Royals trade May and Bukvich

[ChiTown]

for Tankersley and Long. Guess we found our powerhitting corner outfielder....

KC ROYALS BREAKING NEWS
November 8, 2004
===========================================================

ROYALS ACQUIRE TANKERSLEY, LONG

The Royals on Monday acquired young right-hander Dennis
Tankersley and outfielder Terrence Long from the San Diego
Padres in exchange for left-hander Darrell May and
right-hander Ryan Bukvich. Long, a left-handed hitter, has
a .268 career average with 63 home runs and 321 RBIs over
five seasons. Tankersley, 25, is a hard-throwing starter
with promise. He was 0-5 with a 5.14 ERA in six starts
and three relief appearances, but struck out 29 in 35
innings.

Get the scoop >>
http://lists.mlb.com/u/677315/13245912
:rolleyes:

[Spicy McHaggis]

Tell me if they resign Beltran :rolleyes:

[shakesthecat]

Start printin playoff tickets.....


May for a rosen bag woulda been good enough for me.

[Saulbadguy]

Stop rolling your eyes, fools!

[ROYC75]

But can any of them really play CB ?

[tk13]

Holy crap... that's a great trade. I can't believe we got anything that good in return for Darrell May... of course May will probably tear it up in that ballpark in San Diego. That thing is a pitcher's paradise and a hitter's nightmare. That's why Long's power numbers went downhill this last year... plus Long can actually play defense and play any outfield position! Woohoo defense and speed! Baird's doing it right this time. Tankersley is a former top pitching prospect I believe, I guess we'll see what Guy Hansen can do for him....

[teedubya]

In the tank...

[Eleazar]

Hey, that is not too bad at all, considering we were normally running out 2 guys who have no business playing outfield in the major leagues.

I wish we could have traded May to the Sux or the Twins though.

[jettio]

Dennis Tankersley.

Sounds like a HOF'er on steroids. :thumb:

[ChiTown]

Stop rolling your eyes, fools!

:rolleyes:

Terrence Long?

Look, I have no problem with the trade at all, but I fear that our Corner Outfielder search may have ended with this acquisition. I hope that I'm wrong.........

[Demonpenz]

I guess JD drew is out of the question

[tk13]

:rolleyes:

Terrence Long?

Look, I have no problem with the trade at all, but I fear that our Corner Outfielder search may have ended with this acquisition. I hope that I'm wrong.........
Yeah, he's not Kevin Mench or anything, but I'm just excited to get rid of Darrell May... if this is a worst case scenario it is still should be quite an upgrade over Dee Brown out there....

[tk13]

I guess JD drew is out of the question
That's the other big problem, a lot of the big name FA's are all Scott Boras clients...

[tomahawk kid]

:rolleyes:

Terrence Long?

Look, I have no problem with the trade at all, but I fear that our Corner Outfielder search may have ended with this acquisition. I hope that I'm wrong.........

No my friend, I say you're quite right.

Baird's probably going on vacation or to scour for some 26 year old - "18 year old" piching phenom in the Dominican.

Royals are done this offseason.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

"Tankersley, 25, is a hard-throwing starter
with promise. He was 0-5 with a 5.14 ERA in six starts
and three relief appearances"

That's what the Royals call "promise." In other words, he won't cost much.

ROFL

Terrance Long isn't a bad pick-up though... and I'm sure he's thrilled to be coming to KC.

[Saulbadguy]

Lets go Royals!

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

Hey, that is not too bad at all, considering we were normally running out 2 guys who have no business playing outfield in the major leagues.

I wish we could have traded May to the Sux or the Twins though.
nice fvck-up on your avy...

ROFL ROFL ROFL

[Pitt Gorilla]

Is there cash thrown in to cover Long's stupid salary?

[tk13]

Is there cash thrown in to cover Long's stupid salary?
Supposedly yes....

[siberian khatru]

Dennis Tankersley is an uncoachable asshole.

Long is a No. 4 OF.

I kinda liked Bukvich.

I don't like this trade. We don't need MORE starting pitching prospects -- we've already got too many as it is, and I don't see Tank as being superior to many of them. We need hitters.

[Saulbadguy]

At first I thought it said Dennis Eckersley.

[ChiTown]

Supposedly yes....

Good, because his 2004 base was $3.75MM, which is extremely high for a guy that doesn't bat for a great average or power. He's got average speed and a slightly above average glove and arm. I'm happy to have May gone, I just hope like hell we're going to bring in a corner OF with some legit power.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Supposedly yes....Yeah, I just read that. We're also still in the market for a power-hitting OF.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/kc/news/kc_news.jsp?ymd=20041108&content_id=911492&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp

[cmh6476]

and don't forget, we get first pick out of the FA pool PBJ PBJ

[ChiTown]

Yeah, I just read that. We're also still in the market for a power-hitting OF.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/kc/news/kc_news.jsp?ymd=20041108&content_id=911492&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp

Geezus, Long is going to make $4.7M in 05? That, IMO, is unfreaking believabe for a guy that's really not done a fuggin thing since his rookie season.

