FanPost

A Royals fan top ten list for the offseason

Moved from the Diaries... Hilarious stuff from "daveyork"... I love the Mark Quinn/Andy Sisco Award

As many of you know, the Royals have a maddening consistency with their offseason work.  I don't claim that this a final list but only one person's observations.   Please feel free to add to any of all of them.  My hope is that all of these will be proven wrong in 2007.  Here goes:

  1.  Someone in the front office will comment on the progress being made in the rebuilding program and that Royals fans need to be patient.  "We are committed to building with young players but it takes time to develop them properly"  or something like that.  You have heard it before.
  2.  The annual offseason comment by David Glass that he intends to give the GM more budget to work with so a winner can be build. It is a commitment to winning second in sports to Al Davis and the Raiders' "Commitment to Excellence."
  3.  The free agent market will be declared as "unpredictable" or "high priced" so the Royals won't be a factor yet . . .
  4.  The additional money budgeted for next year's payroll will be wasted on average to below average free agents who are untradeable and/or unwatchable.  This spending is seen as a move in the right direction.  By May, most of the moves are viewed as awful - there are so many examples I can't list just one.  Can't resist Albie Lopez, though.  
  5. KC will inevitably make a move that will leave the baseball world scratching their collective heads - see #4.  The term laughing stock usually follows the head scratch.  
  6.  The Rule 5 draft will be a highlight for Royals fans because we know it will translate into one player who will stay in KC for the duration of the year regardless of value to the team.  Sad to say but I do look into who the Royals might acquire from the scrap heap of the minors - changed rules make it more difficult in 2006.
  7.  At least one player will be added who "will add a veteran presence," "show them how to win," "play the right way," is a gamer," "will make a solid contribution to the organization," "is a standup guy in the clubhouse"  Perhaps you could translate it into common fan language?
  8.  One player who fans have hope for in the upcoming season will horribly regress and live on only potential for the next season - The Mark Quinn/Andy Sisco award.  Zack Greinke would also be a good candidate for 2006 award.  Early odds on 2007 include Ryan Shealy and Esteban German.
  9.  The pitching staff that leaves spring training will fall apart within a month leaving KC to scramble to find adequate replacements (which are never found).  There will also be a couple of players who make the team and will be released or demoted within a month.  Who could forget Steve Andrade - yeah, I don't remember him either.  Remember the depth of starting pitching in 2006 spring training with Runelys Hernandez, Denny Bautista, Jeremy Affeldt, Scott Elarton, and Zack Greinke, Mark Redman, et al.
  10. There will be several ex-Royals who blossom with new teams.  The question will be asked, "Why could he do that in KC?"
Well, that is the list.  Check them off as you read or hear them.  Some have started already.  Some won't happen until 2007.  When does spring training start?  

This FanPost was written by a member of the Royals Review community. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the editors and writers of this site.