Tomorrow, Tuesday, will be the first full day of workouts for the entire team (all 63 players showing up for spring training). However, according to the Kansas City Star’s Bob Dutton, seven players have already signed their fate for the 2008 Season, with the Kansas City Royals:
Catcher Matt Tupman, first baseman/outfielder Justin Huber, third baseman Mario Lisson, outfielder Mitch Maier, and pitchers Tyler Lumsden, Neal Musser and Julio Pimentel, all have signed a one year deal with the club for most likely around the major league minimum (which went up starting this year to $390,000). All of these players have less then 3 years major league experience, and seems to be fitting the mold that the Royals like toward their future.
This spring training marks the start of another year, where any team can be “the team” of 2008. A team that comes out of nowhere and shocks the league, or the perennial champs that do what everyone thought they would, and run away with it early. The excitement is hardly containable as tomorrow marks the first day that the entire team is scheduled to be together.
Showing early confident decisions from the management and staff is a positive sign for the direction this team wants to take for the 2008 season.