Kansas City Royals: The complicated legacy of David Glass
By David Hill
A return to familiar ground for the Kansas City Royals
Over the past two seasons, the Kansas City Royals have once again found themselves in the Major League Baseball cellar. Yet, the blame is not entirely on David Glass.
It would have been easy for the Royals to go back to another rebuilding period without struggle, claiming that they were looking to build another long term contending team with their homegrown talent. And while that has been the case, that option was Plan B.
Instead, the Royals did everything they could to keep the band together. While Lorenzo Cain signed early in free agency, heading to the Milwaukee Brewers on a five year deal, Kansas City tried to keep Eric Hosmer. He was offered an eight year deal worth $100 million, easily the largest in Royals history, before leaving for San Diego. Mike Moustakas did return on a one year deal for 2018, but he was not expected to finish the season in Kansas City.
Indeed, Moustakas was traded to the Brewers at the trade deadline, as the Royals bottomed out. They finished the year with a 58-104 record, their first 100 loss season since the Buddy Bell days in 2006. Only the Orioles finished with a worse record last season, allowing Kansas City the opportunity to select Bobby Witt Jr with the second overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft.
This season has been more of the same. The Royals were not expected to contend this year, and that has certainly been the case. Heading into Sunday, the Royals have a 48-89 record, better than just the Orioles and the Tigers.
However, better days appear to be ahead. The Royals quartet of pitching prospects – Brady Singer, Jackson Kowar, Daniel Lynch, and Kris Bubik – could all be in the majors by the end of the 2021 season. If they can live up to their potential, the Kansas City Royals could be a force again in the near future. It just will not be one that Glass will be a part of.