Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut
Roster crunch might.
They're going to want to leave at least 1 spot in the rotation 'flexible' for Duffy and/or Paulino to come back to.
And accept it - Hochevar is back in the rotation next season. This is just reality.
So you have Santana, Hochevar, Chen, and the 'kid' spot taking up 4 slots. Additionally, the Royals claimed Volstead, who is Arb eligible on a $2.65 million deal in 2012. Guys just do not take pay cuts in arbitration and I doubt the Royals are going to pay $2.5+ for a swing man. They're going to want to have him in the rotation as well, or at least give him a shot at it.
And that's not even getting into Guthrie, who I really do think the Royals should bring back (3/$24 mil should do it; he's a nice pitcher).
They are going to claim that they don't have the rotation spots, IMO.
And I disagree with the folks that say Sanchez wouldn't have come here. He would have. Money talks and Sanchez is entering FA for the first time in his career. Give him a couple mil more and he'd have been a Royal. That would've been an overpay worth making.
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It will be interesting to see how they work the roster spots. Sisk was a Rule 5 consideration, so there's one fewer guy to worry about there (Moore has hilariously freaked out about this).
Nothing says Volstad makes it to the offer or is tendered. They claimed his rights. They don't HAVE to take him to arbitration if they find other options (they did this with Aaron Laffey a season ago).
I don't know that Sanchez WOULDN'T come to KC. I'm sure he would, for the right offer.
It's that the latest smoke signals from the team - after initial ones suggested they'd go HARD after Sanchez - made it seem like they're not looking to sign a FA to a big, long-term deal.