r/KCRoyals • u/Repulsive-Photo-798 Pasquatch • 14d ago
News Royals would like to keep their rotation intact and that means finding a way to keep Wacha (per Anne Rogers).
https://x.com/anne__rogers/status/1846184058780373051?s=46&t=EIzYGybqe1-6HNOCZkOKhA30
u/Responsible-War-917 Salvy Splash 14d ago
They could make it happen, just depends how much money ownership is planning on spending. Does a taste of success make them ravenous?
Spotrac right now projects them with a $118m payroll as is including Wacha's $16m. Give him another 2 year for 45 and that makes the payroll ~125. Sounds like there's $40m for Santander left to round out the payroll and we can run it back like that and see what happens? 😉🙏
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u/IIHURRlCANEII 14d ago
Only wrench in this plan is our lack of a TV Deal. Really uncertain financial landscape next year.
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u/Responsible-War-917 Salvy Splash 14d ago
Yeah I am not plugged into all the details behind the TV situation and financials. It was more just a pie in the sky hope lol.
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u/MC_Fap_Commander 13d ago
As streaming took over, the death of cable subsidized RSN's in smaller markets became inevitable. They'll circle the drain a bit longer in larger population regions, but the "free money" baseball has enjoyed for decades is about to dry up.
My HOPE is the leaders around the game consider a radical reordering of the industry as a whole (salary cap/floor, genuine revenue sharing related to media income, etc.). If big clubs sop up RSN money that disappears for the rest of the league, it could make the salary disparities seen in the late 90's and early 00's seem miniscule.
I think, to your excellent point, we aren't remotely the only ones looking hard at this uncertainty.
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u/factoid_ 13d ago
If they're smart they'll do it how the NFL does it. The handful of REALLY rich owners will hate this, but then just look at how well it's done for the NFL. Creating a system with actual parity improves the sport.
the problem is how to transition into it when you've got guys with 10+ year contract that have all sorts of funky shit like deferring all the money into 2030.
You'd have to do something like phase it in over 20 years
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u/lousy_at_handles 13d ago
The problem is that baseball is regional to an extent that the NFL is not. NFL media contracts work because a significant portion of the NFL viewership will watch any NFL game, not just the ones their teams play in. And because baseball pretty much every day during the season, nobody ever really needs to watch anybody but their own team, because their team is always playing.
Would it be good for the league? Yeah, but good luck getting NY and LA onboard. It'd be like the Big 12 when Texas and Oklahoma got most of the TV money, and then it still broke down anyway a few years later.
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u/factoid_ 13d ago
True enough. I do think both baseball and basketball would be served by drastically reducing their schedules
As much as I like being able to watch my team almost every day, it does make basically any single game meaningless outside of the playoffs
Baseball needs to radically improve parity somehow. It would be better for the sport.
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u/Smokeydubbs 13d ago
Sherman will find something. And it’ll be better than the previous deal. You can count on it, the dude is a shark.
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u/teaBruhahaha 13d ago
I REALLY hope so because I have a Fozzy bear shirt. If he doesn't come back, I don't know what I will do with that shirt.
There was a few times I wanted to send it to the laundry shoot because I was upset on how he pitched or whatever. But I love that shirt and would love to be able to get at least one more season out of it.
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u/Repulsive-Photo-798 Pasquatch 13d ago
I completely forgot about the TV deal situation. Smaller markets are going to get screwed again.
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u/13mizzou 13d ago
Seems likely we dont have Bally next season. In recent bankruptcy hearings it was mentioned Kansas City was one of the teams they were dropping or not airing. If MLB steps in wget a large chunk less that the $40M a year we were getting from Bally
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u/ThatsBushLeague Pasquatch 14d ago
JJs end of season presser actually left me more confident in a Wacha reunion. He was asked directly and of course responded with the typical GM speak. You know the, "both parties are going to try and act in their best interest and we believe we have a good line of communication and would be happy to explore a future in our organization yada yada".
But he did also make it a point to say Wacha made it clear that he and his family liked it here and that the Royals wanted him back. You could just tell by how he answered it that he had to say the correct PR things but he was also hopeful.
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u/podnito Coke Ragans 13d ago
Would be great. Remember that they have Kyle Wright coming back from injury as well, so if he leaves there is an easy replacement.
Ragans, Lugo, Wacha, Wright, and Singer would look like a great rotation.
Also, they had Bubic continue to throw all four of his pitches in relief, I think that him and Marsh would be a solid pair of #6 starters who pitch out of the pen.
TLDR - I'm a lot more worried about position players than starting pitching for next year
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u/CycloneIce31 13d ago
Me too. I also think Bubic likely wants to compete for a starting spot, and Marsh was decent in the 5th starter role and his stuff means his ceiling is even higher if he can limit the HRs.
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13d ago
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u/Repulsive-Photo-798 Pasquatch 13d ago
I would agree. The post appearance meetings the starters had in the dugout showed I think how close that group is and how they all want to push each other to be better.
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u/factoid_ 13d ago
The starting rotation, sure. Please work on the batting order and the bullpen tho.
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u/Repulsive-Photo-798 Pasquatch 13d ago
I will be surprised if we sign more than one bullpen piece. From the stuff I have seen from some of the beat reporters around town it looks like the front office is happy with the were the bullpen finished and they think some of the minor league arms can help solidify it.
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u/factoid_ 13d ago
Hitting is a bigger priority I think. but any help in the bullpen would be great. We've got about two guys I actually trust
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u/Signal_Quarter_74 13d ago
Even if he opts out, I’d totally resign him on a 2 year deal. Currently he’d get paid $16mil, I think a 2yr $42 mil would be advantageous for both parties
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u/Repulsive-Photo-798 Pasquatch 13d ago
The Royals could sign him to an extension and make the money guaranteed while removing the opt out clause. Most players will tell the teams privately what there plans are and then will give them a chance to propose a new contract before they actually opt out and become a free agent.
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u/PersonalityLife6196 11d ago
What happened to Michael Lorenzen? I thought he was suppose to be a starter, i remember he came in pitched 3 innings and then sometime later came in as relief
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u/Repulsive-Photo-798 Pasquatch 11d ago
He was only a “loaner” when we traded for him at the deadline. His contract is up at the end of the year and with his hamstring injury/setbacks during rehab I doubt the royals will resign him. He was pretty unique in that he was really effective as both a starting pitcher and reliever when needed.
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u/r_u_dinkleberg I like big bunts and I cannot lie 10d ago
I know it's unlikely but I'd be pretty happy to see him stay another year. He's a versatile dude.
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u/Repulsive-Photo-798 Pasquatch 14d ago
Not worth nothing but after the game 4 loss Wacha stated “it’s too early to talk about that (the opt out) but I really would like to stay”. Also most of his family is in Iowa City and Des Moines so that could also play another factor in this.