That's all you need to know about him? One bad play when he was playing injured and out of position?

Injured and out-of-position or not, he's in high demand, which drives up his contract. We're already stewing about whether or not we can afford Alex Gordon longterm, who is beloved in the clubhouse and by the fanbase, and is far more in line with the culture of the Royals than Cespedes.

I personally don't want him here given the circumstances. I'd much rather have Alex Gordon. And I'm pretty sure Dayton would as well.

This.

They're not valuing him over Alex.

I don't even buy for a second the club isn't doing anything more than kick the tires and shaking out ballpark numbers to gauge the market for any other potential deals they might make.

Getting the salary figures and years being offered by other teams for a FA left fielder certainly has no value if you are looking to resign your own Platinum glove winning FA left fielder. Nope, worthless information.

Move along. Move along. Nothing to see here, folks!

4/$56?

Wow, less than I would have expected.

If Infante wasn't on the books, Ben would have easily been signed.

Still, can't hate on Dayton for 1 mistake. The guy turned 10 years of "no money, no problems" into a World Championship.

Reportedly passed up bigger offers to sign with the Cubs. Suspect getting full no-trade for 3 years, with Joe Maddon as his manager, were the deciding factors.

That sucks. Probably going to lose Gordon to SF. :(

Grienke ALL about the $!

@Buster_ESPN: As the market now begins to shift toward the unsigned outfielders, rival evaluators see the Giants as frontrunners for Alex Gordon.

@FlannyMLB: #Royals' Dayton Moore did hint yesterday that he had a couple things in the works that could pop today.

Prediction 1: We will sign Parra.

Prediction 2: I will cry everytime.

Parra for the course.

Josh Vernier of 610 sports covers the winter meetings in Nashville gives signing Gordon about a 15 percent chance for the Royals.

Good enough for Lloyd Christmas.

Zo leaving doesn't bother me at all. He turns 35 in May. His defensive metrics at both 2B + OF fell off the cliff last year. His base running metrics also turned negative after being very good for 6 of the past 7 years. He should be fine for a year or two but he's in decline and should kill them the last two years.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Carlos Gonzalez&#39;s name is getting out there as possible trade candidate now. Teams seeking OF bat: o&#39;s, giants, royals, cardinals, etc.</p>&mdash; Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/674639182468390912">December 9, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Do the Royals have enough to make a deal

Hard to say. I think Gonzalez is under contract for 2 more years. He smacked 40 HR's last year.

I'm intrigued.

Three fifths of his home runs were at home. You have to be careful about power bats coming from Colorado.

Why? If they cannot sign Gordon, Parra is the best fit out there. Multiple golden gloves, above avg. hitter with some speed and pop. Very similar #'s to Gordo.

Think cargo batted .249 with a .465 slug on the road last year

I wonder if Infante wasn't under contract if he would have given the Royals such a deal?

I was hoping for the Cubs.

I wonder if the Royals are one of them:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Intriguing twist on Ian Desmond&#39;s free agent search: Some teams are exploring the possibility of him playing the outfield.</p>&mdash; Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) <a href="https://twitter.com/jcrasnick/status/674650617709797376">December 9, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Desmond is the most accomplished SS on the market. But he&#39;s getting interest at 2B, 3B and the OF. Very athletic player.</p>&mdash; Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) <a href="https://twitter.com/jcrasnick/status/674650688127967233">December 9, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Well, he's fast and has a big arm. It could work.

I'm just not a fan of his bat, especially the last 2 seasons..

I just think it's great that Royals fans are paying attention to the winter meetings. Means we matter again. I don't take that for granted in any way shape or form.

He's a K machine who doesn't really fit the Royals' contact mold. But he's got pop, speed and versatility that could make him Zobrist-lite.

Still could be too rich for their blood, though.

Um...hard pass on Desmond for me. No interest

What are the odds that Infante improves at the plate over what he did last year? Is that kind of thing completely unheard of for a guy his age?

Meh, I just read that Desmond turned down a QO, therefore he costs a draft pick.

Pass.

Dumbest piece of memorabilia ever?
$349.99, framed for $484.99

It was the highlight of their only win in the WS, so I guess...
http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/visu...etinscribe.jpg

Wow. That's about the loseriest thing I've ever seen.

Bahahahhahaha. What a chump you would be to buy that.

this was before Greinke, right?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NL source: Arizona offer to Johnny Cueto was 6 years, $126 million.</p>&mdash; Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/status/674671935779962880">December 9, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Well you guys read that Mets forum during the WS. Should explain everything right there.

this should be fun:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A&#39;s, White Sox close to Brett Lawrie trade <a href="https://t.co/iy0sD74G2E">https://t.co/iy0sD74G2E</a></p>&mdash; Rotoworld Baseball (@Rotoworld_BB) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rotoworld_BB/status/674584853875204096">December 9, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It's interesting.

When the offseason started there was chatter that the A's intended to move someone who was "toxic" in the clubhouse.

How strange that they keep trying to move such an upstanding folk hero to the fan base.

As far as the Lawrie trade goes, slime ball goes to a slime ball team. Perfect fit.

Here's a pic of BZ I took at the parade back in November. He's riding off in the sunset towards Chicago!

Ugghhh watching the Ben Zobrist press conference in Chicago.... **** the Cubs, they don't deserve him.

