Rosenthal on the Royals

Sure-Oz · 05-07-2006, 05:33 PM

Royals are far from a K.C. masterpiece
Ken Rosenthal / FOXSports.com
Posted: 4 hours ago

Royals general manager Allard Baird is a goner, and deservedly so. But let's see who owner David Glass hires as the team's next GM. Let's see if Glass continues to nickel-and-dime his baseball operation while receiving tens of millions in welfare payments from Major League Baseball.

Oh, Glass will argue that he raised the payroll from $34.9 million last season to $47 million this season, but that money would have been better spent on player development. Overpaying for second-tier free agents is a losing strategy, but Baird had little choice. Glass ordered the payroll increase, and Rafael Furcal wasn't about to come to Kansas City.
Also...

Injuries have contributed heavily to the Royals' 7-21 start; the team opened the season without three-fifths of its starting rotation — Zack Greinke, Mark Redman and Runelvys Hernandez — then lost another starter, Denny Bautista. First baseman Mike Sweeney, center fielder David DeJesus and outfielder Shane Costa also landed on the disabled list. But even if everything broke right for the Royals, what was their upside, 75 wins?

Such is the grim reality for perhaps the worst franchise in American sports. The Royals are headed for their fourth 100-loss season in the past five years, a disgraceful run of ineptitude at a time when other financially challenged clubs — including several in the Royals' division, the AL Central — find ways to contend. Glass' conduct should be Exhibit A when the owners revisit revenue sharing during the upcoming labor negotiations, and wealthy teams like the Yankees howl that their subsidies to low-revenue clubs are going to waste.

The Royals received $64.5 million from MLB last season, according to the New York Times — $30 million in revenue sharing, plus the $34.5 million payment that each team received from national TV, cable, radio, Internet and the sale of merchandise. Yet, Glass pays below or well below the industry norm to his baseball executives, evaluators and instructors, former Royals employees say. He also has skimped on draft-pick bonuses even though developing homegrown talent is the only way for low-revenue teams to compete.

Good luck finding a quality GM.

Glass needs one with the organization-building skills of a Pat Gillick or Gerry Hunsicker, but he wouldn't want to pay an executive of that stature. His other option is to grab an up-and-comer like Braves assistant GM Dayton Moore or Indians assistant GM Chris Antonetti, but why would a rising star want to work for the Royals when he eventually could land with a stronger club?

Baird was a typical Glass hire, a former scout and instructor who rose through the organization to become GM on June 17, 2000. He has done some good things, acquiring right-hander Denny Bautista from the Orioles and first baseman Justin Huber from the Mets in trades, grabbing left-hander Andy Sisco from the Cubs in the Rule V draft. But Baird's financially driven trades of outfielders Johnny Damon, Jermaine Dye and Carlos Beltran failed to yield a single impact player. The Royals also have failed to develop pitching, a fatal defect for a low-revenue club.

Baird talks constantly about maintaining the team's youth-oriented direction, but the Royals' lineup Saturday night did not include a single player under age 28. Rival executives say that the franchise actually lacks direction, sometimes rushing prospects, sometimes promoting one like Huber to sit on the bench. The Royals have gone through three hitting coaches in the past year and eight pitching coaches in the last nine. It's impossible to establish consistency with that kind of turnover.

The Royals' farm system includes two potential offensive stars, third baseman Alex Gordon and outfielder Billy Butler, but few other quality prospects. The Royals could add another top young player with the first selection in the June amateur draft; North Carolina left-hander Andrew Miller is the expected No. 1 choice. The question is whether the Royals would pay Miller the bonus he is seeking, or opt for a less expensive player. They did the right thing by drafting Gordon with the No. 2 overall selection a year ago and giving him $4 million.

This is not a franchise entirely devoid of young talent, but Glass needs to grasp reality — it might be years before the Royals are truly competitive again. They blew their chance to trade Sweeney. Their other veterans have little value. Baird has been trying to acquire a young corner outfielder for more than a year, but he developed a reputation for over-evaluating his players and asking too much in return. When the Tigers wanted Royals left-hander Jeremy Affeldt this spring, according to an executive from a third team, Baird asked for right-hander Justin Verlander, the Tigers' top prospect.

