Royals Links: Eric Hosmer, Sean Manaea, Alex Gordon, & More

Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

This is usually a tough time for baseball fans. All the excitement of the early part of the offseason is over, and now we’re basically just waiting for pitchers and catchers to report. Sure, there are bits of news here and there, but the flurry of activity has all but stopped. The lack of baseball is driving me bonkers. Luckily, the top prospect lists will be coming out in the next few weeks, and we might start to see some more signings soon, which will give us more stuff to talk about. For the time being, here are some links about the Royals.

– At Royals Authority, Clark Fosler notices some similarities between Eric Hosmer and former Mets great, Keith Hernandez. Hernandez didn’t have the kinds of ups and downs that Hosmer has had, but the overall numbers are not terribly far off at this point in their careers. The Royals’ first baseman is entering his age 25 season, which just so happens to be the year in which Hernandez was the NL MVP. If you’re gonna dream, dream big, I suppose.

– Jim Callis of MLB.com is predicting that Sean Manaea will lead the minor leagues in strikeouts this season. The big lefty struck out 146 batters in 121.2 innings last year, and his first professional season didn’t cause any fatigue, as he struck out 44 batters in his final 6 starts, spanning 39.1 innings. Manaea should open the year at Double-A, so the hitter-friendly environment will be a welcome challenge.

More from KC Royals News

– Matthew LaMar interviewed Sam Mellinger for a post on Royals Review to hear the columnist’s thoughts on the 2014 season. Mellinger grew up as a Royals fan, watching the 1985 World Series, and marveling at the athletic phenom that was Bo Jackson, so covering the team for his job held even more significance, because he’s been around the angst for the last 29 years. Like anyone else who saw what the Royals did in October, it was an experience he won’t soon forget.

– The Kansas City Star’s Andy McCullough reported yesterday that Alex Gordon may not be a full participant in Spring Training activities when the Royals head to Arizona next month. Gordon is recovering from wrist surgery, and while the training staff expects him to be ready by Opening Day, he will need to take things a bit slower than usual during camp, just to make sure he’s 100% healthy when the games actually matter.

– Russell Carleton wrote a nice piece for FOX Sports’ Just a Bit Outside blog on general managers. More specifically, he wondered if there were any objective ways we could measure a GM’s decisions. While there is a perception that some GM’s are geniuses while others chew on crayons, that’s simply not reality. There isn’t a strong correlation showing particular executives are more savvy in the draft, or at getting a bargain on productive free agents. Most likely, all teams have smart people running their front offices, and no, you wouldn’t be a better GM than any of them.

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