2013 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread

[duncan_idaho]

Proposed 2013 Slogan: Tigers: They're what's for dinner
Actual 2013 Slogan: Come to Play
A better, more accurate, or alternative slogan: All in, no panic, we promise.

Dayton Moore has pushed all his chips in and is riding on King/Jack suited, hoping it comes together, he gets some good luck, and he hits the nuts by the river card. There's potential, oh yes, there's potential. There's also risk.

At the midway point, Dayton is left counting on the river card. The flop and turn didn't help him, and he's looking at the Tigers holding a pair of Queens and the Indians holding a pair of 9s. His 2013 plan hasn't failed - yet - but the odds are not in his favor.

Burning questions updates below.

Burning Questions for 2013:

1) Will the improve rotation be improved enough? Does James Shields pitch like a fringe No. 1 away from Tampa Bay? Does Ervin Santana pitch to his highest upside in his walk year? Can Jeremy Guthrie build on his strong performance as a Royal in 2012? Can Wade Davis bring his new mentality- and velocity - back to the rotation?

Midseason check-in: Yes, the rotation is certainly improved enough. Shields has pitched like a fringe No. 1 and Santana is having his best season. Guthrie has horrible peripherals but has continued to perform well at his home park and eat innings on the road. Davis brought neither his kick-ass mentality or improved velocity back to the rotation and is in Luke Hochevar/Hiram Davies territory.

2) When will Luke Hochevar be shown the door?
Midseason check-in: It appears, never, at this point. Hochevar has been solid in non-leverage situations, though pretty much every time he has been used with men on base in an inning, it has been a disaster.

3) Does Hosmer bounce back?
Midseason check-in: It took some time, but Hosmer's performance from June 1 on is probably the most encouraging thing about the 2013 season so far.
4) Can Moustakas hit for a whole season like he did in the first half of 2012?
Midseason check-in: Nope. Moustakas was god-awful, then great for about 3 weeks, then god-awful again. He has been better since he started working with Brett and Grafol but still has a long way to go.
5) Who regresses?
Midseason check-in: Welp, Alicides Escobar is not a surprising name here (though Yost's stubborn insistence on hitting him second is ridiculous). Billy Butler is a surprise. He isn't having a terrible year - still contributing a lot to the offense - but he's not hitting for the average or power he has displayed over the past several years.
6) Who plays 2B?
Midseason check-in: A whole bunch of people, and not that great. Gio is at least getting a shot, though he once again is not doing much with it.
7) Can Jeff Francoeur be at least replacement level, rather than epic horrible level?
Midseason check-in: Hahahahahahahahahahaha
8) Will Dayton Moore survive to see 2014?
Midseason check-in: Outlook uncertain. Probably still around, unless the team completely tanks in the second half and he does something foolish. My guess - he sacrifices Ned Yost this offseason and gets one more shot with a new manager in 2014.
9) Will Danny Duffy come back healthy? And if he does, is he the same, better or worse?
Midseason check-in: Yes. Velocity looks the same, and it looks likely he is the same guy as before.
10) And the big one: Has KC added enough to run down the big-money Detroit Tigers?
Midseason check-in: Doesn't look like it, does it?

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Would it surprise you to hear that Ervin Santana actually has thrown MORE innings in his career than James Shields (by about 20-25)?

I was shocked to see that.

Given fairly equal mileage and age (Shields is 1 year older), I'll take the fastball/changeup guy over the fastball/slider guy.

I think Shields more as a staff leader/sage type.

Hilarious. I actually checked Baseball Reference prior to that last post, but I was apparently mesmerized by the number of 200+ inning seasons for Shields, who has 6 to Santana's 4. Just assumed...and then...well...****.

[gblowfish]

Story from Jo Poz on how much Yuni Betancourt sucks....
http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/201...his-yuni-verse.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

I'd rather try to extend Santana than Shields because of the mileage on the latter's arm/body.

