(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?

[Nightfyre]

We should probably provoke him with comments about jim johnson. It's like a hard count, to draw an encroachment.

[Ceej]

Originally Posted by lewdog

I bet we shop Holland and Gordon for Johnson this offseason. You need a shutdown guy in the pen.

But, not Butler - he's terrible with no trade value.

Maybe Hosmer, Shields and Ventura? Or are we not giving up enough?

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

We should probably provoke him with comments about jim johnson. It's like a hard count, to draw an encroachment.

You do know that only reason's Holland has slightly better stats is because Johnson plays in Camden yards and against the hard hitting AL East (best division in MLB) which is way different than the huge open space of the K and the worst division in baseball.

[Nightfyre]

Are we still the worst division in baseball? I think we can officially cancel that status.

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by lewdog

You do know that only reason's Holland has slightly better stats is because Johnson plays in Camden yards and against the hard hitting AL East (best division in MLB) which is way different than the huge open space of the K and the worst division in baseball.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Are we still the worst division in baseball? I think we can officially cancel that status.

ChiefsandO'sfan has the stats bro, ask him. I'm just the messenger.

[Sure-Oz]

fun season but not good enough. When you traded Wil Myers for Shields you were expected to get in the playoffs. they failed...one ****ing month they trashed. Cleveland feasted on the whitesox and twins. Royals were around .500 against them i believe or slightly better.

Team needs to be in the playoffs next year or this is a major failure. I expect the PC tuesday to be Ned returning :/

[Sure-Oz]

As for trades? Listen to everyone but Perez. I would hope they would shop Butler...and atleast listen on Holland.

Royals need a 3b, RF'er SP and 2b

[Demonpenz]

Perez is a grown ass man

[WhawhaWhat]

"Nelson Cruz will be active tomorrow. Wash will decide if he's in the lineup." - Jon Daniels #Game163

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) September 29, 2013

Auditioning for next year.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Cleveland feasted on the whitesox and twins. Royals were around .500 against them i believe or slightly better.

25-13 against them actually. Cleveland was 29-8. I know we'll never know, but I don't think the Royals would have been above .500 this year or next year with Wil Myers still on the team.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

25-13 against them actually. Cleveland was 29-8. I know we'll never know, but I don't think the Royals would have been above .500 this year or next year with Wil Myers still on the team.

We've been thru it a million times: David Lough (2.3) had a higher WAR than Myers (2.2) in fewer PA. Our fans are delusional about a lot of things.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by chiefsfan987

Then next year predict about 10 more and we'll be in the playoffs

Depends on what they do this offseason.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by PunkinDrublic

Still disappointed to see a team with less talent like Cleveland get a wild card that should be KCs.

They have a vastly superior manager.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

25-13 against them actually. Cleveland was 29-8. I know we'll never know, but I don't think the Royals would have been above .500 this year or next year with Wil Myers still on the team.

Hard to say, in a vacuum.

If the Royals had still brought in Santana and, say, won a bidding war with the Tigers for Anibal Sanchez (who was just a monster this year), they probably are a better team overall, because they are more likely to go to Myers as an everyday answer than they were with Lough.

Sanchez maybe doesn't bring the mentality and leadership that you get with James Shields, but you also don't have Wade Davis Hiram Daviesy-ing up your rotation for several months. KC probably brings up Odorizzi in May instead.

Would have been a much different season. In reality, Mike Illitch probably out-bids KC for Sanchez no matter what, which makes the whole alternative scenario fall apart.