KANSAS CITY Andrew Chafin Jersey , Mo. (AP) — Royals general manager Dayton Moore had seen enough progress under Ned Yost, and his manager in turn had seen enough progress in some promising young players, that there was no reason to delay what had become inevitable.So, with a simple statement issued before the Royals closed their 50th season with an unsightly 58-104 record, Yost announced he had signed an extension to return next season.The biggest question surrounding the club heading into the offseason had been answered.“We’re at a point in time right now where we think continuity is even more crucial than it has been in the past,” Moore said. “We’ve seen the improvement of a lot of the players that are on the field right now. We’re really pleased with the coaching staff. Most importantly, Ned’s been a huge part of the success of this organization and we feel it’s important to keep that together. … I’m excited about next year.”Most times, there would be little reason to feel good about a season that ended with 100 losses for only the fifth time in franchise history. But after some late-season moves, including a conscious decision to play young prospects every day, the Royals suddenly became quite competitive.They won five of their last seven and went 21-14 over the final five weeks.“I knew this was going to be a long haul. But I also know how to go about,” Yost said. “You have to show up every day with energy. When you get these young guys Darryl Strawberry Jersey , you have to know when to step on the gas and when to lay off the gas. The best thing we did all summer was not to put pressure on them. To let them show up every day and to work their tail off.“As a group, you saw them start to believe in each other, start to believe in themselves and then here we go. Now we’re starting to have some success and the game is exciting again.”WHO’S GONEShortstop Alcides Escobar, a fixture on the 2014 and ’15 World Series teams, will become a free agent after he returned to Kansas City on a one-year deal. The Royals are also likely to pay $2 million to rid themselves of ineffective right-hander Jason Hammel.HE’S STILL HEREThe Royals probably wish they had a similar buyout for outfielder Alex Gordon, who is owed $20 million next season, or right-hander Ian Kennedy, who is due $33 million over the next two seasons. But both veterans will be back alongside a plethora of promising young players, including breakout star Adalberto Mondesi, improving outfielder Jorge Soler and longtime backstop Salvador Perez.“I’ve learned a lot this year about my game and the way I need to play,” Mondesi said. “I’ve stayed focused and working every day on those things to help me this year. I plan to keep working on those little things and stay focused and just work for next year.”OFFSEASON MOVESDon’t expect the Royals to do much in free agency as they trim payroll in the hopes of fielding a more competitive team a couple years from now. That said http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-jacob-degrom-jersey , keep an eye on utility man Whit Merrifield, who remains under club control with three years or arbitration eligibility. The Royals held onto him at the trade deadline, but they might be enticed to move him with the right offer.ON THE HILLMoore likes to say that pitching is “the currency of baseball,” and if that’s the case the Royals should feel good about their wallet. Brad Keller was a rookie of the year candidate, and Jakob Junis and Heath Fillmyer both flashed late in the season. Throw in veteran let-hander Danny Duffy, promising young Jorge Lopez — who nearly threw a perfect game — and that’s a solid rotation foundation.THE YOUNG GUNSThe Royals brought a wave of youth to the big leads about eight years ago, and it produced back-to-back pennants. They’re aiming to do it again with a wave led by first basemen Hunter Dozier and Ryan O’Hearn, Mondesi and Ramon Torres in the infield, and Soler, Brian Goodwin and Jorge Bonifacio in the outfield. If most of those guys pan out, the Royals should improve.“I was up here in April Nolan Ryan Jersey , it was a way different atmosphere than it is right now,” backup catcher Cam Gallagher said. “You see guys like Mondesi who are doing terrific. It shows the kind of guy he is and how much he has progressed over the few months, and it’s good sign for a lot of guys going into next year.” OAKLAND, Calif. — The Seattle Mariners will hope veteran right-hander Mike Leake continues his fine pitching against the Oakland Athletics when the two American League wild-card hopefuls meet for a second consecutive day on Friday night.The third-place Mariners (75-59) gained a game on the A’s (80-55) in the series opener when Wade LeBlanc rode a five-run first inning to a 7-1 victory that inched Seattle within 4 1/2 games in the battle for second place both in the AL West and AL wild-card race.The A’s not only lost a game to the Mariners but failed to gain ground in their pursuit of first place in the West and the top spot in the wild-card race after Houston (82-52) and the New York Yankees (84-50) had lost earlier in the evening.Article continues below ...Oakland will take the field Friday still 2 1/2 games behind the Astros and 4 1/2 back of the Yankees.Both the A’s and Mariners took the field for the series opener coming off losses, with the Mariners having dropped three in a row, including two straight at San Diego, while the A’s were only a little more than 24 hours removed from an emotional walk-off loss at Houston.A’s manager Bob Melvin noted after Thursday’s loss that Wednesday’s defeat in Houston — in fact, the entire three games against the Astros during which Oakland suffered two close setbacks — played a role in the club’s opener of a nine-game homestand.“That last series took a lot out of us,” Melvin said. “That’s no excuse, but I saw a little (fatigue) today. Just one of those tough nights.”Leake (8-8, 4.03 ERA) has faced the A’s three times this season http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-tom-seaver-jersey , with the Mariners winning all three, 7-4, 3-2 and 2-0. He did not get a decision in any of the wins despite allowing a total of just five runs and 15 hits in 20 2/3 innings.The 30-year-old has a 1-1 record and 2.50 ERA in six career starts against the A’s.Leake has been especially tough this season on A’s All-Star Jed Lowrie, holding him hitless in nine at-bats with two strikeouts.Oakland will pitch a veteran right-hander of its own, Mike Fiers (10-6, 3.15), who will be looking to remain unbeaten for the A’s in a fifth consecutive start since being acquired from Detroit.Fiers pitched Oakland to a 3-2 win at Seattle earlier this month, allowing two runs and six hits in six innings.It raised the 33-year-old’s lifetime record in seven starts against the Mariners to 2-1 with a 5.66 ERA, marks that include a 7-2 loss in May as a member of the Tigers.Jean Segura and Ben Gamel both homered off Fiers in that game.Segura was scratched from Thursday’s starting lineup because of a bruised left shin suffered when he fouled a pitch off his leg Wednesday in San Diego. He is expected to return sometime during the remainder of the series.Robinson Cano has been tough on Fiers in the past, going 5-for-14 (.357) with a double and two home runs.
