Bautista makes case for rotation

[tk13]

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/NAS...t=.jsp&c_id=kc

Notes: Bautista getting noticed
Pena says youngster could earn spot in the rotation
By Alan Eskew / Special to MLB.com

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Denny Bautista is the early leader to claim a spot in the Royals' rotation.

Bautista, a 24-year-old rookie right-hander, threw three shutout innings and allowed just one single, while striking out four in the Royals' 6-0 victory over the Mariners on Wednesday.

Royals manager Tony Pena said there is "no way" he could omit Bautista from the rotation if he continues to pitch the way he has been.

In two outings, Bautista has allowed one unearned run in five innings, while striking out eight and walking two.

"This kid has thrown real good in back-to-back games," Pena said. "He's real tough. He threw only 32 pitches today in three innings. He threw only two pitches up in the strike zone. Everything else was down. He had a good changeup, good curveball and a good slider."

Not to mention a fastball that tops out at 98 mph and is consistently 96-97.

"Bautista is one of the most intimidating pitchers I've ever seen," Royals pitching coach Guy Hansen said. "He has got four pitches that are all above average. He has the eye of the tiger. He wants the ball. He's just got an exceptional arm.

"He could be an impact guy. The Royals did a tremendous scouting effort to get him in a trade [with the Orioles last June for veteran reliever Jason Grimsley]. I know a couple of guys called me and said, 'You've got the mother lode.' "

The Royals said Bautista, who stands 6-foot-5, added 20 pounds to his frame and is weighing 190 pounds, which helped increase the velocity on his fastball.


Lima escapes: Jose Lima weaved his way into and out of trouble the first three innings on Wednesday.

Lima did not allow a run, but he yielded five hits, all singles, and walked three. The Royals turned double plays behind him in the first and third innings. In the second with the bases loaded and one out, Lima struck out Jamal Strong and retired Ichiro Suzuki on a ground ball.

"I got the bases loaded, but that didn't bother me," Lima said. "I'm a better pitcher when I'm in trouble. I made some good pitches. I don't try to be too fine."
Pena thought Lima got in jams because "he tried to be fine."

"He tried to make perfect pitches," Pena said.

Pena said Lima's outing was "much better" than his first, when he allowed seven runs, six earned, on eight hits against the Rangers.

"If I get the slider going, watch out," Lima said. "Then I'll have my two-seam fastball, my changeup and my slider. I can throw the changeup anytime I want now for strikes."


Forget about it: Chris George's line looked alarming in the box score: two innings, five hits, three runs, in a loss to the Rockies on Monday.

"The stats lied," Hansen said. "It wasn't an indicator. I actually thought he threw the ball as well as I've seen him. He had a firmness to his breaking ball. He had some deception in his delivery. There were a lot of good things I liked."

George gave up two ground-ball singles off infielders' gloves, a broken-bat single to Desi Relaford and a RBI on a squibbler to the first baseman.

"That's the story of my life," George said. "I was throwing all four pitches for strikes. Again, I didn't walk anybody, which is big for me. I was being aggressive, just trying to make them put the ball in play. I'm not afraid of contact."

George paused and then added, "Maybe I should be," and laughed.

"I felt really good about the way I threw the ball," George said. "I just didn't get the breaks. It's going to equal out in the end."


Guiel meeting: Outfielder Aaron Guiel met with general manager Allard Baird and Pena on Wednesday after a published report came out with the headline: "Guiel: If I'm not starting, I'll probably be departing."

Guiel is competing for an outfield job after missing most of last season because of a vision problem that he corrected with two laser eye surgeries.

"I just wanted to clear the air with Allard and Tony," Guiel said. "I was glad I could meet with both. Allard and I had a nice conversation. I was probably not misquoted, but the quotes were taking out of context.

"I never said if I wasn't starting that I wanted out. All I ever asked for was an opportunity to prove to them that my vision is 100 percent. My eye is 100 percent, but they have to see me perform on the field.

"I have a lot of loyalty to this ballclub. The organization signed me out of the Mexican League [in 2000] and gave me my first opportunity to play in the big leagues."


