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?

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Yep. It's really depressing.

O rly?

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I think they're going to stick with Davis for quite a bit longer, and Mendoza's last two starts have been "fine" for a No. 5 starter. So I don't think they'll make any move suddenly.

Yordano Ventura might force their hand, though. He's been brilliant at AA and is probably going to be worthy of a promotion soon. Pitch efficiency and control are still areas of improvement (He needs to go deeper and walk fewer hitters, though his walk rate is not out of control).

Depending on how Ace does at Omaha, the Royals might have no choice but to make room for him.

Once Duffy and Paulino come back they are going to have some tough decisions to make. Paulino should be the 4 if he picks up where he left off and you have Duffy, Mendoza, Davis and Ventura for that 5th spot. I'd probably give Duffy the shot with Mendoza waiting in the wings. Most likely Ventura will take Santana's spot next year.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Once Duffy and Paulino come back they are going to have some tough decisions to make. Paulino should be the 4 if he picks up where he left off and you have Duffy, Mendoza, Davis and Ventura for that 5th spot. I'd probably give Duffy the shot with Mendoza waiting in the wings. Most likely Ventura will take Santana's spot next year.

I like this plan a lot. Sign me up.

[sedated]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Once Duffy and Paulino come back they are going to have some tough decisions to make.

If Duffy or Paulino make it to the rotation this year, I will be surprised.

[siberian khatru]

One note about DDJ: He has extreme home/road splits this year. SSS to far, to be sure, but still ... that's a bright yellow flag.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by sedated

If Duffy or Paulino make it to the rotation this year, I will be surprised.

Me too, we shouldn't expect them to be effective until 2014.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by sedated

If Duffy or Paulino make it to the rotation this year, I will be surprised.

Rehab for both has progressed nicely. Duffy has actually been dialed back because of how well he was doing.

I think we see at least one of them this year, likely Paulino since Duffy still has options.

It's weird thinking about having some SP depth. Would be a nice situation to be in if things go well with the end of the rehab for those two.

[Prison Bitch]

"And I can promise you that opposing managers feel the same way and they have their pitchers pitch accordingly. So, if you take either one out of the game, you can be affecting the way the whole lineup is pitched to."
http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articl...osmer/13474021



So there it is: GM addresses the reasons why he won't demote the Cold Corner. It's so Dayton Moore isn't it? Making up totally unprovable (borderline funny) claims as a reason for why he does something. I know he hates Sabermetrics but at times the dude goes "full voodoo" on us.

[Great Expectations]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Rehab for both has progressed nicely. Duffy has actually been dialed back because of how well he was doing.

I think we see at least one of them this year, likely Paulino since Duffy still has options.

It's weird thinking about having some SP depth. Would be a nice situation to be in if things go well with the end of the rehab for those two.

It sounds like Duffy will be one of the guys who gets a slight uptick in velocity. I haven't heard much on Paulino. Duffy thinks he will be ready in mid June, but says the plan is to be back at the All Star Break.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Great Expectations

It sounds like Duffy will be one of the guys who gets a slight uptick in velocity. I haven't heard much on Paulino. Duffy thinks he will be ready in mid June, but says the plan is to be back at the All Star Break.

I thought I heard Paulino was on track for July as well.

[gblowfish]

Hey, do you think the A's will have a "Kansas City Appreciation Night" anytime during the weekend???

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Hey, do you think the A's will have a "Kansas City Appreciation Night" anytime during the weekend???

As many wins as we have given them over the last 20 years they should.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Hey, do you think the A's will have a "Kansas City Appreciation Night" anytime during the weekend???

No, but a few of them will have a Frenchy appreciation weekend.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Great Expectations

It sounds like Duffy will be one of the guys who gets a slight uptick in velocity. I haven't heard much on Paulino. Duffy thinks he will be ready in mid June, but says the plan is to be back at the All Star Break.

If he's ready to begin rehab starts in mid-June, the all-star break is a sensible point for projecting a return to the show.

It's not like Danny needed much velo uptick... he was in the top 5 for average FB velocity among starting pitchers last year. But still... bonus!

[Great Expectations]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

If he's ready to begin rehab starts in mid-June, the all-star break is a sensible point for projecting a return to the show.

It's not like Danny needed much velo uptick... he was in the top 5 for average FB velocity among starting pitchers last year. But still... bonus!

I assume you mean AA rehab starts. He is pitching in extended Spring training right now. They have him on a limited per inning pitch count. Only one inning so far has ended before he was able to get the 3 outs.