*** Official 2018 Royals Offseason Repository ***

[duncan_idaho]

It's the end of the world as we know it... and we feel... fine?

2018 is a season of transition for the Royals, or at least it is at this point. Dayton Moore is back. Will he swing full into THE PROCESS 2.0? Or will he try to load up again and make some reload magic happen?

Pending Free Agents:
1B | Eric Hosmer | San Diego Padres, 8 years, $144 million ($5 million signing bonus; $20 million/year in Yrs 1-5; $13 million/year in Yrs 6-8 wth player opt out)

Spoiler!

(DI's Guess: Texas Rangers, 6, $118 million)

3B | Mike Moustaskas | Kansas City Royas, 1, $6.5 million

Spoiler!

(DI's Guess: Los Angeles Angels, 5, $98 million)

CF | Lorenzo Cain | Milwaukee Brewers, 5 years, $80 million

Spoiler!

(DI's Guess: San Francisco Giants, 4, $68 million)

RP | Mike Minor | Texas Rangers, 3, $28 million

Spoiler!

(DI's Guess: Los Angeles Angels, 3, $35 million+ $12 million team option

SP | Jason Vargas | New York Mets, 2, $16 million

Spoiler!

(DI's Guess: Baltimore Orioles, 2, $29 million)

SS | Alcides Escobar | Kansas City Royals, 1, $2.5 million

Spoiler!

(DI's Guess: San Diego Padres, 1, $6.5 million)

2018 MLB Draft Picks
#18
#33 - Compensation (Eric Hosmer)
#34 - Compensation (Lorenzo Cain)
#40 (Competitive Balance Round A)

Comp picks explanation:

Spoiler!

In case I, picks would be #32, 33, and 34, if Alex Cobb of Rays signs for $50 million guaranteed.

Kansas City will likely have 5 of the top 40-45 picks in the draft, and the bonus pool money should rival that of the teams drafting 1-3 in the 2017 draft. This should give KC tremendous flexibility in acquiring talent that otherwise might slip or not be "signable."

2018 Draft Names to Watch

RHP Kumar Rocker, N Oconnee HS, Georgia.

Spoiler!

Possibly goes top 10 but is a big, physical SP with ace potential. Moore and co. will be all over him if he slips a bit and could offer top 10 money at No. 16

OF Jarred Kelenic, Waukasha West HS, WI

Spoiler!

Kelenic is the top prep bat, toolsy OF. Royals would be ecstatic to have shot at him.

1B Triston Casas, American Heritage HS (FL).

Spoiler!

Tremendous raw power, best in HS bats. Royals typically like HS arms or HS bats with "special" tools. He qualifies.

RHP Carter Stewart, Eau de Gallie HS (Ga).

Spoiler!

Another big, physical specimen with huge upside. More likely to be available mid-first than Rocker.

ANY Any, Any (Any). Any current top projected pick who slides for injury concerns. Includes current top prospect prospect SP Brady Singer, U of Florida.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

Looks like the offer that we reportedly gave him was bullshit after all.

Possibly, we'll never really know. There's a fair chance he took less money to go to San Diego. I posted a podcast upthread a few weeks ago now with Buster Olney... basically said his sources believed Kansas City would have to significantly outbid San Diego or he'd go there.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by jd1020

8 years for a guy averaging 2 WAR a season for his career.

His WAR totals are driven significantly down by obviously ****ed 1B defense metrics, which have consistently rated him a worse defender than notable turd defenders such as Jose Abreu and Ryan Howard.

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Essentially a 5-year, $100 million deal.

Sources: Hosmer to #Padres is for 8 years, opt out after 5, front-loaded deal: $20 million each of first 5 years, $13 mil each of last three years, AAV $18 mil.

— Scott Miller (@ScottMillerBbl) February 18, 2018

For a guy who has never hit 30 HR.

Is this standard in baseball now?

Likely has back-to-back 30-HR seasons if he played in a more neutral hitters park. It's not a standard, though. I think most are surprised at the length - really creative offer from the Padres, though.

Originally Posted by mcaj22

I really doubt he sees the life of that contract as a Padre, I don't even think Hos will make it to the 5th season opt out (unless he has a no trade) That's going to be 5 losing seasons in a row for him garunteed. Hos will get sick of that quick. There is no windows for the Padres in the division they play in as long as the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Giants exist.

I think you're wrong.

The Giants have a few years left in the current window but are a very old team with very, very little coming from their minor league system. Their top prospect is Helio Ramos, who they drafted last year, and the rest of their system is basically empty.

The Diamondbacks' window is in danger of closing; also not a good farm system, and Goldschmidt and Pollock and Corbin don't have much control left.

The Dodgers are there to stay, but the Padres have a great farm system, stocked with pitching prospects (three of them premium guys with true ToR ability). In addition to Hosmer, they have another good young power hitter in Wil Myers, who now will play LF. They have a really good young CF in Manny Margot, who can impact the game with his defense, his legs, or his bat. They have a good young C in Austin Hedges, who is a plus defender. They have a couple of premium prospects up the middle, one of them a switch-hitting shortstop with speed and power (Fernando Tatis, JR).