Injury updates: Tony Graffanino, who has been restricted to DH duties after having shoulder surgery last season, said his throwing is coming along well and that he anticipates he will be able to play second base on Friday in a "B" games against the Rangers.

Pena said third baseman Chris Truby, who has not played since the March 3 opener because of a sore left wrist, will be out at least three or four more days.

[shakesthecat]

Originally Posted by tk13

Chris Truby tore it up in AAA ball last year, and it doesn't seem like any fans are riding his bandwagon like most Royals fans are ga-ga over Pickering.

Good point.

Bandwagon line for David Diaz starts here.

[tk13]

Well maybe this is all moot. I just read on the Royals website Mike Sweeney had to be scratched from the lineup today with a sore right oblique muscle. Yippie. At least it's not a back muscle, but he's always pulling something.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by shakesthecat

Good point.

Bandwagon line for David Diaz starts here.

Hehe... I don't know, Truby's been hurt most of the spring. The way Teahen is playing, Truby might not get much time anyway... Teahen is 9 for 18 (.500) batting, with 5 runs scored, a homer, and 4 RBI.

[shakesthecat]

Originally Posted by tk13

Hehe... I don't know, Truby's been hurt most of the spring. The way Teahen is playing, Truby might not get much time anyway... Teahen is 9 for 18 (.500) batting, with 5 runs scored, a homer, and 4 RBI.

Yeah but if Baird is true to his word, Teahan is starting the year at Omaha regardless how good he does.

Same with Gotay.

Apparently having 3, 30+ year old journeyman IF's on the roster is more important than grooming the IF of the future.

[tk13]

There is no way they can send Gotay down if he keeps hitting like this. He's been the best hitter on the team so far. 18 AB, .444 average, 3 doubles, 2 homers, 6 RBI.

[keg in kc]

Baird was interviewed on Petro's show a couple of weeks back and he explained why Teahan would be going back to the minors, regardless of how he did in spring training. He said a lot of guys put up huge numbers in ST because they're relaxed; there aren't big crowds, there's no pressure. So he doesn't consider it a real litmus test on how ready they are to perform at the big league level. What he wants is to be sure that Teahan has progressed as far as they want (as a batter, he says he's ready as a fielder), that he'll be able to come onto the major league club ready to compete and, more importantly, ready to deal with the inevitable first slump that every new big leaguer has. He said he'll come up as soon as they're sure he's ready, that they won't push him, but that they won't hold him back, either. Could be a couple of months, or a couple of weeks; it's up to Teahan.

Just passing on what I heard, don't really have a comment on that logic...

[shakesthecat]

Originally Posted by tk13

There is no way they can send Gotay down if he keeps hitting like this. He's been the best hitter on the team so far.

Yep.
I'm hoping Pena/Baird come to their senses and Gotay starts at 2nd, with Graffy being the utilityman he was signed to be.

Caplinski is a non-roster invitee, so they can easily cut bait with him.
Truby is nothing more than a AAA player and shouldn't be taking space on the 40 man anyway.


As for Sweeney, good friggin grief! Isn't an oblique injury what shut down Affledt last year?

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by tk13

The front office does seem to have a hard-on for Harvey. I'm guessing they want to see if he just sucks, or if he started to show his true talent last year but just got gassed out (and maybe a little less focused because the team stunk) before his .370 average came crashing down. Personally, I don't understand how Pickering's become such a hero, really he's always been the same thing as Harvey, a big prospect who's never lived up to it. I know he hit a zillion homers in Omaha last year so fans get caught up in that, but I always get the vibe that he's gonna put up Rob Deer numbers, real low average, 20-30 homers. Maybe he'll prove me wrong. Chris Truby tore it up in AAA ball last year, and it doesn't seem like any fans are riding his bandwagon like most Royals fans are ga-ga over Pickering. And I do think having Sweeney play first everyday is a legitimate concern...

1. Pickering will do more with a .245 batting average than Ken Harvey will with a .285 avg. No one is predicting stardom for Pick, nor is he a hero, just saying that he's a more productive hitter -- something this lineup needs a lot more of.

