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?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

Why?

-.7 WAR, 10 mill a year. Is there something I'm missing?

He's a NAME with power. Soren loves him.

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

Petro lobbying hard for Rickie Weeks...hard

Do not want.

[RockChalk]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

Petro lobbying hard for Rickie Weeks...hard

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

If he lobbying as hard for that as he was for trading Wil Myers for Jair Jurrjens a few years ago?

Let's not go crazy. I really think he's just emphasizing that Weeks is someone we can get without giving up anything really in return, thus only costing us money. His other emphasis is that if we really are "going for it", then doing nothing today is a stupid decision by DM.

Let's ask this question...would you all rather play with the Getz/EJ/Tejada combo or go with Weeks (assuming we really give up nothing in return)?

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

If he lobbying as hard for that as he was for trading Wil Myers for Jair Jurrjens a few years ago?

Did Petro really do that? Wow. I thought that was just snark on Royals Review.

[RockChalk]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Did Petro really do that? Wow. I thought that was just snark on Royals Review.

I didn't take his last segment and mentions of Weeks as "lobbying hard". He just covered him as someone available, who would be a power upgrade, that would likely come cheap (again, other than money).

This is coming from someone who generally doesn't like or agree with anything Petro says, i.e. - i'm not a Petro suck-up or supporter.

[duncan_idaho]

Moustakas update:

Since June 1...

.265/.310/.413

That's liveable, if you get it from him long-term. It's not star-production, but it's not terrible, either.

In June, he hit for a higher average but slugged less and got on base less.

In July, the average came down a bit but he has done a better job getting on base AND hitting the ball with authority.

I'd be pretty pleased if he could make those July stats stick long-term (not holding my breath, just saying). .330 OBP, .480 SLG. That would look pretty nice hitting 5th or 6th in a good lineup.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Did Petro really do that? Wow. I thought that was just snark on Royals Review.

Oh, he was going full Mike Mayock (read: banging the table) about how prospects were worthless and they should look at trading them for MLB pitching. Was obsessed with Jurrjens (remember, in 2011 he had an incredibly lucky first half and was sub-3.00 ERA at the ASB) because the Braves were allegedly floating him.

He was full-on advocating selling low on Myers if that's what it took to get a legitimate MLB pitcher like Jurrjens. Several people called in to talk about Jurrjens smoke and mirrors act, and he didn't want to hear it.

I like Soren, but I don't think he values prospects enough. That's his most fatal flaw as a baseball analyst.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Oh, he was going full Mike Mayock (read: banging the table) about how prospects were worthless and they should look at trading them for MLB pitching. Was obsessed with Jurrjens (remember, in 2011 he had an incredibly lucky first half and was sub-3.00 ERA at the ASB) because the Braves were allegedly floating him.

He was full-on advocating selling low on Myers if that's what it took to get a legitimate MLB pitcher like Jurrjens. Several people called in to talk about Jurrjens smoke and mirrors act, and he didn't want to hear it.

I like Soren, but I don't think he values prospects enough. That's his most fatal flaw as a baseball analyst.

He doesn't want wins in the minors, he wants wins in the majors... and the minors are just a means to improve the big club. Basically, the Yankees approach.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Basically, the Yankees approach.

A team this wins games and championships. The Royals win magazine rankings, BFD.

[Sure-Oz]

I don't listen to petro on baseball...esp after the myers for jurjjens bs

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

Would GMDM sit on his thumbs when he has the opportunity turn his reputation around? You'd think the last thing he would do today is absoltutely nothing. People are optimistic about the Kansas City Royals on July 31st. You better strike while that iron is hot.

There are not many sellers this season, too many teams (arguably including the Royals) think they have a chance. One reporter just tweeted that he heard from an exec, "this is the deadest deadline day ever". Its not like the world is wheeling and dealing while the Royals are standing around, there's not much going on today relative to prior years.

The people who do have players to sell are asking for way, way too much for them, and rather than coming down, they've been saying "fine, we'll keep him and build around him then"

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Zeke

He doesn't want wins in the minors, he wants wins in the majors... and the minors are just a means to improve the big club. Basically, the Yankees approach.

I want wins in the majors, too, obviously... but know that for KC, wins in the minors translate into wins in the majors, long-term.

Petro has gotten better in the past few years about recognizing the value long-term control of good young players and ESPECIALLY in looking at more advanced stats and realizing that SPs, especially, are much more than ERA and W/L.

The Yankees' approach works FINE as long as you have cash to pay the vets AND trade your prospects for truly good players.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I like Soren, but I don't think he values prospects enough. That's his most fatal flaw as a baseball analyst.

Versus most Royals fans that are happy to be losers as long as there is hope that 9 players will make it through the system and rescue them from their misery.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Did Petro really do that? Wow. I thought that was just snark on Royals Review.

As much as some Royals fans greatly over-value prospects, Petro is the other extreme. He seemingly perceives a prospect, no matter how heralded, as a middling pile of garbage until they prove otherwise.

[alnorth]

People like to think of the Yankees as selling out their farm every year, thats not completely accurate. They keep their highest, most elite, can't miss prospects. Myers is the type of player that even the Yankees would have hesitated on and demanded top dollar for.