Article: Sizing Up The Competition: Kansas City Royals

[Lonestar]

With their World Series run, the Royals should be sitting on a ton of money.  With Shields' market shrinking, is their a possibility that the Royals sign him for a one-year deal?

[Brock Beauchamp]

With their World Series run, the Royals should be sitting on a ton of money.  With Shields' market shrinking, is their a possibility that the Royals sign him for a one-year deal?

That'd make them instant favorites in the Central by a pretty healthy margin, IMO.

[CesarTovar]

Lifelong Twins fan, but now a Royals season ticket holder, here.  Just cannot underestimate the importance of defense and relief pitching, especially for the Royals.  Don't see any regression there.  Royals get Hochaver back in the pen and didn't lose anyone.  If Holland stumbles at closer, Davis is a very suitable replacement.  Will still have Dyson as late inning defensive outfield replacement and pinch runner.  Oh yea, don't forget their team speed and stolen base capabilities.  They may not hit a ton of homers, but they certainly will hit more than last year (I expect Moose and Hosmer and Rios and Salvy will all help there).  In short, offensively they will be better, defensively they will be the same, pen will be the same (maybe even better), team speed still outstanding.  Only question mark is starting pitching but the pen allows the starters to not have to be fantastic, only good.  And they will be good.  Ace Ventura, Danny Duffy (another year removed from TJ and a high-velocity lefty), Vargas, Guthrie, and now Volquez is a rotation I would match up against most other teams in the league (with a few exceptions - Indians, White Sox).  The Royals may not win the division but they should be in the 85-92 win range.  I'll take another shot at the wild card.  It was a wild, fun ride in 2014!

[tobi0040]

The Royals scored 27 more runs than they gave up last year.   If Volquez puts up his career average of a 4.44 ERA instead of the 3.21 Shields had last year his 227 IP....that +27 run differential goes to -4.

 

And that is penciling in repeats for Holland 1.44, Herrera 1.41, and Davis 1.00.

Edited February 2, 2015 by tobi0040