It has always been true that a long-term contract between the Royals and Eric Hosmer has more forces working against than for it.
The two sides share a mutual respect and admiration, and team and player have grown together in unison. But richer clubs will be looking for first basemen this offseason, likely willing to spend more than the Royals, and besides, at this point any negotiation would probably start with a wider gap than most.
But we haven’t heard much from the Royals, at least not until the other day, when owner David Glass talked to The Star near a practice field here at camp.