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?

[tk13]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Who's getting on base if you put Gordon at 3? I long argued that I'd be fine with Billlaaayyy at 2. The notion of "clogging bases" is complete and total horse shit.

Tony LaRussa in the house. Seriously though, that's why he always liked to bat guys like the Dave Henderson/Jim Edmonds/Larry Walker types in the 2 spot when he had enough power hitters. I find it surprising that few teams try it just to be different.

[Hootie]

from a fantasy perspective...

if Gordon breaks out like he's showing and Cain stays healthy...and if Perez is as good as everyone thinks...

This might be one of the top 5 lineups in baseball. And that's not even homer talk. We are literally loaded with offensive talent.

Scary loaded.

Too bad that's not what wins championships.

[Hootie]

basically I've reached for Alex Gordon in every fantasy league I'm in so far so I'm praying I don't look like such a dipshit...and I just couldn't justify drafting starters this year so I will need to find two Chris Sale's on the waiver wire of course.

[ArrowheadMagic]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Butler at 4 makes zero sense to me.

Agree, stolen base threat in front, guy hitting the cover off the ball behind= steady diet of fastballs. Butler needs to bat 3rd

[penbrook]

Originally Posted by Peyton's Princess

from a fantasy perspective...

if Gordon breaks out like he's showing and Cain stays healthy...and if Perez is as good as everyone thinks...

This might be one of the top 5 lineups in baseball. And that's not even homer talk. We are literally loaded with offensive talent.

Scary loaded.

Too bad that's not what wins championships.

Yea except were stuck with Frenchy!!

[Hootie]

every lineup is going to have at least one guy who can't hit...

[Hootie]

I like the idea of Cain at leadoff and Gordon at #2

and then play April out and put the hottest bat at 4 between Hosmer, Perez and Moustakas

[BlackHelicopters]

Bat Francoeur second. Problem solved. Dude is an on base machine, rarely strikes out, and takes a huge amount of walks. Yost would be labeled a genius.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by Peyton's Princess

from a fantasy perspective...

if Gordon breaks out like he's showing and Cain stays healthy...and if Perez is as good as everyone thinks...

This might be one of the top 5 lineups in baseball. And that's not even homer talk. We are literally loaded with offensive talent.

Scary loaded.

Too bad that's not what wins championships.

That's really the only reason I've tolerated the Myers trade. It sucks, but if this team does not find pitching the next 6 years are a complete waste of time. And I really would probably rather have Shields than anyone available on the FA market. I'm a big fan of Shields. But we gave up a ton to get him.

But it's weird how it works. Smart football fans realize that QB's win titles and go crazy over it. However, smart baseball fans still seem to be enamored with offense and act as if pitching and defense are replaceable assets... even though teams with killer starting pitching and a couple great relievers usually fare better than teams with great offenses and average starters.

[Hootie]

hence the Giants, with a less than average offense, continue to win every time they reach the postseason

I like Shields and all but his road ERA made me wonder what the **** is up with the guy...I think he is a good #2.

What we really needed to do was stumble into a Clayton Kershaw rather than a Luke Hochevar and then I could really envision this team winning a World Series.

An offense can carry a team to the playoffs but realistically, once we got there, we probably couldn't win a series with a staff that consists of a solid #2, a borderline #3 and two #4's...

no one hits in the postseason

[Hootie]

I'd rather have traded Hosmer than Myers for the record...I think Dayton said the Rays would have taken Hosmer which I would have parted with before I parted with Myers...but what's the point of even talking about that anymore really.

[tk13]

Yeah, that was going to be my example. The Giants won the World Series last year in a game where they started Gregor Blanco in LF and Ryan Theriot at DH. Ryan Theriot. At DH. Their 1B Brandon Belt hit 7 HRs last year.

Granted you need an offense better than that to survive the American League. No doubt... but still. That'd be like the Royals winning a World Series starting Chris Getz at DH.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by penbook

I think the batting order goes 1) Gordon 2) Escobar 3) Moustakas 4) Butler 5) Hosmer 6) Perez 7) Cain 8) Francouer 9) Getz

Lineup I like...

Alex Gordon
Alcides Escobar
Billy Butler
Mike Moustakas
Salvador Perez
Eric Hosmer
Lorenzo Cain
Jeff Francouer
Chris Getz

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Who's getting on base if you put Gordon at 3? I long argued that I'd be fine with Billlaaayyy at 2. The notion of "clogging bases" is complete and total horse shit.

I couldn't possibly agree with you more strongly on this topic. Batting order is a horse**** topic, I am always mystified when people yell at the manager about batting order.

The only thing that matters is getting your best hitters the most at bats. OK, I'll admit that maybe its best to have a high-OBP guy at #1, but aside from that, I want to see Gordon and Butler in the 1st inning every day.

[Hootie]

Cain, Butler, Gordon, Moustakes, Perez, Hosmer, Francouer, Getz, Escobar