When the offseason began, the conventional wisdom in baseball circles had settled. Eric Hosmer, a free agent for the first time, was a strong fit in Boston. Mike Moustakas was likely headed to the Los Angeles Angels. And finally, there was Lorenzo Cain, a dynamic center fielder and former All-Star. The market was likely to be bullish.
The Royals, the wisdom suggested, would lack the financial means to compete for Hosmer, Moustakas and Cain. So they would transition to a rebuilding phase, paring down payroll and replenishing their farm system. In a best-case scenario, they would lose for three seasons, restocking the cupboard and focusing on development, arriving at the start of a new win cycle in 2021 or 2022.