2012 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread

[alnorth]

2012 Slogan: Our Time

A better, more accurate 2012 Slogan: It is Finally Next Year
(from Great Expectations)

An alternative slogan if you don't like that one: Someone has to win this crappy division
(from alnorth)

With the beginning of a new year, it is time for the 2012 version of the Royals Repository Thread. We've got Hosmer, we've got a 2011-dominating Gordon, we've got Moose, we've got hopefully a killer bullpen, we've got a stereotypical slow slugging DH, we've got easily one of the best defensive shortstops in the AL, we've got a promising catcher in Salvador Perez. Hell, we've got offense and promising prospects galore.

We do not have starting pitching.

Oh yeah, we've also got this:



Get ready for, (as of January 2012 anyway), one of the most confusing puzzles of a baseball season in recent Royals history. Will they suck? Maybe, I don't know. Will we be given a year of 0.500 baseball? Possibly, I don't know. Will they win the division and go to the playoffs for the first time in 27 years? For the first time in a long time, it could happen, I don't know. 92 losses, 92 wins, or anything in between would not surprise a lot of us.

Everything goes here except Gameday threads and really big news. If a giant story breaks, the Royals achieve some awesome milestone, or we sign/lose a highly significant player/coach/mascot/whatever, then it might also deserve its own thread. This being Chiefs Planet, please do not clutter the board with new threads about trivial Royals news or you will only annoy those who come here for just Chiefs football. If you aren't sure and its not a Gameday thread, it goes here.

What sort of stuff often goes here? SPchief explained it well, so I'll just copy that:

If you locate something of interest.. ANYTHING.. deals on apparel, best ways in/out of the stadium, giveaways, great stories from this season or from seasons gone by, rumors, trades, anything.... feel free to post it here.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Don't do this crap. There is no "evaluation year" here. Win in 2013. No excuses.

You have gone completely mental on this trade.

If the Royals win 87 games and lose to the Tigers by a game, then lose in the one-game playoff, I'm not calling for DM's head.

We win either year, the trade is probably a push at worst.

[htismaqe]

Stark thinks the Royals are better than the Rays (if the season started today) and thinks they have more than enough to "make the Tigers sweat".

EDIT: He predicted the Royals to finish 2nd in the division.

[teedubya]

Adios, Wil Myers, Jake Odorrizzi and Mike Montgomery... shit all three of those were/are top prospects...

I bet the Rays system makes good pitchers out of both Odorrizzi and Montgomery... this trade will look like horse shit for the Royals down the road, IMO.

[stevenidol]

Originally Posted by KevB

Who else besides Texas? Detroit? Are we sure Texas wants Sanchez? I'd read they weren't fans of his. I actually expect them now to look at Dickey in trade and bring back Hamilton.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/anibal_sanchez/

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by alnorth

You have gone completely mental on this trade.

If the Royals win 87 games and lose to the Tigers by a game, then lose in the one-game playoff, I'm not calling for DM's head.

We win either year, the trade is probably a push at worst.

This is complete bullshit. I'm not giving the Royals a participation ribbon in '13.

The trade was made to win now, and that's what I expect: winning a division now. Not getting to .500. Not getting close to Detroit. I expect to win something tangible and meaningful, and the barometer of this is a divisional championship.

There will be plenty of others who will go out of their way to defend and excuse our moronic GM.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by stevenidol

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/anibal_sanchez/

same link says sanchez should be looking at 5 years 70+

[stevenidol]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

same link says sanchez should be looking at 5 years 70+

"Passan's source insists the Royals are not in on Anibal Sanchez, whose market price stands at five years and $70MM+ at this time."

The Royals would have to pay more than the going rate. That's why I said 6 for 100 earlier. Same thing for Meche a while back. His market was around 4 for 40, but the Royals had to pay 5 for 55 to get him. Many Royals fans still hate that deal, even though they are wrong, and he even gave back the last year of that deal.

[siberian khatru]

You know, if Jeff Francoeur was not part of the equation, we wouldn't be nearly as apoplectic about this.

We'd hate to lose Myers, but if we had, say, Nick Swisher out there for a couple more years, I bet we could stomach it more. It's the thought of sacrificing Myers to try to win now with Frenchy still here for 140 games that is so frustrating.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Maybe DM thinks he's squeak through this year with Frenchy, then bring up Bubba Starling. That's all I can figure. We've got to get a right fielder that can hit some.

This is a contract year for Frenchy, so maybe that will motivate him. Otherwise, if he plays like he did last year, he'll be a huge hole in our lineup.

I would rather have a huge, gaping hole in the lineup at right field than starting pitcher.

I don't get people being upset about this trade.

[Great Expectations]

Davis as a 24 and 25 year old had a record of 23-20 for the Rays with an ERA of 4.26, WHIP of 1.36, 3.2 walks per 9 and 5.6 so per 9. AS a 26 year old in the bullpen he dramatically increased his so per 9 to 11.1 with walks increasing to 3.7 and WHIP of 1.095.

That is a good improvement over Hoch, especially has Davis should be better as a 27 year old pitcher than as a 24 year old pitcher. Davis even started a playoff game for the Rays two years ago, going 5 innings and surrendering 2 runs while striking out 7.

Shields will be a very good pitcher, for this to work out Hoch needs to go to arbitration, Royals decline.

Davis needs to go 13-9 with a 1.28 WHIP and ERA of 3.9.

[Bowser]

Dayton has taken a few not-so-veiled shots at Glass in his presser.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

I would rather have a huge, gaping hole in the lineup at right field than starting pitcher.

I don't get people being upset about this trade.

The trade took a ton of our future to make, that's why. Throw in another year of watching THE worst outfielder in the majors, and there you go.

I'm coming around on the trade somewhat (it really is a great feeling to think we may have a rotation that can compete with anyoneout there), but if the Royals don't win this year, as in 90+ wins and the playoffs, the trade is a failure.

[Jenson71]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

You know, if Jeff Francoeur was not part of the equation, we wouldn't be nearly as apoplectic about this.

We'd hate to lose Myers, but if we had, say, Nick Swisher out there for a couple more years, I bet we could stomach it more. It's the thought of sacrificing Myers to try to win now with Frenchy still here for 140 games that is so frustrating.

I hate Nick Swisher, but I see your point. But I'm really looking forward to this season. Our weakness was pitching. We fixed it. It's a bona fide fix. Even Francoeur has his advantages (club house atmosphere, put outs) that the prospect of his starting until Bubba Starling makes it up is okay with me.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Stark thinks the Royals are better than the Rays (if the season started today) and thinks they have more than enough to "make the Tigers sweat".

EDIT: He predicted the Royals to finish 2nd in the division.

I can see them finishing 2nd...but 1st? Who knows......Are they good enough to make up 16 games?

Tigers won 88
Royals won 72


Contrary to popular belief, pitching was not the only problem with the Royals last year.

IMO they dont walk enough and dont hit good enough with men on base. We have to pray that Hosmer and Moose develop.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Bowser

The trade took a ton of our future to make, that's why. Throw in another year of watching THE worst outfielder in the majors, and there you go.

I'm coming around on the trade somewhat (it really is a great feeling to think we may have a rotation that can compete with anyoneout there), but if the Royals don't win this year, as in 90+ wins and the playoffs, the trade is a failure.

Unless you can see the future, that's kind of a silly statement.

I think Royals fans have become so used to thinking about the "future" that they dramatically overvalue potential.

The Royals might fail to make the playoffs but if Myers never amounts to shit (which is entirely possible) this trade is not a failure.