|
The Royals signed Duffy to his extension coming off a nearly 4-win season, with a year to go before he hit free agency.
It was his second time in three years performing at that level. They took a risk on him and it has gone wrong so far. Had he balled out again in 17, they would have been looking at a much bigger deal or him walking.
In hindsight, it’s easy to look at it and say it’s a bad bet. In the moment, the Royals were still trying to win in 17. The extension occurred a week before Yordano Ventura’s death.
Had that not occurred, the Royals would have had the top two spots in their rotation set with homegrown guys at reasonable prices for the next half-decade.
It’s ironic. For decades, Royals fans complained about being cheap and not re-signing players. The Royals finally re-sign some stars or make some big spends, and things go sideways on every one.
|