Royals Rumblings - News for August 26, 2014

Royals Rumblings - News for August 26, 2014

Rany Jazayerli writes about Alex Gordon's defense, and the chances of Gordo staying in Kansas City long-term.

Make no mistake: if Gordon plays as well next season as he is this season, the bidding for him will start at 5 years and $75 million and go up from there. He’d be walking away from a few million dollars, and taking the risk that at age 32, an off-year might cost him tens of millions more after the season.

Which is why I’m hopeful that Gordon’s comments lead to a different scenario, one in which he and the Royals agree to a long-term contract that replaces his player option. That may happen this winter; while the track record of players signed to extensions two years before free agency (think Justin Verlander, or Ryan Howard) is pretty crappy, when you’re signing a guy just one year before he can walk away, the risk/reward ratio is pretty balanced.

And I think the risk with Gordon is a lot less than with Verlander or Howard, because he’s not a pitcher, and he’s a fantastic athlete who takes phenomenal care of his body. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of hitter who will fall apart at age 32, but the kind of player who will have a long, graceful decline into his late 30s. Think of Carlos Beltran, who lost foot speed and bat speed but had the athleticism to change his approach as he got older, drawing more walks and hitting for more power. I wouldn’t blink an eye about committing a five-year contract to Gordon after this season that would keep him in a Royals uniform through 2019.

Rany's former blogging partner Rob Neyer is not apologizing for hopping off the bandwagon, then hopping back on.

Okay? You got me. I’m a fair-weather fan who moved away 20 years ago and is supposed to write with some degree of objectivity. Don’t tell me how to enjoy baseball, though. Frankly, my friends, I don’t give a damn what you think about my passions. I love my fiancée, I love my dogs, I love Portland, I love the birds that visit my backyard, I love baseball stirrups … and somewhere, way down deep, it seems I still love the Kansas City Royals, at least a little bit. If that bothers you ... Well, I can’t really say that I’m sorry, because I haven’t done anything wrong. Instead I will ask you, politely, to keep your thoughts to yourself. After nearly 40 years of thinking about the Royals nearly every day, I think I should be allowed to enjoy this little stretch in my own however-foibled way.

Eric Hosmer has been cleared to swing a bat after X-rays show his hand has healed. But will he find playing time?

As far as #Royals Eric Hosmer knows, he's the first baseman for the team when he's healthy.

— Josh Vernier (@JoshVernier610) August 25, 2014

Jeffrey Flanagan questions whether the Royals can keep both shut-down relievers Wade Davis and Greg Holland.

Davis' contract calls for a club option at $7 million in 2015. Holland, who will make $4.68 million this year, is arbitration eligible again and could see his salary spike toward the $8 million range. Yes, that's a significant chunk of the payroll for two relievers.

But as one rival scout told me recently: "Can they really afford not to pay them? That's how they win games, because of that bullpen. To me, that's not overpaying. Most GMs would pay it just for the peace of mind they bring. Think Detroit would like those two guys?" ...

One Royals official recently told me about Davis and Holland, "It's a strength, and you don't improve your ballclub by weakening a strength."

David Hill at Kings of Kauffman takes a look at the struggles of reliever Francisley Bueno.

If anything, it would appear as though Bueno has been victimized by bad luck with the batted ball. Bueno’s batting average on balls in play has jumped from .273 as of July 5th to .326 since that point. Not surprisingly, opponents have an OPS of 243 points higher in that time. With a bit more luck defensively, Francisley Bueno could get back to being that serviceable lefty reliever that the Royals seemingly need.

Kevin Haskin of the Topeka Capitol-Journal takes a look at the four Royals on the current roster - Raul Ibanez, James Shields, Omar Infante, and Wade Davis - who have post-season experience.

MLBAM Chief says local broadcasts may soon be available on mobile devices, but only for cable subscribers.

The Chiefs are cutting some players this week.

This definitive ranking of pizza styles must really loosely-define pizza to include "St. Louis-style."

"Sin City 2" bombed at the box office.

The internet reacts to the "True Blood" series finale.

Your song of the day is Urge Overkill with "Sister Havana."