James Shields just went on a wild ride with the Kansas City Royals just before he was about to hit the open market.
Shields wasn’t at his best this postseason – his 7.00 playoff ERA did not live up to the name of Big Game James. He is still going to make a ton of money this offseason, and he should stay a part of this franchise for the foreseeable future.
Shields came over to the Royals is a blockbuster trade that saw Wil Myers go to the Tampa Bay Rays. That is a top-tier talent sent out for a player who could end up spending two years with the franchise (they also got Wade Davis in the deal). The Royals will be looked at as winners on the trade no matter what Myers does as long as they re-sign Shields.
The Royals are finally seeing the payoff to so many bad seasons in the early part of this century. They have a team built around young potential, with Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain and Salvador Perez leading the offense, while Davis, Greg Holland and Kelvin Herrera finished off games every single night. Shields is needed to anchor their rotation.
It’s hard to predict what the Royals’ payroll is going to be. Many of their stars are arbitration eligible this season. How players like Holland, Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer get paid will decide how much the Royals can spend on the starting staff.
If the Royals don’t spend on the starting staff, then they will seriously regress next season; they will be a one-and-done contender. The fans in Kansas City did not wait more than two decades to have one good run, then have it be over. The fans want to make this the norm.
Shields did a lot for this franchise, as he is one of the reasons they finally turned it around. Despite his poor performance, the Royals don’t make it to the World Series without Shields. The team should do its fans diligence and bring back a pennant winning club, and that starts with re-signing their ace.
Nick Villano is the New Jersey Devils writer for Rant Sports. He also adds to the site’s NBA, MLB and NFL content. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your Google circle.
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