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?

[Strongside]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Isn't Paulino supposed to be back in May? If he's the Felipe that he was when he left that is some nice insurance in case Wade Davis struggles.

OR certainly a better option that Will ****ing Smith.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Strongside

OR certainly a better option that Will ****ing Smith.

He struggled last night, but I think he eventually becomes a solid big league starter.That being said if Felipe is throwing a 3.5 at the 4 or 5 spot I can't imagine many teams with that deep of a rotation. Obviously a small sample size, but he had a 1.67 ERA in his 7 starts prior to underoing the TJ.

News: Paulino (elbow) threw 25 pitches during a live batting practice session Saturday, the Kansas City Star reports. (Sun Apr 28)

Spin: It was Paulino's second such outing as he continues to recover from last July's Tommy John surgery. He hopes to work his way up to five or six innings by the one-year anniversary of his procedure and could join the big-league rotation shortly thereafter.

[CaliforniaChief]

If nothing else, we'll have some nice, ready-made ML talent to flip for players at the trade deadline, should we be in a position to buy.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

If nothing else, we'll have some nice, ready-made ML talent to flip for players at the trade deadline, should we be in a position to buy.

Possibly, but aren't decent bats usually rented at the dealine for solid, but not great prospects? Not pitchers with middle to top of the rotation potential. This whole buy at the deadline thing is new to me, but it seems like when we had bats they brought back relievers or Vin Mazzaro/Sean O'Sullivans.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Strongside

OR certainly a better option that Will ****ing Smith.

Smith wasn't great last night, but his teammates didn't help him much.

He should have been out of the first with no runs scored. The HR by Aviles was legit, but it also was set up by a bloop hit.

Jeff Francoeur cost the team at least 2 and probably 3 runs last night as well.

Smith really should have been through the 4th with only 3 runs in.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Possibly, but aren't decent bats usually rented at the dealine for solid, but not great prospects? Not pitchers with middle to top of the rotation potential. This whole buy at the deadline thing is new to me, but it seems like when we had bats they brought back relievers or Vin Mazzaro/Sean O'Sullivans.

It depends on what you're buying, and how much people want it.

The Royals haven't sold a highly valuable player at the deadline in quite a while. It's been a lot of complementary pieces.

My hope is that they buy someone like Chase Utley (I'll keep banging that drum). It wouldn't cost the world in prospects, but it would take a decent guy (maybe someone like Orlando Calixte).

[mr. tegu]

Did everyone hear about Johnathan Sanchez last night pitching for the Pirates? Facing the Cardinals he gave up back to back HRs to start the game, followed by a single, followed by throwing the ball at Allen Craig's head. He was promptly ejected. It is amazing that this guy was our 3rd starter to start the season last year.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

It is amazing that this guy was our 3rd starter to start the season last year.

Sadly, it's not really. The number of buttholes that have been on the Royals is pretty amazing.

[SPchief]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Did everyone hear about Johnathan Sanchez last night pitching for the Pirates? Facing the Cardinals he gave up back to back HRs to start the game, followed by a single, followed by throwing the ball at Allen Craig's head. He was promptly ejected. It is amazing that this guy was our 3rd starter to start the season last year.

That was a few days ago. He's been suspended 6 games

[Strongside]

Boy we really ****ed the Rockies good in that trade.

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by SPchief

That was a few days ago. He's been suspended 6 games

I'd be shocked if he pitched another meaningful inning this year.

Dude has literally lost it. He has nothing left. I was pissed because the aforementioned game I had a Cardinals load for my FanDuel lineup and I had the first two guys who went back to back thinking I was a genius...

and he literally lasted 4 ****ing batters.

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by Strongside

Boy we really ****ed the Rockies good in that trade.

not only that

but even had we traded Melky for Guthrie that, at this point, would be considered a real good trade

...and think about that

last year we were PISSED about trading Melky for Sanchez once we realized how terrible Sanchez was

[MIAdragon]

Originally Posted by Strongside

at the Boston paper's power rankings...

.

They have the best record in baseball, do you think the Royals should be #1?

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by MIAdragon

They have the best record in baseball, do you think the Royals should be #1?

Of course

[Great Expectations]

GMDM has done pretty well with his trades. Compared to the lady gut he looks like a genius. The Myers trade looks better everyday imo. Of course I'd Myers wins roty that will change