Royals Rumors: Kansas City Royals could be looking to rebuild
Royals rumors are going to start picking up soon, but here’s a piece of news that fans probably aren’t thrilled about. The Kansas City Royals look like they’re going to rebuild rather than be aggressive this offseason.
Rebuilding isn’t a surprising move for the Kansas City Royals. This is a small market team losing four of their biggest players and limited funds to re-sign them. Royals fans are used to this story.
The news of an impending rebuild broke on Monday via Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and again through Rustin Dodd of The Kansas City Star. Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors wrote,
"As Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas all hit the free-agent market, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes (subscription required/recommended) that the Royals “expect to step back for perhaps three seasons” and embark on a rebuilding effort."
The article also notes that no one is really off limits as far as offseason trades might go. Yes, that means guys like Danny Duffy or Whit Merrifield could be traded in order to acquire pieces to help build for the future.
Rustin Dodd tweeted that Eric Hosmer could still be re-signed and be a part of this rebuild, but it’ll depend on the cost. Hosmer might not get the blockbuster deal that many had expected for him, but teams are still interested in the Gold Glove first baseman.
As we've reported, the Royals still see Hosmer as *part* of a possible rebuild, depending on the market. That's not the case with Moustakas, Cain. https://t.co/S0X2YkPMMh
— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) December 4, 2017
The last time the Royals did a rebuild, it worked out pretty well. The organization drafted Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer and also traded for Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar. They were all players who helped pave the way to two World Series appearances.
Dodd wrote in his article (linked above),
More from KC Kingdom
- Win $650 GUARANTEED Plus $100 Off NFL Sunday Ticket With Caesars, FanDuel and DraftKings Kansas Promos!
- This Plus-Money Bobby Witt Jr. Prop Bet is on Fire (Hit in 15/21 Games)!
- How to Bet on the Chiefs vs. Cardinals in NFL Preseason Week 2
- The Royals Need to Extend Bobby Witt Jr. Immediately
- The 3 Most Intriguing Games on the Chiefs’ Schedule
"A win cycle, however, has a beginning and end. Players age. Stars become too expensive. And while one cycle can be extended with shrewd free agent signings, contract extensions and player development, it can also come to a halt when those moves don’t pan out. (See Gordon’s four-year, $72 million deal before 2016.)And here, of course, is the question the Royals must answer this offseason or soon. When can the next win cycle begin? What players could be a part of it? To undergo a roster teardown like the one in Chicago will almost surely push the time line back. But sometimes a reset can be helpful."
To be honest, I’d be okay with the Kansas City Royals tearing it down and starting from scratch. Re-signing all of the big free agents would be next to impossible and signing more than one guy could cripple this franchise for years if the players don’t live up to their contracts.
It’d be tough seeing the Royals part ways with players like Duffy or Merrifield (and don’t even get me started on if Salvador Perez were to be traded), but if it happens, just trust that it’s the right decision. Dayton Moore is where he is for a reason. He’ll make the tough decisions and put this franchise in a position to succeed.
So yes, while it might be a few rough seasons for Royals fans, we’ve experienced far worse and things turned out okay. Just be patient.
As of now, the Royals rumors aren’t all over, but we’ll be starting to see more and more over these next few weeks. It could be a tumultuous offseason, Royals fans, but we’ll get through it!