Royals Rumblings - News for October 11, 2017

Royals Rumblings - News for October 11, 2017

Sam Mellinger wonders how much Eric Hosmer’s intangibles are worth on the open market.

Scott Boras has a metric he attempts to use to measure community involvement, clubhouse leadership, and the rest. I don’t know how effective that is in negotiations, but at least with Hosmer it’s all true.

But I don’t know how you can set a fixed number on that value. I think what happens in real terms is that maybe an extra team is interested, or maybe the agent is able to get one more counter offer for a player like Hosmer as opposed to, say, Jose Guillen.

They’re not paying specifically for that leadership, but in practice that could probably be worth seven or even eight figures on a long-term deal depending on how the bidding goes.

The lesson, as always: kids, don’t be jerks, because someone may give you millions of dollars for it.

Craig Brown at Baseball Prospectus Kansas City looks at next year’s payroll.

There are still plenty of holes to fill and money to spend. In some ways, it was good that Moore didn’t come out for the postseason press conference to plead austerity again. We wouldn’t have believed him, anyway. At least the needless smokescreen isn’t there.

Still, the increases in payroll the last three years have hovered between 18 percent from 2014 to 2015 to last year’s eight percent. Nothing to dismiss, but those increases were predicated upon the belief the club would be competitive. Expectations will (and should) change. That has to impact the payroll. The Royals could boost their Opening Day number closer to $150 million, but with the dollars already committed, does that make the team a contender? They carried a $143 million Opening Day payroll last year and were never really in the race.

Maria Torres looks at the best of what the Royals farm system has to offer.

First-rounder Pratto, already the Royals’ top prospect, is the heir apparent at first base.

But that’s way down the line.

Someone who might be ready sooner, though not by much, is 2012 international signee Samir Dueñez. He’s a lefty hitter who averaged .252 with 23 doubles, 17 home runs and 75 RBIs this year at Class AA Northwest Arkansas. His plate discipline is still years away — he drew 37 walks and struck out 116 times — but he is projected to deliver slightly above-average numbers as he matures.

Defensively, Dueñez drew a scouting grade of 50 and has shown some arm strength at first base. He’s the 13th-ranked prospect in the system, by MLB.com’s standards.

Bret Saberhagen is among those that had to flee the California wildfires.

Kauffman Stadium looks naked.

Stephen Strasburg is very good, and well rested, so of course he’s not starting Game 4 for Washington.

The Cardinals disappointing season is being blamed on new players who don’t know “The Cardinal Way.”

Zack Greinke is getting a lot of blame for Arizona’s early exit.

Is Boston manager John Farrell on the hot seat?

The Twins sign manager Paul Molitor to a three-year deal.

Trevor Bauer went on a Twitter blocking spree after his rough outing.

LOLUSMNT.

The last time the Chiefs were this good, they won it all.

The video game Backyard Baseball turns 20 years old.

Cars are safer, but traffic deaths are up.

The secrets of Google’s moonshot factory.

Steven Spielberg has a deal to bring back Amazing Stories.

Your song of the day is St. Vincent with Actor Out of Work.