Kansas City Royals

In winning the American League pennant in 2014 and the World Series in 2015, the Kansas City Royals had a system.

And on Opening Night of the 2016 season, they showed that the system still works.

The Royals began the new season on Sunday night the same way they ended the last season: by defeating the New York Mets. And though this one didn't win them a shiny trophy, the 4-3 victory they earned was still good enough for the adoring masses packed into Kauffman Stadium.

Edinson Volquez and the @Royals #KeepTheLineMoving in #OpeningDay victory: https://t.co/FxGclldIYA pic.twitter.com/6KhLStHFGm

— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2016

And let the record show that there were no fisticuffs. That seemed like a distinct possibility when word started circulating that the Royals were planning on exacting revenge for a wayward Noah Syndergaard fastball in the Fall Classic. But in the end, a dish best served cold was never served at all.

The Royals simply played baseball instead, and came away with more or less the type of win that they've specialized in. It's the kind of win where, when asked how it happened, the best response is, "Well, how long you got?"

Matt Harvey, one of baseball's best power pitchers, struck out only two batters in the process of giving up eight of Kansas City's nine hits in his five and two-thirds innings. That kept the pressure on the Mets defense all night, and the Royals further upped the ante by careening around the bases. Alcides Escobar stole a base, and aggressive baserunning plays by Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain led to runs.

Ho hum. The Royals' strikeout percentage over the last two seasons is the smallest in baseball by plenty. And in 2015, they swiped 104 bases (fifth) while finishing fourth in extra bases taken percentage. Driving other teams nuts with their style of offense is what they do.

"It's all team-oriented offense," first baseman Eric Hosmer recently told David Schoenfield of ESPN.com, "and that's why we're so successful and so successful against ace pitchers. I know we beat a tremendous amount of ace guys because our offense has truly bought into a game plan each and every day."

While Kansas City's offense specializes putting pressure on the opposing defense, their own defense is certainly none too shabby in its own right.

No team has saved more runs on defense over the last two years than the Royals', and there was more of that excellent glovework on display Sunday night. Moustakas and Hosmer made nifty plays at the corners, and Salvador Perez and Omar Infante teamed up on a caught-stealing worthy of Statcast:

Edinson Volquez was the beneficiary of these plays, which had a hand in him logging six shutout innings. He wasn't quite as sharp as those six scoreless innings and the two hits he allowed suggest, but he made enough good pitches to deserve a quality start.

And though quality starts are something the Royals didn't get a lot of last season, that didn't stop them from finishing with one of the league's top 10 ERAs. So between Volquez's performance and all the hitting, running and fielding the Royals were doing on Sunday night, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports was really just saying what everyone was thinking when he tweeted:

Great defense. Station-to-station hitting. Good pitching. First game of the year and Royals are Royalin'.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 4, 2016

There was, however, one element of the Royals' system that wasn't quite there Sunday night.

The dominant relief pitching they're used to enjoying hit a snag. Kelvin Herrera did fine in a scoreless seventh inning, but offseason signee/old friend Joakim Soria had to be bailed out by Luke Hochevar after giving up three runs on three hits and two walks in the eighth inning. And in the ninth inning, Wade Davis put runners on the corners before striking out David Wright and Yoenis Cespedes to end the game.

But don't worry about Davis. He has the lowest ERA (0.97) and lowest OPS allowed (.429) of any reliever over the last two seasons. The excellent stuff that made that's made that possible was on display Sunday night. And though it was lost on a tight strike zone, so was the command.

Soria is more of a question, as his stumble out of the gate wasn't entirely unexpected after he out-pitched his peripherals in 2015. But if he remains a question, Hochevar could prove to be an unexpected answer. Now well removed from his 2014 Tommy John operation, he may get back to being the overpowering reliever he was in 2013.

So, the one blemish on Kansas City's season-opening takedown of the Mets isn't worth worrying about. After posting the AL's lowest ERA across 2014 and 2015, the Royals bullpen should remain one of Major League Baseball's most formidable strengths.

The Royals won't have to come up with a new system as long as that's the case. Nor should they be in any hurry to, for that matter. 

