2012 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread

[alnorth]

2012 Slogan: Our Time

A better, more accurate 2012 Slogan: It is Finally Next Year
(from Great Expectations)

An alternative slogan if you don't like that one: Someone has to win this crappy division
(from alnorth)

With the beginning of a new year, it is time for the 2012 version of the Royals Repository Thread. We've got Hosmer, we've got a 2011-dominating Gordon, we've got Moose, we've got hopefully a killer bullpen, we've got a stereotypical slow slugging DH, we've got easily one of the best defensive shortstops in the AL, we've got a promising catcher in Salvador Perez. Hell, we've got offense and promising prospects galore.

We do not have starting pitching.

Oh yeah, we've also got this:



Get ready for, (as of January 2012 anyway), one of the most confusing puzzles of a baseball season in recent Royals history. Will they suck? Maybe, I don't know. Will we be given a year of 0.500 baseball? Possibly, I don't know. Will they win the division and go to the playoffs for the first time in 27 years? For the first time in a long time, it could happen, I don't know. 92 losses, 92 wins, or anything in between would not surprise a lot of us.

Everything goes here except Gameday threads and really big news. If a giant story breaks, the Royals achieve some awesome milestone, or we sign/lose a highly significant player/coach/mascot/whatever, then it might also deserve its own thread. This being Chiefs Planet, please do not clutter the board with new threads about trivial Royals news or you will only annoy those who come here for just Chiefs football. If you aren't sure and its not a Gameday thread, it goes here.

What sort of stuff often goes here? SPchief explained it well, so I'll just copy that:

If you locate something of interest.. ANYTHING.. deals on apparel, best ways in/out of the stadium, giveaways, great stories from this season or from seasons gone by, rumors, trades, anything.... feel free to post it here.

[KevB]

Originally Posted by theelusiveeightrop

Push away Mets. This won't happen.

It better not, but as a GM starts to really feel the heat to win now, strange trades occur.

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by KevB

It better not, but as a GM starts to really feel the heat to win now, strange trades occur.

Even GMDM can't be this mind numbingly stupid. Wait, Hochevar is still part of the team? Never mind.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by KevB

It better not, but as a GM starts to really feel the heat to win now, strange trades occur.

I don't think his seat is nearly hot enough yet for him to lose his mind. If this were December 2014 and we just had a disappointing 2013 and a .500 2014, then I might be worried about him selling off the future to win because his job may be in danger if we haven't won after 2015.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

I'd be very willing to move Cain. I just don't think he will ever be healthy enough to play every day.

I think Cain's "fragility" is vastly overstated, based on this season.

It's not like the guy has a career plagued with injury issues. His minor league career will show you only one season in which Cain was injured for an extended period (2009).

Perceived injury problems with Cain due to this season's leg issue would be similar to deciding Matt Kemp is injury prone after dealing with the same issue.

Leg injuries suck, mainly because they are so unpredictable - and so easy to re-aggravate.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by alnorth

I don't think his seat is nearly hot enough yet for him to lose his mind. If this were December 2014 and we just had a disappointing 2013 and a .500 2014, then I might be worried about him selling off the future to win because his job may be in danger if we haven't won after 2015.

If DM is allowed to shit himself for two additional seasons, given that he's already changed pants numerous times, its' yet further proof that winning is tertiary, at best, for the Glass family.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

If DM is allowed to shit himself for two additional seasons, given that he's already changed pants numerous times, its' yet further proof that winning is tertiary, at best, for the Glass family.

I fundamentally disagree with this sentiment. (that 2013 ought to be a must-win, punishable by firing)

We began with completely nothing and a barren minor league system. Unless you have a payroll well north of $100MM, it takes a while to build from scratch. Almost every milestone of progress we were told to expect in the minor leagues and the performance of our hitters has occured and in some instances surpassed (the so-called best farm in recent baseball history), buying him more time. Our minor league pitchers failed (TINSTAAPP), but we're apparently going to patch that over with free agents.

He's probably bought himself a good 2-3 years of rope to hang himself with at this point.

[Mr. Laz]

imo if the Royals really want to win then they should trade for a starter and sign a starter in FA.

Glass should feel it the time to 'buy' some pitching

if they REALLY want to make a statement then they should just buy 2 new stud starters in FA.

[Mr. Laz]

imo if the Royals really want to win then they should trade for a starter and sign a starter in FA.

