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?

[Coach]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

In a vacuum for this single year? Yeah, the numbers would support that. The problem is that you're looking at 6 more years of Myers, which is always why so many people were upset by the move.

True, but on the other hand, it is very difficult to obtain a top of the line starter these days, since so much $ is invested in those pitchers. Honestly, I can understand why people would be upset on giving up Myers for Shields + Davis, but we all have to understand that the 2012 season pitching was just utterly pure dogshit, that it HAD to be improved. Not to mention that Shields is under KC control until 2014, and he can be used for a possible 2014 run as well, or if the team impodes in 2014, he'd have, assuming he stays healthy and continues to put up solid numbers, outside of the W/L, *knock on wood* I would anticipate a solid return for him. Something like what the Cubs/Rangers trade.

GMDM improved it by getting Shields and Davis, and while Davis is not looking good so far, Shields alone has been a good addition to the team. Santana was also a great addition as well. The last time I can name at least two top pitchers/ace material stuff was when Kevin Appier and David Cone. The best part is that Hoch was finally moved to the pen, which was needed (although I would had liked to see him released, but he's been fairly, for the most part, average in the pen, so I'll tolerate that.)

[Mr. Laz]

need a 2nd baseman

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

need a 2nd baseman

2nd baseman/3rd baseman or the end of a rotation guy would be my choices, in that order.

[sedated]

So what would it take to trade the Phillies for Lee, Young, and Utley?

[TambaBerry]

Originally Posted by sedated

So what would it take to trade the Phillies for Lee, Young, and Utley?

A lot

[SPchief]

Originally Posted by sedated

So what would it take to trade the Phillies for Lee, Young, and Utley?

Wil Meyers for starters

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by Coach

2nd baseman/3rd baseman or the end of a rotation guy would be my choices, in that order.

i just don't think we can go 3rd base yet, even though moose is basically a platoon guy now ... we just can't afford it.

Keep hoping that the end of the rotation gets boosted with Duffy

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

i just don't think we can go 3rd base yet, even though moose is basically a platoon guy now ... we just can't afford it.

Keep hoping that the end of the rotation gets boosted with Duffy

Yeah, which is why I put 2nd base as the top priority over the other two, but if there is a good deal for someone at 3rd or back of the end rotation starter, you may have to consider the options, depending on what's the other team's asking for prospects/$

[tk13]

Boston wins. Royals now 6 back in the wild card race.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by tk13

Boston wins. Royals now 6 back in the wild card race.

I CAN'T HEAR YOU I CAN'T HEAR YOU I CAN'T HEAR YOU I CAN'T HEAR YOU

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

It's mind boggling why the Royals stuck with Francour and now Getz for so long? The only thing I can think of why they were not up graded is because DM thought that Moose/Hosmer/Butler would make up for their suck.

I think he wanted defense and Getz does bring that. Frenchy supposedly had the big arm in RF but his range was awful this year whereas his replacement has incredible range

[DeezNutz]

OK, what does it take to get Gordan Beckham? Arbitration eligible next year, but not a FA until '16.

Would the Sox even consider it? He's a good player, but he's not great. Very solid.

[SPchief]

Baseball Tonight highlights was all about Sale and the bad baserunning in the 9th. NONE of the defensive gems shown other than Lough's catch. Whitesox are 20 games under .500 and it was all about Sale.

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by SPchief

Baseball Tonight highlights was all about Sale and the bad baserunning in the 9th. NONE of the defensive gems shown other than Lough's catch. Whitesox are 20 games under .500 and it was all about Sale.

Sadly KC is a smaller market than Chicago and the Royals have been awful for so long no one outside of here cares about them. I think they should have mentioned what Lough did, but respect is earned and they have not done that yet.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

The trade was stupid to begin with.

Why?

Because Shields is only going to be A Royal for 2 years. He'll get big money somewhere else.

Wade Davis sucks.

We give up our 1st/2nd best minor league pitching prospect and one (if not best) Royals hitting prospect in quite some time for a 2 season rental on a team that realistically isn't ready to compete w/ the big sticks of the division over the course of a season.

This team needs power bats to move our dinker hitting offense around the bases. Butler needs protection. That's the most important thing in this lineup and he simply doesn't have it. Hosmer and Moustakas have absolutely ruined this team this season.

I was with you until you went full reerun and said Hosmer has ruined this teams season. Maybe you missed the last month and a half. I dunno