I see a team that will be a contender in the 2020-2021 window. Maybe even as soon as next season.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Essentially a 5-year, $100 million deal.

Sources: Hosmer to #Padres is for 8 years, opt out after 5, front-loaded deal: $20 million each of first 5 years, $13 mil each of last three years, AAV $18 mil.

— Scott Miller (@ScottMillerBbl) February 18, 2018

For a guy who has never hit 30 HR.

Is this standard in baseball now?

That's a player opt out, not a team one.

It's an 8 year/144 million dollar deal.

[Bufkin]

This really pisses me off and it shouldn’t. Why the **** do the padres want Eric Hosmer? A terrible team with one good player, who incidentally plays first base. So they pay 100,000,000 for another first baseman, which happens to be the most useless position in baseball.

**** the Padres and their mediocrity. This is James Shields all over again.

[CaliforniaChief]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

That's a player opt out, not a team one.

It's an 8 year/144 million dollar deal.

Yeah but there's no way he plays for $13 million AAV unless he's fallen off a cliff. He'll opt out after year 5 and try to cash out again.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by Bufkin

This really pisses me off and it shouldn’t. Why the **** do the pirates want Eric Hosmer? A terrible team with one good player, who incidentally plays first base. So they pay 100,000,000 for another first baseman, which happens to be the most useless position in baseball.

**** the Padres and their mediocrity. This is James Shields all over again.

Myers in the outfield is going to be straight up painful to watch over the next few years.

[Sure-Oz]

@rustindodd: Eric Hosmer is headed to San Diego on an eight-year deal. @sdutKevinAcee reported the news first. Royals GM Dayton Moore was at an event in KC tonight and has not been available for comment.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

That's a player opt out, not a team one.

It's an 8 year/144 million dollar deal.

I actually think there's a pretty fair chance he'll be able to get more than $13 million/year even when he's 33. But he definitely didn't go to a park that will inflate his offensive numbers.

[Nightfyre]

The three years after the opt out is like an insurance policy for Hos. Really good deal for him.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by tk13

I actually think there's a pretty fair chance he'll be able to get more than $13 million/year even when he's 33. But he definitely didn't go to a park that will inflate his offensive numbers.

I don't see that swing or his fundamentally weak defense aging well at 33. I think there's a higher probability he'll be in SD until he's 36 (unless he's traded).

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Bufkin

This really pisses me off and it shouldn’t. Why the **** do the padres want Eric Hosmer? A terrible team with one good player, who incidentally plays first base. So they pay 100,000,000 for another first baseman, which happens to be the most useless position in baseball.

**** the Padres and their mediocrity. This is James Shields all over again.

See below.

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

If you're wondering why Hosmer is interested in the Padres, and why they're interested in him... it's about their window and how he complements.

They have a lot of good pieces with more coming soon from an elite farm system.

Wil Myers is a good major league player.

Manny Margot (CF) is a dynamic young player. Similar to Cain in his all around skills, but with more power.

Austin Hedges and Hunter Renfroe look like good to above average MLb regulars. Hedges is a plus defensive C with power. Renfroe is a classic RF.

Dinelson Lamet is a young pitcher who can really miss bats and has great stuff.

Brad Hand is an elite bullpen arm.

And then in the minors...

Fernando Tatis Jr is an elite, elite SS prospect. Switch hitter with power who can stick defensively (the Padres somehow got him from the White Sox for James Shielfs).

And the Padres have pitching prospects abound. Michel Baez and Mackenzie Gore are two of my favorite 3-4 pitching prospects in the minors and both have ace stuff and few questions (durability/workload - both very young). Anderson Espinoza was the jewel of the Kimbrel trade and has a huge arm.

And Cal Quantrill leads a quintet of pitching prospects who have less upside but still could be mid-rotation starters in the show.

It all adds up to a team that, with Hosmer still producing at the tail end of his prime, looks to be a legit contender in 2020 and 2021.

[Al Bundy]

This is great for the Royals.

[SAUTO]

.


For some reason he didn't like torres

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Essentially a 5-year, $100 million deal.

Sources: Hosmer to #Padres is for 8 years, opt out after 5, front-loaded deal: $20 million each of first 5 years, $13 mil each of last three years, AAV $18 mil.

— Scott Miller (@ScottMillerBbl) February 18, 2018

For a guy who has never hit 30 HR.

Is this standard in baseball now?

Hahaha what a bunch of idiots. Wow we dodged a bullet on that one. They do realize hes a 1st baseman right?

[Coach]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Hahaha what a bunch of idiots. Wow we dodged a bullet on that one. What do the Padres pay Hosmer if the team opts out after 5 (which I imagine they surely will want yo do)

I believe it's a player opt-out, not a team.