Blog Archives
ALL Time Tommy Surgeries List: Updated For 2015 Players
Holland took over Closer duties during the 2012 season – once Jonathan Broxton was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He was 7 – 4, with a 2.96 ERA – with 16 Saves. He was dominate until he went down with a UCL tear this season.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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The epic is going absolutely nowhere fast, and we have seen a dramatic spike in the last decade of surgeries. We have a dedicated page to the list here.
There have been several scares with some big name pitchers on 9 figure salaries, with Masahiro Tanaka and Clayton Kershaw in recent years, but there will come a day when a guy goes down making $25 MIL plus per year.
You could say that Yu Darvish was heading towards an astronomical payday before his setback this season.
2015 Surgeries (29)
Greg Holland, Royals, Oct.2
Aaron Barrett, Nationals, Sept.3
Nathan Adcock, Reds
Jason Vargas, Royals, Aug.1
Jack Leathersich, Mets, July.30
Don Kelly, Marlins, July.1: OF
Sergio Santos, Blue Jays, July.1
Brandon Workman, Red Sox, June.15
Jarrod Parker, A’s – Honorable mention (3rd TJ Surgery not to occur, but he is out indefinitely after was revealed he had a tear in his elbow – recovering from 2nd TJ Surgery from Mar, 2014 in Minor League rehabilitation earlier in the month.) Still having an elbow surgery, just not the Tommy John operation. Read the rest of this entry
Why The Royals Can’t Sit Back After 2014: KC State Of The Union For 2015
Kansas City finally lived up to their expectations, and far exceeded beyond that, being just one swing away from calling themselves World Championships. With the success the team had, it also creates pay raises, roster turnover, and tough decisions from the brass on who to replace the outgoing cast. Dayton Moore must be aggressive with some of the changes, and realize this core group of players have about a 2 – 3 year window to win before everyone becomes too expensive. The time to strike is still now!
Why The Royals Can’t Sit Back After 2014 AL Pennant
Jordan Gluck (Featured Writer): Follow @jgluck777
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First congrats to the San Fransisco Giants organization for winning a 3rd championship in 5 years!
Now for the losers who captured Americas heart, and why the Royals can’t sit back and do nothing all offseason.
Frequently after a team wins a championship (for almost any sport) and has that breakthrough season that team tends to try and retain its team from last year while making no additions.
Save for LeBrons Miami heat we haven’t had a team repeat in any sport since the 2004 Patriots and not in baseball since the 2000 Yankees.
Lets not forget that while the Royals did eventually get to game 7 of the World Series they barely got the wild card clinching the spot a couple games above the Mariners and winning that game late.
Here are recent examples of Championship teams who really made very few additions and flopped or performed less than expected the next year.
The 2013 Red Sox who basically retained the same team and suffered from injuries and substandard performance from players like Clay Buchholz and David Ortiz.
The biggest example might be the 2010 and 2012 San Francisco Giants who just retained their teams while making no additions and ended up making frantic moves such as trading for Carlos Beltran at the deadline to fill the holes.
They missed the 2011 and 2013 postseasons. When they made changes such as trading for Hunter Pence and signing Mike Morse they ended up winning it all again. Read the rest of this entry
Kansas City Royals Pitching Roster Tree In 2014 – World Series Edition: Shields Pivotal Despite Playoff Struggles
How All Of The 2014 Royals Pitchers Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
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While James Shields has not had a banner postseason – however it is important to remember his influence on culture change in the Royals clubhouse for this successful franchise turnaround.
The trade that brought the RHP, also brought in Wade Davis, who may be the most important pitcher on the squad other than Greg Holland this campaign.
Dayton Moore has done a fantastic job of assembling this franchise’s roster over the last 5 – 7 years. It came on the heels of a quarter century of futility yes, but the future definitely looks bright.
As we have said before, teams residing in either league’s Central Division have a fair chance of competing in a season every year.
