CHICAGO — Any team with a high draft pick, a tradable asset and a few bucks can establish a window of contention.
The challenge comes in keeping that window ajar for a sufficient amount of time to make a real impact.
The Royals, coming off a 2014 pennant and 2015 championship, built such a sweet-looking window that they spent major bucks last offseason on free agents Alex Gordon and Ian Kennedy. Then they suffered major injuries and even worse underperformance and finished 81-81, and with core players Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas up for free agency next winter, their window is in major jeopardy of closing.