Nightengale: Will James Shields, Moore bow out together?
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - They will forever be linked in Royals folklore, bringing a World Series to this community for the first time in 29 years, and reinvigorating a passionate fan base.
Royals general manager Dayton Moore is the man who resurrected this decaying franchise.
Starter James Shields is not only the ace, but also their fiery leader that had the Royals believing in themselves all season, starting Game 1 of the World Series Tuesday night in front of the frenzied crowd at Kauffman Stadium.
Yet, during this time of glory and greatness in Kansas City, the two of them also share a painful secret.
They know that this could be their final week together.
Shields is a free agent once the World Series ends, and considering the Royals' spending habits in free agency, they might have about the same chance of keeping him as sushi bars overtaking the barbeque business in Kansas City.
While Moore still is under contract for two more years, the Atlanta Braves have not hidden their desire to hire him to fill their GM vacancy, with Royals owner David Glass saying he wouldn't prevent Moore from leaving.
Why, even Braves president John Schuerholz was at Kauffman Stadium, although not on a recruiting trip, he says, but to enjoy the festivities. He was the GM for the last Royals World Series club.
Of course, it's no secret that Moore is Schuerholz's protégé, and the two are best of friends.
Certainly, the suspense of their future is making quite an intriguing backdrop to the World Series, and Moore and Shields have vowed that they'll talk about it in time.
Just not right now.
"I don't know if there's anything to address now,'' Moore says.
Says Shields: "We've got all winter to talk about it. I'm just focusing on the moment.''
Yet, while Shields and Moore aren't talking about their future, they've sure got everybody else at the World Series discussing their fate.
And that was before Shields' potential KC swan song began ominously, giving up five hits and three runs in the first inning to an amped Giants team.
The Royals say they'll try to make sure that won't be his last potential start at Kauffman Stadium. They will try to retain Shields, and certainly plan on extending the $15.3 million qualifying offer, but folks are convinced Shields is gone. The only suspense is where he goes. And when baseball executives reel off the possibilities, from Boston to New York to Detroit to Los Angeles, Kansas City never makes the cut.
The Royals have never invested more than $55 million for a free agent in franchise history, and left fielder Alex Gordon is their highest-paid player at $14 million in 2015.
Shields, according to several player agents, likely will command a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $100 million.
Certainly, the Royals will have a lot more in their piggy bank after reaching the World Series, but Moore also is a realist.
"We're not going to be big players on the free agent market,'' Moore says. "We just aren't. We'll take our shot now and then like we have in the past, but it's got to fit in with the current group of talent. It's obviously got to fit in and blend in with the current group of talent, and it's obviously got to fit with what our payroll structure is.
"We try to evaluate ourselves very honestly.''
And, honestly, the Royals don't have a prayer in keeping him.
Moore knew what the score was two years ago when he had the guts and conviction to trade for starter Shields, acquiring him along with pitcher Wade Davis from the Tampa Bay Rays for prized prospect Wil Myers.
The trade was ripped to the high heavens, with one columnist calling it the worst trade in baseball history. Now, even if Myers turns into Mike Trout, it'll go down as one of the greatest moves in Royals history, vaulting them into greatness.
"You can't predict this situation of course,'' Moore tells Paste BN Sports, "but whether we made the playoffs or not, we knew we'd be playing competitive baseball. We knew that James Shields and Wade David would make us better.
"If Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez, Lorenzo Cain, and even Alex Gordon were going to become the talents and players we believed they were going to be, the only way to do that was to get quality pitching.''
They got just what they wanted. Shields went 13-9 with a 3.15 ERA in 2013, leading the league with 228 2/3 innings. For an encore, he went 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA with 227 innings this year. He's pitched three times this postseason before Tuesday's start, and although he was just 1-0 with a 5.631 ERA, never making it past the sixth inning, the Royals won all three games.
"I haven't pitched the way I wanted to,'' said Shields, who is 1-0 with a 5.63 ERA in three starts. "But with that said, I feel really good. I am a big believer in amnesia, so I am not too worried about it.''
Considering he was battling a painful kidney stone during the American League Championship Series against the Baltimore Orioles, maybe a bout of amnesia is good.
This is a tough dude. He volunteered in September to pitch on three days' rest the final month just to get the Royals into the playoffs. The Royals passed on the offer, but it was a testament to his desire to win that he would sacrifice his health, and a chance for a financial windfall, to even volunteer.
Now, pitching on the national stage, Shields refuses to talk about free agency, saying it's absolutely the last thing on his mind. He simply refuses to campaign for his own interest when there's a World Series to be won.
"James Shields is a pro,'' Moore said Tuesday just two hours before Shields' start. "James Shields embraces everything about this game. He doesn't complain. He loves dealing with the fans. He loves the clubhouse. He loves to compete. He enjoys all aspects of the game.
"He's a complete professional.''
If Shields has no interest in talking about his future, Moore is just as uncomfortable talking about his, and the possiblity of leaving for the Braves. Moore could easily halt the speculation by simply telling his staff that he's not going anywhere. Yet, he looks you in the eye and tells you that he loves working in Kansas City, is grateful to the Glass family, and acts like a man who's going nowhere.
"We have a great organization here,'' Moore says, "with a lot of good people. I think it's a great place to work. Hopefully, our people feel the same way.''
If the World Series indeed is the end of the road for Moore and Shields, splitting up after the last champagne cork is popped, what a way to go out.
Moore will never forget what Shields meant for the Royals' franchise.
Shields will never forget what Moore did for him, having the belief in him to be the ace, and a franchise difference-maker.
One day, they'll sit down and talk, Moore says, maybe even cry, sharing what the two have meant for one another.
"For now, we've just got to focus on each day,'' Moore says. "That's how baseball is. That's how we are conditioned in this game. It's unforgiving if you get too far ahead of yourself.
"But there will be a time.''
Who knows, maybe right in the middle of one last champagne celebration.
GALLERY: Royals, Giants in the 2014 World Series