Glazer: Don’t Expect Much from Depleted 2017 Royals

The Kansas City Royals have lost way too many players from their World Series squads…

Too many for fans to expect the team to perform at its 2014 / 2015 levels.

Think about it…

Gone are Kendrys Morales, Ben Zobrist, Alex Rios, James Shields, Yordano Ventura,Greg Holland, Johnny Cueto, Wade Davis, Jarrod Dyson and Billy Butler to name a few.

One could argue that the Royals biggest error was keeping Alex Gordon.

As opposed to re-signing this past year’s World Series MVP.

Pretty hard to argue that one,  given the way Zobrist played vs. a banged up Gordon’s light hitting last season.

Look, it had been 30 years since the Royals mattered in the bigs.

Then bang, two World Series back-to-back with a win in 2015. Very nice.

Royals GM Dayton Moore and manager Ned Yost put together a ballclub based on defense, speed, relief pitching and the bullpen and it worked.

So now what are the Royals to do?

Starting pitching is an issue, as is hitting and the bullpen.

So what exactly will the Royals be great at?

Tough one.

Can just speed and defense win the division or get KC into the playoffs? Not likely.

Moore has added power hitters Brandon Moss and Jorge Soler. Both guys could bust 25 homers this season…well maybe.

Eric Hosmer is likely in his last season with KC and needs a banner year to get that 7-10 year $175 million contract somewhere. So he’ll be all over it right? Sal Perez is one of baseball’s best catchers and the Royals spirit.

So what’s there to worry about? Plenty.

Hitting was light last year and needs to be stronger this season. Lorenzo Cain was hurt and out of the lineup much of the season. And he might be leaving after this year pending the money. Moose is back so we’ll see how he does.

Lots of questions.

Who will replace Ace Ventura?

The Royals were counting on the one-two punch of Danny Duffy and Ventura to lead the starting pitching lineup.

Now who?

Lots of questions, few answers. Lots of maybes and hopes for the best.

On the other hand, Cleveland is a force and solid. So is Detroit.

Meaning Kansas City may be lucky to finish second or third this year with maybe an outside shot at a wild card. A division title is a big reach.

Will the fans be as excited as they have been the last couple seasons?

Sure,  Kansas City is a baseball town and Royals fans are looking forward to April.

But not with the expectations of 2015 and 2016.

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21 Responses to Glazer: Don’t Expect Much from Depleted 2017 Royals

  1. Jim a.k.a. BWH says:

    And so it begins……

  2. CG says:

    To be fair, getting the two big bangers should help….Royals may well be in the mix, we need to wait and see…

  3. Libertarian says:

    I havent seen any impressive moves by the front office yet, so…..Glass cheaping-out on us again?

  4. Richard Cranium says:

    “perfromat” Are you drunk and high all the time, or only when you try and type? Product of a brilliantly used world education, I’m sure. Don’t they give you life skills help when you get out of the pen?

    • CG says:

      performat…wow, where did Hearne find that one? Well Dick of course he does it on purpose, why? Not sure, thinks its funny? Wants haters like you to go off? Make me look bad? Combination of all is likely…enjoy…and no I don’t appreciate it.

  5. CG says:

    Hearne, as I have explained 50 times, is the editor…I keep copies of my stories…so I know what mistakes are there if any…he writes the headline…NEVER ONES I PICK. He likes to be very negative..mine was CAN ROYALS COME BACK? Much different, huh…and he picks photos, usually those are decent…etc…etc…he often adds lines or changes mine and their meaning…why…you guess.

    • miket... says:

      you’d be great on defense. everyone knows hearne is the editor. quit being so defensive… so easy to get under your skin…

  6. The Word says:

    I think Royals get the Wildcard but loses in the WC game.

    Last year was time to trade and rebuild for later without going though a long stretch of loosing. But management didn’t want to do that. So this year could be the last hurrah of the WS teams.

    Most of the better players will be FA. Hosmer, Moose for instant. Moose could stay but Hosmer is all but gone after this season. Look for him to be an Angel/Met or a National.

    But when the Royals rebuild it will take a while. MLB.com issued their top 100 prospect list. Not one of them a Royal.

    http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2017?list=prospects

    So while I don’t think it will take 30 years in between playoff appearances like last time. After this season it maybe another four to five years until the Royals get back in. That’s if they do everything right.

  7. Laura B. says:

    The KC Royals World Series Championship of 2015 left fans with heightened expectations for the future … and for good reason. The Royals have had good teams the last few years, a .500 or better record in each of the last four seasons. They’ll have another good team this upcoming season. It is far better to look forward to this season and enjoy this year’s team rather than worry about the following season and the one after that. The “process,” as Dayton Moore defined it, is to provide the fans of Kansas City with a competitive team each year. He’s done that. Remember, there hasn’t been a repeat champion since 2000. Good luck, Royals!

