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?

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

For the rest of June, the Tigers have two more against Baltimore, 4 against Boston, three against the Angels, and three against Tampa for their next 12 games.

We have two more against Cleveland, three against CWS, two against Atlanta, and three against Minnesota. I think we should be able to make up a few games throughout the rest of this month.

Assuming we don't start slumping again.

[ChiefsCountry]

Just keep winning 2 out of 3 and we will be fine.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

I know this to be true, but I still "feel" like Johnson provides more value than his numbers suggest. He's the gamer/winner/spark plug that managers love and sabermetricians hate. I love him as a utility guy.

Yeah, he's fine as a utility guy/pinch running specialist. But he is not good enough to play every day on a real offense.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Also noticed today that Felipe Paulino's rehab start got put off due to back stiffness.

Joel Goldberg ‏@goldbergkc
#Royals trainer Nick Kenney says RHP Felipe Paulino will return to KC from rehab assignment due to lower back discomfort. Precautionary & Paulino not expected to be out long. Don't want any complications due to back to affect elbow or shoulder.

[mr. tegu]

In his career Elliot Johnson has 583 ABs which is about a single season's worth. In those ABs he has 19 2B, 5 3B, 12 HR, 58 RBI, 34 SB, and a .228 BA.

On a team that values defense and has a need for good baserunning, especially from that position, would we not be content to get a season of that from our second baseman? Heck look at all that power! Johnson needs to start getting everday playing time if we aren't going to be making a move for significant upgrade. Those are pretty decent numbers that we could certainly live with from a throw in player.

If one good thing can come from last night it would be Getz riding the pine on a much more regular basis after butchering his last AB.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

In his career Elliot Johnson has 583 ABs which is about a single season's worth. In those ABs he has 19 2B, 5 3B, 12 HR, 58 RBI, 34 SB, and a .228 BA.

On a team that values defense and has a need for good baserunning, especially from that position, would we not be content to get a season of that from our second baseman? Heck look at all that power! Johnson needs to start getting everday playing time if we aren't going to be making a move for significant upgrade. Those are pretty decent numbers that we could certainly live with from a throw in player.

If one good thing can come from last night it would be Getz going the way of Hiram Davies, Horacio Ramirez, Roman Colon and getting DFA/outright release

FYP

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

FYP

I live in the real world.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

I live in the real world.

I figured... while we're talking about 'good things' that last night can create, why not talk about the best 'good thing' possible?

Dayton Moore's biggest failing, by far, as a GM is his complete and blind loyalty to shitty players like Getz, Francoeur, Davies, Hochevar, Ramirez, Colon, etc.

GMs are going to make mistakes. That's fine. The problem is compounding the mistake by continuing to roster the mistake well past the point of obvious failure.

[texaschiefsfan]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Just keep winning 2 out of 3 and we will be fine.

Oh, yeah. No big deal.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I figured... while we're talking about 'good things' that last night can create, why not talk about the best 'good thing' possible?

Dayton Moore's biggest failing, by far, as a GM is his complete and blind loyalty to shitty players like Getz, Francoeur, Davies, Hochevar, Ramirez, Colon, etc.

GMs are going to make mistakes. That's fine. The problem is compounding the mistake by continuing to roster the mistake well past the point of obvious failure.

Definitely. I don't think we will be lucky enough to see both Getz and Francoeur DFA in the near future, but I am really thinking that once a decision has to be made on Dyson, Frenchy will be the odd man out.

[Infidel Goat]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

In his career Elliot Johnson has 583 ABs which is about a single season's worth. In those ABs he has 19 2B, 5 3B, 12 HR, 58 RBI, 34 SB, and a .228 BA.

On a team that values defense and has a need for good baserunning, especially from that position, would we not be content to get a season of that from our second baseman? Heck look at all that power! Johnson needs to start getting everday playing time if we aren't going to be making a move for significant upgrade. Those are pretty decent numbers that we could certainly live with from a throw in player.

If one good thing can come from last night it would be Getz riding the pine on a much more regular basis after butchering his last AB.

Drop Getz and pull up Johnny G. already. Johnson bats better as a lefty, so we could use Johnny G. to rest either Johnson or Moose against tough southpaws. Getz, as another lefty, is inferior and redundant.

[Three7s]

Talking about getting rid of losers is all well and good, but it's not gonna happen. This team crappy players that "try hard".

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

In his career Elliot Johnson has 583 ABs which is about a single season's worth. In those ABs he has 19 2B, 5 3B, 12 HR, 58 RBI, 34 SB, and a .228 BA.

All decent numbers except for that .228 BA. Also, you forgot to mention the .283 OBP and 176 strikeouts. A guy who hits fewer than 40 HR per year should not be striking out 176 times.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by thurman merman

All decent numbers except for that .228 BA. Also, you forgot to mention the .283 OBP and 176 strikeouts. A guy who hits fewer than 40 HR per year should not be striking out 176 times.

I agree. Given our options, unless we actually make a significant move to improve, for the forseeable future Johnson has to play more than Getz.

[cookster50]

Originally Posted by thurman merman

All decent numbers except for that .228 BA. Also, you forgot to mention the .283 OBP and 176 strikeouts. A guy who hits fewer than 40 HR per year should not be striking out 176 times.

I haven't looked at the numbers, but generally a player like this has steep splits that favor one side, which means you cannot just say "give him a full season and he'll hit like this" because it would really be much worse.