BOB NIGHTENGALE

Royals know the deal: Win now, or say goodbye

Bob Nightengale
USA TODAY Sports

SURPRISE, Ariz. - The Kansas City Royals talk about it, but only when asked.

They think about it, but only when it's brought to their attention.

They grasp the significance of it, but refuse to let it distract them.

Free agency hovers over the Royals’ spring training camp more than any other team in baseball, with four members of their nucleus a half-year away from having the right to leave and never return.

It’s essential for the Royals to have a strong start to their season, avoiding a breakup that would happen much earlier than anyone desires.

The strategy is quite simple:

Win and remain in the race, and the team will stay together for the entire season, vying for its third American League pennant and second World Series championship in four years.

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Lose and fall out of contention by midsummer, and the Royals will have no choice but to break up the team and sell off parts until it’s no longer recognizable.

“It’s important we get off to a good start, and our players understand that,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore tells USA TODAY Sports. “They understand the importance of playing with one another, playing with innocence and not getting caught up where they will be next year.

“If it becomes more from the business side and less from the heart, then we will have to evaluate some things. We have to live in the moment, and as Yordano Ventura reminded us, tomorrow isn’t promised to us anyways.”

The Royals still are shaken from the Jan. 22 death of Ventura, who was honored Saturday before their first spring training game against the Texas Rangers. The flag flew at half-staff, highlights of Ventura’s career were shown on the Surprise Stadium video board, Adrian Beltre and Carlos Gomez of the Rangers placed a bouquet of flowers on the pitcher’s mound and there was a moment of silence.

A Ventura tribute plaque was presented to Royals manager Ned Yost that will be prominently displayed on the stadium concourse. It read in part, according to The Kansas City Star, “On most days he could be found laughing and joking with his baseball family in the clubhouse. However, on days when he pitched that smile was replaced by a quiet confidence and an intense fire which he brought to the mound every start.”

The Royals plan to live by that mantra all year.

“We don’t want to think about what might happen in the future,” says catcher Salvador Perez, who was one of Ventura’s closest friends. “We’re worried about now. We know we’ve got a lot of free agents that everybody wants.

“But as long as we’re together, let’s win and show everybody what we’re made of.”

The Royals, who will have a franchise-record $140 million payroll, made difficult decisions in the offseason, trading All-Star closer Wade Davis for Chicago Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler, sending outfielder Jarrod Dyson to the Seattle Mariners for Nathan Karns and letting DH Kendrys Morales walk away as a free agent.

Still, instead of succumbing to the harsh economics, they did something about it. They signed starter Danny Duffy, who was to be eligible for free agency after this season, to a five-year, $65 million contract. They signed slugger Brandon Moss to a two-year, $12 million deal to be the new DH. And they signed free agent starter Jason Hammel to a two-year, $16 million deal after Ventura’s death.

Now, they think they have at least one more run in them. First baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas, center fielder Lorenzo Cain and shortstop Alcides Escobar will be eligible for free agency, and it’s possible all four will depart

The Royals have had preliminary contract extension talks with Hosmer, but, realistically, it’s a long shot. He’s 27 and in the prime of his career, and the days of Royals lifetime contracts ended with George Brett, Willie Wilson and Frank White. The Royals have never given out a $100 million contract.

“We earned an opportunity to weigh our options and do the best for yourself,’” says Hosmer, the 2016 All-Star Game MVP who hit a career-high 25 homers with 104 RBI last season. “We would like to come back, but you don’t know what’s going to happen. None of us do.”

The Royals likely will wait until next offseason before seriously negotiating with any of their free agents. The strategy worked with outfielder Alex Gordon when he hit free agency after the 2015 season. They let him test the market to determine his worth and wound up signing him to a four-year, $72 million contract, the largest in franchise history.

Now, they might have no choice but to wait around again, curious to see what teams are willing to pay after a suppressed free agent market this offseason.

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“We’ve demonstrated in the past that we will be aggressive and go above and beyond to keep as many of our good players as we can,” Moore says. “We’d like to have them all come back, but we also know the challenges our market presents.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen, but I do feel better about this group than I ever have. I trust them. They care deeply about each other. They have a lot of grit and a lot of passion to win for one another.

“They appreciate what’s at stake.”

The Royals have shown, at least in the infancy of spring training, that they won’t let the future get in the way of the present. The players insist that no one brings up free agency, unless a reporter asks, and that not once has the subject even been broached privately among them.

“There’s no need for these guys to worry about what happens in the future,” starting pitcher Ian Kennedy says. “They’re too good. They’ll get paid.”

They might have no idea who will be signing their checks next year, but they can at least assure they’ll have the same employer all summer.

They just have to win, taking away any possible temptation the front office might have this summer of trading them first.

“Obviously we have a lot of free agents here, but we can only control so much,” Moustakas says. “Whatever happens, happens. We’ve just got to go out and play.

“Our focus is to go out there and win a World Series. If we do that, it’s going to be a lot of fun to see what happens here.”

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