So far this offseason has been very quiet, but one of the milestones each winter is the publication of prospect rankings. Two of the big ones - Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America - recognized some Royals prospects, though, interestingly different groups.

In the here and now, we also discussed the new contract for Whit Merrifield, including what it means for the roster, the minor league rising stars, and the Royals contention window. Mostly, it's a nice payday for Whit and allows him to avoid the arbitration process. The Royals, in return, get to bank on a young player but have some cost certainty in place. 

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