George Brett has the same questions you do. He wonders about the looming free agents and the new acquisitions and how better health might help the 2017 Royals. He thinks about the future of Eric Hosmer, and the tragedy of Yordano Ventura, and what the clubhouse might look like in August if the Royals are not in contention at the trade deadline.
“It’s something that they can use,” Brett says, “knowing that if they’re not competitive, who knows what’s going to happen at the trading deadline.”
It is just before 9:30 on Sunday morning, and the greatest player in Royals history is standing inside the clubhouse here in Arizona, sipping on a cup of coffee, waiting out a morning rainstorm, pondering the pivotal questions of this 2017 season.