*** Official 2015 Royals Repository ***

[duncan_idaho]

In this thread: All things related to the AL Champions.

Duncan's Official Team Record prediction: 90 wins
Duncan's Official Team MVP prediction: Eric Hosmer

I can't wait for this season to start. The AL Central should be a very entertaining race. I'll give brief thoughts on each team the Royals must contend with to make it back to the postseason - strengths and weaknesses.

Detroit Tigers:
Strength: The offense is still full of powerful hitters, and Miguel Cabrera may be healthier.
Weakness: Rotation is questionable after Price and Sanchez, bullpen continues to be horrible.

Cleveland Indians:
Strength: Great manager and a deep, versatile lineup.
Weakness: The rotation is a question mark past Corey Kluber, and even he has a few questions about him.

Chicago White Sox:
Strength: 1-2-3 combo of Sale, Quintana and Samardzija is pretty formidable. Offense is anchored by Jose Abreu, too.
Weakness: Defense still has major questions, and this team has 20 games to improve by if it really wants to make the playoffs.

The Royals will be a division winner IF ...
1) Ventura and Duffy combine for 375+ innings of high-quality work
2) Eric Hosmer delivers on his potential with a FULL season of success rather than bursts
3) The deeper bullpen lessens the critical load on Herrera, Davis and Holland
4) Lorenzo Cain stays healthy
5) Either Alex Rios or Kendrys Morales bounces back to 2013 form

Let's get this started!

[bsp4444]

Originally Posted by DeepSouth

I bet Shields really missed HDH on Monday. He pitched six innings. Left the game with a 3 - 2 lead. His bullpen gave up a run in the 7th and three in the 8th. He ends up with a "no decision".

Didn't he get like 0 run support year before last? He lost, or got a no decision ona lot of well pithced games with us, too.

[Hootie]

Myers had played less than 10 years in CF in his entire career...

and now the Padres tout an amazing OF of Upton / Myers / Kemp

...yeah that's going to be a defensive treat right there!

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by KCCHIEFS27

This is the problem with that Padres team. There bullpen will lose games and the starting rotation is still questionable. Still some young guys who struggle away from Petco. I'm just not sure they make the playoffs. I think they will be close though. Does this royals game get rained out tonight?

The Padres had 8 blown saves last year (4 fewer than the Royals), and returned all of their bullpen pieces AND added Craig Kimbrel to their pen.

The Padres have an excellent bullpen.

[Hootie]

yeah Kimbrel had a pretty decent outing last night

3 batters
3 K's

Kobe!

but

they still don't make the playoffs this year IMO

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Forgot to add that he said HDH had the identical stats combined to Clayton Kershaw. (It's true, they're identical). 210 phenomenal IP. If Kershaw was in KCs rotation last year nobody would've been calling us a surprise wild card team. Nobody


And Kershaw might be less valuable. He can only go 1/5 days. If the Dodgers get up 7-1 then he's logging low leverage IP. If we are up 7-1 we don't insert HDH. That flexibility carries more value ie the playoff series

We just brought in Herrera with a 4-1 lead followed by Davis with a 9-1 lead.

[Prison Bitch]

There's a reason they were brought in (and Holland wasn't). And don't ask Duncan to bail your dumb ass out again. Figure it out on your own.

[Hootie]

well Davis was already warming up, so it made total sense. Give him an easy, stress free inning with a day off in front of him to get himself off to a beastly start to the season ... and then I asked for Madson and that's who I got in the 9th. It was perfect. Treat Madson like we treated Hochevar two years ago .... easy innings only ... get his trade value up.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

If we are up 7-1 we don't insert HDH.

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

There's a reason they were brought in (and Holland wasn't). And don't ask Duncan to bail your dumb ass out again. Figure it out on your own.

What's to figure out? You said we don't bring them in. We just did, and that factors into their numbers.

It's not like Kershaw comes in with a 7-1 lead.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Hootie 2.0

well Davis was already warming up, so it made total sense. Give him an easy, stress free inning with a day off in front of him to get himself off to a beastly start to the season ... and then I asked for Madson and that's who I got in the 9th. It was perfect. Treat Madson like we treated Hochevar two years ago .... easy innings only ... get his trade value up.

I'm not arguing against bringing Davis in there. My point is that we got 2 innings out of Herrera and Davis in low leverage situations. If the Dodgers win 7-1 with Kershaw on the mound, it's not like he throws 8 innings with a 6 run lead.

[kcfanXIII]

Opening day, with a day off. Not a bad time to bring in the cyborgs, even if they weren't needed.

[Sure-Oz]

Joe Nathan to the DL Soria closing for now

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Joe Nathan to the DL Soria closing for now

OLD ARMS!!!!

[Discuss Thrower]

Really, really mad I didn't take Duffy in the draft.

[Kidd Lex]

Just think how far we've come - in 2006 our opening day starter was 5.34 era starter Scott Elarton - we lost 100 games that year and during the season hired o captain my captain GMDM. God Bless America - God Bless Baseball - God Bless the Kansas City Royals!!

[KChiefs1]

Infante is killing me.