Royals 2014 Fansided Faux-Winter Meetings Recap

So, what would the Royals look like coming out of this simulation? The infield would be the same as last year, with an outfield of Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain and Carlos Quentin against lefties and Gomes at DH. Against righties, the Royals outfield would consist of Gordon, Dyson and Cain, with Quentin at DH. Davis would be on the bench, getting the occasional look at DH to give Quentin a true day off.

The starting rotation would be Ventura, Duffy, Justin Masterson, Jason Vargas and Jeremy Guthrie. Should Ventura and Duffy continue to progress, and Masterson gets back to being the pitcher he was in 2013, that would appear to be a solid rotation. While it may not have the name power of a team like the Detroit Tigers, this could still be a rather formidable group in it’s own right.

In the bullpen, we would find the dominant trio of Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera and Greg Holland. The lefties would be Thatcher and Brandon Finnegan, with Aaron Crow and Louis Coleman rounding out the relief options.

The total cost for these moves? $24.25 Million, which comes in just below that threshold that I had set. While these trades and free agent signings may not have moved the needle for the casual fan, each of these players fills a need that the Royals have. If all goes well, they could be the pieces that help keep the Royals in the playoffs next season.

So, what do you think? What moves would you have made differently? Do you agree with the signings? Let us know in the comments!

And Jessie, I did attempt to get Patrick Kivlehan. The Mariners, however, had depleted their system in trades and were not moving him.