(New) 2013 Kansas City Royals Repository

[duncan_idaho]

New thread, this time with more burst.

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?

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

If they trade Butler, there's no need to rotate Aoki at all. He's your everyday RF and Beltran is your everyday DH.

Aoki is a lock to play 150 games, if healthy, next year. Unless his production drops off the table.

Even if that comes at the expense of Lorenzo Cain.

$16MM a year for a DH? Why not just keep Butler for the half the price? Also keep a draft pick.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

$16MM a year for a DH? Why not just keep Butler for the half the price? Also keep a draft pick.

All reports say Beltran doesn't want to DH this year so it doesn't matter.

[Great Expectations]

The Beltran talk looks like a smoke screen.

Butler plus a draft pick and money to spend on a 2b is better than Beltran minus Butler, draft pick, and no more money.

[DeezNutz]

Sign Beltran and keep Butler for at least 2014. Trading the latter makes little sense if we're "all in" for next year, as we should be.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

$16MM a year for a DH? Why not just keep Butler for the half the price? Also keep a draft pick.

I would be pretty pissed if they trade Butler unless they just destroy somebody in the trade, to be honest. Just was talking through Saul's scenario.

Basically: The only ways Aoki doesn't play 150 games next year is if he's injured or sucks all of a sudden. He's not relegated to 4th OF status if they sign Beltran (or Nelson Cruz, etc). Lorenzo Cain would be.

And if they bring in Beltran while moving Butler out? Aoki is the everyday RF.

[DJ's left nut]

Aoki's a nice pickup for the Royals.

With Aoki leading off, you've greatly 'lengthened' the lineup; it goes 7 deep with solid hitters at this point, presuming Moose recovers at all.

Moreover, you finally allow Gordon to be more of a run producer. The 2 hole is still one spot higher than I think you'd ideally have him (I love his skill-set in the 3 hole), but he can at least drive in a few more runs from there.

And dealing from strength to get a leadoff hitter is always a good thing.

Is Aoki not subject to 6 years of team control because of the posting thing? I figured the Royals still had him under control after this year, he was just arb eligible. It surely doesn't seem to be the case.

[CaliforniaChief]

It seems to me that Lorenzo Cain is on the hot seat, not Billy Butler. Aoki can play CF, and if Beltran wants to play RF this year he can, keep Billy at DH.

Aoki
Bonifacio
Hosmer
Beltran
Butler
Gordon
Perez
Moose
Escobar

3-7 is very nice. 8 has potential too.

[Sannyasi]

I don't think signing Beltran makes sense anymore with the trade for Aoki.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Aoki's a nice pickup for the Royals.

With Aoki leading off, you've greatly 'lengthened' the lineup; it goes 7 deep with solid hitters at this point, presuming Moose recovers at all.

Moreover, you finally allow Gordon to be more of a run producer. The 2 hole is still one spot higher than I think you'd ideally have him (I love his skill-set in the 3 hole), but he can at least drive in a few more runs from there.

And dealing from strength to get a leadoff hitter is always a good thing.

Is Aoki not subject to 6 years of team control because of the posting thing? I figured the Royals still had him under control after this year, he was just arb eligible. It surely doesn't seem to be the case.

He's a FA after this year. Which I believe is standard for international FA. Typical arb rules do not apply.

Re: the Royals draft pick... (general point, not directed at DJ):

Remember that the Royals likely have a comp pick coming back for Ervin Santana as well. Losing No. 19 or 20 isn't great, but having that comp pick coming back makes up for it, a little bit.

When you get down into the late teens/20s, those picks are largely indistinguishable from picks in the 30s, anyway. It's usually more about budget, what you can pay, what the relationship is, etc. at that point than about draft slot.

See: Manaea, Sean.

[Great Expectations]

With Aoki leading off and Gordon 2nd the Royals should have their first two hitters with an OBP over .350.

If Hoz is protecting Butler he should get some more fastballs and drive in a bunch of runs.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

It seems to me that Lorenzo Cain is on the hot seat, not Billy Butler. Aoki can play CF, and if Beltran wants to play RF this year he can, keep Billy at DH.

Aoki
Bonifacio
Hosmer
Beltran
Butler
Gordon
Perez
Moose
Escobar

3-7 is very nice. 8 has potential too.

Swap either Gordon or Beltran into the two spot so your 5 best hitters are getting the most at-bats, and I'm all good with this.

Royals should absolutely NOT use Boni in the 2 spot NOW, let alone if they add one more bat.

Look at it this way: Would you really want Boni to have 100 more ABs than Alex Gordon?

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

It seems to me that Lorenzo Cain is on the hot seat, not Billy Butler. Aoki can play CF, and if Beltran wants to play RF this year he can, keep Billy at DH.

Aoki
Bonifacio
Hosmer
Beltran
Butler
Gordon
Perez
Moose
Escobar

3-7 is very nice. 8 has potential too.

Aoki
Gordon
Beltran
Hosmer
Butler
Perez
Moose
Bonifaco
Escobar

[CaliforniaChief]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Swap either Gordon or Beltran into the two spot so your 5 best hitters are getting the most at-bats, and I'm all good with this.

Royals should absolutely NOT use Boni in the 2 spot NOW, let alone if they add one more bat.

Look at it this way: Would you really want Boni to have 100 more ABs than Alex Gordon?

No I wouldn't. But I fully expect Ned to do this, although the acquisition of a high OBP guy like Aoki gives us hope.

They have a serious Boni-boner.

My preference would be Beltran at #2.

[Great Expectations]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Swap either Gordon or Beltran into the two spot so your 5 best hitters are getting the most at-bats, and I'm all good with this.

Royals should absolutely NOT use Boni in the 2 spot NOW, let alone if they add one more bat.

Look at it this way: Would you really want Boni to have 100 more ABs than Alex Gordon?

If we can force Butler to do P90x everyday this offseason while eating a balanced diet a great lineup would be:

Aoki
Butler
Hosmer
Beltran
Gordon
Perez
Moose
Boni
Escobar

[DeezNutz]

I still think Beltran makes tremendous sense, as long as Butler remains on the roster. Lough and Maxwell and nice players. But I have no faith in the former to sustain his performance, and the latter is best coming off the bench or in a platoon situation, much like Dyson.

And Cain is Brokaki's brother.