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?

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Anyone hear the Ned Yost interview on 610? I missed it.

Yep, some highlights:

"I've been in this game a long time. These kids are going to be fine. We're not worried about immediate results, but I'll keep looking for a Roberto Alomar tree."

Hit positive rep at the bottom of screen.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Two of those five turned into James Shields.

We're paying him $27 million over the next two years too, buddy. Not sure if you know that or not.

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Yep, some highlights:

"I've been in this game a long time. These kids are going to be fine. We're not worried about immediate results, but I'll keep looking for a Roberto Alomar tree."

So, that's a tree that's pumped full of steroids that spits in the umpire's face???

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

So, that's a tree that's pumped full of steroids that spits in the umpire's face???

If that third-baseman tree proves elusive, an AIDS tree has to be the fallback.

[Deberg_1990]

The Grantland story is spot on. This organization has long been mostly clueless as to how to develop prospects. The hack away, no walks thing is pretty telling and seems to have infected Wil Myers and his attitude as well.


I also wished they would have made a move to replace Francour in the offseason. Winning teams don't just settle with a guy that poor. (Aww shucks, but he's a great clubhouse guy!). Give me a break....

Just once I wish they would make a serious move to obtain a proven, in his prime, vet bat with some pop. A proven 30+ HR 100+ RBI guy. A guy who would help take heat off the developing prospects......but sigh, the Royals are what they are......losers, and ownership doesn't seem to care one bit. 27 years without a single playoff appearance......yet "be patient fans" is the battle cry? Really??

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Wow, I must watch entirely different games from you then if you believe this. First, I agree with Myers 110%: when you're a power hitter you crush the ball. Period. You don't see ARod or Pujols or Dunn choking up on the bat and trying to soft-serve a little pillowbiter bloop into left-center like Hosmer does.


That's how gay dudes hit. Sorry, but strikeouts are fine. Being a pussy at the plate isn't, not for a power position. Strikeouts don't mean much if you're able to drive the ball hard in your other ABs. What good is a singles-hitting, contact, no-power 1B in the AL? Again: why is Hosmer=Ross Gload?

The Best hitters in the game Make contact, they don't swing for the fences on every pitch. They put good swings on balls consistently. Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols (who you just quoted) are the face for this. They most certainly will hit a ball to the opposite field for a single on an outside pitch with 2 strikes. Adam Dunn is really the only one that falls into that category that you are talking about. You're twisting and mincing words to argue, which is typical and why most the people here don't even respond to your ridiculously ignorant posts.

[Prison Bitch]

Hey, you like the Punch and Judy guys, it's what you dig. Different strokes for different folks I guess. I'll take K-machines like Mark Reynolds and Nick Swisher while you can have the soft servers. Cleveland thinks like me, Dayton thinks like you.

You like 3 runs on 13 hits.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

We're paying him $27 million over the next two years too, buddy. Not sure if you know that or not.

Whats your point cum dumpster. We traded two assets for a better asset. Big ****ing deal you worthless cum stain.

[MeatRock]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

We're paying him $27 million over the next two years too, buddy. Not sure if you know that or not.

Are you saying Shields is not worth 27 million over 2 years?

[Sure-Oz]

This organization needs a new GM, Manager, philosophy, period.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

This organization needs a new GM, Manager, philosophy, period.

They can keep the international scouts though!

[MeatRock]

Shields is actually making 22 million over the next 2 years dumbass.

[KCUnited]

When do we start to see the trade value of our prospects diminish simply because they come from our system?

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Hey, you like the Punch and Judy guys, it's what you dig. Different strokes for different folks I guess. I'll take K-machines like Mark Reynolds and Nick Swisher while you can have the soft servers. Cleveland thinks like me, Dayton thinks like you.

You like 3 runs on 13 hits.

Ever heard of Mike Jacobs? He was an all or nothing guy.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by MeatRock

Shields is actually making 22 million over the next 2 years dumbass.

Actually he's not. Read the details. $21m is his base salary. His options (which we will exercise) add another $2.5m. There was a trade bonus of $0.75m that we surely paid. Then there's another $6m of performance incentives spread across his contract for innings, starts, Cy voting, etc. He will get some if not many of those.

So in truth it's $24.25m before he earns any incentives.