At a time when hitters are striking out like crazy and still trying to trot rather than run around the bases, and when teams are trying to fool the defense gods with shifts and trusting more innings to their relievers, the Royals are basically Major League Baseball's answer to the Golden State Warriors. They're not just really good. They're ahead of the curve.

Of course, there is some doubt as to whether this system can be as successful in 2016 as it has been the last two years. Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA projections have the Royals finishing last in the AL Central. And despite some reservations based on how drastically the Royals outplayed a similar projection in 2015, Sam Miller wrote that he's "not totally convinced that PECOTA was exactly wrong last year, or is wrong this year."

In time, such a stance could prove to be justified. But after the Royals' latest triumph, everyone should be in I'll-believe-it-when-I-see-it mode regarding their projections.

Their system hasn't let them down yet. And one game into 2016, it's still looking pretty good.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked. 

 

The Kansas City Royals will begin the defense of their 2015 World Series title Sunday night against the team they beat to win the championship, the New York Mets.

The Royals are listed at 14-1 odds to win the World Series again this season at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark, while the Mets are 12-1.

Two other games on the schedule for Sunday include the St. Louis Cardinals visiting the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Tampa Bay Rays hosting the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Cardinals (18-1 to win the World Series) and Pirates (20-1) will both be trying to top the favored Chicago Cubs (5-1) this year, while the Blue Jays (10-1) are the leading American League team.

Kansas City will send Edinson Volquez (13-9, 3.55 ERA in 2015) to the mound after seeing his team defeat New York twice in his last two starts, including the World Series clincher in Game 5 that ended the franchise’s 30-year championship drought.

New York will counter with Matt Harvey (13-8, 2.71), who has been cleared to start after passing blood clots through his bladder. Harvey was scratched from his spring training start Tuesday to deal with the issue and threw a career-high 216 innings last season.

The Royals are 12-4 in their last 16 against National League opponents, including the World Series, while the Mets are 5-13 in their past 18 versus the AL.

St. Louis took 10 of the 19 meetings with Pittsburgh last year, according to the Odds Shark MLB Database, en route to winning its third consecutive NL Central title. The Cardinals, though, lost six of the 10 games played at PNC Park, where the Pirates went 53-28 last season.

Both finished ahead of Chicago in the division a year ago but find themselves battling public perception and the oddsmakers heading into the season.

St. Louis will give Adam Wainwright (2-1, 1.61) his first start since April 25 of last year in the opener while Pittsburgh rides with lefty Francisco Liriano (12-7, 3.38).

Toronto will kick off the season against a young Tampa Bay team that is 40-1 to win the World Series on the baseball betting futures. The Blue Jays were eliminated by Kansas City in the AL Championship Series last season and hope to take the next step this year.

Marcus Stroman (4-0, 1.67) gets the call for Toronto here off a disappointing postseason in which he went 1-0 with a 4.19 ERA coming off a torn ACL he suffered during spring training. The Rays will go with ace Chris Archer (12-13, 3.23), who had a career-best 252 strikeouts last year.

Kansas City Royals setup man Kelvin Herrera's home in the Dominican Republic was robbed during the offseason.

The fireballing right-hander took to Twitter on Friday, complaining about the lack of police response to the case, which began in January.

Herrera wrote his post in Spanish, but an editor who speaks the language loosely translated his words, per Matt Snyder of CBS Sports:

Last January, my home in Tenares, DR, was broken into by delinquents while my family and I were not home. The delinquents robbed us of everything of value, including my championship rings from the 2014 American League [Championship], 2013 World Baseball Classic, rings from Escogido and many other things that had incalculable sentimental value. Two months later, the police of Tenares, the town where I was born and raised and never turned my back on, has done absolutely nothing; they don't have a lead or a suspect, and the situation is frustrating.

Via this message, I'm calling upon the authorities, especially mayor Ermes Rodriguez and the municipal police director Martin Almonte, to wake up and help end the delinquency (crime).

Thankfully, the 26-year-old—who had a 153 ERA+ and 64 strikeouts in 69.2 innings last year, per Baseball-Reference.com—did not lose his 2015 World Series ring in the robbery because the team will not hand out the rings until Opening Day, per Snyder.

