Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
November 07, 2005
Royals in the Hunt

According to this article, the Royals are upping their budget for the 40 man roster and going after the big free agents:

The Royals are even willing to abandon some long-held guidelines in conducting their search, such as limiting free-agent deals to two years, aiming for clients of superagent Scott Boras and accepting the possibility of sacrificing draft picks as compensation.

Good. They should be putting the revenue sharing money into players rather than into their pockets.


Posted by David Pinto at 08:34 AM | Free Agents | TrackBack (0)
Comments

Hopefully their idea of a big free agent is not Jacque Jones. I'd like to see them sign Matt LeCroy and let him lefty mash at DH. If they platoon him with Calvin Pickering they would have themselves a useful player.

LeCroy: .306/.404/.621 against lefties in 2005
.307/.382/.554 from 2002-2004

Pickering: .250/.361/.550 against righties 02-04

If Pickering never catches that lightning in a bottle again, then they would have to find someone else to hit against the righties. LeCroy is awful against them. Pick did hit .275/.384/.528 with 23 homeruns in 335 AB at Omaha this year, so his season was not a total waste. I think he deserves one (serious) chance before the Royals give up on him entirely. Especially if they insist on keeping Angel Berroa on the roster. Ugh...

Posted by: Marc Normandin at November 7, 2005 08:56 AM

I hope the owners put the revenue sharing into their pockets. The last thing I want to see is more teams loading up on expensive over-the-hill veterans at the expense of cheaper more exciting youngsters.

Posted by: bruce at November 7, 2005 12:39 PM

...or if not their pockets, their farm system. Player development, by all means, or smart free-agent signing. But no "single-season" sweet deals for the Adrian Beltre's of the world...it would be so depressing if the Royals went all Magglio Ordonez on us...

Posted by: Dave S. at November 7, 2005 02:37 PM

I almost wonder sometimes if smaller-market teams look to make those Magglio Ordonez-type deals, because no matter how well that player does, it won't put them over the top, but it shows their fanbase that they made an effort. And if that signing is terrible, then they can say, See? That's why we don't spend, and then pocket more money for the next four-five years.

Posted by: James d. at November 7, 2005 06:46 PM

They are years away from contention. They should put their funds into scouting and development, and put some in the bank to make up for their dwindling crowds. Every team is at a certain point in the success cycle. The Royals are where they should take chances on inexpensive, low-risk players who are 27 and under, and build from within. It'll take a while, but so will signing bastions of mediocrity to bloated contracts.

Posted by: Al at November 7, 2005 09:02 PM

I don't think Pickering will get another chance in KC. 33 plate appearances this year and he was done.

Posted by: RotoAuthority at November 7, 2005 11:00 PM
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