The Reds' Wayne Krivsky has shown how swiftly a new GM can make an impact, acquiring right-hander Bronson Arroyo from the Red Sox for outfielder Wily Mo Pena and picking up second baseman Brandon Phillips from the Indians in a minor trade. But the Reds were the top-scoring team in the NL before Krivsky arrived. The Royals boast no particular strength.

Since Glass became owner in 1993, the Royals have produced only one winning record, finishing 83-79 in 2003. This isn't Mission Impossible; the Royals only make it seem that way. Glass is receiving plenty of money from his fellow owners. It's time he puts that money to its intended use, and re-invests it in his franchise.

The first step is finding the right GM.

Ken Rosenthal is the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com.

teedubya · 05-07-2006, 05:39 PM

JOhn Schuerholz, come home baby.

**Bowser** · 05-07-2006, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hali Chi3fs

JOhn Schuerholz, come home baby.

The only way that would happen is if Glass would agree to drop 100 mil+ into payroll, and you know that ain't happening.

Good read, and dead on.

**alanm** · 05-07-2006, 06:04 PM

Things won't change until Glass sells the franchise. I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen.

**Bowser** · 05-07-2006, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanm

Things won't change until Glass sells the franchise. I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen.

Hell no it won't happen. I'm sure owning a baseball team is at the very least an awesome tax write-off.

tk13 · 05-07-2006, 06:10 PM

I believe the rules Mr. K laid down say Glass can't make any money on selling the team. I don't really have as big of a problem with the amount of money Glass has spent as much as when and how he's spent it. He needs to give the next GM his budget and get the heck out of the way. He's tinkered with Baird too much. Told him not to spend money, then spend money, vetoed a Randa trade, some people believe he was against a Sweeney trade, etc, etc... because of fan reaction. Not that we'd be a success now if Glass didn't do those things... but what if our next GM does try to make some successful moves and gets overruled. I'd rather prevent it now. I'd rather he not listened to the fans and let the GM do his thing and if we fail, we fail. I think we have a better chance of succeeding doing that then letting the two Glass's tinker everytime the fans get upset over something.

FloridaMan88 · 05-07-2006, 06:11 PM

Rosenthal knows his shit.

ChiefsFire · 05-07-2006, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

I believe the rules Mr. K laid down say Glass can't make any money on selling the team. I don't really have as big of a problem with the amount of money Glass has spent as much as when and how he's spent it. He needs to give the next GM his budget and get the heck out of the way.

I tend to disagree tk,I think Glass needs to be more involved in the everyday operations.Seems to me Glass always appears out of the loop on what is going on in KC.True the GM needs to do his job and Glass cant get in the way,but I just dont see a new GM turning this ship around.The only thing Glass knows is one thing...dollar signs

tk13 · 05-07-2006, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefsFire

I tend to disagree tk,I think Glass needs to be more involved in the everyday operations.Seems to me Glass always appears out of the loop on what is going on in KC.True the GM needs to do his job and Glass cant get in the way,but I just dont see a new GM turning this ship around.The only thing Glass knows is one thing...dollar signs

You're right... he is a great businessman. Which is why he needs to stick to that and stay the heck away from the baseball stuff. I appreciate him buying the team and the fact he's one of the few owners who actually pushes for an NFL style salary cap, I think he wants to win, if for nothing else winning would at least put some more butts in the seats. He's not stupid. But other than that he can just sign the checks, break even financially, and be willing add payroll if we're in the hunt like he did in '03. As long as he does those three things I'll be happy. I don't like the idea of him vetoing trades or forcing a GM to spend money on guys like Joe Mays just to increase payroll.

