"The sketch outline of the most hopeful Royals team in years is filling in now, and with permanent marker. We can now see what this thing will look like.

Parts of it we've already known about. They will be young, and they will be built around the hitting talent of Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler, the defensive ability of Alcides Escobar and Salvador Perez, and the all-round game of Alex Gordon. We saw glimpses of this last summer.

It's the pitching that is coming into focus, first with the trade for lefty starter Jonathan Sanchez, and now with the signing of former All-Star closer Jonathan Broxton."