The highest payroll team is the Detroit Tigers, but they are not in the stratosphere of the Dodgers, Yankees, Rangers, Angels and Phillies, were there is a 2nd team in the division who can go buck wild in contracts.
The Nationals and Giants are able to spend in the $150 MIL range to join Philly and the Dodgers. In the AL West, Texas and the Angels can mirror each other, whereas the Red Sox and Yankees own the AL East payroll leaders.
St. Louis is the highest NL Central club, and are always near the fringe of the top 10 for dollars spent annually only.
The Tigers are the only franchise spending big cash in the AL Central, although the White Sox have delved into higher salaries in previous seasons – when they drew well following the 2005 World Series. They have since scaled back.
The Royals should be able to field a nice team for the next 2 – 3 years, and it shouldn’t break the bank for the ownership.
Detroit has aging and hefty contract problems coming up, and KC has more depth for the 1 – 25 Roster, when it comes to withstanding injuries
For the foreseeable few seasons ahead, you will bank on the emergence of Yordano Ventura and Danny Duffy to continue their development as aces, and the Relief Core is the still the strongest asset of the equation. Read the rest of this entry
Kansas City Royals Payroll In 2014 + Contracts Going Forward
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 & Jeff Kleiner (Org Depth + Payroll Expert – find his website here) Follow @prosportsroster
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Whether or not the Kansas City Royals make the playoffs this year or not – I still agree with their decision a few years back to trade Wil Myers for James Shields.
I still think they should pay a hefty sum to extend the 32 Year old RHP for 3 or 4 years beyond this year.
It would significantly open up the competitive window a little further in duration – and I think they are the 2nd best team in the AL Central, with a chance to knock on Detroit’s door shortly. Read the rest of this entry
Top 5 Holds Leaders In MLB 2014
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
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It is the secondary stat category to Saves for Relievers, but it most cases, the guys pulling down innings in the last few frames play just as an important part of game – if not more.
Last year, two Tampa Bay Rays were in the top 5 – with Jake McGee sitting in 5th with 26 – while Joel Peralta was the clubhouse leader for the MLB at 41.
The guys have to be at the forefront for the 2014 race as well.
Lets just see who we the MLB Reports take for Holds Leaders in 2014. Read the rest of this entry
“Stoking The Fire” Week 3: Kansas City Royals State Of The Union 2014 Part 1
James Shields turned in a workman like effort for the Royals (13 – 9, with a 3.15 ERA – AL leading 228.2 IP and 34 Game Starts) – only to have received little run support. With the Trade having going down seemingly to correct each other main ailments with the Rays needing offense and the Royals needing defense. It has worked for both teams. 2014 becomes the most pivotal year in the last 3 decades for the franchise – as it is “Big Game” James’ last year under contract. With them trading away Wil Myers for his services, the team needs to capitalize on this year. Ultimately the franchise should spend any amount of $$$ necessary in 2014 to compete with the big boys of the AL. With so many of their own core young players due to start receiving salaries increases, this next year has to be the time to go for it!!
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
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I am officially calling out the Royals Management and ownership to buck up again for the 2014 season. If ever there was a year to spend the money it is now!
You have James Shields for one more year, and all of your core young players like Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer, Luke Hochevar and Mike Moustakas are heading for some payraises in the near future for Arbitration.
Wade Davis also will see his money bumped in 2015.
For all of the Rosters, Depth Charts, State of the Unions and Salaries Posts that we do, please visit our dedicated page link here.
The time to win is now!