ChiefsFire · 05-07-2006, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

You're right... he is a great businessman. Which is why he needs to stick to that and stay the heck away from the baseball stuff. I appreciate him buying the team and the fact he's one of the few owners who actually pushes for an NFL style salary cap, I think he wants to win, if for nothing else winning would at least put some more butts in the seats. He's not stupid. But other than that he can just sign the checks, break even financially, and be willing add payroll if we're in the hunt like he did in '03. As long as he does those three things I'll be happy. I don't like the idea of him vetoing trades or forcing a GM to spend money on guys like Joe Mays just to increase payroll.

true

maybe on a broader scale it would help the team if he was around alil more i guess...my guess is the only time the players see him around is when the proverbial chit is getting ready to hit the fan...Probably not the best thing for team moral

**banyon** · 05-07-2006, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bowser

Hell no it won't happen. I'm sure owning a baseball team is at the very least an awesome tax write-off.

tk13 · 05-07-2006, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefsFire

true

maybe on a broader scale it would help the team if he was around alil more i guess...my guess is the only time the players see him around is when the proverbial chit is getting ready to hit the fan...Probably not the best thing for team moral

Who knows, every other opinion I always have about this team is wrong. Maybe they should just do the opposite of what I say. Fire Baird, hire a gorilla that speaks sign language, cut half the team, trade Alex Gordon and Billy Butler to the Mets for Jose Lima, make Greinke a shortstop, and change the team colors to eggplant and periwinkle.

Sure-Oz · 05-07-2006, 07:02 PM

How soon till baird is gone??

**Reaper16** · 05-07-2006, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

How soon till baird is gone??

I've heard tomorrow and I've heard thursday

Sure-Oz · 05-07-2006, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaper16

I've heard tomorrow and I've heard thursday

Why thursday? I've heard rumors of tomorrow when the royals come back in town or whatever...