Josh Vernier of Kansas City's 610 Sports Radio and Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com provided updates after Herrera addressed the situation during spring training:

Herrera feels like the police know exactly who did it, but are dragging their feet & looking for a handout. #Royals

— Josh Vernier (@JoshVernier965) March 4, 2016

About the robbery of Kelvin Herrera's home: He tells me several rings were returned (thrown in back yard) including AL champ ring. #Royals

— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) March 4, 2016

It's good news that Herrera and his family were not home, and at least they got some sentimental items back.

However, it sounds as though they may never see some items that meant a lot to them again. Perhaps the police can find out who committed the crime, and the upcoming MLB season can provide a distraction for Herrera in the meantime.

Kansas City Royals right fielder Jarrod Dyson strained his right oblique during Wednesday's spring training game against the Texas Rangers, and it is uncertain when he will be able to return to action.

Continue for updates.

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Yost Comments on Dyson's Timeline for Recovery

Thursday, March 3

Manager Ned Yost told reporters Dyson is "likely" out for six weeks with a Grade 2 oblique strain.

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Dyson's Injury Harms Chances of Winning Starting Job

Over his first six years in the majors, Dyson carved his niche with the Royals as a reserve outfielder who provided blazing speed off of the bench. Since 2012, Dyson has recorded a combined 126 stolen bases in 399 games.

He was a part of one of the biggest moments in Royals history, scoring the go-ahead run on Christian Colon's single in the decisive Game 5 of the World Series against the New York Mets. 

Heading into 2016, Dyson had a real chance of winning the starting right field job, per Dodd, as he was set to compete with Paulo Orlando. Last year's starter, Alex Rios, is still on the free-agent market and won't return to the team.

"Man, I’m ready to play every day,” Dyson told Dodd. “Been ready.”

This injury, though, keeps the door open for the right field competition as Orlando will be in the mix. So will Travis Snider, a 27-year-old who replaced Dyson after he left Wednesday's game. Snider batted .232 with four home runs last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles.

Jose Martinez could also be in the mix. He's another 27-year-old who hit .382 in Triple-A ball last season. 

"But we’ll see how it plays. Quite frankly, I’ve been very impressed with Snider. And I know Paulo and Dyson; both of those guys have come in and been very impressive early," Yost told Dodd before Wednesday's game. "I’ve been impressed with Martinez. I like what I see out of him.”

The longer Dyson is sidelined, the more likely another player can work his way into the lineup and take playing time away from the 31-year-old when the regular season starts up in April. Instead of focusing on playing every day, he'll have to prove that he's healthy and work his way back into the lineup to help the Royals defend their World Series crown. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

The Kansas City Royals' task in 2016 is as simple as it is difficult: defend their World Series title.

But there's a larger plan brewing in Western Missouri—one that involves keeping the club's largely homegrown championship core intact for the long haul. By extending catcher and reigning Fall Classic MVP Salvador Perez at the outset of spring training, the Royals took a crucial step in that direction.

The deal, as Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported Tuesday, locks up Perez through 2021 by picking up three team options and adding an additional two years, plus "at least $30 million" in new money.

Though he's already logged 545 big league games, mostly behind the dish, Perez is still just 25 years old. And he cemented his durability the past two seasons, shrugging off various dings and bruises during KC's pair of deep postseason runs.

Before the extension was announced, Perez expressed his desire to remain a Royal in perpetuity.

"I want to be George Brett," he said, per Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star. "I want to be like Frank White, like Alex Gordon. One of those guys."

Gordon, of course, opted out of his Royals contract this winter but eventually re-signed with the club on a four-year, $72 million pact.

"I want to enjoy the success we have now, and the fun we have with all these guys," the left fielder and four-time Gold Glove winner said after inking his new deal, per Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post. "I've got a lot of friends on this team, and a lot of coaches, that I've gone through a lot with. It's just a more comfortable thing to come back here with all those relationships I have."

So that's two key cogs spinning in the machine for the foreseeable future.

There's more work to do, however, and it remains to be seen if the Royals have the resources to pull it off.

First baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas and center fielder Lorenzo Cain—essentially the remainder of Kansas City's offensive backbone—are all set to hit the open market after the 2017 season.

That trio, along with Perez and Gordon, combined for 18.3 wins above replacement in 2015, per FanGraphs. And that's merely a crude, short-hand measure of their actual worth to the franchise.

Hosmer recently indicated he'd be open to an extension, telling MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan, "If this group stays together, the best opportunity is right here." 

Then again, talk is cheap. Extensions for budding stars generally aren't.

At a certain point, the Royals will have to decide how far they can stretch financially. Currently, their payroll sits at No. 13 in the game, per Spotrac.com, which is almost exactly the middle of the pack. Championships, however, mean more than confetti and champagne.

They mean an infusion of cash and a swelling, hungry fanbase. If the Royals charge through October again this season, it's entirely possible the purse strings could loosen enough to accommodate more sizable paydays.

That's not a given. FanGraphs projects the Royals to finish a pedestrian 77-85, tied for last place in the balanced American League Central. Maybe the starting pitching won't be enough. Maybe cracks will emerge in the vaunted bullpen. 

More than anything, though, the doubts should provide added motivation and bulletin-board fodder for a team that's been underestimated before. And it might only strengthen an already cohesive clubhouse.

"As an organization," Mellinger noted, "the Royals credit much of their success to a relentlessly supportive culture for their players."

Will that culture be enough to keep all this talent from jetting off to larger markets? Not without some beefy checks to back it up.

But, as it proved with Gordon and Perez, Kansas City is now in the check-cutting business. After years as a perpetually rebuilding afterthought, the Royals have a great thing going.

Now, their simple, difficult task is to keep it going. 

"We fully expect to sign as many of our players that we currently have on our team to long-term contracts," general manager Dayton Moore said, per Flanagan. "We anticipate that happening as we go forward. Will we get them all? Time will tell."

Time and, if everything breaks right, another World Series run.

All statistics and contract information courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

Catcher Salvador Perez has been an integral part of the Kansas City Royals lineup on a team-friendly deal since the 2012 campaign. Tuesday, the club announced it has rewarded him for his efforts with a new contract.  

Jon Heyman of MLB Network first reported the agreement is for five years and $52.5 million, with Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reporting the new guaranteed money is for two years and $36 million. 

This doesn’t come as much surprise, considering Heyman reported earlier in the offseason that the Royals were "quietly trying to rework/extend" the three-time All-Star's deal.

Perez signed a five-year contract with the Royals worth $7 million before the 2012 campaign. Per Baseball-Reference.com, the deal also included club options worth a combined $14.75 million that could have kept him in Kansas City for three additional seasons.

It was something of a risky move at the time for the front office because Perez was only 21 years old and coming off a mere 39 games played in his rookie season. He did hit .331 in that small sample size in 2011, and Kansas City made a long-term commitment to the prospect.

It certainly worked out well for the Royals, as Perez has developed into an offensive force and one of the best defensive catchers in all of baseball with three Gold Gloves to his name. Perez hit .260 with a career-best 21 home runs and 70 RBI in 2015, although his 2.2 WAR was his lowest mark since his rookie season.

The dip in WAR can be partially explained by a .280 on-base percentage, which was only .020 points ahead of his batting average because of a mere 13 walks in 142 games. However, he was a postseason hero for the World Series champions and belted four home runs in the playoffs. He also hit .364 against the New York Mets in the Fall Classic.

In fact, Perez was named the World Series MVP for his efforts and drove home the tying run in the ninth inning of Kansas City’s title-clinching win.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore discussed the possibility of reworking Perez’s contract in the aftermath, per Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com:

That's a decision we'd have to discuss as an organization. I don't know when the right time is to do that. I don't know if there have been examples of [restructuring long-term deals]. But if a player doesn't perform, the club is usually often wishing it didn't [do a long-term deal].

But you know, we love Salvy. He's family. We'll see.

