(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?

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Are the Royals done adding pieces? I assume so

Just chatter but..

Future question about the Royals is: Will Ervin Santana be eventually forced by draft-pick circumstances to try to work out something w/ KC?

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 13, 2013

[sedated]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Just chatter but..

I honestly cant imagine the draft pick will drive enough teams away that he will sign with a team that is notoriously cheap and has already spent (for a cheapskate team) a lot of money already.

If KC wasnt so damn cheap, we could do it. But if that were the case, the question goes back to extending Shields vs signing Santana.

[CaliforniaChief]

I wouldn't be surprised to see us make an effort to move Hoch...move his salary.

I'll say this. Sometimes the best moves you make are the ones you don't make. I think that according to what I've seen, GMDM has been aggressive but not stupid. Kick tires and turn stones...but if it's unreasonable, don't do it.

[Demonpenz]

mike jacobs available?

[Wilson8]

Originally Posted by BWillie

any linky on these winter balls stats?

http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/org.jsp?id=kc&y=2013
Individual Statistics As of: 12/13/2013 01:59 AM EST

OF Gorkys Hernandez - .283 AVG, 3 HR in 47 games.
IF Christian Colon - - .284 AVG, 1 HR in 22 games.
3B - Mike Moustakas - .250 AVG, 2 HR in 8 games.
C - Salvador Perez - .289 AVG, 19 games.

P Francisley Bueno - 1.80 ERA, over 10 innings

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by Wilson8

http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/org.jsp?id=kc&y=2013
Individual Statistics As of: 12/13/2013 01:59 AM EST

OF Gorkys Hernandez - .283 AVG, 3 HR in 47 games.
IF Christian Colon - - .284 AVG, 1 HR in 22 games.
3B - Mike Moustakas - .250 AVG, 2 HR in 8 games.
C - Salvador Perez - .289 AVG, 19 games.

P Francisley Bueno - 1.80 ERA, over 10 innings

If Moose had those stats over a 162 schedule, we would hit about 40 homers.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Are the Royals done adding pieces? I assume so

Need moar batters that have a .090 difference between hitting lefties and righties.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

I wouldn't be surprised to see us make an effort to move Hoch...move his salary.

I'll say this. Sometimes the best moves you make are the ones you don't make. I think that according to what I've seen, GMDM has been aggressive but not stupid. Kick tires and turn stones...but if it's unreasonable, don't do it.

I'm a bit indifferent about moving him as he could be a nice piece to have for setup to chew up and protect the 7th and/or 8th for our $$$ closer in the 9th.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by tk13

I don't know why you think that. Maybe he won't... but he's been a decent pitcher for the last 4 years. Didn't get to 180 last year but gone at least 150 that last four years and posted a 4ish ERA every year. Not great... but if you're going to argue about eating innings, that's exactly what the Vargas signing was. The other guys like Hughes were the high risk/reward guys. I think Hughes has only pitched 150 innings once or twice. If Vargas gives us 180-190 innings and posts a 4.00 ERA that's solid.

8m per should buy you 180 of 4.50. If not, there's no point doing it because Hoch could (and has) done that. Chen could probably come close next year and not at 8m.

[Al Bundy]

PB banging the Hoch drum... sorry fella but Hoch just isn't a good starting pitcher.

[Bowser]

I'm genuinely curious to what Santana is wanting in salary per year.

[Prison Bitch]

Wants 15 per and 5 years

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Wants 15 per and 5 years

15 per? Yeah, that's doable.

5 years? Ehh, maybe not so much.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by Bowser

15 per? Yeah, that's doable.

5 years? Ehh, maybe not so much.

Based on his inconsistency through the years, I doubt there are too many teams wanting to give him 5 years.

[BlackHelicopters]

Help me because I am dense. Santana may be forced to negotiate with KC because no team wants to give up the draft pick as compensation. Is this right?