05-07-2006, 05:33 PM
Sure-Oz Stay positive, don't give up Join Date: Dec 2001 Casino cash: $3389383	Rosenthal on the Royals Royals are far from a K.C. masterpiece Ken Rosenthal / FOXSports.com Posted: 4 hours ago Royals general manager Allard Baird is a goner, and deservedly so. But let's see who owner David Glass hires as the team's next GM. Let's see if Glass continues to nickel-and-dime his baseball operation while receiving tens of millions in welfare payments from Major League Baseball. Oh, Glass will argue that he raised the payroll from $34.9 million last season to $47 million this season, but that money would have been better spent on player development. Overpaying for second-tier free agents is a losing strategy, but Baird had little choice. Glass ordered the payroll increase, and Rafael Furcal wasn't about to come to Kansas City. Also... Injuries have contributed heavily to the Royals' 7-21 start; the team opened the season without three-fifths of its starting rotation — Zack Greinke, Mark Redman and Runelvys Hernandez — then lost another starter, Denny Bautista. First baseman Mike Sweeney, center fielder David DeJesus and outfielder Shane Costa also landed on the disabled list. But even if everything broke right for the Royals, what was their upside, 75 wins? Such is the grim reality for perhaps the worst franchise in American sports. The Royals are headed for their fourth 100-loss season in the past five years, a disgraceful run of ineptitude at a time when other financially challenged clubs — including several in the Royals' division, the AL Central — find ways to contend. Glass' conduct should be Exhibit A when the owners revisit revenue sharing during the upcoming labor negotiations, and wealthy teams like the Yankees howl that their subsidies to low-revenue clubs are going to waste. The Royals received $64.5 million from MLB last season, according to the New York Times — $30 million in revenue sharing, plus the $34.5 million payment that each team received from national TV, cable, radio, Internet and the sale of merchandise. Yet, Glass pays below or well below the industry norm to his baseball executives, evaluators and instructors, former Royals employees say. He also has skimped on draft-pick bonuses even though developing homegrown talent is the only way for low-revenue teams to compete. Good luck finding a quality GM. Glass needs one with the organization-building skills of a Pat Gillick or Gerry Hunsicker, but he wouldn't want to pay an executive of that stature. His other option is to grab an up-and-comer like Braves assistant GM Dayton Moore or Indians assistant GM Chris Antonetti, but why would a rising star want to work for the Royals when he eventually could land with a stronger club? Baird was a typical Glass hire, a former scout and instructor who rose through the organization to become GM on June 17, 2000. He has done some good things, acquiring right-hander Denny Bautista from the Orioles and first baseman Justin Huber from the Mets in trades, grabbing left-hander Andy Sisco from the Cubs in the Rule V draft. But Baird's financially driven trades of outfielders Johnny Damon, Jermaine Dye and Carlos Beltran failed to yield a single impact player. The Royals also have failed to develop pitching, a fatal defect for a low-revenue club. Baird talks constantly about maintaining the team's youth-oriented direction, but the Royals' lineup Saturday night did not include a single player under age 28. Rival executives say that the franchise actually lacks direction, sometimes rushing prospects, sometimes promoting one like Huber to sit on the bench. The Royals have gone through three hitting coaches in the past year and eight pitching coaches in the last nine. It's impossible to establish consistency with that kind of turnover. The Royals' farm system includes two potential offensive stars, third baseman Alex Gordon and outfielder Billy Butler, but few other quality prospects. The Royals could add another top young player with the first selection in the June amateur draft; North Carolina left-hander Andrew Miller is the expected No. 1 choice. The question is whether the Royals would pay Miller the bonus he is seeking, or opt for a less expensive player. They did the right thing by drafting Gordon with the No. 2 overall selection a year ago and giving him $4 million. This is not a franchise entirely devoid of young talent, but Glass needs to grasp reality — it might be years before the Royals are truly competitive again. They blew their chance to trade Sweeney. Their other veterans have little value. Baird has been trying to acquire a young corner outfielder for more than a year, but he developed a reputation for over-evaluating his players and asking too much in return. When the Tigers wanted Royals left-hander Jeremy Affeldt this spring, according to an executive from a third team, Baird asked for right-hander Justin Verlander, the Tigers' top prospect. The Reds' Wayne Krivsky has shown how swiftly a new GM can make an impact, acquiring right-hander Bronson Arroyo from the Red Sox for outfielder Wily Mo Pena and picking up second baseman Brandon Phillips from the Indians in a minor trade. But the Reds were the top-scoring team in the NL before Krivsky arrived. The Royals boast no particular strength. Since Glass became owner in 1993, the Royals have produced only one winning record, finishing 83-79 in 2003. This isn't Mission Impossible; the Royals only make it seem that way. Glass is receiving plenty of money from his fellow owners. It's time he puts that money to its intended use, and re-invests it in his franchise. The first step is finding the right GM. Ken Rosenthal is the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com.
Posts: 46,182

05-07-2006, 05:39 PM	#2
teedubya Most Valuable Poster Join Date: Oct 2003 Casino cash: $9480002	JOhn Schuerholz, come home baby.
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05-07-2006, 06:04 PM	#4
alanm Feeling Victorian Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Nebraska/Wyoming/Colorado Casino cash: $1806436	Things won't change until Glass sells the franchise. I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen. __________________ It bears repeating, ** Herm, Pioli, Haley, and Crennel for ing up my franchise for a goddamn decade. Buehler 445**
Posts: 33,620

05-07-2006, 06:10 PM	#6
tk13 ... Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $1952500	I believe the rules Mr. K laid down say Glass can't make any money on selling the team. I don't really have as big of a problem with the amount of money Glass has spent as much as when and how he's spent it. He needs to give the next GM his budget and get the heck out of the way. He's tinkered with Baird too much. Told him not to spend money, then spend money, vetoed a Randa trade, some people believe he was against a Sweeney trade, etc, etc... because of fan reaction. Not that we'd be a success now if Glass didn't do those things... but what if our next GM does try to make some successful moves and gets overruled. I'd rather prevent it now. I'd rather he not listened to the fans and let the GM do his thing and if we fail, we fail. I think we have a better chance of succeeding doing that then letting the two Glass's tinker everytime the fans get upset over something.
Posts: 54,957

05-07-2006, 06:11 PM	#7
FloridaMan88 Mahomes: We Are All Witnesses Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Miami, FL Casino cash: $3132906	Rosenthal knows his shit.
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