Even with the drop-off in WAR in 2015, Perez is still one of the best backstops in the league. According to MLB.com, he was fifth among all catchers in batting average, third in home runs and fifth in RBI. Perhaps more importantly, FanGraphs noted Perez is responsible for 34 total defensive runs saved above average since 2011.

FanGraphs also rated Perez as the second-best defensive catcher in all of baseball from 2013 to 2015.

Catchers are involved in virtually every play on the diamond, and Perez’s fielding ability stands out even more than his traditional offensive power metrics. He will also only be 26 years old during the majority of the 2016 campaign and theoretically has a handful of productive years remaining in his prime.

The postseason production was an indication that he can perform at a championship level in the most important moments, and the Royals would probably gladly pay more money on Perez's contract if he helps bring home another World Series title.

Seeking depth for their starting rotation, the Kansas City Royals signed left-hander Mike Minor to a two-year contract Friday.   

The Royals announced Minor's deal on Twitter. Per Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com, Minor will make $6 million through 2017, and the agreement includes a mutual option for 2018 valued at $10 million with a $1.5 million buyout. 

To make room for Minor, per MLB Roster Moves, the Royals put left-handed starter Jason Vargas on the 60-day disabled list as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. 

Per Flanagan, the Royals believe there is a "slim chance" Vargas pitches this season after he went under the knife on Aug. 5.

Minor isn't coming to Kansas City with a track record of staying healthy. The 28-year-old missed all of 2015 after having surgery in May to repair a slightly torn labrum in his left (pitching) shoulder. 

Royals general manager Dayton Moore told reporters (via Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star) that Minor will likely miss "six weeks to two months" of the regular season while he continues to rehab his shoulder. 

The Royals are betting on Minor's youth and upside with this deal. He spent the first five years of his career with the Atlanta Braves, looking like a terrific young piece in their rotation in 2013 with career highs in starts (32), innings (204.2), ERA (3.21), strikeouts (181) and WHIP (1.09).

In 2014, even though things started to fall apart for Minor with a 4.77 ERA in 25 starts, he still had occasional moments of brilliance, via MLB.com:

Moore is not afraid to take risks on starting pitchers. He already signed Ian Kennedy, who had a 4.28 ERA last season, to a five-year contract. Chris Young was a reclamation project taken on in 2015 and posted a 3.06 ERA in 34 games (18 starts). 

The Royals' success stems largely from an outstanding defense, which will put less pressure on Minor to overpower hitters when he returns. If his shoulder is close to 100 percent, this signing will be one of the biggest offseason steals. 

The Kansas City Royals locked up two key leaders in their organization Thursday, announcing contract extensions for manager Ned Yost and executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager Dayton Moore.

Andrew Simon reported the news for the Royals' official website, indicating that the length of Moore's new deal isn't yet known, but that Yost's extension goes through the 2018 season.

Royals president Dan Glass commented on the decision to extend Moore, via the news release:

You can't find an individual with a stronger work ethic or dedication to his craft than Dayton Moore. He possesses all of the qualities you look for starting with his leadership, to organizational vision and tireless dedication to the position. Dayton also possesses the ability to get everyone working toward the same common goal, which is to strive daily to make this organization better.

Moore has done a tremendous job constructing a championship roster for the Royals, who appeared in the past two World Series and hoisted the Commissioner's Trophy this past year. He has been in Kansas City's front office since 2006 and has cemented an indefinite tenure.

"It's a privilege to continue to represent the Glass family, our organization and the great fans as the general manager of the Kansas City Royals," said Moore, via Simon. "I'm proud of the culture and it's an honor to work alongside so many talented and dedicated people within this organization."

But Yost was the clubhouse catalyst who helped the Royals take the next step. The skipper shepherded a burgeoning young core into a juggernaut contender.

The duration of Yost's new deal is in line with how long he believes Kansas City can remain a factor in the Fall Classic picture.

"You work so hard as a group to develop a winner, and it's hard to leave while they still have an opportunity to win," Yost said, via the Kansas City Star's Rustin Dodd. "We feel like we've got that opportunity [to win] for the next three years."

