Post by Zack Attack Troll on Dec 2, 2007 0:24:20 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/sports/royals/story/385629.html
I think he finally gets it.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. | There has been no “sea change” in organizational philosophy — so Royals owner David Glass insists — but suddenly his club no longer exhibits a beggarly approach when trolling for offseason personnel acquisitions.The new trend surfaced last year at the annual winter meetings when the Royals, and new general manager Dayton Moore, rocked the baseball world by outbidding everyone in signing free-agent pitcher Gil Meche to a five-year deal for $55 million.
More recently, the club validated its interest in free-agent outfielder Torii Hunter by ponying up a club-record offer of $70 million over five years.
The Royals were prepared to go even higher until the Angels swooped in and grabbed Hunter with a blow-away bid of $90 million for five years.
So is there any reason to doubt Moore and his top lieutenants will again be serious players this week as the 2008 winter meetings unfold?
“The way we’re operating is no different from the way we did things in Atlanta,” said Moore, who spent 12 years in the Braves’ front office before taking control of the Royals in June 2006.
“Not that Atlanta was the best way. I’m not saying that. But it’s the only way I know how, and that’s the way we’re doing it. Ownership has been very supportive. I’m not asked to make any adjustments. The way we’re pursuing these free agents is the exact same way that I’m used to doing things.”
The Atlanta way was pretty good; the Braves reached the postseason each year that Moore worked in the organization. That track record is why the Glass family continues to cede operational control to Moore in all baseball matters.
“We’re not going to restrict ourselves as to what we can and can’t do,” Glass said. “Most of the things that Dayton has done have been right on. So I’ve got a lot of confidence in his judgment and his approach.”
The Royals come to Music City in hopes of filling two glaring holes: a right-handed power hitter, preferably an outfielder; and a reliable veteran pitcher for the middle of their rotation.
They also come with a clear No. 1 target for both needs: free-agent outfielder Jose Guillen and Japanese right-hander Hiroki Kuroda. Look for them to go hard after both, even if it means getting into a bidding war.
“Now, we’re not the Yankees or the Red Sox or the Dodgers,” Moore said. “And I’m not going to do dumb things, but the Glass family wants to win. They expect to win, and they’ve empowered our front office to make decisions that are going to put us in a position to win.”
The Royals entered last season with a club-record payroll of $58.2 million for their 25-man roster. The offer to Hunter indicates they are willing to soar past that for 2008 and consider the possibility of a $75 million-$80 million payroll — perhaps more — within a few years.
“We don’t need to be out there chasing something just to be chasing it,” Glass said.
“We want to improve our team. We’re determined to be competitive. But we want to stay on track with the plan we have.”
So where is the money coming from?
Start with baseball’s booming growth as an industry in recent years. Commissioner Bud Selig recently reported Major League Baseball generated a record $6.075 billion in revenues for the 2007 season.
Increasingly, that revenue is spread among all 30 clubs. Merchandising, licensing, national TV broadcast contracts and MLB’s lucrative online offerings all go into a central fund for equitable distribution.
The sport’s revenue-sharing plan also continues to grow. Selig said MLB transferred a record $342 million this year from its richer teams to poorer teams on a sliding-scale basis. The Royals’ cut was believed to top $25 million, but no official figures are available.
The Royals also anticipate a boost in revenue over the next few years from the ongoing renovations at Kauffman Stadium.
Most important, perhaps, is that Glass, at age 72, no longer sounds like the fire-breathing reformer who spearheaded baseball’s charge toward fiscal responsibility.
“He’s fought a lot of battles over the years to do what he thought was best for baseball,” a close friend said.
“He still feels the same way, but he’s tired of losing. He wants to win.”
The Meche contract prompted a tongue-lashing from Selig and, for the first time, put Glass on the flip side of the fiscal-responsibility debate. The club’s offer to Hunter and its openly aggressive pursuit of Guillen and Kuroda underscore a new approach.
