:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53634679/usa_today_9892165.0.jpg)
Dayton Moore begins his eleventh full season leading the Royals this season, and while things were slow going at first, he has produced two pennants and a championship, and the team has managed to avoid a losing record in each of the last four seasons. There were some grumblings that ownership and management were at odds over payroll at the beginning of the off-season, but ultimately the Royals raised payroll to a franchise-record level.
Moore faced a critical juncture last off-season, with several impending free agents, and chose to extend the window by trading off a few players for younger, MLB-ready contributors, signing short-term deals, and extending or negotiating to keep core players. Here is a summary of Dayton Moore’s off-season:
- Allowed Kendrys Morales and Edinson Volquez to walk without Qualifying Offers
- Traded Brooks Pounders to the Angels for Jared Ruxner
- Re-signed Drew Butera to a two-year, $3.8 million contract
- Traded Wade Davis to the Cubs for Jorge Soler
- Traded Sam Lewis to the Diamondbacks for Peter O’Brien
- Traded Jarrod Dyson to the Mariners for Nate Karns
- Signed Danny Duffy to a five-year, $65 million contract
- Signed Brandon Moss to a two-year, $12 million contract
- Signed Jason Hammel to a two-year, $16 million contract
- Signed Travis Wood to a two-year $12 million contract
- Signed a number of minor league free agents that includes Seth Maness, Al Alburquerque, Bobby Parnell, Chris Withrow and Jonathan Sanchez
The Royals have not foreclosed the possibility of re-signing a few more players out of the group eligible for free agency - Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, and Alcides Escobar.
The 2017 season could be a critical one for the Royals. It could be a last hurrah with the current group, it could be a firesale, or it could be an extension of the current window of contention.
How is Dayton Moore doing? Do you approve?