[tk13]

Good, because his 2004 base was $3.75MM, which is extremely high for a guy that doesn't bat for a great average or power. He's got average speed and a slightly above average glove and arm. I'm happy to have May gone, I just hope like hell we're going to bring in a corner OF with some legit power.
According to somebody over on the kcroyals.com board, Long is supposed to make 4.6 mil this year I believe, but they sent us cash. Given the opportunity to take on a pissed off disgrunted Darrell May in the bullpen for 3.5 mil a year, or an OF who actually has had some relative success for more than one season in his career, you've gotta take Long. Bukvich did pitch pretty well this year though, so that is disappointing...

[alpha_omega]

WOW!!!
Our season must be over...Royals topic on the front page (and at the top) in Nov.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

and don't forget, we get first pick out of the FA pool PBJ PBJ
WooooooHoooooooo.....here comes Ellis Burks!!!!!!!!!!!!!


ROFL

[siberian khatru]

an OF who actually has had some relative success for more than one season in his career

"some relative success" now there's a ringing endorsement! ROFL :p

He peaked his rookie year, and that peak wasn't very high. I think you could find a AAA vet to do the same things for a fraction of the cost. At least May is gone, as you said.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

Geezus, Long is going to make $4.7M in 05? That, IMO, is unfreaking believabe for a guy that's really not done a fuggin thing since his rookie season.
You must remember what team we're talking about here.

[tk13]

"some relative success" now there's a ringing endorsement! ROFL :p

He peaked his rookie year, and that peak wasn't very high. I think you could find a AAA vet to do the same things for a fraction of the cost. At least May is gone, as you said.
I'll take a .295 hitter over a 19 game loser any day of the week....

[siberian khatru]

I'll take a .295 hitter over a 19 game loser any day of the week....

If you believe the career .268 hitter with a career .319 OBA and career .420 SLG coming off a career-best .295 season is indeed a .295 hitter, OK. :p

If you're just happy about getting rid of May, that's fine by me. I share the joy.

[gblowfish]

Too bad they sent Darrell the Whiner to the NL West. I'd like the Royals to have a chance to pound him like the rest of the league did last year.

[ChiTown]

According to somebody over on the kcroyals.com board, Long is supposed to make 4.6 mil this year I believe, but they sent us cash. Given the opportunity to take on a pissed off disgrunted Darrell May in the bullpen for 3.5 mil a year, or an OF who actually has had some relative success for more than one season in his career, you've gotta take Long. Bukvich did pitch pretty well this year though, so that is disappointing...

As mentioned, I don't mind the fct that May is gone, I just have an ill feeling that we aren't going to really improve our corner OF position. Nunez played ok in the last quarter of the season, but he just doesn't do it for me. Right now, we have Stairs, Nunez, Long as corner OF's on the 40 man roster roster. If that doesn't scream sexy, I don't know what does......

[Demonpenz]

holy crap i just dropped an entire cup of peas, and i was like shit, this is going to take forever to clean up. Then i called my dog over and prayed she would eat some of them. She ate them all, reminded me of pac man

[Bowser]

holy crap i just dropped an entire cup of peas, and i was like shit, this is going to take forever to clean up. Then i called my dog over and prayed she would eat some of them. She ate them all, reminded me of pac man

I see the new bong is working well.......








:D

[tk13]

If you believe the career .268 hitter with a career .319 OBA and career .420 SLG coming off a career-best .295 season is indeed a .295 hitter, OK. :p

If you're just happy about getting rid of May, that's fine by me. I share the joy.
That's not the easiest ballpark to hit in.... fly balls go to die there, which should be great because I'm sure by June everyone will be acting like the village idiot screaming at Baird because May will have a 3.50 ERA.

Plus, there's money to spend and I don't think Baird is done... I guess it depends on what other OF they add. Just reading the article Pitt posted, Baird says that Long is going to compete with Nunez in RF and they're still basically looking for a LF and stopgap 3B...

[BigChiefFan]

WOW!!!
Our season must be over...Royals topic on the front page (and at the top) in Nov.LMAO!!! I found myself eager to see some lowly Royals news 9 weeks into the football season. Ugh. :deevee: :deevee:

[LTownChief]

Terrance Long isn't bad at all, this is a good trade for the Royals

[Demonpenz]

i heard that Juan Gonzolas is pretty good

[Bowser]

Terrance Long isn't bad at all, this is a good trade for the Royals

The fact that we got anything for Darrell May amazes me. I would rather have kept Bukvitch, though.

[ChiTown]

Just reading the article Pitt posted, Baird says that Long is going to compete with Nunez in RF and they're still basically looking for a LF and stopgap 3B...

