Eibner is basically just a guy at this point. He's been awful his entire Minor league career until this past season. Average speed at best, with limited range defensively. He's also injury-plagued. Oh and he turns 27 in a month. He isn't a prospect anymore.

Starling is such a questionmark that i wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see him in the majors for another 3-4 years, if ever. But he could also start the season THIS year with a great spring... just such a wildcard.

I agree. Anything more than 4 years is a questionable business decision.

The article mentioned a drop-off in his speed. Frankly, I didn't see that except maybe on the base path. The groin injury may still be bothering him and that should be good by the time the season starts next year. Straight speed in the outfield seemed to be OK to me.

I thought he was noticeably slower in the OF as well. Several balls dropped that we would have likely caught previously.

I wonder if the loss of speed is the leg, just not 100% yet, it should be but some people don't heal as quick as they age.

He still has a few years left in the OF while if he increases his power#'s a bit, he can always DH somewhere in his later years. Being a gifted athlete, he always has the option of moving to 1st base as well.

INHO Gordon's speed has always been just enough to get him to the spot to make a diving catch. If he loses even a quarter step he falls to simply above average (he would still have the arm).

Right, but relatively cheap considering what they just accomplished.

I, too, think he was noticeably slower after the return from his injury, but I also think a mere mortal doesn't make it back as soon as he did from the groin pull. The dude is a machine.

This is an awful way to describe what the Royals are doing. They are spending a bunch of money.

Something like this is more accurate:

They are going to spend their money wisely. They are operating in the top third of baseball in spending money, but they aren't the Dodgers and can't afford to match ridiculous offers from teams like the Dodgers. So far Dayton has spent money wisely and I trust him to do the same this year.

I wouldn't put them in the top third. I think they are right around the middle mark.

They're apparently 16th in spending and I don't mean they aren't spending a lot. They're not going to compete for guys who are due a big payday is all I meant.

I hate the thought of Fowler anywhere near this team. He sucks defensively. We even saw it first hand this season.

I thought the addition of Cueto and Zobrist bumped them up to around 10 for the second half of the year.

Starling will either be a MLB regular by midseason 2016 or officially busted out, IMO. That gives him another season and a half at AA and AAA, and if he hasn't figured things out by then, he likely isn't going to figure them out.

I'm actually more optimistic about him than I've been in some time... He's had a good showing in the Arizona Fall League, too, after looking completely miserable, overmatched, and hopeless there last season.

Agree that he's a Wildcard. There's just as much chance, IMO, that he forces his way to the majors by midseason as he spends the whole year mired at AA. I AM encouraged by comparing his progression to that of George Springer, a similar player who had the same type of instant jump at the same age.

If he DOES end up hitting well enough to make the MLB roster by July or so, KC's OF D will get a big bump. Dyson/Cain/Starling, or Gordon/Cain/Starling, or Parra/Cain/Starling would be pretty beastly.

I think Eibner is mostly depth. He's a better defender than I think you give him credit for here (according to people I trust reviewing him - the guy did share an OF with Paulo Orlando and hold down CF). But he's a AAAA guy right now who might be a good 5th OF/Short side platoon guy.

Did you mean 2017 on Starling?

I'll put the odds of Alex returning at about 20%. I love Alex, and it would hurt to see him play for someone else, but we just can't sink huge money into what truly will be a declining player.