KC Royals fans have had a little more news to read this offseason than in the past. It’s good to see the team making some moves to get better.
There has been a change in the atmosphere in Kansas City. While Royals fans are typically still waiting for some sort of signing news to break at this point, this year has been entirely different.
It wasn’t long into the offseason before Dayton Moore started making moves. He had sounded ready to go at the end of the season and continued talking as though he was ready to pick up some free agents to help the team improve.
That’s all nice to hear, but actions speak louder than words, and typically, the actions aren’t seen from the Royals. Luckily, things are different and Dayton Moore stuck by his words this time. The Royals have added a few players such as Carlos Santana, that could prove to be exactly what is needed to push back towards contention.
Still, Moore isn’t ready to be done. Whether he has enjoyed the feeling of spending money or just sees some more options out there that could push the Royals even further, it’s a good change of pace for Royals fans.
Moore has recently mentioned that the singings might not be done and continues to speak towards the need for a left-handed bat.
"“I think a left-handed bat would be very helpful,” Moore said Friday on a video conference with reporters. “Certainly as much as we possibly can [have] in the bullpen is always a pressing need for almost all Major League Baseball teams.” mlb.com"
While there are players in the organization who could hit left-handed, it’s obvious Moore has seen some options on the market that he thinks may fair better in their lineup. What may be more difficult is to find a left-handed hitter that can be plugged into the already crowded outfield.
The Royals will likely give their outfield options plenty of chances for success, but if that’s where a helping bat can fit, that’s where it will be.
On the other side of things, Moore has continued to talk about his pitching options. Veteran Mike Minor was added early on and Ervin Santana was brought in on a minor league deal. There is still the chance that Moore will find another free agent pitcher to add into either the bullpen or the rotation.
Moore is looking towards the veterans to lead the way for the pitching staff, but he’s not afraid to shift focus to the youth movement again if needed.
"“We’re going to have to have some veteran arms that can lead off, if you will, and have them go as long as they can, deep into the season,” Moore said. “And if we’ve got to pass the baton on to one of those young guys because they’re forcing our hand, we’ll be willing to do that.” mlb.com"
While there is still plenty that remains to be seen before spring training starts and before the regular season gets here, it’s obvious that Dayton Moore has continued to be aggressive deep into the current offseason.
This is a change of pace for him and for the Royals organization as a whole. Hopefully, this aggressive attitude sticks around as it seems to be what’s needed to push Kansas City back to winning seasons.
Dayton Moore continues to speak about the need for improvement and possibly more signings. This is a good direction for the Royals to be moving.