Dude he was a rental for us! He played with Maddon in Tampa so this is perfect fit for him

Apparently Cuetos market isn't nearly as high as he expected.


He didn't pitch well in KC outside of 2/3 games and it cost him.

I know.. but **** the Cubs, they don't deserve him.

I guess we are going to find out.

Can't trade him and can't afford to cut him.

Not really, it's a win/win IMO. 3 years of control for Shelby Miller with an offense that can put runs on the board, adding to the front line of Greinke. I think they see the window with Goldschmidt to be now. Not many hitters like him in the game. Nothing wrong with going all in for a few years. Braves win by getting 3 high level prospects, you're right. But they are years away from being competitive.

Agreed. Grienke, Miller, a healthy Patrick Corbin and an offense featuring Goldy, Pollock and David Peralta. The D backs will be heard from this year

If Hootie were still here, I'd tell him the Giants are finally paying off Alex Gordon for not hustling out of the batter's box.

Damn it Hootie, why did you get yourself banned!

He helped us get a ring and deserved to get paid. If not with us, I have no issue with him going over to help beat St. Louis...

O's offer Chris Davis $150m

Disagree. Don't want to be a Royal? F you.

Indians in talks to acquire Todd Frazier.

I'm sure his desire to play baseball for as long as he can ranks higher than exactly where he's playing baseball, especially when the team that's paying him through 38yo is a contender and is managed by someone he knows.... he can love it here and have perfectly good reasons to go elsewhere.

I don't know if it made a difference, but people are also forgetting Zobrist is from Illinois.

I thought zobrist lived in nashville

That's a dumb comment if I've ever seen one.

My comment was not directed at Zobrist himself.. if it weren't for him the Royals are not world champions, I just can't stand the Cubs... **** ass Jim Belushi is a Cubs fan.. that is all you need to know.

Oh I definitely get that. Cubs fans alone are some of the worst educated fans and the truest homers in every sense of the word.

Why? He's not going to be playing on the team I follow due to a decision on his part. It very well could be the best decision he ever makes for himself; I'm just not sure why I should be happy about it.

Perhaps. But there's no reason to say "**** you" to a guy who played his heart out for the Royals while he was here, helped them win a World Championship, and then decided to take $56,000,000 to go play for a guy who managed him for 9 years.

It's just childish.

If I ran into Ben Zobrist I would shake his hand and thank him for the memories. You'd tell him to **** off because you've decided to be a whiny bitch about him making a decision for himself that has nothing to do with you.

:facepalm:

It's the **** you comment you said. He doesn't owe KC, we owe him. He played he heart out and acquiring him is probably the number 1 reason we won a World Series. I have no ill feelings for him going to Chicago and joining Maddon again. He doesn't get a "**** you" from me, he gets a "thanks a ****ing ton."

:D Dude, it's a sports message board. F the Cubs while we're at it.

The guy gave this city everything he had, we won a title, and he named his kid after the team. Royals fans will always have a soft spot for him. No reason to be a jerk about it.

The Astros just gave up a haul to the Phillies for Giles. Wonder what Herrera would have been worth to them.

:facepalm:

Exactly.

Pitt Gorilla sounds like the kind of fan whose idea of a good time is to go to a game, spend the entire game screaming obscenities at the opposing team, and then try to kick the shit out of anybody in the parking lot wearing the other team's jersey.

I'm a Royals Fan living in the middle of Cubs fandom. Having to hear about Zo as a Cubbie is going to be unbearable.

Show them the World Series championship stuff and tell them to eat shit along with Moises Alou.

Probably a little less. Think Giles has 5 years of control left, including 2 pre-arb years.

Herrera is more expensive and has fewer years of control. Not sure they could get Velasquez straight up.

Hey guys how does it feel to be the World Champs? Guy could get use to that, Am I right?

Anyway, So I hear that Sal is a big Molina fan. Has tried to emulate him. You guys got his backup from us. You think it was to give Sal some first hand info on how Yadi does his day to day business? Plans and calls games?

JFC
:rolleyes:
BFIBB!

And the "best fans in baseball" wonder why people can't stand them.

You are usually one of the better STL fans, why did you start trolling us now?:shake:

@FlannyMLB: Dayton Moore has been trying to make deals for OF and SP but nothing so far. Said he is not frustrated but... market seems unreasonable

Sorry guys I thought it was humorous. I never thought you guys would think it was some kind of smack or diss because I never get into smack talk with you guys. I have a long, years long of genuinely praised you as fans.

You as fans earned that right to relish that championship. I wasn't trying to troll. Sorry my bad. I :spank: myself.

I'm not sure why the Royals traded for Tony Cruz, honestly, but I'm pretty sure Sal (All-Star, 3 time GG winner, WS MVP) is doing okay w/o any 'insider info' from our neighbors to the east.

I wonder if any of that is due to not wanting to help out a team that went to back to back World Series.

Looks like the Rule 5 draft is over. Royals did not pick anyone and lost Daniel Stumpf, LHP.

http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp...ching/2015/ALL

Could this happen?

http://www.knbr.com/wp-content/uploa.../11/GORDON.png

Have you heard rumors?

I saw at least one tweet 2 days ago suggesting that SF is prepared to put KC out of contention for signing Gordon

Yikes I dont like it and Gordo doesnt seem the Rice a Roni type but have money will travel.

I have accepted that he is gone and am just waiting on who we replace him with.