<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Congratulations to our 2023 Louisville Silver Slugger Award finalists, Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr.! <a href="https://t.co/L1trhZozou">pic.twitter.com/L1trhZozou</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1720078869729079377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

There are always bargains though.

This is where scouts and your information team come into play.

Merrill Kelly was signed for two years, $5.5 million by the Diamondbacks out of the KBO. There are ways to get creative and find potential gems from the scrapheap.

This is an especially shitty FA class, adding to our problems. I think we are going to have to make trades to upgrade the big league staff.

Looks like they're turning Nate Eaton loose.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">OF Nate Eaton has been designated for assignment.<br><br>The following players have been reinstated from the 60-day Injured List: <br>LHP Jake Brentz<br>LHP Kris Bubic<br>LHP Austin Cox<br>C Freddy Fermin<br>LHP Daniel Lynch IV<br>INF Vinnie Pasquantino<br>RHP Josh Staumont<br>LHP Josh Taylor</p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1720141615090520097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

KC was the #5 TV market for Game 5.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Source: top 10 local markets (household rating/share) for World Series Game 5:<br><br>Dallas: 23.8/57<br>Phoenix: 18.0/45<br>Austin: 12.7/37<br>San Antonio: 10.6/29<br>Kansas City: 8.2/22<br>St. Louis: 8.0/21<br>Houston: 7.9/23<br>San Diego: 7.4/27<br>Baltimore: 6.7/18<br>Minneapolis: 6.6/18</p>&mdash; Sports TV Ratings (@SportsTVRatings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsTVRatings/status/1720138008442044534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Oh no question, but your hit rate on those is like 25% so your bargain signings are gonna need to come in a bundle and you'd better be willing to write off a large portion of them.

You just can't sign a guy like Kelly and think "There we go; 200 innings of 3.25 ERA..."

You sign 4 guys like Kelly and think "Okay, I might get a 5th starter and a swing reliever out of that lot" and hope you beat that.

Makes sense. We show up for baseball...not just for the coastal match up. KC loves the Chiefs, but remains a strong baseball town.

It depends on the organization making the move and thought process behind it though.

Some bargain moves have very little upside above the floor, that are a complete waste of money. If the Royals signed Corey Kluber for $3 million plus incentives, I would rip the move from the start. That's not the type of bargain move I am advocating for.

You know when you see them, like Robert Suarez signing with the Padres a couple of years ago. Merrill Kelly was realistically supposed to be fifth starter/swing man, but it was one of those moves that got the Fangraphs/Baseball Prospectus sites talking because it was intriguing and people saw upside in Kelly.

Before the 2020 season, the Giants signed Kevin Gausman for one year, $9 million. He had a higher ceiling and now he's a perennial Cy Young candidate. Those are the moves I want the Royals to make, not paying for an obvious shit pitcher who is a lost cause like Madison Bumgarner.

I wonder if the Royals will kick the tires on Frankie Montas again. He could be a buy low, boom type now.

I agree. I haven't seen them throw numbers at the problem really - and you need to. I mean there isn't a lot of great options this off season FA wise... I could be talked into a Seth Lugo type, because he's versatile... but it's really a thin market. I would imagine they ship out a young guy or two for some arms.

Haven't seen anyone mention it but I did notice the Royals put out the promotions for next year's schedule. Definitely a lot of things to celebrate the 10th anniversary of 2014.

Most interesting thing is unless I missed something there are no bobbleheads or any kind of items that involve Salvy. Leaving that door open to trade him I imagine.

What are the goals for 2024? Are we talking about a Gil Meche type signing goal? Or is it more along the lines of a James Shields trade? Or perhaps a Volquez type signing? What are we trying to do? The answer to that question will limit us on what pitchers we look into.

I think the Ervin Santana and Jeremy Guthrie type route would be my guess. Or that would be the direction I would go towards. Look at teams shedding payroll or a project. Just some average starting pitching would do wonders for this team.

I can get on board with that. While our bullpen is different from back then, I am encouraged by signs that we are about 2-3 years behind the Rangers run, just like last time. A Santana and Guthrie type would be golden for moving forward.

all I know is we should be able to do better than Jordan Lyles for 8mill per