Kansas City Royals: Where the 2015 World Series team is now

In 2015, the Kansas City Royals reached the top of the mountain. They finally broke the 30-year drought of winning the World Series. That team had a lot of special moments and individuals on the team. After just a few short years, the Royals look like a shell of what they once were.

For starters, the Royals surprised the league in 2014 by making their historic run to Game 7 of the World Series. They continued opening eyes in 2015, broke the All-Star Game voting process, and finished the year with the best record in the American League and a World Series title. The idea of a “dynasty” was something we all joked about, but the thought of “could they?” lingered in our minds.

2016 and 2017 were hindered due to injuries, but for the most part, the team from 2014 and 2015 was still here.

This is that moment when you look at the projected 25-man roster, maybe even the 40-man roster, and scratch your head. In the span of three years, it is hard to believe what this team once was and once had.

2015 Royals Roster

Let’s start with the big question. When looking at the 40-man roster, how many of the guys from 2015 are still here in 2018? Here is the long list of guys, including guys who made the jump in September.

When you really break down the remaining players who were active on the 25-man roster and contributed significantly the list gets even smaller.

Butera (backup catcher)
Gordon (starting left fielder)
Perez (starting catcher)
Duffy (started as a bullpen arm and finished as a starter)
Escobar (starting shortstop)
Herrera (seventh inning pitcher)
Orlando (fourth outfielder)

Of the guys on the 40-man roster, only 11 are currently with the team still. When looking at that, it is still surprising. This leads us to the next question of “where did they all go?”

Where did they all go?

For this part, we are going to focus on the players who contributed to the season, not everyone on the 40-man roster. Where are the players who contributed the most to the team at now?

Still in the league (major league deals):

Johnny Cueto — Signed a six-year, $130 million free agent contract with the San Francisco Giants in 2016.
Wade Davis — Traded to the Chicago Cubs during the 2016-2017 offseason. Signed a three-year, $52 million contract with the Colorado Rockies in 2018.
Brandon Finnegan — Traded to the Cincinnati Reds during the 2015 All-Star Break. Still with the Reds.
Ryan Madson — Signed a three-year, $22 million contract with the Oakland Athletics in 2016. Traded to the Washington Nationals at the deadline in 2017.
Kris Medlen — Signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018.
Jason Vargas — Signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the New York Mets in 2018.
Eric Hosmer — Signed an eight-year, $144 million contract with the San Diego Padres in 2018.
Kendrys Morales — Signed a three year, $33 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017.
Ben Zobrist — Signed a four-year, $56 million contract with the Chicago Cubs in 2016.
Lorenzo Cain — Signed a five-year, $80 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018.
Jarrod Dyson — Signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018.

Still in the league (minor league deals):

Edinson Volquez –Signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers in 2018
Chris Young — Signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres in 2018
Christian Colon — Signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves in 2018
Omar Infante — Signed a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers in 2017.

Free agents:

Mike Moustakas — Free agent
Greg Holland — Free agent
Luke Hochevar — Recovering from season-ending surgery in 2016 and is still a free agent.

No longer in the league:

Jason Frasor — Traded to the Atlanta Braves in July of 2015. Retired after the conclusion of the 2015 season.
Alex Rios — Retired after the 2015 season.
Yordano Ventura — tragically passed away in January of 2017.
Jeremy Guthrie — Missed all of 2016 and retired after one game with the Washington Nationals in 2017.

Final Thoughts

It really is amazing to think that only 28% of the championship roster is on the 40-man roster and the 25-man roster after just three years.

For someone who still has fond memories of the 2015 squad, knowing that this year will have just a quarter of the team returning, it brings different emotions. Intrigue because of all the new faces that will be playing. Excitement to see what the new blood can bring. And sadness because it means that the era of “keep the line moving”, “1738”, and “that’s what speed do” is officially over.

What do you think Royals fans? Are you ready to see the new team? Did you fully grasp how different this team is going to look compared to the championship team? Let’s us know your thoughts!