2012 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread

[alnorth]

2012 Slogan: Our Time

A better, more accurate 2012 Slogan: It is Finally Next Year
(from Great Expectations)

An alternative slogan if you don't like that one: Someone has to win this crappy division
(from alnorth)

With the beginning of a new year, it is time for the 2012 version of the Royals Repository Thread. We've got Hosmer, we've got a 2011-dominating Gordon, we've got Moose, we've got hopefully a killer bullpen, we've got a stereotypical slow slugging DH, we've got easily one of the best defensive shortstops in the AL, we've got a promising catcher in Salvador Perez. Hell, we've got offense and promising prospects galore.

We do not have starting pitching.

Oh yeah, we've also got this:



Get ready for, (as of January 2012 anyway), one of the most confusing puzzles of a baseball season in recent Royals history. Will they suck? Maybe, I don't know. Will we be given a year of 0.500 baseball? Possibly, I don't know. Will they win the division and go to the playoffs for the first time in 27 years? For the first time in a long time, it could happen, I don't know. 92 losses, 92 wins, or anything in between would not surprise a lot of us.

Everything goes here except Gameday threads and really big news. If a giant story breaks, the Royals achieve some awesome milestone, or we sign/lose a highly significant player/coach/mascot/whatever, then it might also deserve its own thread. This being Chiefs Planet, please do not clutter the board with new threads about trivial Royals news or you will only annoy those who come here for just Chiefs football. If you aren't sure and its not a Gameday thread, it goes here.

What sort of stuff often goes here? SPchief explained it well, so I'll just copy that:

If you locate something of interest.. ANYTHING.. deals on apparel, best ways in/out of the stadium, giveaways, great stories from this season or from seasons gone by, rumors, trades, anything.... feel free to post it here.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

The Royals are going to have to extremely overpay to get any respectable starting pitcher to come here. Fans are delusional if they think someone like Anibal Sanchez is coming here for market rate over a major market team.

Oh, I'm fine with overpaying. Overpaying by 50 percent, though, for Jackson would have been an extremely risky approach.

I was pushing for a Jackson sign until it became clear that even the Red Sox thought the contract demands were insane. 3 years, $40 million would have been an overpay (by somewhere between 25-33 percent), but not an insane one.

Much safer to overpay for someone like Sanchez, McCarthy, etc. At least in my opinion. Little more consistent, little more time gone by.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

Bob Dutton ‏@Royals_Report
#Royals also recall OF Jason Bourgeois and (officially) LHP Everett Teaford from Class AAA Omaha. Option LHP Francisley Bueno to Omaha


Bob Dutton Bob Dutton ‏@Royals_Report
#Royals designate C Humberto Quinteto for assignment.

Correct decision. Sad that we gave up legit prospects for him and JB.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

Hate to tell you but Garza is gonna break the bank.He might be the best pitcher on the market come july.Do you really think the royals will out bid the yanks or redsox?


Garza, who’s been tied to nearly all of the American League East teams this season, has an unspectacular ERA of 4.04 but a solid WHIP of 1.121. The 28-year-old is earning $9.5 million this season, has another year of eligibility remaining and can reach free agency following the 2013 campaign.http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2012/6/1...-jays-mlb-2012

When it comes to ABILITY to break the bank and pay for Garza, the Royals certainly can do it.

Even without using Myers or Odorizzi, they can put together a package that will match or exceed what the Yankees or BoSox likely will put on the table.

Whether the Royasl WILL do that is a fair question.

[DeezNutz]

5 for 75 would seem more than reasonable. But, as others have pointed out, is that reasonable given the longstanding perception of the Royals...

28-year-old pitcher who has been remarkably consistent. Not an ace, but a true 2/3 type of guy, a more proven Meche type.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

5 for 75 would seem more than reasonable. But, as others have pointed out, is that reasonable given the longstanding perception of the Royals...

28-year-old pitcher who has been remarkably consistent. Not an ace, but a true 2/3 type of guy, a more proven Meche type.

Yeah, but nobody seemed to think that demand/request was reasonable, even in an extremely weak FA pitching market.

He WAS coming off a good season, but he wasn't that great in 2010, and has a history of roller-coastering. That's what separates him from Sanchez/etc.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

Bob Dutton Bob Dutton ‏@Royals_Report
#Royals designate C Humberto Quinteto for assignment.

Happy plane is happy

[Nightfyre]

We have the following pitchers available in 2013, internally:
Duffy
Paulino
Hochever
Crow
Lamb
Montgomery
Odorizzi


Do we really want to sacrifice the next wave of prospects to acquire a single pitcher right now even though we have a plethora of starters to choose from next year? I also think Sanchez has the stuff if they can fix his control. JMO.

[sedated]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

We have the following pitchers available in 2013, internally:
Duffy
Paulino
Hochever
Crow
Lamb
Montgomery
Odorizzi


Do we really want to sacrifice the next wave of prospects to acquire a single pitcher right now even though we have a plethora of starters to choose from next year? I also think Sanchez has the stuff if they can fix his control. JMO.

If you are listing Montgomery, you might as well throw Dwyer on that list. But given what’s happened the last 2 seasons, there is no reason to expect either to contribute anything; they are relics from the “greatest farm system ever” that never panned out. It happens, move on.

