I think I'm going full bore on the Royals this year. Since moving down here, I don't see the Mariners anymore, and you want to talk about an ownership group that doesn't give a **** about winning? Good Lord...

I've slowly been indoctrinated into Cardinals Nation because Springtown bleeds red for both sports. But I've always been a Royals fan. Longer than I've been a Mariners fan. Even though I should be smart and go full out for the winner, sports fandom is a part of my childhood that I'm just not willing to give up. So, Royals it is. Jesus, I am a glutton for punishment...

I'll have some questions, as I just haven't closely followed baseball in years. The stats seem to have changed some. I have never heard the term WAR. What does it mean? I'm going to be Luv in the baseball threads this year. :facepalm:

But I'm all in...

I was really concerned about Shields' road splits until doing some more research this morning. Good points made about those recently in this thread.

After reading more about the change in approach that led to his breakout 2011 season (and still very strong 2012 year), I think you can discount a lot of the road split problems for Shields in previous years. Working a lot in the AL East doesn't help, but it looks pretty obvious the change in approach (emphasizing pitch mix, pitching "backwards") before 2011 made him a much more effective road pitcher.

I don't hate this trade as much as some. Yes Frenchy sucks, but this team does not lack for offensive firepower assuming all the other pre-Myers guys (Moose, Gordon, Hos) play like it. Our biggest weakness was SP. There were only three ways to get that.

1. Hope our young arms develop into studs (which we do every year, although Greinke was the last one to have actually done that).

2. Sign a FA Ace. We know the Royals will not go that route as evidenced by what the going rate is for one of them.

3. Trade for one. This involves prospects, which we had to do.

The reality is that in order for us to get a front of the rotation starter in a trade it would inevitably involve Myers. I hope it works out. I do know that quality starting pitching trumps a RF especially on a team with a glut of young offensive talent, but no pitching. SF has not won two of the last three WS because they are offensive juggernauts. They did it because of solid starting pitching. We desperately need that and to go another year hoping our pitching prospects develop into stars is not going to do it. SPs are the QBs of baseball. We are watching what crappy QB play is doing to the young talent on the Chiefs. I would hate to see the same thing happen with the Royals, especially since we will only keep Hos and Moose for a short time most likely. Let's maximize our time with them by trying to win now.

A sure way to also improve your road ERA is to stop facing the Yankees, Red Sox, Jays, and Orioles multiple times on the road every season. He'll be fine in that area, I'm unconcerned.

WAR is wins above replacement.

WAR stands for Wins Above Replacement. It measures the value of a player compared to the expected performance of a AAA player. Baseball Reference and Fangraphs both figure it (but they do it differently).

Last year, Francoeur was -2.7 WAR. So he COST the Royals 3 wins with his complete shittiness, basically, compared to what just playing a AAA guy instead of him would have produced.

If you don't like Dayton Moore (from an outsider's perspective, there doesn't seem to be too much to like), him putting it all on the line like this also means he'll be gone much quicker than he would have otherwise (if the team fails over the next 2 seasons, that is).

Oh, wow. Thanks for the explanation. So Francoeur is really that bad? Because that seems pretty bad.

Re: The offense

One encouraging thing, I think, is the new approach to "trying to hit for power." If KC is truly going to do that, then HOPEFULLY Ned Yost will stop being so eager/anxious to give away outs with sacrifice bunts early in games.

A full season of Sal Perez should help quite a bit. I also think Hosmer rebounds and has a pretty decent season, which is a big key.

Hosmer must solidify the 3 spot, and Gordon and Butler simply need to do what they do at the 1 and 4 spots respectively.

What I'm worried about is whom Yost plugs in at the 2. If it's Getz because he can "handle the bat," I might make the news.

Hosmer must solidify the 3 spot, and Gordon and Butler simply need to do what they do at the 1 and 4 spots respectively.

What I'm worried about is whom Yost plugs in at the 2. If it's Getz because he can "handle the bat," I might make the news.

Screw it, I am going to be excited for this season despite losing Myers and presumably having to watch Frenchy again. Heck, I will even hope against all reason that he rebounds closer to his 2011 season. It is December which means the Royals are still in it and I want to believe. I believe Mr. Pena!

Myers becomes a perennial 40 HR 100+ RBI guy...

Moose and Hosmer become respectable career 20 Hr .250 hitters...


Royals fans commit mass suicide....

400 HRs a year really isn't that much.

JFC...trade still pisses me off.