Drop into just about any bank or supermarket or sports bar in the Kansas City metro area these days and there’s a good chance you’ll see one of several photographs from just a few years ago hanging on a wall.

It might be Yordano Ventura unleashing a fastball. Or Eric Hosmer sliding into home at Citi Field in New York. Or Wade Davis with his arms thrust high into the air http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/dexter-lawrence-jersey , his blazing fastball having just closed out Game 5 of the World Series and making the Kansas City Royals the world champions.

More than likely, you’ll find the now-iconic photograph of Union Station, where an estimated 400,000 people turned out to celebrate the club’s first title in three decades.

Those photos are reminders of better times. And how quickly things can change.

The Royals, who were indeed baseball royalty in 2015, are now neck and neck with the Orioles for the worst record in baseball. They’ve traded off their star closer, their best players are struggling and the prospects that might one day raise them from the abyss are years away from joining the club.

”The record is what it is. The hitting is what it is. The pitching is what it is,” said Royals manager Ned Yost, who presided over the rebuild that led to back-to-back World Series appearances. ”I have to continue to lead. We have to make sure this year has not been a waste.”

How did things fall apart so quickly?

To start, the Royals doled out big contracts to players that have not produced. Left fielder Alex Gordon consumes 14 percent of the payroll in the third year of a $72 million, four-year deal, but he’s hitting just .247 with five homers and 15 RBIs. Right-hander Ian Kennedy consumes 11 percent of the payroll in the third year of a $70 million, five-year deal, and he’s 1-8 with a 5.11 ERA.

The few stars that remain on the roster have likewise struggled to produce.

Salvador Perez likely will see his streak of five straight All-Star games end. The catcher, in the third year of a $52 million, six-year deal http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/josh-jacobs-jersey , is hitting .255 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs.

Good luck winning many games that way.

The Royals were 25-61 heading into their off day Thursday and had lost 24 of their last 28 games. They needed to go 38-38 the rest of the way just to avoid the ignominy of 100 losses.

Making things worse: The Royals are losing that many games with a payroll of about $144 million.

Another reason for the precipitous slide was year after year of poor drafts. Only one of their 13 first-round picks since 2010 is currently on the 25-man roster; Hunter Dozier is hitting .223 in 44 games as he struggles to lock down an everyday job.

”As a young guy you know you’re going to fail, and in some ways we want you to fail because that’s how you’re going to get better,” said Yost, who is going through the same slow learning process with infielder and erstwhile top prospect Adalberto Mondesi.

The son of longtime big leaguer Raul Mondesi, he is hitting .214 in 42 at-bats this season.

”We also don’t want to heap too much on their shoulders,” Yost said, ”so it’s balancing act.”

Maybe that’s why the Royals have been slow to gut their roster in favor of a complete rebuild, even if that appears to be coming. They’ve already traded utility outfielder Jon Jay to the Diamondbacks and star closer Kelvin Herrera to the Nationals, getting five prospects in return that the Royals hope will help restock a farm system that remains one of the worst in baseball.

More moves could be coming, too. The Royals are hopeful of trading third baseman Mike Moustakas, who signed a one-year deal when no long-term offers materialized last offseason. Versatile infielder Whit Merrifield could land a few solid prospects, and left-hander Danny Duffy and even Perez could be made available, though both have torpedoed their value with poor seasons.

The combination of an old and bad team has been made even worse by the fact that the Royals are, well, pretty boring. They don’t hit an abundance of homers. Their starting rotation includes the first two pitchers to hit 10 losses in the majors. There are no young stars yet worth watching.

As a result, the Royals are drawing an average of 20 Ben Banogu Jersey ,283 fans to Kauffman Stadium. That’s a drop of more than 7,000 from last season and more than 13,000 from their championship season.

Still, for all the gloom, the typically irascible Yost has taken a decidedly optimistic approach to this season. He’s been through these long and painful rebuilds and come out the other side.

It takes patience. It takes smart moves. It takes more patience.

”There’s a lot of things to look at that you’re happy with, even though the record is what it is,” he said. ”There is progress that you’re going to see on the back end, in the light, just as we did in 2013 and 2014, when we turned the corner the last time.”

