Royals Rumblings - News for August 25, 2014

Royals Rumblings - News for August 25, 2014

Alex Gordon is having a career year and will soon get paid handsomely, but it won't be until after the 2016 season as he says he will honor his $13.25 million player option.

To lock him down, the Royals would have to offer the sort of deal they have never before given out. His price could approach nine figures, rival officials say.

For his part, Gordon indicated he plans on picking up his 2016 option and delaying his free-agency. A message left for Gordon’s agent, Casey Close, went unreturned, so Gordon was asked if Close would approve this maneuver.

"Casey’s not the boss of me," Gordon said with a grin. "I’m sure he’ll have things to say and whatnot. But when it comes down to it, it’s my decision."

The appropriate setting for a long-term extension, for the chance to grant Gordon his desire to become a Royal for life, would be next spring. The two sides have not engaged in any discussions, according to people familiar with the situation. Moore insisted the situation had yet to appear on his radar, and quipped his baseball operations department is "not as forward-thinking in baseball as you members of the media think we are."

Beisbols.org looks at Alex Gordon's MVP-candidacy.

The Alex Gordon: American League Most Valuable Player articles are almost embarrassing to read, with some going as far as to state Gordon as the best defensive player in baseball. In the hierarchy of positional value, left field is towards the bottom of the list, as it does not require the arm of a right fielder, the athleticism of a center fielder, nor the quick skill of many infielders. It is not a hard position to play, relatively speaking. Shortstop is a hard position to play. Center field is a hard position to play. Catcher is a hard position to play, even with my qualms of pitch framing value....

Where is Gordon in the American League MVP discussion? I would say top ten for sure and would argue top five. There is the real American League MVP, Mike Trout, ahead of him, as Trout is better by a mile offensively (note: the mile measurement is metaphorical, not a real baseball measurement), is the better base runner, plays better defense at a more valuable position, has a better arm.

Bob Lutz of the Wichita Eagle looks into why Wade Davis has gone from crummy starting pitcher to shut-down reliever.

In fact, Davis is throwing fewer fastballs now (61.6 percent of the time) than he did when he was a starter. However, his velocity is at an all-time high, averaging 95.5 miles per hour. That’s more than three mph more than last season, when he struggled mightily as a starter.

Davis has eliminated his slider and change-up, going exclusively with a cutter and curve. The cutter has been a huge weapon for Davis, who obviously has improved his command. His strikeout rate has increased to 13.83 per nine innings in 2014 as compared to 7.58 last season.

Still, as much as the numbers can explain Davis’ turnaround to some degree, it’s mostly a matter of confidence.

The Royals fan that once auctioned his loyalty off on Ebay is back on the bandwagon and ready to put his posterior on the line if the Royals win the World Series.

"If by some miracle they win the (World) Series, I will tattoo 'The Royals have proven me wrong' on my backside," Carroll tells FOXSportsKansasCity.com when asked about the Kansas City Royals, one of the estranged sporting loves of his life. "Or something like that -- my friends already have some ideas in mind.

"I have a feeling that my backside is pretty safe, though."

Ned Yost indicated the Royals will almost certainly call-up outfielder Terrence Gore in September as a pinch-running specialist. Some scouts have said Gore is even faster than Reds speedster Billy Hamilton.

Eric Hosmer is getting another X-ray (Hi, Dr. Nick! #EverySimpsonsEver) and hopes to get clearance to swing a bat soon.

The Royals extended their working agreements with minor league affiliates in Wilmington (High A Carolina League), Lexington (Low A South Atlantic League), Idaho Falls (Advanced Rookie Pioneer League), and Burlington (Rookie Appalachian League).

Fivethirtyeight.com finds that strike zones may vary depending on how high the stakes are in the game.

Trade Bubba Starling to the Rams while we can still get value for him.

FXX is airing "The Simpsons" in the wrong aspect ratio and its ruining everything. I mean, what are we supposed to believe, its some sort of magical xylophone? I really hope someone got fired over that.

RIP Richard Attenborough, a tremendous actor and director.

Its Monday morning. The Royals are in first place. I feel like kicking off the week with a pick-me-up from Barry on "High Fidelity." Your song of the day is Katrina and the Waves with "Walking on Sunshine."