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?

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Is Herrera really your likely closer?

You want it to happen. Hell, I want it to happen; Herrera is a blast to watch.

But does Yost? Don't you think it's pretty likely that Holland pitches just well enough to burn up every ounce of rope he has about 3 times this year, only to hang onto the 9th like grim death every time? Yesterday was a prime example; it proved more than any outing he's had to date just how ill-suited he is for the 9th, but I guarantee you that closing out that game bought Holland another blown opp. And if he saves 3 or 4 more, ugly or not, he'll get himself a whole week of rope.

You saw what Yost did last year with Broxton; he wasn't going to make Holland the closer, no how scary Brox made the 9th and no matter how much better Holland looked. Now you have the same situation but with a better pitcher on the hill in Holland. I just don't see Yost yanking him unless he craters for a 3-4 games in a row and Holland is a better pitcher than that.

Even if he can't spot his heat, that slider's nasty enough that he can go out there and throw 15 straight sliders and somehow get guys chasing over and over again. Brad Lidge made it for 2 more years than he should have after he lost his fastball command by doing the same thing.

Last night is a bad example. Holland came torrential downpour. His first walk was bullshit and should have been a K. The hit was a dunker off the end of the bat that should have been caught but was misplayed by Cain. If that happens, it's a 1-2-3 inning.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

No to Aaron Guiel, Emil Brown, Jim Eisenreich, Tartabull, and Nunally.

Are you sure on Guiel? I thought I remember them making a big deal about getting to start the season in right field against the Yanks at Yankee Stadium one year?

I'll take your word for it, but that thought is stuck in my head.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

Jon Nunnally
is the only one i couldn't get.

He never started in RF on opening day.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Are you sure on Guiel? I thought I remember them making a big deal about getting to start the season in right field against the Yanks at Yankee Stadium one year?

I'll take your word for it, but that thought is stuck in my head.

I'm sure. I think his first ML game was in Yankee Stadium, but it wasn't opening day.

[Demonpenz]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200.../10/15/stairs/

[gblowfish]

I think Holland will be OK too, but he really needs to come in and have a major door slam close appearance, without a bunch of walks. We keep talking about how good the Royals defense is, but you can't defense a walk. Trust the guys behind you and attack the strike zone. Hopefully Holland will get his control back. I like his attitude on the mound, but he seems to be channeling Broxton these days....

[Saul Good]

Of the five remaining, two have been mentioned in the thread today, and one of the others belongs on the all-washed-up team.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Last night is a bad example. Holland came torrential downpour. His first walk was bullshit and should have been a K. The hit was a dunker off the end of the bat that should have been caught but was misplayed by Cain. If that happens, it's a 1-2-3 inning.

Okay, so I ask again - is Kelvin Herrera really your likely closer come September/October?

I don't see it as anywhere near a sure thing. I'd probably put the odds at 50/50 at best.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Okay, so I ask again - is Kelvin Herrera really your likely closer come September/October?

I don't see it as anywhere near a sure thing. I'd probably put the odds at 50/50 at best.

No. Holland is the closer.

[Hootie]

obviously Juan Gone

[WhawhaWhat]

Baseball-reference.com is the best website ever. Here is every opening day lineup for the Royals.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/te.../opening.shtml

Aaron Guiel started in LF on opening day Mon, Apr 5, 2004 against Mark Buehrle.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Peyton's Princess

obviously Juan Gone

Yep

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Okay, so I ask again - is Kelvin Herrera really your likely closer come September/October?

I don't see it as anywhere near a sure thing. I'd probably put the odds at 50/50 at best.

Why would we trade him in your scenario if you are basically arguing that Herrera isn't expendable?

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Why would we trade him in your scenario if you are basically arguing that Herrera isn't expendable?

A) Because nobody's going to trade you a middle of the order hitter for a guy that's "expendable".

B) I'm arguing that there's a decent chance that he's nothing more than a setup man for the Royals this year and if that's the case, dealing Herrera would absolutely be dealing from a position of depth to handle a position of weakness. That's what you're supposed to do in this game.

I mean c'mon, put this on it's ear here. Let's say Holland blows up tomorrow and the Dodgers, who have Kenley Jansen on their roster buried behind Brandon League, come offering you Kenley Jansen and JP Howell for Billy Butler, you know that Billy Butler is a hell of a lot more valuable than Jansen and Howell. He's a middle of the order hitter. Sure, you'd have a hell of a nice setup man behind Herrera (who would've assumed the closer role after Holland blows up), but who would give up a middle of the order bat to secure an elite setup man?

That's the scenario you're being presented with here and people are really just casually dismissing it as a bullshit deal? Royals fans would flip their shit if the Royals traded Billy Butler, a middle of the order hitter in his prime, to get a LHRP and a premium setup man, even if they suddenly had a need for an arm to cover the 8th inning. A setup man and lefty simply aren't as important as a premier hitter and that's what you'd be getting in return for them.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

A) Because nobody's going to trade you a middle of the order hitter for a guy that's "expendable".

B) I'm arguing that there's a decent chance that he's nothing more than a setup man for the Royals this year and if that's the case, dealing Herrera would absolutely be dealing from a position of depth to handle a position of weakness. That's what you're supposed to do in this game.

I mean c'mon, put this on it's ear here. Let's say Holland blows up tomorrow and the Dodgers, who have Kenley Jansen on their roster buried behind Brandon League, come offering you Kenley Jansen and JP Howell for Billy Butler, you know that Billy Butler is a hell of a lot more valuable than Jansen and Howell. He's a middle of the order hitter. Sure, you'd have a hell of a nice setup man behind Herrera (who would've assumed the closer role after Holland blows up), but who would give up a middle of the order bat to secure an elite setup man?

That's the scenario you're being presented with here and people are really just casually dismissing it as a bullshit deal? Royals fans would flip their shit if the Royals traded Billy Butler, a middle of the order hitter in his prime, to get a LHRP and a premium setup man, even if they suddenly had a need for an arm to cover the 8th inning. A setup man and lefty simply aren't as important as a premier hitter and that's what you'd be getting in return for them.

Who is the premier middle of the order hitter we would be getting back? (I think I missed that part).