Shields first inning as a Royal
Top MLB Teams 1 – 30: Monthly Rankings + (Top 200 Stats For Reading And Fantasy Baseball)
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Follow @mlbreportsThursday July.11/2013
The Giants have gone 9 – 23 in their last 32 Games – and are in danger of having a brutal campaign just one year after capturing the World Series. Key injuries and overlogged pitchers have been the main point of contention. They lost 8 Ranking Spots this past time. Should they also become sellers at the Trade Deadline, Tim Lincecum and Hunter Pence could fetch a few players in return. The Giants are currently 40 – 50 and 6.5 Games behind the NL West Leading DBACKS – but are in last in the NL West.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
The time has come for the July Power Rankings with Stats Edition. There will be one each for May, June, July, August, September – and then a special playoff edition Power Rankings will be done in October.
I will not do a weekly Power Rankings during these weeks, because in essence, these are the weekly rankings done on a much larger scale.
These Reports are done with a heavy thought to how the teams project by the end of the season – along with how the clubs have fared so far.
I will point out who has had great months for the all 30 MLB Teams. I reward the good performances in these rankings – and leave the poor ones for the Podcasts or future articles. CLICK THE READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON or scroll past the video and picture.
Kansas City Payroll In 2013: Royals Organizational Rosters + Depth Charts – (MLB + MiLB)
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Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, Apr.27/2013
Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Billy Butler are part of a young core of talent that could really all flourish at the same time. The franchise had added Veteran Starting Pitching this year and look as strong as ever to end the 28 year Playoff Drought. The management and ownership has spent more money than any Royals team in club history. The will probably battle with the Detroit Tigers all season long for the AL Central Division.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB) – visit his website here Follow @prosportsroster
You guys are all in for a treat. Jeff Kleiner recently contacted me about a partnership merge for the website. He has developed a site (prosportsrosters.com) that covers all organizational affiliates in the Minors for all of the Major League Baseball Clubs. We are going to combine efforts to bring you the best look at salaries, current 25 Man Player Rosters and Depth Charts for all 30 teams.
Jeff is going to provide the documents in form of spreadsheets and I am going to accompany the posts with deep analysis of what the numbers tell us from my perspective. If you can’t wait for all of my assessments for each club, go and visit Jeff’s website over at http://www.prosportsrosters.com.
In Speaking with Jeff, he is one of the more passionate fans I have come across towards the game of baseball. He spends enough time in updating his MLB Facts for it to be a Full-Time Job. So after the usual Video Clip and READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY button, you will find some serious &*!@?!#!
Jeff updates this page below on a daily basis. After you click on it….Bookmark it. There is a 3 year salary forecast and stats not listed here on this page.
For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the Royals Organization click here
Kansas City Royals World Series Victory Parade 1985:
Kansas City Royals Starting Rotation: Built for Stability in 2013
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Follow @mlbreportsWednesday, April.10/2013
Dayton Moore has the task of taking the longest suffering MLB Team without making a Post Season Berth, (1985), back to the promise land of the playoffs. The club replaced 80 % of the Starting Rotation from Opening Day last year. Mr. Moore has to compete with GM’s that have double the payroll of his club. The Royals at least play in the AL Central, where Detroit is the only perennial favorite in the American League out of these 5 teams over the last few years. This GM gambled away Wil Myers + prospects – to land Wade Davis and ‘Big Game’ James Shields – so that they can contend right away.
By Michael McGraw ( Royals Correspondent) Follow @quickdraw29
It was obvious through General Manager Dayton Moore’s offseason moves that overhauled the team’s Starting Rotation was a primary goal. Moore accomplished this task by adding some of the game’s most durable Starters, resulting in a core of pitchers that should consume a considerable number of Starts and Frames.
It is difficult for any team to be successful without a dependable workhorse anchoring and staff, or providing a stopper who can put an end to any losing streak. The Royals hope James Shields is that pitcher in 2013.
The centerpiece-return of the offseason trade with the Tampa Bay that sent top prospect Wil Myers to the Rays, Shields has developed a formidable reputation for his durability.
