caulfield12

It just shows how much wasted spending (or wasteful) spending there was that the Royals spent more than almost all of the big market teams (combined in numerous cases) and yet they're still below the White Sox even with the all those new deals, the Bobby Witt, Jr., extension as well as Salvador Perez. With the Sox, the Moncada, Eloy and Benintendi contracts all weigh so heavily on current payroll.

But elevated revenue normally is most correlated to previous year performance...they make the playoffs, and the real gains in ticket revenues trail the following year in increased interest and usually ticket prices rising as well. So we're now entering the opposite cycle where the teams will struggle on the field, interest in tickets will diminish, I guess from JR's perspective it doesn't matter because it all balances out, 4th or 5th place and low payroll or 1st/2nd/3rd and a higher payroll. But they've hardly ever gone out and invested in the product coming off down years...instead demonstrating that propensity to cut back and claw back any previous losses rather than "investing in the future" like the Royals did with all their spending this offseason, coming off a 106 loss season. Sherman (KC owners) would certainly at least acknowledge this strategy (the Witt extension especially) is just as much for positive PR and goodwill for the new stadium project/upcoming vote as it is for demonstrable results on the field. That's something JR doesn't care about in the least, winning fans over, so to speak.

I think that's what Boras is experiencing now with Jordan Montgomery (recent results not obscuring a relatively pedestrian career overall, 4+ ERA, etc.)...obviously Cease has the stuff/K's and durability, but he's suffering as well from high pitch counts and not providing extended innings.

Except you shouldn't have to waste a Top 20 asset to "motivate" a player...that's how the White Sox got into the mess they're currently in, or having to find "managers" on the field to make up for Grifol and TLR's fault/s, isn't it?

There's going to be lots of "moral victory" posts this season...

Remember, Getz the best at his minor league director job according to JR since Branch Rickey and the Brooklyn Dodgers in the early 1950s. 70+ years of baseball history. (***Well, except for letting Clemente get away to the Pirates.)

The wrist, the wrist...looking forward to hearing any excuses this year.

https://sports.yahoo.com/bill-madden-teams-not-willing-103000682.html Not willing to give Boras what he wants for Snell Montgomery Chapman JD Martinez. https://www.yahoo.com/sports/mlb-free-agent-rumors-drag-113050019.html Nightengale “Clubs have plenty of money to spend," Boras says, “but they’re not spending in a matter that is customary to competitiveness. It’s not that they don’t have the ability to pay, but their choice to regress on their payrolls. Just a year ago, the Mets and Padres were in an arms race, spending wildly, convinced it was their year to win the World Series. This season, they’re settling for being competitive, with a simple wild-card berth considered a tremendous accomplishment. “Nobody is saying the revenues in baseball are not going up, or that every team in baseball isn’t getting record revenues than at any time in their history," Boras says, “but you’re seeing clubs that are not in any way pursuing competitiveness in the manner of the past." The stagnant market has caused some of the biggest stars in the game to call out their own ownership this past week. Three-time MVP Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, Yankees MVP Aaron Judge and Boston Red Sox All-Star third baseman Rafael Devers each implored their teams to take advantage of the players available. “Players that have made commitments to their franchise," Boras says, “they’re crying out. They were told by ownership they had a common goal of winning. We’re seeing those situations now where the players are serving as the litmus test for the commitment to winning. “When you have players like this who are available, they can dramatically impact the outcome and goals of teams. It’s like the trade deadline in July. You can absolutely change the culture in the clubhouse by adding one of these players." Several general managers and managers have privately joined the chorus, telling agents to remain patient. They continue to have discussions with their owners, hoping to convince them that reinforcements are needed.

Boras saves face if Bellinger plays so well he can escape that contract for another long term deal but that will be harder and harder as he gets into 30’s. Certainly nowhere near the $150-200 million in guaranteed money he was originally seeking.

12 or 13 teams on that that are approaching this season as competitive. All but Boston, Colorado, Sox, Washington, KC (expecting 70-74 wins), Oakland realistically consider themselves to be competitors.

Makes the Benintendi deal look even dumber, in retrospect…there’s just no way the Sox competitive window was ever going to extend through 2027, even with Robert also around, too.

Not collusion. Just an acceptance that one really strong season in the past four injury-plagued years doesn’t merit $150-200 million. Watch Chapman come way down now too.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/cody-bellinger-reportedly-agrees-80-073706612.html Bellinger reportedly back to Cubs…3 years for $80 million

At the rate they’re going, it’s going to take at least three more seasons to get back to .500 barring a minor miracle. Yet that would mean five full seasons passing while withholding a fair assessment based on lack of talent to compete with. At the very least, four.

Quero gives prospect fans some hope. See pitch hit pitch.

Uh oh. The one thing you can't do there besides strike out. Too anxious.

Signs of the infamous Miguel Ascensio inning for KC against the Sox. Ramos PHing.

The thing that makes no sense is blaming the fans for that poor allocation of resources...I mean there's got to be a middle course between having 6-7 $100+ million contracts like the Padres in?a small market and NEVER having a single one...ever.

Might as well let Leyland's son manage. Couldn't be worse than Collinsworth doing ND games. Grifol by himself might block the stadium project.

FIRE GRIFOL. Lol. Too soon?

LOL. Little League triple. DJ was right about that unnecessary throw into the outfield by Coffey. There goes the game that quickly. Ton of M's fans. Trying to do too much defensively.

Hope the coaching staff can limit opposing running games this season...at least a bit better.

50% M's fans it sounds like.

Not over quite yet.

Colas with a decent defensive play. What were the radar readings on Yosimar Cousin btw?