Fair enough. This is a very valid point.

If we maintain a .700 winning percentage, we might have a shot.

Go bold.

I agree. Which is why I said you don't hold back on trades. But as I also said, we don't need to clean house either.

Otherwise we are setting ourselves up for more of the same crap. Which is to have a few hopefulls starting and struggling filled in with some overpaid, end of their career stop-gaps.

You deal Podz, AC, Bloomy, Guillen, Bannister and Davies. That's a lot. But if you start dealing the pieces that are helping your team win in players like DDJ then you are taking steps backwards. Even Rany agreed with that.

I'd be willing to trade anybody on this team for the right return, but from what I've heard nobody is willing to give up what DeJesus would be worth or could be worth. DDJ has alot of .310 15 hr seasons in him yet. He's a solid player and he's helped us win alot of games this year. Home grown here, and the fans love him.

We have a house to clean?

They do? All I ever hear about is how much of a pussy he is.

Yet? That's good because he's going to be 31 this off-season and his previous best is .307 and 12. (.281 and 13, too).

Solid career OPS, however. Also solid RAR.

Outside of Greinke, I would have a hard time finding a player that fans loved more than DDJ.

Some would probably say so. When you start talking about dealing DDJ you are approaching the house cleaning method. Or even worse, lets say we traded only DDJ. Then what are we left with? A bunch of old, end of career stop-gap types with Butler and Avilles.

I am not saying DDJ is an all-star, though his numbers this year should have merited him a trip to the show from our team anyway. But he is the solid, reliable, above average player you need in your lineup while you bring up the Kila's and Moose's.

And should Gordon pan out along with the Hosmer, Kila and Moose, suddenly DDJ is a better player who adds an additional solid piece to the lineup. He can't carry the team. But he can help this team win. And with the way baseball is today the Royals are going to have to have players like that. We aren't going to field a roster of super-talent. If we do it will be for 1/2 to 1 season at best before they get scooped up.

So Maier > Ankiel?

I think people tend to overlook his defense. 230 consecutive errorless games. The catches he made against the Angels would rival Torii Hunter on any day. No, he doesn't have Hunter's bat. Which is why I would like to have him back in the leadoff spot. He does work a count, he does hit consistently and has the occasional power. That is not a guy I want to be in a hurry to dump no matter what team he plays for.

At this point, yes. Though if we could trade Maier it wouldn't hurt my feelings.

We'd have to sign DDJ to a new deal for him to be playing with Hosmer, Moose, Myers and Colon.

I am not at all opposed to trading DDJ or letting him enter free agency. I wouldn't trade him just to trade him though. You're certainly correct about the value he'd have as a competent veteran playing with the young guys.

IMO, absolutely yes.

I agree. Plays pretty good D and gets on base. And he's younger. If he develops a little power guy could be money.