James Shields 1st Inning as a Royals Starter:
Nats Acquire LHP Ian Krol To Complete The Mike Morse Deal
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Follow @mlbreportsWednesday, Mar. 27/2013
Ian Krol is a 6 FT 1 and 190 LB native of Illinois – who was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 7th Round of the 2009 Amateur Draft, He was selected right out of high school and jumped two levels of the Minor Leagues before he even hit the age of 19. Controversies and in injuries then ensued. Last year he played with Stockton (A+) and Midland (AA) – going 3 – 9 with a 5.20 ERA.
By Sean Hogan (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @seanhoganvt
The Nationals already came out ahead in the Michael Morse trade, acquiring two Righties with upside in A.J. Cole and Blake Treinen. Last Wednesday, they added to the previous bounty when the player to be named later was named:was… wait for it……..
LHP Ian Krol. The Lefty, who was once lauded by prospect gurus Kevin Goldstein and Keith Law in 2010, has fought through some self-inflicted drama as well as some minor injuries since then; the Nationals are picking him up in hopes that he’ll continue to be “a joy to watch” as Goldstein mentioned and will build upon his solid 2012 season.
Krol is a pitcher, not a thrower. His mechanics are excellent, throwing from a ¾ arm slot, and he has no issues locating his three pitches. Like former Nats prospects Tommy Milone and Danny Rosenbaum, Krol lacks velocity, topping out at 90-91 MPH. In order to keep climbing up the ladder, he must continue to exhibit excellent command on the hill and induce ground balls.
Ian Krol Bullpen Session:
Kansas City Royals Payroll in 2013 – And Contracts Going Forward
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Follow @mlbreportsTuesday, March.05, 2013
![There should be a lot more smiles and high-fives for the Royals in 2013 as they are continue to improve around their core of talented players. Will 2013 finally be the year the Royals make their long overdue return to the playoffs?]](https://mlbreports.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/royals.jpg)
There should be a lot more smiles and high-fives for the Royals in 2013 as they are continue to improve around their core of talented players. Will 2013 finally be the year the Royals make their long overdue return to the playoffs. They are amongst three teams who have not made the playoffs since the 1994 Lockout (TOR (1993) and PIT – (1992)) and they hold the longest streak of not making an entrance into the Post Season. KC last made the playoffs in 1985 – when they won their 1st and only World Series.
By Michael McGraw ( Royals Correspondent) Follow @michaelmcgraw
With the Royals finishing the 2012 season with a 72-90 record, the eighth year out of the past nine in which the team finished with at least 90 losses, General Manager Dayton Moore spent the winter focusing on acquiring durable pitching to strengthen the rotation in the short-term, including a controversial trade with the Tampa Bay Rays that reads like a law firm transaction: Myers, Montgomery, Leonard, & Odorizzi for Shields, Davis, & Johnson.
Although the merits of the deal can be debated, as it cost the Royals one of baseball’s top prospects in Wil Myers, the Royals hope that a rotation now featuring three veterans arms, a young, powerful, and strong Bullpen, and the hopeful continued growth of the team’s young hitters can lead the organization to its first playoff appearance since its World Series Championship in 1985.
As Spring Training has progressed into Cactus League action, the Royals opening day roster appears to be predominantly solidified with the exception of one relief spot, backup Catcher and Second Base.
KC Royals 2012 Highlights and Past Photos:
Kansas City Royals Roster in 2013: State Of The Union
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Friday, January, 11/2013
There should be a lot more smiles and high-fives for the Royals in 2013 as they are continue to improve around their core of talented players. Will 2013 finally be the year the Royals make their long overdue return to the playoffs?
The Kansas City Royals have been notorious bottom dwellers of the American League Central for years now. Their last and only World Series title came in 1985, and since then they haven’t even made a playoff appearance. After the ’93 season – the Royals moved from the AL West to the AL Central, and have only finished with 80 or more wins once.
