Kansas City Royals Dynasty Hopes Have a Setback
Coming off two consecutive World Series appearances, the Kansas City Royals had their highest payroll in franchise history as they looked to become a dynasty. Instead, due to injuries and ineffectiveness, the Royals took a step back in 2016.
After almost three decades of misery, the Kansas City Royals were back amongst baseball’s royalty. A woeful franchise with only a single winning record from 1994 through 2012, they became relevant once again in 2013. After missing out on the playoffs that year, the Royals won the Wild Card in 2014, then swept through the American League to the World Series, before falling to Madison Bumgarner and the Giants in seven games.
Expected to fall back to the middle of the pack in 2015, the Royals instead played with a chip on their shoulder. Literally fighting all comers, they had the best record in the American League, and took care of unfinished business, winning the 2015 World Series in five games. That success prompted the Royals to open the vaults in an unprecedented, for them, spending frenzy.
While the Royals sought to become the American League’s dynastic franchise of the 2010’s, injuries and ineffectiveness conspired to thwart their plans. Instead, they finished at exactly .500, ending their season with four consecutive losses to miss out on the postseason once again.
So what happened to end the Kansas City Royals string of success? Let us take a look back at the 2016 campaign.
What went right in 2016?
To say that the Kansas City Royals are not known for their power would be an understatement. Steve Balboni is still their single season home run leader, having his 36 homers in 1985. Prior to this season, only ten players in team history had even hit 30 homers in a season. Kendrys Morales joined that group this season.
Coming off a painfully slow start where he looked like a candidate to be released, Morales turned it on after May. Overall, he produced a .263/.327/.468 batting line, slugging 30 homers and 24 doubles. His 108 OPS+, as low as it may seem, led all of the Royals regulars. A free agent, Morales may be someone that the Royals look to keep around.
Likewise, Jarrod Dyson showed that he may be more than a fourth outfielder. While he may never be a source of power, Dyson showed a solid batting eye, drawing 26 walks while striking out only 39 times. His speed continued to play, as he stole 30 bases in his role as a platoon outfielder.
Perhaps the most positive sign for the Kansas City Royals involved Danny Duffy. Once again, he started the season in the bullpen, and did not make his first start until May 15th. In that time, Duffy established himself as one of the Royals best pitchers, producing a combined 12-3 record with a 3.51 ERA and a 1.141 WHiP. Those numbers are actually a bit worse than they could have been, as Duffy had a 2.66 ERA on August 21st. With a full offseason and Spring Training to build himself up as a starter, Duffy could potentially be the ace that the Royals have been searching for.
Let us now look at the other side of the coin.
What went wrong in 2016?
Where to begin? The Kansas City Royals found themselves hammered by the injury bug, just a season after remaining relatively healthy. Mike Moustakas, who appeared set to build off of his excellent 2015 campaign, lasted 27 games before tearing a ligament in his knee during a collision with Alex Gordon. Gordon, meanwhile, missed a month of action due to injures that he suffered as well.
Speaking of Gordon, his 2016 campaign was one to forget. Signed to a four year contract this offseason, the Royals took the first step to locking up one of their all time best players to make certain that he remained Forever Royal. That contract looked to be a mistake in the first season, as he struggled with injuries en route to a career worst .220/.312/.380 batting line. Even his defense suffered, as Gordon was essentially league average in left.
those injuries extended to the pitching staff. Wade Davis made only five appearances from the end of June through the beginning of September. Chris Young and Kris Medlen, who were expected to fill out the rotation, were both injured, and were generally awful when they were able to make it to the mound. At least Jason Vargas was able to come back at the end of the season, providing three solid outings.
And let us not forget Joakim Soria. After being one of the few bright spots on the Royals at the end of the 2000’s and the beginning of the 2010’s, he returned to be Davis’ setup man. Instead, he imploded, with seven blown saves and eight losses. Quite a few Royals fans pin their inability to make the postseason on his struggles, which may be an accurate statement.
The Kansas City Royals will have quite a few decisions to make heading into the 2017 season.
Looking ahead to 2017
Based on conventional wisdom, the 2017 season was supposed to be the end of the Kansas City Royals run. With 13 players set to become free agents after the upcoming season, including players like Wade Davis, Mike Moustakas, Danny Duffy, and Eric Hosmer, the window could slam shut soon.
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Following the Royals disappointing season last year, there may be an added emphasis on winning now. With so many pieces of the core set to depart, Kansas City may find themselves in quite the extensive rebuild in the coming years.
So what do the Royals do next season? Should they begin the process of retooling this offseason? Or should they keep the gang together for one more year, writing off the failures of 2016 to various injuries keeping them from being the team they had been? Both strategies would seem sound, yet they both come with inherent risks, especially given the idea that the Royals may need to pare payroll this offseason.
The Royals front office, ownership, and fandom had a great deal of patience when it came to building a contending franchise. Now, after four years of being in the playoff hunt, and two World Series appearances, that patience is over. The Royals are expected to win, and win now. Anything less than a playoff berth, and a deep run into October, is a disappointment.
Next: Marlins 2016 Season Review
The 2017 season will be key to the direction of the Kansas City Royals. A slow start may lead to quite the fire sale, but another start similar to how 2015 began could mean that the Royals make one more run at a title.