Well Royals fans, it’s time. It’s time to come to the reality that the Royals are back. Not the Royals we fell in love with the past four years but the Royals we loved prior to 2013. It wasn’t a love of winning as much as it was a love for the team, the players, and baseball. The crowds were sparse and the expectation of winning was non-existent; however, they were our team.
That’s where we are. This team is not the 2015 World Champion Kansas City Royals. They aren’t even the 2014 American League Champion Kansas City Royals. Those were great teams. Teams that were greater than the sum of their parts. This team isn’t like that. There doesn’t seem to be a sense of urgency with these players. They’re not having fun, either on or off the field. With some, it seems like they’re just waiting for the offseason to make more money. They play in Kansas City, but, their hearts aren’t truly there.
The Royals currently stand at 7-15, which is good enough for second worst in the majors. The starting pitching is great; however, the offense is anemic and the bullpen is not even close to what it was two years ago. There is nothing they can trade for major league ready talent and the farm system has been depleted for a World Championship in 2015.
This is the life of a small market franchise. Teams like Kansas City must win when the opportunity presents itself. Trading the likes of Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb, Sean Manaea, and others for guys like Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist were worth it with the idea that flags fly forever. However, it does mean that the team will fall into regression sooner or later. They can’t go out an afford the big time free agents. They must spend $70 million on a guy like Ian Kennedy because of the hyper-inflated market of players today. The Royals are not the Yankees, they must build from the ground up.
This isn’t to say that the Royals will revert to the pre-Dayton Moore era of Kansas City baseball. Those dark and evil times are behind us. The Royals have players like Danny Duffy, Salvador Perez, and Alex Gordon wrapped up for a long time. They are the foundation upon which the Royals will rebuild and, more importantly, they are proven winners. This will allow for inexperienced players to have role models in the clubhouse. This rebuild will be more from a position of strength than from a position of hope.
We need to really thank the Royals for reviving Kansas City’s love of baseball and Royals fans need to still support this team. Support them for the bonds and friendships that have been made over the past few seasons. For now, though, it’s time to face reality.
It’s not the end of an era. It’s just the beginning of a new chapter.