The 2013 Royals shouldn’t let this dismal past hold them back though. The 2013 Royals should be better than the 2012 team which finished a somewhat respectable 3rd in their division, and the team of 2013 has the potential to be the best team the Royals have had in the past 20 years. There are a lot of variables that could make or break this Royals season, so you might not want to mark them down for a World Series appearance just yet, but making the playoffs with a winnable Central Division, and two wild card spots up for grabs might be within Kansas City’s reach.
2012 Kansas City Royals Highlights and Pictures
Washington Nationals-The Pitchers and Hitters: 2005-2012 Best 25 Man Roster (Part 5 of Expos/Nats Series)
Wednesday July 25, 2012
Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Team’s Payroll going into in 2013 and 5. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) To follow all of the updates, be sure to check my author page with a list of all archived articles here.
Livan Hernandez leads the 2005-2012 version of the franchise in ALL-Time wins and innings pitched.
Chuck Booth (Lead baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- I think it safe to say that the best days of the Washington Nationals are purely ahead of them. They have a great nucleus of young talent with Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Drew Storen, Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa, Mike Morse and Gio Gonzalez. These guys are so good that they all made the ALL-Time 25 man roster for the 2005-2012 Washington Nationals. I am a firm believer that these guys will be the best team in the National League within 2 or 3 years. I like Ted Lerner’s attitude on spending for now. This will ensure the money will be spent on the team to keep competing for the city of Washington’s 1st World Series Title since 1924. I would venture to say that not many living fans of the old Washington Senators saw the club hoisting the trophy 88 years ago.
The Nationals Park went soaring up my ranks as a baseball venue to see in the 30 stadium circuit. This place is now electric. I was so elated when I was able to see Strasburg pitch and win for the Nationals back in April. Next year I hope to see Bryce Harper play ball when I go on another 30 park tour. Next year is when I will have the official rankings of all of the ballparks posted here. I can assure you that the President’s Race will probably be voted the most popular race of any in the Majors at the parks. My humblest of apologies to the sausage race fans in Milwaukee and racing legend heads in Arizona. I still follow the campaign to ‘Let Teddy Win’, however that may take all of the fun out of it if Teddy does win one of those races.
As a fan of the old Expos franchise, I have a soft spot in my heart for the Washington Nationals. Playing meaningful baseball in September and October this year would be incredible to witness. So without further speak, let us start with our 25 man roster for the best players in the last 8 years. I picked the roster based on longevity or utter greatness for a couple of players. If this team was to play an alumni game right now, all of the positions would be filled. I don’t think I excluded anyone entirely crucial here. Please feel free to let me know if I did on any social platform. If you make a solid case for someone for whom I may have omitted, I could always add them later.
For Part 1 of the Article Series, The Expos Hitters: click here
For Part 2 of the Article Series, The Expos Pitchers: click here
For Part 3 of the Article Series, The Demise of the Montreal Expos: click here
For Part 4 of the Article Series, The Washington Nationals Franchise 2005-2012: click here
For Part 6 of the Article Series, The Nationals 2013 Payroll and Contract Statuses click here
Here is the highlight reel from Stephen Strasburg’s debut at Nationals Park. 14 Strikeouts is amazing!
Crow and Broxton Will Save the Royals Bullpen and the Rotation Starts to Take Form
Monday April 16th, 2012
Ryan Ritchey: As I mentioned in my article a couple of weeks ago, Joakim Soria has gone down with Tommy John Surgery and will be out for the rest of the 2012 season. Now the Royals are playing closer by committee until they find a solid candidate to fill the position for the rest of the year. In my opinion the Royals are not going to contend in the AL Central, so they can give some of their young talent a chance to close.
The best pitcher in the bullpen for the Royals in my eyes is Aaron Crow. He is a young kid with a lot of upside and this is the season that he can get better against some of the best offenses the game has ever seen. Crow is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA but that will change as the season goes on and his arm gets stronger. His last two appearances have been great- with 2 strikeouts, no walks, no hits and a 0-0 record. Crow has recorded one save this season as part of the closer by committee. Read the rest of this entry
Jonathan Broxton Signs with the Royals: Joakim Soria to be Traded?
