Alex Rios to Royals

[fuhrdog]

1 year 11m

https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/544660463934771200

[Hornsby]

Perfectly reasonable gamble...this is a guy one year removed from an 18 HR/42 steal season.

[onejayhawk]

This says interesting things about the Rangers.

J

[Pogues]

Perfectly reasonable gamble...this is a guy one year removed from an 18 HR/42 steal season.

"Perfectly reasonable gamble", I've noticed, has become code for "f'in morons spending too much money on this shitty player" around these parts.

[onejayhawk]

"Perfectly reasonable gamble", I've noticed, has become code for "f'in morons spending too much money on this shitty player" around these parts.

No. It means someone is paying $20 more than expected earnings.

OK. Same thing.

J

[Kevin Seitzer]

"Perfectly reasonable gamble", I've noticed, has become code for "f'in morons spending too much money on this shitty player" around these parts.

MLB revenues are up, therefore free agents get more money (as it should be). There will still be good signings and bad signings, but you can't sign players now for what they would have cost 5 years ago.

[madducks]

MLB revenues are up, therefore free agents get more money (as it should be). There will still be good signings and bad signings, but you can't sign players now for what they would have cost 5 years ago.

Is it my imagination or have the salaries for top middle relievers gone up more than any other position in the last five years?

[fuhrdog]

MLB revenues are up, therefore free agents get more money (as it should be).

Too bad it doesn't trickle back down to the families attending the games

[revo]

Is it my imagination or have the salaries for top middle relievers gone up more than any other position in the last five years?

It's not your imagination. The Royals discovered the new Moneyball angle, that paying three guys decent money to lock down 33%-40% of a game when ahead is worth more than paying one guy huge money. It makes a lot of sense -- if we could guarantee that reliever stats don't wildly fluctuate from year to year, which is often the case.

[Controller Jacobs]

It's not your imagination. The Royals discovered the new Moneyball angle, that paying three guys decent money to lock down 33%-40% of a game when ahead is worth more than paying one guy huge money. It makes a lot of sense -- if we could guarantee that reliever stats don't wildly fluctuate from year to year, which is often the case.

I think they didn't so much discover it as have it forced on them - they tried using Wade Davis as a starter, but he was brutal there. And they were still trying to develop Kelvin Herrera as a starter in 2010, but he was apparently too fragile (my guess, based on browsing his total # of starts each year). Then each revealed themselves to be magic in relief.

But KC has quietly re-signed Jason Frasor and Luke Hochevar, so it certainly appears they appreciate the value the bullpen gave them.

[Sour Masher]

It has long been assumed that the Royals would have to trade Holland or Davis, given their salaries. I have both and would love for that to happen, but I've always thought that the Royals might just keep both. They are such an effective combo, they are worth the money.