2. Pickering is 28; Truby is 31. Truby has had 819 at-bats in the major leagues to prove that he's worthless; Pick's had 237, never more than 54 in a season before last year's 122. Truby has a decent prospect behind him we're excited to see, playing a position we desperately need to fill for a few years. Harvey isn't a prospect anymore, and he plays a position that is easily filled with any number of journeyman types -- like, say, Calvin Pickering.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

1. Pickering will do more with a .245 batting average than Ken Harvey will with a .285 avg. No one is predicting stardom for Pick, nor is he a hero, just saying that he's a more productive hitter -- something this lineup needs a lot more of.

2. Pickering is 28; Truby is 31. Truby has had 819 at-bats in the major leagues to prove that he's worthless; Pick's had 237, never more than 54 in a season before last year's 122. Truby has a decent prospect behind him we're excited to see, playing a position we desperately need to fill for a few years. Harvey isn't a prospect anymore, and he plays a position that is easily filled with any number of journeyman types -- like, say, Calvin Pickering.

If Harvey hits .285, I totally agree.... I don't think that's what Baird is expecting him to develop into. I think Baird expects him to develop into a .300 plus hitter.

[beavis]

Originally Posted by tk13

Well maybe this is all moot. I just read on the Royals website Mike Sweeney had to be scratched from the lineup today with a sore right oblique muscle. Yippie. At least it's not a back muscle, but he's always pulling something.

I wish I could make $11 million a year to sit on the DL.

[beavis]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Could be a couple of months, or a couple of weeks; it's up to Teahan.

I've heard all that before, but it's basically a bunch of bs to cover the fact that if he stays down for a little over a month, they push out his arbitration/free agency years.

[KevB]

Originally Posted by tk13

If Harvey hits .285, I totally agree.... I don't think that's what Baird is expecting him to develop into. I think Baird expects him to develop into a .300 plus hitter.

I hope he's not holding his breath....

[beavis]

Originally Posted by tk13

If Harvey hits .285, I totally agree.... I don't think that's what Baird is expecting him to develop into. I think Baird expects him to develop into a .300 plus hitter.

Even if he does, 90% of those hits are going to be slap singles, and he'll be lucky to have 50 RBI. If he was 30 pounds lighter, and played second base or something, I might be ok with that. But you need a different kind of production out of a first baseman.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by tk13

If Harvey hits .285, I totally agree.... I don't think that's what Baird is expecting him to develop into. I think Baird expects him to develop into a .300 plus hitter.

I think Baird's wrong. His .287 avg. last year was highest above Double-A. He's never shown power, not even doubles power. He's a big, slow, right-handed singles hitter with no glove, who doesn't even walk much to supplement his BA. Unless he develops more power, he better hit, like, .320 to contribute. Because even at .300, with all those groundball singles to left, he doesn't provide as much offense as Calvin Pickering hitting .245 but slugging .500 and drawing walks in between.

They ought to platoon them and go with 11 pitchers. Because I don't think that 12th pitcher is going to contribute as much as 350 at-bats from Calvin Pickering in this weak-ass lineup would. I'm dead serious about this: This lineup is in desperate need of guys who can work counts and belt the ball.

Course, if Sweeney's out for a month or two, it's gonna be academic for awhile. That puzzy.

[beavis]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

I think Baird's wrong. His .287 avg. last year was highest above Double-A. He's never shown power, not even doubles power. He's a big, slow, right-handed singles hitter with no glove, who doesn't even walk much to supplement his BA. Unless he develops more power, he better hit, like, .320 to contribute. Because even at .300, with all those groundball singles to left, he doesn't provide as much offense as Calvin Pickering hitting .245 but slugging .500 and drawing walks in between.

They ought to platoon them and go with 11 pitchers. Because I don't think that 12th pitcher is going to contribute as much as 350 at-bats from Calvin Pickering in this weak-ass lineup would. I'm dead serious about this: This lineup is in desperate need of guys who can work counts and belt the ball.

Course, if Sweeney's out for a month or two, it's gonna be academic for awhile. That puzzy.

He reminds me a lot of Hal Morris. He might hit .300, but it'll be the emptiest .300 you'll ever see.

The won't keep Pickering and Harvey. They've got Stairs that can play 1st too, and it would pointless to have 4 first baseman on the roster.