“Are we willing to take a chance?” Glass asked. “Yep, but it has to be something special. There’s been no sea change.
“But at the same time, I have a responsibility to do everything that I can do to put a competitive team on the field for Kansas City. And we’re headed there.”
More recently, the club validated its interest in free-agent outfielder Torii Hunter by ponying up a club-record offer of $70 million over five years.
The Royals were prepared to go even higher until the Angels swooped in and grabbed Hunter with a blow-away bid of $90 million for five years.
So is there any reason to doubt Moore and his top lieutenants will again be serious players this week as the 2008 winter meetings unfold?
“The way we’re operating is no different from the way we did things in Atlanta,” said Moore, who spent 12 years in the Braves’ front office before taking control of the Royals in June 2006.
“Not that Atlanta was the best way. I’m not saying that. But it’s the only way I know how, and that’s the way we’re doing it. Ownership has been very supportive. I’m not asked to make any adjustments. The way we’re pursuing these free agents is the exact same way that I’m used to doing things.”
The Atlanta way was pretty good; the Braves reached the postseason each year that Moore worked in the organization. That track record is why the Glass family continues to cede operational control to Moore in all baseball matters.
“We’re not going to restrict ourselves as to what we can and can’t do,” Glass said. “Most of the things that Dayton has done have been right on. So I’ve got a lot of confidence in his judgment and his approach.”
The Royals come to Music City in hopes of filling two glaring holes: a right-handed power hitter, preferably an outfielder; and a reliable veteran pitcher for the middle of their rotation.
They also come with a clear No. 1 target for both needs: free-agent outfielder Jose Guillen and Japanese right-hander Hiroki Kuroda. Look for them to go hard after both, even if it means getting into a bidding war.
“Now, we’re not the Yankees or the Red Sox or the Dodgers,” Moore said. “And I’m not going to do dumb things, but the Glass family wants to win. They expect to win, and they’ve empowered our front office to make decisions that are going to put us in a position to win.”
The Royals entered last season with a club-record payroll of $58.2 million for their 25-man roster. The offer to Hunter indicates they are willing to soar past that for 2008 and consider the possibility of a $75 million-$80 million payroll — perhaps more — within a few years.
“We don’t need to be out there chasing something just to be chasing it,” Glass said.
“We want to improve our team. We’re determined to be competitive. But we want to stay on track with the plan we have.”
So where is the money coming from?
Start with baseball’s booming growth as an industry in recent years. Commissioner Bud Selig recently reported Major League Baseball generated a record $6.075 billion in revenues for the 2007 season.
Increasingly, that revenue is spread among all 30 clubs. Merchandising, licensing, national TV broadcast contracts and MLB’s lucrative online offerings all go into a central fund for equitable distribution.
The sport’s revenue-sharing plan also continues to grow. Selig said MLB transferred a record $342 million this year from its richer teams to poorer teams on a sliding-scale basis. The Royals’ cut was believed to top $25 million, but no official figures are available.
The Royals also anticipate a boost in revenue over the next few years from the ongoing renovations at Kauffman Stadium.
Most important, perhaps, is that Glass, at age 72, no longer sounds like the fire-breathing reformer who spearheaded baseball’s charge toward fiscal responsibility.
“He’s fought a lot of battles over the years to do what he thought was best for baseball,” a close friend said.
“He still feels the same way, but he’s tired of losing. He wants to win.”
The Meche contract prompted a tongue-lashing from Selig and, for the first time, put Glass on the flip side of the fiscal-responsibility debate. The club’s offer to Hunter and its openly aggressive pursuit of Guillen and Kuroda underscore a new approach.
“Are we willing to take a chance?” Glass asked. “Yep, but it has to be something special. There’s been no sea change.
“But at the same time, I have a responsibility to do everything that I can do to put a competitive team on the field for Kansas City. And we’re headed there.”
I think he finally gets it.