ESPN Stats & Info highlighted how magnificent Yost has been when it counts most:

Ned Yost: 22-9 in the postseason, the best postseason record in MLB history (min. 20 games). @Royals https://t.co/BfZwBKCv8P

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 18, 2016

"We are extremely delighted that Ned will remain our manager through at least the 2018 championship season," Moore said of Yost, via Simon. "It's an absolute joy and honor to work alongside him."

Part of the reason Moore's vision for the club came to fruition in the form of a World Series crown was his patience with Yost, whose time in the Kansas City dugout began with three losing seasons. 

Instead of making a rash decision to fire him based on the lack of bottom-line results, Moore stuck with a manager who hadn't made the playoffs in six prior years with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Their partnership has appropriately been extended at the same time, presenting an exemplary, unified front for the reigning World Series champions.

Although Moore and Co. weren't able to retain marquee starting pitcher Johnny Cueto in free agency, Kansas City still has much of its nucleus intact. That should help its efforts to guard the Commissioner's Trophy in 2016, though Odds Shark lists the Royals with 16-1 odds to do so, behind six other clubs.

The Kansas City Royals announced that they've locked up another one of their core players, with third baseman Mike Moustakas agreeing to a new two-year deal. 

Jon Heyman of MLB Network first reported the deal, noting that it's worth $14.3 million.

The Royals weren't in immediate danger of losing Moustakas, who is under team control through 2017, but he was the biggest piece they had yet to get under contract this offseason. Lorenzo Cain, who was also entering his final two years of arbitration, signed a two-year extension in January. 

Alex Gordon, who has been with the Royals since 2007, decided against leaving via free agency and instead signed a four-year deal worth $72 million. All of the other core players who helped Kansas City win the World Series aside from Moustakas remained under contract at least through 2016. 

Moustakas didn't seem concerned about something coming together, telling Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com he had discussed a two-year deal with the Royals. 

The 27-year-old Moustakas has had one of the most fascinating career arcs in recent memory. He was Kansas City's No. 2 pick in 2007 and then looked like a bust as his OPS went from .708 in 2012 to .632 in 2014, which led to him briefly being sent down to Triple-A to fix things. 

While the results weren't immediately apparent, Moustakas did show signs of life in the 2014 postseason with five home runs in 15 games. He carried those changes into 2015, posting career highs in batting average (.284), on-base percentage (.348), slugging percentage (.470) and home runs (22). 

The Royals have built one of the most cohesive teams in Major League Baseball, using their financial resources wisely and developing talent in the minors. Moustakas is a perfect representation for this era of Kansas City baseball, making his contract extension an easy choice for the franchise. 

With arbitration looming, Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas reportedly agreed to a two-year, $14.3 million deal, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

This is nothing new for Moustakas and the Royals. Both parties avoided arbitration last season when he signed a one-year, $2.6 million deal, per Spotrac.com.

It was quite a season for him, too. Moustakas was selected to his first MLB All-Star Game in his five-year career after achieving career highs with a .284 batting average, 22 home runs and 82 RBI.

In seasons in which he played over 100 games, the 27-year-old had never batted over .242 until 2015.

He was one of the centerpieces of a Royals team that won its first World Series in 29 years, beating the New York Mets in five games.  

While he and the Royals are flying high this offseason, they had a lot of work to do in order to find him a new deal, per Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan on Jan. 15:

Mike Moustakas and the Royals have a huge gap. Moustakas is asking for $7 million and the Royals offering $4.2 million.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 15, 2016

Moustakas is just one of the pieces that embody what the Royals are all about. He possesses a blue-collar mentality and doesn't bring anything flashy to his play at the hot corner. 

The Royals are not a team of superstars. They're just a unit of solid players who know how to give their all for one another and find ways to win games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZYXc4NSXHY

So far, the Royals have done well this offseason to hold onto their core after their championship. While they lost Ben Zobrist to the Chicago Cubs, they managed to retain longtime Royal Alex Gordon with a four-year, $72 million deal. 

They also avoided arbitration with outfielder Lorenzo Cain with a two-year, $17.5 million contract earlier in January. 

After the year the Royals had and given what Moustakas brings to the chemistry of this team, Kansas City made it a priority to get on the same page with its third baseman.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com