2013 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread

[duncan_idaho]

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?

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by The God Hypothesis

Whats going to really hurt is in 2015 Wil Myers breaking the Royals HR record in a Rays uniform, Shields in a Rangers uniform, and Wade Davies showing up in a mug shot somewhere in Georgia.

Seriously though, of all teams to give up a middle of the order bat...

Maybe we should start a whining over the Myers/Shields trade thread because I need ****ing therapy to get over it, and that may just do the trick but I digress.

I cannot quit him.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

DJ, I wanted your Wong.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Eh, teams will make room for psychopaths that can help them win.

He got released because he walked 10 batters in 19 innings at AAA and put up a WHIP of 1.5.

That's way too many baserunners and his upside at 32 yrs old is gone.

Zambrano's minor league peripheral numbers look a lot like Jeremy Bonderman's did. And as soon as Bonderman faced big league hitters, he got his head handed to him. The Phillies aren't dumb, they know the same thing will happen to Zambrano and at this point he's just a clog in the AAA pipeline.

I was being flip. But thanks for setting the record straight.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by the_spatula

It's funny how we were all riding high on this winning streak, and then all of the wind was suddenly taken out of our sails when we realized that we really haven't gained much ground in the division and we traded for Justin Maxwell.

The division is almost gone. Detroit has the biggest run margin in baseball and have been massively underperforming, so it is a miracle we're 7 games back.

I'm now really only looking at the Wild Card, we have a very, very slim chance of catching the last spot.

edit: Based on pythag, Detroit ought to have 67 wins, and we ought to be 13.5 games back.

[Messier]

Originally Posted by alnorth

The division is almost gone. Detroit has the biggest run margin in baseball and have been massively underperforming, so it is a miracle we're 7 games back.

I'm now really only looking at the Wild Card, we have a very, very slim chance of catching the last spot.

The local media is trying to stay positive by saying there's no way Detroit will keep up this pace, but my response to that is, like the Royals CAN maintain this pace?

[Archie F. Swin]

Hearing neither Cain nor Getz going on DL to make room for Maxwell. Also hearing #Royals won't trim reliever.

— Bob Dutton (@Royals_Report) July 31, 2013

[WhawhaWhat]

Bob Dutton ‏@Royals_Report
Maxwell currently en route to Minneapolis. Will wear No. 27 when activated.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

Hearing neither Cain nor Getz going on DL to make room for Maxwell. Also hearing #Royals won't trim reliever.

— Bob Dutton (@Royals_Report) July 31, 2013

[Mr. Arrowhead]

if dyson gets sent down, I will lose it

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

Hearing neither Cain nor Getz going on DL to make room for Maxwell. Also hearing #Royals won't trim reliever.

— Bob Dutton (@Royals_Report) July 31, 2013

g'bye Elliot

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

If Lough gets sent down, I'm done.

[Archie F. Swin]

Elliot Johnson?

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by alnorth

g'bye Elliot

Could be Getz. Tejada and Johnson can play multiple positions.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Could be Getz. Tejada and Johnson can play multiple positions.

You're right, Elliot isn't going anywhere. He's the only other guy who can play SS. Miggy has to stay, Dyson has to stay. Its got to be Lough or Getz. Dutton said Getz wont be put on the DL, but maybe they'll option him.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Zeke

DJ, I wanted your Wong.

I tried to trade him to you fellas at the start of the season for a reliever or SS prospect but was advised by Duncan that he's no better than Christian Colon and by the rest of the Royals homers that he's not worth a bucket of piss.

I also tried to trade you guys Allen Craig for Herrerra and Collins and was also told that the Royals would be stupid to make such a move. I was about to murder Mitchell Boggs and would've given my first-born for a legitimate closer option at the time.

You guys really are half-crazy sometimes. It's not Orioles-fans bad, but it's pretty bad.