Royals Rumors: Danny Duffy Could Receive Extension

Royals rumors have died down lately due to the trade deadline being over with, but the latest for the boys in blue has to do with pitcher Danny Duffy possibly getting an extension.

It’s been a great season for Danny Duffy.

Originally in the bullpen at the start of the 2016 season, Duffy flourished in a reliever role. He may have been considered the fourth best guy in the bullpen at the time, but he was a reliable lefty out of the pen.

In May, Duffy had the opportunity to prove the naysayers wrong when he was moved into the starting rotation due to injuries to several starters. He never looked back.

Duffy has been dominant as a starter. He’s currently sporting a 2.66 ERA in 19 starts (35 total appearances) and has a 1.15 ERA in the month of August.

Simply put – Danny Duffy is the ace of the Kansas City Royals.

Now it appears that the former third round draft pick in 2007 is going to be rewarded for his hard work, as Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors reported that the Royals and Duffy are open to discussing an extension for the lefty.

"Royals GM Dayton Moore said talks would be held “at the appropriate time,” adding that “Danny has been a very important part of our organization and our pitching staff, and we’ll work very hard to keep him a part of what we’re doing going forward.”"

Even though he’s been so dominant in 2016, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Royals waited for him to prove himself yet again in 2017 before inking him to a long-term deal.

Duffy is going to be a member of the 2017 free agent class, along with guys like Lorenzo Cain, Wade Davis, Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer, and Mike Moustakas, and at one point was an after thought with the rest of these names. Now, however, Duffy is the one that the Royals should make it a priority to re-sign.

It would be smart for the Kansas City Royals to ink Duffy to an extension sooner rather than later. The longer the team waits, the more money Duffy could receive in free agency (assuming he continues to pitch the way he has).

If the team decides to wait until next season and Duffy continues to straight up deal on the mound, then it could be a huge mistake for them in the long run.

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Duffy once proclaimed “Bury me a Royal” back in the days where that wasn’t something many were proclaiming. He’d likely love to come back to Kansas City and spend his entire career as a member of the team that drafted him nearly a decade ago.

"For his part, Duffy is also excited at the prospect of spending potentially his entire career in Kansas City. “I don’t picture myself wearing anything but a Royals jersey….I’m not trying to pull out the violin, but I want to be here,” Duffy said. “They’ve been really good to me, good to my family. And it would just be absolutely devastating if I ever had to leave. In a perfect world, I would be here forever.”"

While Duffy has had a tremendous 2016 campaign, he has struggled with injuries in seasons past. He’s proven to be inconsistent at times too, getting demoted to the bullpen in 2015. Even though he’s been so dominant in 2016, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Royals waited for him to prove himself yet again in 2017 before inking him to a long-term deal.

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Regardless, it’s nice to finally not see a bunch of negative Royals rumors and to finally see one that would be a positive move for the team.

What do you think, Royals fans? Should Danny Duffy be signed to a contract that will make him Forever Royal?

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