Should the Kansas City Royals Gamble on Their Future?
By Matt Weyrich
The 2016 campaign has been a rough ride for the defending world champion Kansas City Royals. With a large chunk of their roster set to hit free agency after next season, should KC go all-in for 2017 or rebuild for the future?
Less than a season removed from snapping a 30-year World Series drought, the Kansas City Royals (49-52) have found themselves hovering in the middle of pack in the American League. Nine games back of the Indians in the AL Central and six and a half behind the Red Sox for the second Wild Card spot, Kansas City’s chances of returning to the postseason for a third straight year are looking slimmer and slimmer by the day.
As a result, general manager Dayton Moore has been forced to look ahead to the future. Next season, the Royals will still have most of their core nucleus intact, and a strong offseason could put them right back into the hunt for an AL pennant in 2017. Beyond next year, however, Kansas City is going to have to get creative. Nearly half its ball club will be eligible for free agency, including Eric Hosmer, Wade Davis, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, Danny Duffy, Kendrys Morales, Edinson Volquez, and Alcides Escobar.
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There is little hope for KC to resign even half these players, leaving the Royals at a difficult crossroads. Stock up for one last pennant chase next season, or slash the roster and rebuild the farm system? Naturally, the first step is to take a look at this offseason’s free agent class. Unfortunately for any team looking to shore up their postseason chances with a strong winter, this year’s crop of free agents is alarmingly thin. When Rich Hill and Bartolo Colon headline the top arms on the market, it is typically a sign of a down year for free agent signings.
With the roster they have right now, the Royals aren’t winning enough baseball games. So unless management is willing to trade the little depth they have in the minor league system to go all-in next year, Kansas City would be wise to trade some of their top talent now while the price is high and get the rebuild started. After eyeing the package New York landed for Aroldis Chapman’s services, Moore has got to be licking his chops at the idea of dealing Davis to a contending club.
Beyond their closer, the Royals can also explore their options with Morales and Volquez. Neither player has been a superstar this season, but with players such as Andrew Cashner and Melvin Upton Jr. getting dealt in the past week, anyone will get a look in this market. If Kansas City does decide to be a seller at this year’s deadline, then you can probably expect them to be one once again in 2017. Hosmer and Cain will be very attractive options for teams on the playoff fringe next year, and they will undoubtedly net a large return.
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Winning a championship has given the Royals a pass on missing the playoffs for a little while, and the team should take advantage. While they are perfectly capable of making things interesting down the stretch next year, the smart move would be to better prepare themselves for the future.