(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?

[Prison Bitch]

Pretty telling how the Royals have addressed their holes this year. RF, 2B were both replaced. 3B got a backup to compete with him, at least to take away some AB. And they tried to trade their DH. All those things tell us what Royals management really thought of their players last year (but couldn't do much about).

[TLO]

I'd love to add one more pitcher, and a power bat of some sort.

I'm already excited about the season.

[Infidel Goat]

Potential platoon splits:

Moose vs. RHP = .252/.304/.707
DannyV vs. LHP = .329/.367/.879

[tk13]

I really like what Dayton's doing trying to address the depth on this team. Such an un-Chiefs/Royals thing to do. If we run into injuries or guys don't play well, there are other options to replace them. Valencia/Maxwell are bats off the bench that can play the corners/DH, Dyson has speed and Bonifacio can fill in almost anywhere as the utility guy. It's almost like a real baseball team.

[SPchief]

Originally Posted by tk13

I really like what Dayton's doing trying to address the depth on this team. Such an un-Chiefs/Royals thing to do. If we run into injuries or guys don't play well, there are other options to replace them. Valencia/Maxwell are bats off the bench that can play the corners/DH, Dyson has speed and Bonifacio can fill in almost anywhere as the utility guy. It's almost like a real baseball team.

Ecspecially after last year where we had virtually no depth but somehow got lucky to have no injuries sans Cain. We have an extremly deep bench now, sans catcher, and there's no way we go like last year and have no major injuries.

[TambaBerry]

Can we afford another starting pitcher? That's what has me worried the most

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by dingleberry

Can we afford another starting pitcher? That's what has me worried the most

Not after signing Vargas. They might move Hoch to clear up 5M but that won't buy much.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Pretty telling how the Royals have addressed their holes this year. RF, 2B were both replaced. 3B got a backup to compete with him, at least to take away some AB. And they tried to trade their DH. All those things tell us what Royals management really thought of their players last year (but couldn't do much about).

Are you capable of making one single post that doesn't diss Billy Butler?

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by thurman merman

Are you capable of making one single post that doesn't diss Billy Butler?

It's getting the most responses, so he'll continue until they stop.

[Strongside]

I really think the Royals are looking across the parking lot and saying "****. They got it right and look at the fan base. We have to do the same. Ride the wave."

[Coach]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

How do you know Moore didn't?

I don't if he did, and I don't if he didn't. Would have been nice to be a fly on the wall to hear all those conversations, including the Aoki, Beltran and Vargas conversations as well.

Unfortunately, we won't or never will know how the conversation will go.

Exec #1 "I'd give you X player for Y and H player?"

Exec #2 "Nah, How about X player for Z?"

[duncan_idaho]

Looks like "Joe Average Fan" is going to hate this move, if Facebook is any barometer.

Not surprising, but still disappointing. Be prepared for that conversation, folks.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Looks like "Joe Average Fan" is going to hate this move, if Facebook is any barometer.

Not surprising, but still disappointing. Be prepared for that conversation, folks.

We lost the majority of the grit we had left today.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Looks like "Joe Average Fan" is going to hate this move, if Facebook is any barometer.

Not surprising, but still disappointing. Be prepared for that conversation, folks.

Lough did develop somewhat of a cult following I guess.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by tk13

I really like what Dayton's doing trying to address the depth on this team. Such an un-Chiefs/Royals thing to do. If we run into injuries or guys don't play well, there are other options to replace them. Valencia/Maxwell are bats off the bench that can play the corners/DH, Dyson has speed and Bonifacio can fill in almost anywhere as the utility guy. It's almost like a real baseball team.

We're still screwed if Salvy goes down, but we can now sustain injury or ineffectiveness from any other position player.