Here we are again, the rich get richer...
National League Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a deal, sources confirm to ESPN. @JonHeyman was on it.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 5, 2021
He was never going to be signed by the Royals...I get that. That’s not the issue here.
The issue is that the $205M payroll prior to the signing LA Dodgers did, giving them three former Cy Young Award, albeit one of them is David price, winners. And that’s not including guys like Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, and Dustin May. How in the holy hell are 80% of MLB teams supposed to compete with that? Bauer alone is going to make more in 2021 than the entire projected rosters of the Indians, Pirates, and Orioles. You could combine all three of those rosters, taking the best at each position, and create a Megazord team that STILL doesn’t project as well as the Dodgers in 2021.
That poor, poor Megazord...
And yes, the front offices of those three organizations are mostly to blame for those bad teams. They’re seemingly not investing in their rosters and are clearly in tank mode. They will force their fans to sleep in the bed that the front office has made. And I feel bad for those fan bases; we’ve been there (currently might still be there). It sucks.
But some of the teams in the league are living a completely different reality than the rest of them. The teams at the top are the usual suspects: both LA teams, both New York City teams, Houston, Boston, Philly, Washington, and San Diego. All are huge metro areas generating a ton of money and thus directly making the market for the owners/front offices. I don’t want to hear more about the big markets being able to outbid smaller markets either, but it’s a reality and unless a salary cap is instituted (it won’t be) this will forever be talked about.
It’s a part of the game and always has been. It creates an organic David vs. Goliath dynamic and that’s a very big part of why baseball is great. But it’s also a very frustrating part of the game. Every other major American sport has a more level playing field than baseball; is there a reason why baseball can’t do the same? End of rant.
On to the Rumblings...
The Royals announced 29 players that will be invited to Spring Training as non-roster invitees...
We have invited 29 non-roster players to #RoyalsST, including 25 players who were in the #Royals organization last season. pic.twitter.com/gjwgn0bzCD
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) February 5, 2021
I’m gonna need to see a LOT more Spring Training games in the next couple of years because there are very few names on that list that I have no interest in seeing. I guess the first step should be Sinclair and Hulu to come to an agreement so I can watch the Royals at all in 2021.
The Royals odds of winning the pennant have been updated. Get your money in while you can!
Updated odds to win the 2021 AL Pennant (Bovada):
— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) February 5, 2021
Yankees +250
White Sox +375
Blue Jays/Twins +850
Rays +900
Astros/Athletics +1000
Angels +1600
Indians +1800
Red Sox +2500
Tigers/Royals/Mariners +6600
Rangers/Orioles +8000
MLB Pipeline’s, Jim Callis held a mailbag on Thursday that I think Royals fans would have a very strong reason to read.
Out of Abrams, Witt and Franco, who do you guys think can develop the best all-around game?
— @DevBluejaysfan
Wander Franco (Rays, No. 1 on the Top 100), Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals, No. 7) and CJ Abrams (Padres, No. 8) are three of the best prospects in baseball and the three best shortstop prospects. Witt has the chance for at least plus tools across the board, which makes him potentially the most well-rounded player of the trio.
Franco has the highest offensive ceiling, but he can’t quite match Witt’s speed, arm or shortstop defense. Abrams’ top-of-the-scale speed makes him the fastest of the trio, but he doesn’t have Witt’s power and his arm is a tick less strong.
Kenny Kelly at Beyond the Box Score did a cool spotlight on Buck O’Neil that’s worth checking out.
I learned something this week preparing for the Super Bowl preview episode of the Clearing Waivers podcast about Johnny Damon during his time with the Royals.
Marcell Ozuna signed a4 year/$65M deal with the Braves.
Outfielder Marcell Ozuna and the Atlanta Braves are finalizing a four-year, $65 million deal, sources familiar with the agreement tell ESPN. There is a fifth-year option that would take it to $80 million.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 6, 2021
Dustin Johnson hit a guy at the Saudi International yesterday.
“Shouldn’t have been standing there” pic.twitter.com/cjQvPdtjas
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 5, 2021
Episode 5 of Wandavision broke some brains.
Episode 5 of #WandaVision was crazy.
— midknightstorm (@midknightstorm1) February 5, 2021
Every 5 minutes I was like pic.twitter.com/hr2kMzgEmx
RIP to actor, Christopher Plummer, after passing at the age of 91.
The Foo Fighters put out a new album yesterday and I really like it.
Adrenaline Rush of the Week
Watching your team in the Super Bowl
The Chiefs made it to another Super Bowl. Yawn, amirite?
WRONG!
Anyone acting like this Super Bowl means less than last year’s can go-on n’ git! Yes, I understand that a fresh championship can make someone feel like a current Super Bowl is less special. Especially when there’s very little reason why the Chiefs won’t be playing in the next 10 Super Bowls. But this is against the undisputed GOAT. The man we’ve all loathed for the last 15 years. The title holder. The ageless wonder. The Thanos of football.
There are going to be other Super Bowls for us to get fatigued about. It’s not this one.
There is plenty of time for Chiefs fans to become the insufferably entitled fans we’ve trolled in the past. We’re in resume building mode here, folks.
And let’s not forget how insanely hard it is for any team to make the Super Bowl in the first place. We can’t take any of these for granted.
Song of the Day
“I Just Had Sex” - The Lonely Island
I recently jumped on the Peacock Premium bandwagon and discovered a Saturday Night Live channel, that airs random SNL bits from the past in no particular order. I’ve sampled them a few times over the last couple weeks and it. does. not. miss.
I knew I found a winner when I sat down with it the first time and got Stefon, Spartan Cheerleaders, Matt Foley, then The Lonely Island song above. I would recommend the $5 per month for that alone without even talking about The Office, Parks and Rec, and now Modern Family.