Glass should feel it the time to 'buy' some pitching

[Nightfyre]

If we are dealing Myers, it had better be for someone along the lines of Price. Even if we have to throw in a couple ancillery pieces.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by alnorth

I fundamentally disagree with this sentiment. (that 2013 ought to be a must-win, punishable by firing)

We began with completely nothing and a barren minor league system. Unless you have a payroll well north of $100MM, it takes a while to build from scratch. Almost every milestone of progress we were told to expect in the minor leagues and the performance of our hitters has occured and in some instances surpassed (the so-called best farm in recent baseball history), buying him more time. Our minor league pitchers failed (TINSTAAPP), but we're apparently going to patch that over with free agents.

He's probably bought himself a good 2-3 years of rope to hang himself with at this point.

DM said himself, initially that is, that a championship organization could be built in six years. Then, when things were going to shit last year, he rolled out the 2014 contingency.

To this point, "the greatest farm system" has netted zero results. None. Just a pile of hope slightly shorter than the pile of shit that most deposit every morning.

And now he's earned 2-3 more years? Because he re-signed Guthrie? Acquired a decent lottery ticket in Santana? Continued with Hochevar?

Sorry, this is simply wrong. If the team goes on another 90-loss bender in '13, DM more than deserves to be fired. It's results or get the **** out time in KC.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

To this point, "the greatest farm system" has netted zero results. None. Just a pile of hope slightly shorter than the pile of shit that most deposit every morning.

Well, that is a lot of hyperbole.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Well, that is a lot of hyperbole.

To make a sincere and valid point: What has DM accomplished at the ML level? To this point, the answer is precious little.

Yet we're lengthening the leash? Royals fans are all too willing to limit the amount of accountability for the team and its leaders.

[sedated]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Sorry, this is simply wrong. If the team goes on another 90-loss bender in '13, DM more than deserves to be fired. It's results or get the **** out time in KC.

I don’t disagree that DM has made some stupid decisions in his time here, but I put 90% of the blame on Glass. Don’t you think that if DM wanted to raise payroll to $85 million and sign a pitcher that he would? The shackles that Glass has put on the team would be too much for many GMs to overcome.

[CaliforniaChief]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

If we are dealing Myers, it had better be for someone along the lines of Price. Even if we have to throw in a couple ancillery pieces.

Agreed. I'll give up a lot for Dickey...

But Myers? No. I want Price, Matt Moore or King Felix. Period.

I still want Josh Hamilton. Give up Cain and prospects for Dickey, move Myers to Center, Hamilton to right. What a killer lineup THAT would be.

[Mr. Laz]

Underrated, Value pitching FA's

1. Brandon McCarthy

The last time baseball fans saw McCarthy on the mound, he was struck by a line drive—an extremely scary moment for everybody involved. Thankfully, he was recently cleared for baseball activity and should be ready for roll for 2013.

McCarthy has been widely overlooked for quite some time because today's stat-centric baseball world loves pitchers who strike out a lot of batters, which he doesn't do. Yet he's posted an ERA below 3.35 for two straight seasons.

The 29-year-old starter relies on terrific control (less than two walks per nine innings) and good pitch variation to keep hitters off-balance. As long as he remains healthy, he's the perfect target for a team looking to fill a No. 3 spot in its rotation.

2. Shaun Marcum

Marcum is a high-upside target who also presents some risk. He has only topped the 200-inning mark once during his career and is coming off a season in which he made just 21 starts. Giving him a contract would be based on the hope he can stay healthy.

That said, a quick look at his numbers will show why he's worth taking a chance on. The right-hander has not posted an ERA above 3.70 since becoming a full-time starter in 2008. Just as impressive, his strikeout rate was nearly eight batters per nine last season.

He finished the season healthy and should enter spring training in good shape after having the winter to rest any lingering issues. If he goes on to make a full complement of starts next season, he will be viewed as a major free-agent steal.

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
3. Carlos Villanueva

Villanueva is another interesting case. He has never made more than 16 starts in a season. Instead, he's been used mostly as a swingman between the rotation and bullpen over the past few seasons. But now he wants a guaranteed spot in the rotation, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.

Judging by his performance during July and August last season for the Toronto Blue Jays, it's an agreement teams will probably be willing to make. He was Toronto's best pitcher over that span, including a 4-0 record with a 1.93 ERA in July.

The biggest concern is control (3.3 walks per nine), but every pitcher outside the top tier is going to have at least one flaw. Given his high strikeout rate and periods of dominance last season, he'll be a tremendous rotation filler for next season.