  8. Skeptic says:

    Not expecting much out of your depleted Chuckle Hut either. Dustin Diamond? What a catch. Your “fresh out of prison” line will really (not) draw them in.

    • CG says:

      Dustin has been here many times, his stand up is very good, he just added a few bits about his recent legal issues, he was never in prison, weekends in county jail for a minor fight…its actually funny stuff…

    • The Word says:

      Wow, Screech? I kind of want to see that. If anything for the train wreck factor.

  9. Paul says:

    Rios, Butler, and Shields weren’t big losses, and I keep reminding myself that the Royals went to Game 7 of the 2014 World Series without Zobrist.

    Dyson is a speedster who is getting up in age. I think they let him go at the right time. Billy Burnes is reputed to be the same player, so the team should be okay there.

    I hope you’re right about Soler and Brandon Moss. The K saps the power numbers. Soler might hit twenty-five, or he might hit five. I think he’ll be a good addition, but it might take a couple years to see it. Moss with hit .230 with twenty homers. He’s not Kendrys, but Kendrys wasn’t either last year.

    Moose is an upgrade at third, defensively and offensively. Glad he’s back. Gordon will bounce back – count on it.

    Finding bullpen pieces seems to be a strong point for Dayton Moore, so I’m optimistic that part of the team works itself out.

    So, we’re down to starting pitching. Things don’t look good there, but never count out a bunch of guys who are facing the loss of a teammate. I’m hoping for the best.

    So… 87-75. First in division? Nope. Wildcard? Maybe.

  10. Harry Balczak says:

    Time to book some rooms at the Westin in early November for the victory parade!

  11. E.H. says:

    We KC fans are greedy..I’m just glad we went to 2 consecutive World Series with the 2nd one a victory. Anything else would be gravy. You don’t get to the postseason without pitching and right now that’s a huge question mark. So let’s see what we got here:

    1. Offense: Not bad with Hosmer, Salvy, Gordon, Moose, Cain, Escobar and a couple of new additions. B-
    2. Defense: Was great in 2015, not so great last year. I expect it’ll be even worse this year. C
    3. Pitching: No Ventura, No Holland, No Davis, No nuttin’ except for Herrera and Duffy. We might get killed this year in this dept. D.

    Unless the new guys gel right away we’re going to be below .500. Still, I have a theory that with Moose in the lineup he might be the straw that stirs the drink. We’re definitely gonna find out soon enough.

  12. Kerouac says:

    “Glazer: Don’t Expect Much from Depleted 2017 Royals”

    – agreed…tho flukes happen (1969 swiss chiefs, 1985 & 2015 fraudroyals), the superior teams (1969 Raiders and Vikings, 1985 Cardinals and 2015 Mets) usually prevail same as yours truly (Kerouac now 47-0 picking vs the swiss since the 1970 season, as He fast approaches the perfect 49-0 mark another legend and the greatest ever his own realm, Rocky Marciano.

    A 4th place finish AL Central fraudroyals 2017 the prediction here, their ‘wait till next year’ beat continuing city sports favor forgot, KCindy, place where good fortune never stops to linger, instead but pauses briefly tease, before morphing Lucy and pulling the ball (ripping the heart) out Charlie Brown (local fandom’s) his swing and an miss foot (hopes and dreams) year after year after year after. Still no legit Championship now in 62 years here Paris of the Plains…the laughing stock/new Cubs and Lions of pro sport.

    🙂

  13. mario lopez barely escaped the blade says:

    Notice the “scribe” didn’t take a position on win totals, which are usually posted next week.

    They’ll probably lose 90 games this year due to the Ventura situation and cheapness in the offseason.

    I disagree that KC should have kept Zobrist. They should, however have made a sincere attempt to sign Steady Eddie Volquez instead of letting him walk.

  14. CG says:

    No I didn’t pick wins and losses didn’t know I was suppose to do that…as for Screech arrest was over him proteting his lady in a bar where she got attacked by a group of people. Dustin used a pocket knife to get the attackers to move back from her, the guy who was hurt had a paper cut on his finger…that was it…

    • Skeptic says:

      No commenting on your latest over at TKC. Hmmmmmmmm.

      • CG says:

        Yes Tony decided to do that on artilces about shows or entertainment venue stories…not my idea…why? Due to nature of comments having nothing to do with shows, just haters or nonsense…so he did that not me…thanks for asking…story on Howard Stern’s co star, STUTTERING JOHN at Stanfords this weekend..first time to KC…funny guy.

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