Royals Rumblings - News for November 13, 2017

Royals Rumblings - News for November 13, 2017

Evan Davis of FanRag thinks Eric Hosmer will get far short of what Boras is asking for.

Hosmer is going to get well north of $100 million this offseason. Santana is likely to come in well south of that. Granted, Hosmer will be 28 next year, while Santana will be 32. Even so, their cumulative value looks much closer than those prices would suggest. In fact, Santana has been the better overall player.

Hosmer is entering free agency at the right time, and is represented by the most powerful agent in baseball. He will get paid, but given what he’s actually done over the course of his career, a six-year, $132 million contract recently suggested by MLB Trade Rumors makes a lot more sense than the $200 million figure Boras has been trying to trump up. Hosmer should be recognized for what he is: a good, not great, first baseman hitting the open market in the sweet spot of his career.

Keith Law of ESPN (INSIDER) ranks Lorenzo Cain as the second-best free agent on the market, after Yu Darvish.

Much of Cain's value has been wrapped up in his defense, which has slipped over the past two years and is unlikely to improve again now that he's entering his age-32 season. The team signing him should expect an average defensive center fielder who hits for average with modest power and OBP, probably a solid-average every-day player who might deliver 12 WAR over a four-year deal.

Hosmer is ranked #7 and Moustakas is #13.

The writers at CBS Sports have Hosmer at #5, with Jonah Keri writing:

"Sure, people who pay attention to advanced stats will argue that Hosmer's price tag and reputation are overinflated, due to his playoff pedigree, high batting averages, and smooth appearance around the bag, all of which mislead on his true value. But let's not slag the guy too hard. Hosmer just hit a career-best .318/.385/.498 in 2017, he's an incredibly durable player who's played in 152 or more games in five of the past six seasons, and he just turned 28, making him one of the youngest free agents in this class. He's going to get paid."

Jonathan Bernhardt of FanRag looks at potential landing spots for Hosmer. While Ryan Davis looks at where Mike Moustakas could end up.

Fans cleaned the Royals out at a garage sale at the K over the weekend.

Whit Merrifield was honored at a South Carolina football game.

The Braves add former Royals catcher Sal Fasano to the catching staff.

Carlos Santana could be a nice alternative to Hosmer.

The Twins could be interested in landing an ace pitcher.

Cardinals infielder Paul DeJong is helping a scientist examine the effect of heat on baseballs.

How the Astros learned to apply their pitching data.

Adam Darowski of Hall of States takes issue with Jon Heyman’s Hall of Fame choices.

Fired Braves GM John Coppolella is likely to file a lawsuit over his termination.

Former pitcher Josh Beckett is arrested for attacking a country singer.

The Roger Goodell contract situation is turning into a mess for the NFL.

Why Tennessee fired coach Butch Jones.

Behavioral economics suggests kids should start school later in the day.

Disney is planning a streaming service cheaper than Netflix.

Journalist Jon Ronson looks at the ramifications of modern porn technology in broader society.

Your song of the day is Foster the People with Sit Next to Me.