Wednesday November 30, 2011
MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen: Another reliever is off the market. On Tuesday, the Kansas City Royals announced that they had signed former Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton to a 1-year contract. The deal is reported to be for $4 million, with an additional $1 million in incentives. There will be an official announcement once Broxton passes his physical. Given his health over the past couple of seasons, there are no guarantees that this deal will go through. But assuming that Broxton’s elbow has recovered from his September surgery, he should be an official member of the Royals any day now.
There are many significant items to come out of this signing. Broxton was in heavy demand, with at least a dozen teams interested. The Royals did have to pay a premium to land him, considering the state of his health in recent times. Looking at the numbers, Broxton had three solid seasons between 2006-2008 as a middle reliever and part-time closer. He broke out in a big way in 2009, with 36 saves, 2.61 ERA and 0.961 WHIP. Broxton’s slide began in 2010 and he was shut down effectively for most of 2011. The Royals are banking on a return to form for the 27-year old Broxton. At a reported playing weight of 300 lbs., Broxton will need to come in shape to camp and work hard this offseason to be an effective Major League pitcher. He is still young and has the arm. The big variables will be is the health of his elbow and his commitment to conditioning.
Based in Georgia, it is reported that location played a large part in his decision to sign with the Royals. With an up-and-coming Royals team, Broxton could be a good fit as the team looks to be a playoff contender in the near future. At worst, the team will lose $4 million for a season. But the upside could be a very effective setup man or closer at a reasonable rate. A low risk- high reward proposition for the Royals. So now, where does this leave Joakim Soria? The Royals have denied interest in moving their top closer. I would disagree. Regardless of whether the Broxton signing goes through, it is my gut feeling that Joakim Soria will not be a Royal come 2012.
The Royals have set themselves up quite nicely in the bullpen. After Soria and Broxton, the team still has Aaron Crow, Tim Collins and Greg Holland, among others, as setup men and possible closing options. If Broxton were to take over as closer for Soria in 2012, this would allow the other members of the pen to develop and grow. At least one of these bullpen candidates could be groomed into a closer by late 2012 or 2013. The options are there for the Royals. In fact, with so many valuable bullpen arms, the team could even try Aaron Crow into the rotation. I see his fit likely best in the bullpen, but at the least the option is there…and options are a good thing. When I look at Joakim Soria though, I see a valuable chip that can be moved to better the team in the long term.
After four strong seasons in the Royals pen, Soria is coming off a weak 2011 by his standards. He still finished with 28 saves, but also
had a 4.03 ERA and 1.276 WHIP. The Royals have to ask themselves a couple of questions. Given Soria’s arm troubles in the past, could he get injured? Also, will 2011 be a blip on the radar or a sign of things to come? Let’s face it: pitchers, especially relievers, are injury risks. To compound possible health issues, closers are at risk to implode at any time and lose their job. Soria has been outstanding for several seasons. Is he the next Mariano Rivera or Jonathan Papelbon? Or another B.J. Ryan or Bobby Thigpen? None of us can look into a crystal ball and tell. But what we do now is that there are only a handful of closers in major league history that were effective long term and consistently reliable for their careers. For every Goose Gossage and Trevor Hoffman, there are hundreds of closers that were strong early in their career and faded. With the Royals about 2-3 seasons away from contending, Soria is a luxury that they cannot afford to keep at this stage.
For a team looking to acquire Soria, he is signed to a very reasonable contract. He will make $6 million in 2012 and has 2 team options for 2013-2014 at approximately $8 million per season. The Royals can choose to keep Soria and perhaps be set at the closer position for another decade. Or they can keep a reliever that can be injured or ineffective in 2012, thus discounting heavily his trade value. They also run the risk of losing Soria as a free agent after the 2014 season. The point is that the longer they wait, the less the Royals will get back for Soria. With Broxton and company in the bullpen, the Royals would easily find themselves a setup man and closer for 2012 without likely missing a beat. But given what Soria can bring back in trade value, this is a move that likely should and will happen.
