I guess we’re one Friday closer to the start of spring training, so there’s that. We have a long way to go, but at least the hot stove starts to heat up with the general manager meetings this week. That means we got some quotes from Dayton Moore, which allowed us to at least think about baseball in a week when politics took center stage. But, of course, nothing really happened, which is pretty much the norm for the GM meetings. These pretty much just set the stage for the rest of the off-season. And while the Royals don’t figure to be all that active in free agency, I do think they’ll be busy this winter.
- I keep hearing good things regarding the movement of the Danny Duffy contract talks with the Royals. I’ve always expected that the two sides would find a way to come to a deal before the season started, but I think I’m even more optimistic about that happening and happening relatively soon. As I mentioned on Twitter about a week or so ago, what I’ve heard is the deal is somewhere in the five years and $40 to $50 million range with it likely being closer to $50 million than $40 million. That makes a lot of sense because while he was dominant for a long stretch of 2016, he still hasn’t pitched a full season as a starter, so there are still question marks. Plus, he’s never even thrown 180 innings in a season (he did get to 179.2 this year, though). So while my initial reaction was that the money was a little light on that, I actually think it makes a lot of sense for the deal. Oh, and there’s almost certainly a mutual option on the end. You can’t forget that. Now we see how long it takes to get finalized.
- There’s been a lot of talk about potential trades, and I do think that’s the way the team will keep busy and help to add to the roster (while obviously subtracting at times). I still believe Cheslor Cuthbert has a decent chance to be dealt, and that goes up exponentially if the Royals are able to either bring back Kendrys Morales or sign another of the designated hitters on the market like Carlos Beltran or Matt Holliday (which actually makes a lot of sense, by the way). But in addition, I’m sticking by my prediction that Wade Davis gets traded and Kelvin Herrera takes over as closer. With Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman both expected to get some massive contracts, a one-year, $10 million deal for an elite closer like Davis makes so much sense that it’s worth giving up some legitimate players. I look to the Nationals and Dodgers as the best fits for the Royals as they have young starting pitching that’s ready to contribute in the big leagues who could be a really nice fit for the Royals rotation. You lose some certainty in the bullpen by trading Davis, but signing someone like Daniel Hudson to a deal to work in the seventh or eighth inning along with Matt Strahm and Joakim Soria would make a lot of sense. And before you scoff at Hudson, he finished the year with a 1.66 ERA and 24 strikeouts in his last 21.2 innings with just 19 hits allowed. Just something to think about.
- Of course, there’s also the possibility for a reunion with former closer, Greg Holland. I still think there’s a decent chance that happens as both sides have interest in getting something done. I think I mentioned last week that I think it’s less likely than it was six months ago, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Holland wasn’t impressive with velocity at his showcase, but those in attendance seemed impressed by everything other than that, and given that he has another three full months to continue to build up velocity before pitchers and catchers report, he’s going to have a big market. Holland is a risk, and with the interest he’s received, the money might get a little out of hand for a pitcher who hasn’t thrown a pitch since September of 2015. That may end up leaving the Royals on the outside looking in, but I do think there’s still a very real possibility Holland is back in the Royals bullpen, but setting up for Herrera this time instead of the other way around.
- Some interesting news has trickled out of the AL Central that could bode well for the Royals in 2017. I can’t remember who it was on MLB Network Radio, but they mentioned that the Indians might look at trading Andrew Miller. I thought that might be the case when they acquired him given their light budget, but hearing it out loud definitely made me stop in my tracks. Well, not literally. I was driving. But you get the point. The other side is that the Tigers seem to be open for business. There have been rumors of Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez and Ian Kinsler all being available on the market. They’ve already traded Cameron Maybin to the Angels. The Indians will likely be good with or without Miller, but losing that weapon would be helpful to the Royals for sure. The Tigers, though, look like they might be willing to take a down year or two to become a long-term power in a couple years. That could be good for the Royals next season as they try to get back their division crown.
- The years of the Royals winning multiple Gold Gloves are now over as only Salvador Perez took home the gold. The awards were announced on Tuesday, so it’s somewhat understandable if you happened to miss them. Eric Hosmer and Alex Gordon were both among the top three for the award, but Mitch Moreland took home the first base Gold Glove while Brett Gardner won the award in left field. Honestly, Gardner was probably the worst defender of the three “finalists” (I put quotes around that because they aren’t really finalists, but rather are the top three vote getters in a vote that had already taken place). Colby Rasmus probably deserved the award in left, if we’re being honest with ourselves. At first, well, the metrics for Hosmer just aren’t that great. We can argue that all we want, but I don’t think anyone watched him this year and thought he had a great defensive season. I thought he was considerably better last year. That’s one thing that I’m hoping will rebound in 2017. Don’t let the lack of Gold Gloves fool you, though. The Royals still have a fantastic defense, and I do think it will be even better next season.