talks to create an alternative path.
- The Tigers are diving right into talks on several players, GM Al Avila told reporters including Evan Woodberry of MLive.com (via Twitter). Avila said he has already discussed a few of the team’s players with rival organizations, including veteran second baseman Ian Kinsler. Detroit is also preparing to make some difficult 40-man roster decisions, Woodberry reports. Indeed, Avila says the process of whittling the players to protect from the Rule 5 draft has been “excruciating and painful.”
- The Twins front office duo of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine faces quite a different situation in their second offseason with the franchise, as Phil Miller of the Star Tribune writes. Indeed, the team’s reported interest in some of the best free agent pitching serves to highlight the opportunities and expectations facing the organization this winter.
Would love to see the Cardinals make a run at Abreu but they probably won’t.
It would cost more than the Clydesdales.
But less than Stanton. This wishful, useless thinking of obtaining Stanton’s services is getting pretty ridiculous. He’s not coming to a team filled with mediocre players as their primary players. Weak top 3 starting pitchers, since Lynn is gone. A bullpen that has no closer or reliable set up men. A Manager who is constantly under fire by the press and the fans. Plus, and probably most significantly, a president of baseball operations who has either become out of touch with reality or is just not the person to be calling the shots to rebuild a team he personally constructed of which he knighted as Central Division Contenders. All of the aforementioned or at least 3/4 of the aforementioned would have to be resolved prior to Stanton ever reasonably consider St. Louis. He will not sign with them first unless they show that they WILL be a contender in 2018. I’d love to see him in a Cardinal Uniform. But he isn’t coming on a promise they will cure all before Spring. He’ll have to see movement before
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Wonder about Miguel Cabrera. Is he really going to finish his career on a rebuilding Tigers team?
Would be tough to move him unless the Tigers eat significant dollars. Production doesn’t match the salary anymore
Makes him a good fit for the Angels.
Honestly Detroit and Texas needs to work together. Just an old fashioned swap Kinsler for Odor
Kinsler would rather play for the Toledo Mudhens before he’d go back to Texas. For some reason you overlook his parting shots at the Rangers and Jon Daniels, calling him a “sleaze ball”.
And no one really wants Odor’s .252 OBP and .649 OPS.
I’m hoping the Sox keep Abreu. He is a good team player with a big bat who will help the younger guys coming up. Also Avi Garcia has started to reach his potential and is a young player. I am against trading either, and we have enough prospects to wonder about as it is.
I like Abreu too, but trading him and Avisial should help the Sox acquire more talent and depth they need to contend in 3 or 4 years.