Despite denials from both the Blue Jays and Royals, some outlets have reported discussions of a Colby Rasmus for Joakim Soria swap. Not a bad move for either team. I don’t see this trade happening, unless the Royals include another prospect bat (i.e. Wil Myers) and the Blue Jays include a top starting pitching prospect. The Blue Jays have a glut of outfielders in their system, including Jose Bautista, Rasmus, Travis Snider, Eric Thames and Anthony Gose. The Jays can afford to move an outfielder to acquire the closer they seek. The top free agent closer at this point is Heath Bell. At 34-years of age, I would not be terribly excited to give him the 3-year contract he seeks. Plus he would prefer to play on the West Coast? Ryan Madson? To come close to the 4-year, $44 million contract that the Phillies reportedly offered him would be ludicrous, given that he only has 1 full season of closing experience. For the Jays, given age, contract and ability, their top target should be Soria. The team was looking at Papelbon before he signed with the Phillies- a sign that they do not want to grab a closer off the scrapheap. They want the real deal.
Rasmus has the potential to be an all-star and top outfielder for years to come. A big price for the Jays to pay. One that I just don’
t see happening. Rasmus though will be the price unless the Jays can offer a good package for Soria. I think that they have the will and the ability to make this deal happen. Travis Snider will be the first prospect to be included in the package. He has not shown enough in Toronto and likely needs a change of scenery at this point to thrive. The offensive and defensive potential of this young outfielder are still there. At 23-years of age, the Royals would be acquiring a former 1st round pick who should be major league ready for them in 2012. But what else to include? I could see 1-2 pitching prospects heading to Kansas City. But the name I am stuck on is Brandon Morrow. Acquired from the Mariners for Brandon League, the 27-year old Morrow has pitched two fairly inconsistent seasons in the Jays rotation. He has electric stuff, as shown by his 203 strikeouts in 179 1/3 innings this past season. He is an enigma, much like Edwin Jackson. Some of the best stuff in baseball but unable for some reason to consistently put it together for a full season. The 28-year old Jackson will likely obtain a 3-year deal in the $50 million range this offseason. Considering that Morrow is controllable for another 3 seasons, he could be attractive for the Royals as a potential top starter.
The Soria for Morrow and Snider swap should benefit both the Jays and Royals in the short and long term. Some people may be surprised that the Jays would move Morrow. But given the depth of young starters in their system and perhaps waning confidence in Morrow, the time might be right for him to move on. Thames has already moved ahead of Snider on the depth chart, with Gose likely ready in the next couple of seasons. The time is also right for Snider to find a new home and advance his career. I can see the combination of Moustakas, Butler, Snider, Myers and company pounding out runs for the Royals for many seasons. Joakim Soria, on the other hand, could be signed to a long-term deal by the Jays and become the top closer they have craved for at least the next five seasons. A good old fashioned baseball trade that benefits both teams.
So there we have it folks. Jonathan Broxton is likely to become a Royal very soon. If he does come on board, the Royals are in great shape to move Joakim Soria and fill out some needs in their outfield and starting rotation. But even if the Broxton deal falls through, the Royals have the depth to still trade their closer. The Blue Jays, with one of the top systems in baseball, have the pieces to make a deal with the Royals. Don’t count out Alex Anthopoulos and Dayton Moore. These are two of the sharpest GMs in baseball. Neither one will show their hands until they play their cards. Expect a deal to possibly come as soon as the Winter Meetings. The MLB reports crystal ball appears to be very clear on a deal of this magnitude coming. Stay tuned!
Jonathan Hacohen is the Lead Baseball Columnist & Editor for MLB reports: You can follow Jonathan on Twitter (@JHacohen)
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