Free agent Nathan Eovaldi was the star of the Red Sox 2018 World Series highlight video

BOSTON (AP) —http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-shin-soo-choo-jersey , and he didn’t even have to attend the red carpet premiere.The erstwhile starter, who pitched six innings in relief in the team’s 18-inning, Game 3 loss, received a huge cheer whenever his name was mentioned by the dignitaries who shared the stage with the four World Series trophies the team has won since 2004. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was cheerfully heckled with shouts of “Bring him back!”Acquired at midseason to bolster the Red Sox rotation, Eovaldi was 3-3 with a 3.33 ERA down the stretch for Boston. He made just one start in the playoffs before helping out the battered bullpen in the Game 5 clincher of the AL Division Series against Houston.He pitched one inning of relief in each of the first two games of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. And then, entering Game 3 in the 12th inning, he went the rest of the way to take the load off the rest of the Red Sox pitching staff.Boston clinched in five games.“Nobody’s going to remember who won that game. Everybody’s going to remember Nate Eovaldi,” manager Alex Cora said. “That was the moment. When I went home I was like, ‘This is it. Now we go.'”Eovaldi is one of the few free agents from the championship team, giving the 108-win AL East champions a chance to repeat with virtually the same roster. World Series MVP Steve Pearce has already re-signed; Game 5 winner David Price opted in to the last four years of the contract he signed before the 2016 season; the team exercised its option on ace Chris Sale.“We did it with these guys last year. Why can’t we do it this year?” utilityman Brock Holt said after walking the red carpet. “We’re going to try to win 108 games again. I don’t know if we’re going to.”Holt said the video premiere was an opportunity to look back at the team’s successes before turning their attention to spring training and their attempt to win back-to-back.“You don’t want to turn the page, but you have to,” he said. “Now it’s like, ‘Hey Prince Fielder Jersey , we won the World Series. Let’s do it again.’ That’s hard to do.” KANSAS CITY, 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, 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 http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-adrian-beltre-jersey , 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, 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 Nolan Ryan Jersey ,” 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, 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.”