Royals Rumblings - News for November 15, 2017

Royals Rumblings - News for November 15, 2017

The Royals are interested in bringing back Eric Hosmer at the right price.

“We’ll see what the market dictates,” Moore said. “We’ll stay engaged with our current free agents. But I’m not sure if it’s at the levels that everyone’s talking about. It may be extra challenging for us, truthfully.”...

For now, Moore is hopeful the market will stay in a realistic range.

“The truth of the matter is, it wouldn’t surprise me if some of our players received offers that are beyond our level,” Moore said.

Hosmer is drawing wide praise around baseball.

"If you told Eric Hosmer, 'We need you to hit 40 home runs,' he would be able to hit 40 home runs. He's that type of athlete," the Royals GM said. "He's that smart. He likes to play a complete game. Eric Hosmer will lay down a bunt. Eric Hosmer understands situations. He's a true baseball player. He studies the game and prides himself on trying to beat you in multiple ways. He's not one-dimensional. If you want him to hit home runs, he will hit home runs. He's a very balanced player. He likes hitting for average. He's got the ability to center the ball on the bat in different areas of the strike zone, and he can handle the ball away very well."

The Blue Jays and Mets are interested in Lorenzo Cain.

Sam Mellinger thinks it is time for the Royals to commit to Dayton Moore.

Glass can avoid future speculation and internal uncertainty by making Moore president of baseball operations and allowing him to reinforce and build the rest of the front office to reflect the challenges in front of the club.

The same ambition the Royals took on 10 years ago needs to be refined and amplified now. That starts with making sure this is a place the best baseball minds want to work.

Because right now, people are talking. They are asking questions. Scouts and executives at other clubs are wondering why the GM of the only small-market team to win a World Series since the 1994 strike isn’t already president of baseball ops, isn’t already aware of and part of the succession plan with an 82-year-old owner.

Mellinger also addresses how the TV deal factors into the future of the Royals.

* The Royals would prefer to stick with Fox Sports, but the awful contract they’re working with right now prohibits them from talking to anyone else until the deal’s completion after the 2019 season. So, not only is it one of the worst deals in baseball, but it also could keep the Royals from getting their best NEXT deal. Hoo boy, that’s a bad deal.

Having a strong local following helps, obviously. I would be misrepresenting what I’ve been told to say otherwise. The White Sox, A’s, Marlins and some others are essentially irrelevant right now as a TV product in their markets.

At least people care about the Royals here. The same way the size of Kansas City puts a cap on reach, the connection with fans provides a floor.

But by everything I hear, it’s just not as important as market size. As someone with experience negotiating these deals put it: These contracts are usually 10 years, some more, so TV networks aren’t worried about the farm system or whether the right fielder is going to hit for power.

New bullpen coach Vance Wilson talks about what he brings to the table.

Torey Lovullo and Paul Molitor are named Managers of the Year.

The Blue Jays are ready to make a run at Shohei Otani.

Ranking Dodgers Rookies of the Years.

Ten players to get excited to watch in 2018.

Positional versatility could give teams a platoon advantage.

Hall of Fame second baseman Bobby Doerr dies at age 99.

A tribute to awful sports talk radio callers

U.S. Soccer is considering starting a tournament of non-World Cup teams.

People that stream steamy movie scenes in public aren’t embarrassed about it.

Two stars slammed into each other, answering multiple questions for scientists.

Star Trek: Discovery is learning how to walk.

Your song of the day is the Beastie Boys with Pow.