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.

The 2013 season is closer than we realize. The Royals will feature a rebuilt rotation that likely includes 4 new starters. The most-watched prospects of 2012, Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi are gone, the price required to rebuild the rotation.

The Royals still have Sal Perz, who has even more of a "star" look to him than a year ago. They still have Alcides Escobar, who was a little less SS jesus in 2012 but brought more at the plate. Billy Butler finally hit a number of home runs that matches his build and how hard he hits the ball. Alex Gordon did it again. Hosmer and Moose struggled.

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.

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?
2) When will Luke Hochevar be shown the door?
3) Does Hosmer bounce back?
4) Can Moustakas hit for a whole season like he did in the first half of 2012?
5) Who regresses?
6) Who plays 2B?
7) Can Jeff Francoeur be at least replacement level, rather than epic horrible level?
8) Will Dayton Moore survive to see 2014?
9) Will Danny Duffy come back healthy? And if he does, is he the same, better or worse?
10) And the big one: Has KC added enough to run down the big-money Detroit Tigers?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Yep. Completely indifferent to this move today because the decision was made a long time ago, which is when I appropriately freaked out and mother****ed DM's idiotic ass.

"Luke Hochevar is a pitcher with the talent to pitch at the front of a rotation for a playoff team. He's a great teammate, and nobody works harder. We think this is the year he puts it all together."

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

"Luke Hochevar is a pitcher with the talent to pitch at the front of a rotation for a playoff team. He's a great teammate, and nobody works harder. We think this is the year he puts it all together."

I wonder where I've heard that before.

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by Three7s

I wonder where I've heard that before.

K.D. initials?

[Shogun]

Dont care if hoch is around another year. Kind of knew it was gonna happen. Can't wait for baseball season

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by Shogun

Dont care if hoch is around another year. Kind of knew it was gonna happen. Can't wait for baseball season

Catchers and pitchers report in about 3 weeks?

[SPchief]

Went out to FanFest this morning. Judging by the crowd, it took 20 minutes to get in (and this morning was only for season ticket holders) This town is ready for baseball season.

[SPchief]

Oh, and Hochaver has a Tom Hanks in Castaway style beard growing.

[alnorth]

Bob Dutton ‏@Royals_Report
#Royals don't say it, for obvious reasons, but they find the disconnect between Hoch's potential/performance as maddening as any fan, but...

Bob Dutton ‏@Royals_Report
...they're not ready to give up yet. How much longer? I don't know. But there's got to be something positive this season, preferably early.

At this point, the best we can hope for is that they give him only 2 months before exiling him to the bullpen. You could also hope that he's amazingly horrid in spring and they cut him, but thats a longshot. (We don't have to pay the full contract if we cut him in spring)

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by SPchief

Oh, and Hochaver has a Tom Hanks in Castaway style beard growing.

If only...

[SPchief]

Originally Posted by alnorth

At this point, the best we can hope for is that they give him only 2 months before exiling him to the bullpen. You could also hope that he's amazingly horrid in spring and they cut him, but thats a longshot. (We don't have to pay the full contract if we cut him in spring)

Dutton yesterday was on a full out mission to defend Hochaver on Twitter. It was odd

[alnorth]

I guess if you want to dream, we could also hope that Hoch inexplicably explodes as the #2 type of pitcher we all long ago gave up on ever seeing, proving the Royals right, but that's crazy-talk.

[CaliforniaChief]

The writing with Hochevar was on the wall when we didn't DFA him at the deadline. I don't know why everyone's so upset.

As Al said, our best hope is that it clicks this spring. If not, we can still cut our losses or try him in the pen.

[CoMoChief]

I just absolutely do not understand this franchise's love for Hochevar.

Dude should have been cut 2 years ago.

[alnorth]

For those wanting him cut in spring, I don't remember all the details, but I believe he really does have to be completely, utterly awful for us to get out of paying the full contract. If he's merely mediocre or kinda bad in spring training and we cut him, Hoch would be able to file a grievance with the union to get his full contract paid and probably win.

[duncan_idaho]

I rarely defend Dutyon, but he is right when he says Hochevar has flashed no. 2 stuff. That's true. he even has flashed it over a full half season (2011).

I am as done with Hochevar as anyone, but there is plenty to pick at. No need to denigrate the raw stuff. It is there. I understand why scouts like him.