Crow will never be a starter, or at least a good one.

Duffy and Paulino JUST had tommy johns. They won’t even start rehab until halfway through 2013, so don’t expect to see them in the show (or at 100%) until 2014.

2013 is looking more like:
Hochever
Odorizzi
Chen
Lamb (and who knows what he will give us, he isn’t done with rehab)
Mendoza/Sanchez/Mazzaro/???

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

We have the following pitchers available in 2013, internally:
Duffy - out until at least July, probably longer.
Paulino - out until at least August, probably longer.
Hochever - can't expect him to be anything more than inconsistent at this point

Crow - hasn't been a starter for two full seasons, and wasn't very successful as a start at AA. Would have to be stretched out AND prove he's ready at MLB level to start.

Lamb - Just now throwing off the mound. Unlikely to get beyond AA this year (and that's being aggressive). Likely an option in 2013 second half.

Montgomery - Scuffling for 2nd straight year at AAA. Very inconsistent and up-and-down.

Odorizzi - should be up soon. Probably part of the solution.

Do we really want to sacrifice the next wave of prospects to acquire a single pitcher right now even though we have a plethora of starters to choose from next year? I also think Sanchez has the stuff if they can fix his control. JMO.

See my notes on the internal options.

And it wouldn't require sacrificing the entire second wave of prospects (Yordano Ventura, Sugar Ray Marimon, Robinson Yambati, Jason Adam, Jorge Bonifcaio, Cheslor Cuthbert, Orlando Calixte, etc).

It would require a few pieces from that (one really valuable, one less so), maybe a piece that's a little closer (Montgomery, Dwyer) and some filler.

There still would be a lot of guys in the second group (which is mostly at A and High-A).

And the third group is going to be hot on its heals, as most of them are at rookie league or A-ball (basically, one year behind Wave 2).

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Yeah, but nobody seemed to think that demand/request was reasonable, even in an extremely weak FA pitching market.

He WAS coming off a good season, but he wasn't that great in 2010, and has a history of roller-coastering. That's what separates him from Sanchez/etc.

Yeah, my bad. My post was spectacularly unclear. I was alluding to Garza. But 5 or 75 might be light for him. Not sure.

But if we were to trade for him, we have to get an extension done.

[sedated]

I don’t really mind giving up the A ball guys. First, we need pitching now if we are going to accomplish anything with the position players we have. Second, they have the furtherst path to the show, which means more time for them to end up like Montgomery/Dwyer – one-time top prospects who fell off the table.

[DeezNutz]

We have a true dearth of starting pitching right now and have to hope for a damn miracle (Teaford turning into a gem; Verdugo kicking ass?)...

It's kind of disheartening, honestly.

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by sedated

If you are listing Montgomery, you might as well throw Dwyer on that list. But given what’s happened the last 2 seasons, there is no reason to expect either to contribute anything; they are relics from the “greatest farm system ever” that never panned out. It happens, move on.

Crow will never be a starter, or at least a good one.

Duffy and Paulino JUST had tommy johns. They won’t even start rehab until halfway through 2013, so don’t expect to see them in the show (or at 100%) until 2014.

2013 is looking more like:
Hochever
Odorizzi
Chen
Lamb (and who knows what he will give us, he isn’t done with rehab)
Mendoza/Sanchez/Mazzaro/???

You've gotta flush Dirty Sanchez. Guy is Kyle Davies all over again.

I think you're probably looking at:
Jeckyll-Hyde Hoch
Odor-Eater
C'Mon Chen!
Mendoza Line
Bullshit AAAA Mazzaro/Teaford/Smith/etc etc etc etc.

UNLESS: Daddy Wal Mart bucks allows us to buy an actual starter as a Free-Agent, or bundle Frenchey plus some other baggage (maybe Humberto or Maier or some minor leaguers) for somebody who can start. Probably a number three or four guy from somewhere outside the AL Central.

I wouldn't count on ANYTHING from any of our Tommy John candidates next year. I don't know if Soria will ever pitch effectively again, since this is his second TJ. I think Duffy will be back because he's young. Paulino's motion scares me, he might come back from TJ then tear up his shoulder. I don't think he can make it through a season healthy, period.

Gotta do something though, or we'll be right back to 2003 when we had all this offensive firepower (Damon-Dye-Beltran) and no pitching behind it.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Yeah, my bad. My post was spectacularly unclear. I was alluding to Garza. But 5 or 75 might be light for him. Not sure.

But if we were to trade for him, we have to get an extension done.

Oh, my bad.

I would be willing to stretch to that for Garza, but that would be the high end of the spectrum.

Something like a 5-year deal running 2013-17 would buy out his last arb year, lock him up through his prime, and have him coming off the books when the Royals will need to spend some cash on the young guys.

I'd put him at more of a 5 year, $60-65 million deal, but could push it to $75 million if the market value inflates in this FA period.

He's durable and consistent.

[mr. tegu]

Anyone know where we can see Gordon's stats when batting leadoff as compared to every other spot he has been in? I briefly checked baseball-reference but couldn't really find it.