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]

BUY! BUY! BUY!

*Except do not under any circumstances buy Rios to replace Lough. We just seen why.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

But don't buy Rios to replace lough goddamnit

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Zeke

But don't buy Rios to replace lough goddamnit

True.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Zeke

But don't buy Rios to replace lough goddamnit

No ****ing shit. Would be a terrible, terrible move. ****.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

I'm all for Chen placing an 82 mph fastball between Dunn's shoulder blades next time then yelling at him to take the ****er out next time

[Nightfyre]

Buy buy buy - except that despite that we've won, what five straight, we haven't made up a single game.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Buy buy buy - except that despite that we've won, what five straight, we haven't made up a single game.

It's the head to head games against Cleveland and Detroit where they will have to make up ground.....and they won't be able to do it. Well, not against Cleveland anyways.

[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.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Buy buy buy - except that despite that we've won, what five straight, we haven't made up a single game.

Yep. Exactly why this thing is going to be so tough to do.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Buy buy buy - except that despite that we've won, what five straight, we haven't made up a single game.

Wildcard standings though, assuming Baltimore lose today, we gain a game.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

. Hosmer and Moustakas have absolutely ruined this team this season.

May is what killed this team. Hos has come around, but his and Mooses stink in May was a huge part of what buried this team.

[Coach]

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.

And not a single **** was given by me. Move on. What's done is done.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Absolutely. If Lough consistently performs at his current level, he's a viable RF option. Now, we're going to have to get slug from another position, but Lough is far from trash at his current clip, especially defensively speaking.

Would you agree that Shields + Lough at RF > Wil Myers?

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by -King-

Would you agree that Shields + Lough at RF > Wil Myers?

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.

[Deberg_1990]

If Moose and Hos becme perennial 25+ to 30+ HR, 100+ RBI guys, then the sting of Myers hurts a lot less.