Royals resign Danny Duffy to a 5-year deal
In 2012, the young Danny Duffy tweeted out "Bury me a Royal". Today, January 16th, the Royals have signed the south paw to a 5-year 65-million dollar deal. The Deal is backloaded with Duffy's pay going from 5-million dollars in 2017, jumping to 14-million dollars in 2018, 15.25-million in 2019 and 2020, one final bump to 15.5-million in 2021. The move saves the Royals anywhere from 2.5-million, to 3-million in 2017 thanks to the Royals buying out Duffy's last year of arbitration. Duffy, filed for 8-million dollars in arbitration this offseason.
Danny Duffy had a career year in 2016. He made the move from the bullpen to the rotation early on in the year and never looked back. Leading a bad Royals rotation, Duffy pitched in a career high 42-games in 2016. Duffy started 26 of those games posting a 3.51-ERA, and a 1.141-WHIP to go along with his career bests in Strike outs per 9-innings (9.4). In 2016, many people had Duffy in the CY Young award conversation. Danny Duffy pitched a career high 179.2-innings. He finished last season with a 12-3 record.
Danny Duffy has been branded a head-case his whole career, rightfully so. However, he did his best to shed that title in 2016 preforming well throughout the entire year as he had to lead the charge for the subpar Royals pitching staff. Some fans and media members are not sold that Danny has "Flipped the switch". I too am in that camp. Even if last year was an outlier and Duffy is not a "true-ace" we have all seen him be lights-out from the bullpen. A role he is comfortable in. Even if Danny Duffy has to be relegated back to the pen, 65-million dollars for a very good bullpen arm is nothing, in this pitchers market.
There are not many ways, if any ways you can knock this move. The Royals have finally.....FINALLY, locked-up a home-grown pitcher long-term. Royals fans can get their first looks at a game-like situation for Duffy in the 2017 World Baseball Classic as he takes the hill for Team USA this spring. Statistically, players who preform in the WBC, have a "down-year" in the major leagues. That is very key to the 2017 Royals, without Duffy almost matching what he did last season the year is over before it starts for the Kansas City Royals.
