2009 Free Agents

Congratulations,
Its October 2008 and Dayton Moore is coming to YOU for advice after a fifth consecutive last place finish AND the Glass' have opened up the checkbook for him to sign another Jose Guillen type FA.

Based on availability/need and "Royals Signability" who are your top 3 targets that we can legitimately hope to see in blue next year.

Stop me if this game has been played already.

over 3 years ago juano 15 comments 0 recs |

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My targets

1. Adam Dunn
2. Rafael Furcal
3. Francisco Rodriguez

I’m not really bowled over by next year’s FA class though to be honest. I’d love to get Dunn, but failing that, I’m not even sure the Royals should invest millions in Furcal or K-Rod.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on May 30, 2008 11:25 AM EDT reply actions

Jason Giambi!

Isn’t Carl Pavano available, too?

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2008 12:44 PM EDT reply actions

Open wide that checkbook

I don’t know if these guys are going to be FA after this year, but here are my picks:

1. Michael Young of Texas
2. Justin Morneau of Minnesota
3. Alex Rios of Toronto

by vienqn on May 30, 2008 7:49 PM EDT reply actions

Unfortunatley

I’m pretty sure none of them are free agents for a while. Well, I take that back, since Young is overpriced, overrated, and entering his decline years.

Rios just signed an extension this season. Morneau did about a year ago, off the top of my head. Young signed a long-term extension in the last year or so, offf the top of my head.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2008 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Morneau is definitely signed long-term

by jbrocato on May 31, 2008 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions

My $.02

Jay Payton, Mark Kotsay, and Bubba Trammell.

A mind without purpose will walk in dark places.

by NHZ on May 31, 2008 4:21 PM EDT reply actions

I don't see how Shane Spencer isn't on that list

I probably disagree with you.

by Scott McKinney on Jun 1, 2008 1:38 AM EDT up reply actions

It's early, but I'll play

1. Teixeira (the Yankees will give him a massive, close out offer which will take every other team out of the running, but he’s on the top of my FA board for the Royals)
2. Dunn (he’s got “old player skills” but at 28, he’s showing no signs of slowing down)
3. Burrell (consistently good OBP and SLG)

Please, please, please none of the more expensive FA SS’s. No Furcal, no Cabrera. They’ll be big paydays for overrated players who are either declining now or likely to start very soon.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by Scott McKinney on Jun 1, 2008 3:54 AM EDT reply actions

Agreed on the SS,

we just won’t get enough marginal value for the pay increase. Of course I like Teixeira-and I wouldn’t put him pinstripes quite yet, I think there are other teams that would break the bank for him-and Dunn and Burrell. I think the Royals are probably going to bid on the latter two.

A mind without purpose will walk in dark places.

by NHZ on Jun 1, 2008 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions

I hope so

Of course I like Teixeira-and I wouldn’t put him pinstripes quite yet, I think there are other teams that would break the bank for him

This is true, but I think the Yankees have the following in their favor:
1. They are the most motivated buyer for him. They’ve had a hole at 1B for a while and they can’t won’t let this continue.
2. They have the highest revenues in baseball, which will only increase with the new stadium.
3. They have tens of millions of dollars coming off the books after this season. Giambi alone is $20M off the books. They can basically sign Teixieira for something like $25M and not even increase their payroll.

When the Yankees have both the will and the means, no team can outbid them.

I think the Royals are probably going to bid on the latter two.

I sure hope so. The other alternatives are cheaper, but older and worse players. I hope Moore is willing to add another slow, poor defense player who can hit. He added Guillen. Hopefully he’s willing to add someone who is even slower, with worse defense and who can hit better. I also hope Dunn is willing to play 1B. I’d be willing to put him in LF if that’s what it took to sign him, but he’d fit on this team better at 1B.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by Scott McKinney on Jun 1, 2008 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions

To clarify,

I believe they’ll bid on at least one of Dunn or Burrell. I’d rather have Dunn, since his home run power has been more impressive. I agree though—first base is the best place for Dunn in that it would give the Royals the benefit of his bat while not hamstringing our outfield “defense.”

A mind without purpose will walk in dark places.

by NHZ on Jun 1, 2008 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Which, for some reason, brings another thing to mind

I wish to hell Moore would trade Gathright. I think we know what we have in him: lots of speed, good OF defense, nothing else. But I’m confident that some GM overvalues his speed (Kenny Williams comes to mind, but there are others) and would like to have him. I know the Royals aren’t going to get a lot for him from anyone, but Moore might be able to get an undervalued B- pitching prospect from someone for him (hell, he got Ramirez for next to nothing). And I’d rather have that than Gathright. Quite frankly, it is dangerous to have Gathright on the 25-man roster because Hillman just can’t bear to keep him out of the lineup very often.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by Scott McKinney on Jun 1, 2008 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes, and while Joey's speed is neat,

that’s his only skill. He isn’t the best CF on the team, and doesn’t hit for power even in a Julio Lugo-esque way.

A mind without purpose will walk in dark places.

by NHZ on Jun 1, 2008 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Wow

Glad to see that I’m not alone re: Gathright. Not that I thought I was, but sometimes it seems like there are an swful lot of people around who think he’s an acceptable option over again/equal to DDJ.

Seems like the Yankees might also be in on the Dunn bidding, depending on where the Teixeira thing goes, unless Hank freaks out and says “no strikeouts, Toby Cashman, or you’re fired!”

I’m curious what you all think about Dunn and Burrell specifically:

1) Whether the Royals could afford both of them, and

2) Either way, whether they should go for both of them

Hasn’t Dunn played some 1B in the past few years? Has he expressed unhappiness with it before? I remember reading some scout saying that he wasn’t much better there than in LF, but that’s one thing I read a while back.

Dunn and Burrell will also prove interesting test cases for DMGM, given their reputations in some circles as “guys who strike out too much.”

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on Jun 1, 2008 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions

My answers

1) Whether the Royals could afford both of them, and

The short answer is no. One could argue that with increased revenues and more money coming in from MLB that Glass could afford a $90M payroll. That may or may not be true, but I don’t think that is going to happen. The Royals have money coming off of the books, including over $8M from Grudz and Berroa, and they can afford to spend more. Hell, they could afford to spend more this year and I think Glass was willing to; they just ran out of good options to spend money on. So the Royals can afford and I think will be willing to afford to sign someone for $15-20M per year.

2) Either way, whether they should go for both of them

Yeah, I think you go after both and sign one. You don’t know how much either will go for, how willing either is to play for the Royals and how much interest there will be from other teams. So move on both of them in the hopes that you’ll be able to get one.
Hasn’t Dunn played some 1B in the past few years? Has he expressed unhappiness with it before? I remember reading some scout saying that he wasn’t much better there than in LF, but that’s one thing I read a while back.
No games there this year or last. Two games at first in 2006 and 33 in 2005. I have no idea how he felt about playing there. I think he’s going to be a poor defensive player at any position, but he’s less exposed at 1B than LF.

Dunn and Burrell will also prove interesting test cases for DMGM, given their reputations in some circles as "guys who strike out too much.

I don’t know how Moore feels about K’s. Hopefully he just thinks they are small parts of a larger evaluation and that they aren’t important if the OBP and/or SLG is good enough.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by Scott McKinney on Jun 1, 2008 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions