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.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

My dream offseason:

1) Royals sign Anibal Sanchez
2) Angels pick up Dan Haren's contract after all, then trade Haren to the Royals for Jason Adam and a spare part or two (i.e. Cam Gallagher)
3) Royals re-sign Guthrie
4) Royals sign Stephen Drew to a one-year, incentive-laden deal and play him at 2B. He adds some lefthanded pop to the lineup, upgrades the defense at 2B (despite the position switch), and gives the Royals a legitimate backup shortstop (allowing more rest of Escobar).
5) Jeff Fracouer is exiled.
6) Luke Hochevar is non-tendered

Rotation:

Sanchez (very good No. 2 with No. 1 stuff)
Haren (Not quite a No. 1 anymore, but has that potential and should be an excellent No. 2 if he can bounce back)
Guthrie
Chen (not great, but you can live with him here... )
Odorizzi

Lineup:
LF - Gordon
RF - Myers
1B - Hosmer (assuming he bounces back - if he doesn't, hit Gordon 3rd and Drew/Cain first)
DH - Butler
3B - Moustakas
C - Perez
2B - Drew
CF - Cain
SS - Escobar

That would be a deep and dangerous lineup. And you'd see plenty of RBI opportunities for Gordon because of the depth.

Any idea where those changes might put us at salary cap wise? 90MIL?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Slick

Any idea where those changes might put us at salary cap wise? 90MIL?

Sanchez is probably around $14-15 million (hard to say for sure, though - the market might set differently)

Haren is $15.5 million.

Guthrie is probably $8 million.

You save $6 million by dumping Hochevar. $2 million from Yuni. $8 million from Soria. $4 million from Broxton. That's 2/3 of your new pitching spending there.

I'm not sure how much of Francoeur's deal they'd have to eat, but let's say its half ($3.25 million).

The pitching alone would put you around $80 million. Adding Drew (which really is just a wild idea) probably costs you another $5 million or so. You also could go cheaper at 2B, and either play internal options or sign a cheaper FA.

I'd guess $85 million for next year. Which is above Moore's self-imposed cap, but not crazy at all considering the new TV deals. It's possible you get some backloading into a FA pitching signing's contract as well.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Sanchez is probably around $14-15 million (hard to say for sure, though - the market might set differently)

Haren is $15.5 million.

Guthrie is probably $8 million.

You save $6 million by dumping Hochevar. $2 million from Yuni. $8 million from Soria. $4 million from Broxton. That's 2/3 of your new pitching spending there.

I'm not sure how much of Francoeur's deal they'd have to eat, but let's say its half ($3.25 million).

The pitching alone would put you around $80 million. Adding Drew (which really is just a wild idea) probably costs you another $5 million or so. You also could go cheaper at 2B, and either play internal options or sign a cheaper FA.

I'd guess $85 million for next year. Which is above Moore's self-imposed cap, but not crazy at all considering the new TV deals. It's possible you get some backloading into a FA pitching signing's contract as well.

Wasn't there reduced spending in the draft as well?

[KevB]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Sanchez is probably around $14-15 million (hard to say for sure, though - the market might set differently)

Haren is $15.5 million.

Guthrie is probably $8 million.

You save $6 million by dumping Hochevar. $2 million from Yuni. $8 million from Soria. $4 million from Broxton. That's 2/3 of your new pitching spending there.

I'm not sure how much of Francoeur's deal they'd have to eat, but let's say its half ($3.25 million).

The pitching alone would put you around $80 million. Adding Drew (which really is just a wild idea) probably costs you another $5 million or so. You also could go cheaper at 2B, and either play internal options or sign a cheaper FA.

I'd guess $85 million for next year. Which is above Moore's self-imposed cap, but not crazy at all considering the new TV deals. It's possible you get some backloading into a FA pitching signing's contract as well.

I'm good with all of your ideas. You could replace Sanchez with Marcum if we need to be cheaper. HOWEVER, why the F can't we spend a chunk of money now? We've gone cheaper the last few years by playing the young guys. It was the right move, as we needed to develop from within. But some of that money should now be put back into the major league club via veteran pitching. We should riot if they don't spend a material amount of money this off-season.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by KevB

I'm good with all of your ideas. You could replace Sanchez with Marcum if we need to be cheaper. HOWEVER, why the F can't we spend a chunk of money now? We've gone cheaper the last few years by playing the young guys. It was the right move, as we needed to develop from within. But some of that money should now be put back into the major league club via veteran pitching. We should riot if they don't spend a material amount of money this off-season.

Should we fly a banner above the K demanding more $ being spent?

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Sanchez is probably around $14-15 million (hard to say for sure, though - the market might set differently)

Haren is $15.5 million.

Guthrie is probably $8 million.

You save $6 million by dumping Hochevar. $2 million from Yuni. $8 million from Soria. $4 million from Broxton. That's 2/3 of your new pitching spending there.

I'm not sure how much of Francoeur's deal they'd have to eat, but let's say its half ($3.25 million).

The pitching alone would put you around $80 million. Adding Drew (which really is just a wild idea) probably costs you another $5 million or so. You also could go cheaper at 2B, and either play internal options or sign a cheaper FA.

I'd guess $85 million for next year. Which is above Moore's self-imposed cap, but not crazy at all considering the new TV deals. It's possible you get some backloading into a FA pitching signing's contract as well.

If Angels pick up the option on Haren, they'd likely kick in the buy out in exchange for legit prospects, like the kind you've suggested. Thus, take $3.5M off the total.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

As he pointed out, unless you're the tying run, absolutely no baseball reason for Francoeur to try to stretch that hit.

Exactly. For all of the talk about Frenchy being a good guy, I'm absolutely convinced that he's a selfish bastard as a player. Nothing else explains his approach in so many facets of the game.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

If Angels pick up the option on Haren, they'd likely kick in the buy out in exchange for legit prospects, like the kind you've suggested. Thus, take $3.5M off the total.

Yeah, I had that thought as well...

Or maybe they'll decide they need a RH power bat off the bench who can play the outfield and really rakes against lefties?

Hahahahahaa.

OK, so that part isn't going to happen. But the Angels' willingness to kick in the buyout money would probably be the difference between getting something like Jason Adam + Cam Gallagher vs. Sugar Ray Marimon + Patrick Keating + Brett Eibener.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Yeah, I had that thought as well...

Or maybe they'll decide they need a RH power bat off the bench who can play the outfield and really rakes against lefties?

Hahahahahaa.

OK, so that part isn't going to happen. But the Angels' willingness to kick in the buyout money would probably be the difference between getting something like Jason Adam + Cam Gallagher vs. Sugar Ray Marimon + Patrick Keating + Brett Eibener.

Do you think there is any chance of them getting Zack Greinke back?

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

Do you think there is any chance of them getting Zack Greinke back?

Royals? None. I'll be shocked if the Angels don't make a very, very strong push to re-sign him. "Safest" big-money investment on the market this FA period.

[kstater]

Did Moose play last night?

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by kstater

Did Moose play last night?

Nope. Tweaked the groin Monday night, done for the year.

[kstater]

Thanks. I think the groin is bs...he got pulled immediately after Frenchy got tossed and was visibly upset on the steps of the dugout( well at least until he almost got killed by foul ball) him being out the last 2 games makes me wonder works if its true and if Yost is siding with Frenchy.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by kstater

Thanks. I think the groin is bs...he got pulled immediately after Frenchy got tossed and was visibly upset on the steps of the dugout( well at least until he almost got killed by foul ball) him being out the last 2 games makes me wonder works if its true and if Yost is siding with Frenchy.

If this is true, Yost should be fired immediately on the grounds of gross incompetence.

[RockChalk]

Originally Posted by kstater

Thanks. I think the groin is bs...he got pulled immediately after Frenchy got tossed and was visibly upset on the steps of the dugout( well at least until he almost got killed by foul ball) him being out the last 2 games makes me wonder works if its true and if Yost is siding with Frenchy.

Any footage of this?

I'm not questioning that validity. I'd just like to see it.