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RENTON, Wash. (AP) — With one 15-second video clip posted on social media shortly after midnight and five simple words, Russell Wilson put to rest any questions about his long-term future.No more speculation about Wilson wanting to play elsewhere. No more rumblings of a bigger market for Wilson to call home.“Seattle, we have a deal,” Wilson said in the video early Tuesday morning.They were words Seahawks fans had waited to hear since Seattle’s playoff loss to Dallas in January, though it had seemed increasingly unlikely as the days ticked away toward Wilson’s deadline to have a deal done by the end of the first day of offseason workouts.But they did strike a deal, one that makes Wilson the highest-paid player in the NFL and gives Seattle the chance to build a competitive roster around its star quarterback.“Russell’s goal and his hope was that he would continue his career with the Seahawks and continue to bring championships to this town Parris Campbell Jersey ,” Wilson’s agent Mark Rodgers said. “He believes there is still unfinished business and he is looking forward to pursuing that without having to worry about contracts and his future.”Wilson’s $140 million, four-year extension puts him at the top of the NFL salary food chain for now. He has the highest yearly average salary at $35 million per season. He has the highest signing bonus ($65 million) and guaranteed money ($107 million) in league history.And for good measure, Wilson also got Seattle to agree to a no-trade clause.“Russ has been a huge factor in everything that has happened, and this allows us to stay on track with continuing to push to find that consistency,” coach Pete Carroll said in a statement from the team announcing the deal. “Russell is a unique player, a unique competitor. It’s rare the way he’s just so consistently connected to competing and battling. To keep that factor as part of the program is just a real positive for our fans and for everyone. We’re all fortunate to see this happen.”The 30-year-old Wilson had set a midnight Monday deadline for a new deal with Seattle. He wanted certainty about his contract before the team got into its offseason workout program, which began Monday. Wilson showed up for the first day and by the end of the night was sending social media into a frenzy after posting the video ofhim and his wife, Ciara, announcing the agreement.Wilson’s annual average tops Aaron Rodgers‘ average annual salary of $33.5 million as part of the $134 million extension he signed last year with the Green Bay Packers. Wilson’s previous $87.6 million, four-year deal was signed at the beginning of training camp in 2015 and was set to expire after next season.Wilson was the second-highest paid player in football behind Rodgers when his deal was signed in 2015, but he had fallen to 12th among NFL QBs, according to Overthecap.com.Carroll said Jody Allen, the chair of the Seahawks following the death of her brother, Paul Allen, last fall, was instrumental in getting the deal finished.“She was involved Bobby Okereke Jersey , and her support really allowed the guys to function at the level where they were able to get this done,” Carroll said.Seattle had leverage knowing it had at least three more seasons with Wilson. Even if he played out 2019 under his current deal, Seattle could have used the franchise tag if needed to keep him under contract through 2020 and 2021 at reasonable prices by QB standards.But Seattle showed last year that it’s a team on the rise again after missing the playoffs in 2017. The window that first opened when Wilson arrived could be open again after Seattle went 10-6 and reached the playoffs last season in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year.The extension allows Seattle to budget for the future and build a contender around the former third-round pick. All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner is in line for an extension with his deal expiring after the upcoming season. Pass rush standout Frank Clark is set to play on the franchise tag. Defensive tackle Jarran Reed is likely to get paid as well.Wilson, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, is coming off arguably his best season.The 5-foot-11 Wilson threw for a career-high 35 touchdowns and matched his career low with seven interceptions. He attempted only 427 passes — his lowest total since his second season, when Seattle won the Super Bowl — but he had a career best 110.9 passer rating. He also ran only 67 times, a career low, as the improved running game and offensive line play allowed Wilson to stay in the pocket more often.Wilson has led the Seahawks to the playoffs in six of his seven seasons, the only miss coming in 2017. He won a Super Bowl in his second season and got back to the championship game a year later before making the mistake that will hover over him until he wins another title, throwing a goal line interception in the final minute when the Seahawks had a chance to take the lead on New England.He’s also been extremely durable, never missing a game while playing through significant knee, ankle and shoulder injuries.And with his new contract done, Wilson has the chance to play his entire career with one team.“When I first got drafted in 2012, I wanted to be here forever. This helps solidify that. I’ve got many more years to go and a lot more winning to do — we’ve got more Super Bowls to win. I’m excited about that,” Wilson said.