KC Royals: Top Five Highest Paid Players In 2014
By Joel Wagler
Kansas City Royals pitcher Jeremy Guthrie – Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
WHO WERE THE TOP PAID PLAYERS FOR THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS IN 2014, AND WERE THEY WORTH THE MONEY?
The KC Royals had a wildly successful 2014, losing by one run in game seven of the World Series. It was just the third time in franchise history the Royals appeared in the Fall Classic, and their first trip to the post season since they won the World Series in 1985.
General Manager Dayton Moore put together a nice roster of home-grown talent and veteran free agent signings that jelled on and off the field. They were not the most talented group ever assembled, but they were able to survive the ups and downs of the season, and provided some much-needed excitement in the playoffs.
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The Royals were the first team ever to make the playoffs coming in last in the league in home runs and base on balls. They offset those short fallings a bit by striking out the least, and leading the majors in stolen bases.
Another thing that separated the Royals from everyone else was their defense. According to Fangraphs, the Royals accumulated an Ultimate Zone Rating of 61.1, easily the best in the majors. They also had a total defensive rating of 74.8, 19.4 points ahead of the next best team.
The Royals payroll was under $100 million, even adding some payroll during the season when they acquired Josh Willingham, Raul Ibanez, and Jason Frasor. Still, it was the first time the payroll ever approached that mark.
So, who were the Royals top five paid players? Did they bring enough to the team to justify their salaries? Was it money well spent? How did they contribute to the playoff run?
Let’s take a look.
Next: 5th Highest Paid Player in 2014