Not much mileage on an arm that throws nothing but fastballs and changeups.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by Shogun

The 30 MLB teams ranked 1-30 in @BBTN Web Gems this season. Check out where your team ranks... http://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/sta...349440/photo/1

Nice!

[Nightfyre]

The next month will present some critical questions for the Royals front office.

June 26 (10 days remain) Dyson must be brought up. So. Will Lough be optioned or Frenchy DFA'd?

July 11 Paulino will be added to the 25-man roster again. Who is the odd man out of the rotation - Mendoza or Davis? And who is optioned/DFA'd to make room?

Further, do they option Duffy to preserve service time or bring him up as well and how do they make room for him?


What say you CP?

[Nightfyre]

Payroll should also be interesting next year. Moose and Hos move to arbitration, I believe. Alex and Billy get raises. Chen and Frenchy come off the books. Anyone have any idea how much net payroll that gets us?

[SAUTO]

Eleventybillion?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Sure-Oz]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

The next month will present some critical questions for the Royals front office.

June 26 (10 days remain) Dyson must be brought up. So. Will Lough be optioned or Frenchy DFA'd?

July 11 Paulino will be added to the 25-man roster again. Who is the odd man out of the rotation - Mendoza or Davis? And who is optioned/DFA'd to make room?

Further, do they option Duffy to preserve service time or bring him up as well and how do they make room for him?


What say you CP?

I believe they should let Duffy start awhile in AAA...

Cut bait with Getz and Franceour IMO...but i dont see them letting franceoer go at all

[Nightfyre]

So big changes:
Qualifying offer to Santana will be 14 mill. I would venture to guess he would at least consider such an offer. (+1MM)

Shields will be paid 13.5 mill next year with escalators. (+3MM)

Gordon goes from 9MM to 10MM (+1MM)

Butler actually stays at 8MM (0MM)

Guthrie goes from 5MM to 11MM (+6MM)

Frenchy is gone (-6.5MM)

Hoch is gone (-4.6MM)

Chen is gone (-4.5MM)

Davis moves from 2.8MM to 4.8MM (+2MM)

Escobar stays at 3MM (0MM)

Paulino goes to arbitration and probably gets his same 2MM (0MM)

Perez goes up half a mill. (+0.5MM)

Holland/Collins/Hos/Moose/Mendoza/Johnson/Kottaras/Getz all go to arbitration

Herrera/Crow/Cain/Duffy/Hayes/Giavotella/Lamb/Lough/Dwyer are all under three years service.

Tejada is gone (-1.1MM)

Arguelles is in the last year of his contract. (0MM increase)

Who knows what we are doing with: Gutierrez/Marks(2 options left I think?)/Joseph (2 options left I think?)/Moore/Bueno(any options left?)/Smith(one option left?)/Rincon/Berry/Teaford

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

The next month will present some critical questions for the Royals front office.

June 26 (10 days remain) Dyson must be brought up. So. Will Lough be optioned or Frenchy DFA'd?

July 11 Paulino will be added to the 25-man roster again. Who is the odd man out of the rotation - Mendoza or Davis? And who is optioned/DFA'd to make room?

Further, do they option Duffy to preserve service time or bring him up as well and how do they make room for him?


What say you CP?

I agree, and next month is when the grind of a long season will really set in...

I hope these kids can grind through it and shut-up all us old-timer critics and come out of it in a position where they are contending for the division... If they have the division scared and the rest of the league too, it might be an awesome August at the K...

We'll see....

[Hootie]

they should trade for Alfonso Soriano.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by unnecessary drama

they should not trade for Alfonso Soriano.

fixed your post

[Hootie]

expiring contract; cubs will eat most of his salary; would be *sadly* our best power hitter

wouldn't cost much at all

although Gordon would have to play RF which I can't imagine would be that tough of a transition for a GOLD GLOVE stud OF like Gordon

[Nightfyre]

Let Soriano play 2B again. Cain in right, Dyson in Center. Lough as a fourth OF.

[Hootie]

I think I already changed my mind about Soriano