I'd almost be willing to bet that thr Royals will sign Tony Batista from Montreal. He made $1.5MM this year, and will probably sign for somewhere in the $2.5-3.5M range. He's a power hitter, but his OBP (.272) sucks. He only had 26 walks in 600+ AB's last season.......

[Pitt Gorilla]

If we can get Benito off our books, I'll be happy. (While we're at it, how about Sweeney?!?)

[David.]

nice fvck-up on your avy...

ROFL ROFL ROFL

....he didn't **** is avy up?

[Eleazar]

nice fvck-up on your avy...

ROFL ROFL ROFL

Welcome to the internet, jackrag :rolleyes:

[Thig Lyfe]

I wish we had money.

[nychief]

Addition by subtraction in my book. May not only was aweful this year, he shot his mouth off to the press... Long is not great. But, after watching Nunez..(puke sound)... I will look forward to seeing him as the fourth OF.

[Coogs]

The first signing of the off-season is a guy with the name of......

Tankersley

.....Hardly a name that causes a guy to get too excited about what he could bring to the Royals. But then again, the way the Royals seasons have gone the last decaded or so, this is probably a match made in heaven. :sulk:

[Deberg_1990]

Blah....im supposed to get excited about a guy with stats like this??

He was 0-5 with a 5.14 ERA in six starts
and three relief appearances

Oh yea!

[KevB]

I'm sure we were trying to get Xavier Nady, and the Pads laughed out loud. Instead we get a 29 year old corner OF with a career OPS of .730. YeeHaw.

Darrell, don't let the door hit you in the a$$ on the way out....

[tk13]

Blah....im supposed to get excited about a guy with stats like this??

He was 0-5 with a 5.14 ERA in six starts
and three relief appearances

Oh yea!
Yeah but at least Baird's trying... it's another right handed power pitcher with plus-stuff. I mean, really, you have nothing to lose here, except Darrell May... oh my, the horror, I'm in tears because they added a young prospect that has some physical ability in the place of a 32-ish year old left handed soft tosser that gets taken deep more than Courtney Love's crotch at a New Year's Party.

[Deberg_1990]

Yeah but at least Baird's trying... it's another right handed power pitcher with plus-stuff. I mean, really, you have nothing to lose here, except Darrell May... oh my, the horror, I'm in tears because they added a young prospect that has some physical ability in the place of a 32-ish year old left handed soft tosser that gets taken deep more than Courtney Love's crotch at a New Year's Party.


Im sure Steinbrenner is "quaking in his boots" about this signing.....LOL

[VonneMarie]

This trade sucks! WTF, Long for May? :rolleyes:

[Bowser]

This trade sucks! WTF, Long for May? :rolleyes:

This trade sucks? We give a 19 game loser, plus a lockerroom cancer, for a solid #4 outfielder and it sucks?

Explain, please.

[Thig Lyfe]

How about that Beltran guy? He's pretty good.

[nychief]

How about that Beltran guy? He's pretty good.
ROFL

[VonneMarie]

This trade sucks? We give a 19 game loser, plus a lockerroom cancer, for a solid #4 outfielder and it sucks?

Explain, please.
We already don't have pitching. May is pretty good except for last season and the season before that he had no run support.

And who the freak is Terrance Long?

[tk13]

Im sure Steinbrenner is "quaking in his boots" about this signing.....LOL
Suck Finebrenner.... okay, that doesn't work. But yeah, I'm not afraid of the Yankees. None of you people are going to convince me that the Twins shouldn't have beat them in the first round, especially if Gardenhire hadn't left the closer in too long in Game 2.... I'm not afraid!

[Deberg_1990]

Suck Finebrenner.... okay, that doesn't work. But yeah, I'm not afraid of the Yankees. None of you people are going to convince me that the Twins shouldn't have beat them in the first round, especially if Gardenhire hadn't left the closer in too long in Game 2.... I'm not afraid!

It just sucks because every year they basically trot out the American League All-Star team and its not even fair.......and now they are more than likey going to get Beltan! Damnit Carl!!!

[tk13]

We already don't have pitching. May is pretty good except for last season and the season before that he had no run support.

And who the freak is Terrance Long?
Translation: "He's going to be 33 years old and has been in the league for three years and sucked wind for two of them, given up almost 100 homers in that span, including 38 this year even though the fences were moved back 10 feet, yet I'd like to see him take the ball so I can stab my eyes out every 5 days when baseball season comes around despite the fact that there's a boatload of pitchers in the organization fighting for starting spots and absolutely no corner outfielders."

[VonneMarie]

Translation: "He's going to be 33 years old and has been in the league for three years and sucked wind for two of them, given up almost 100 homers in that span, including 38 this year even though the fences were moved back 10 feet, yet I'd like to see him take the ball so I can stab my eyes out every 5 days when baseball season comes around despite the fact that there's a boatload of pitchers in the organization fighting for starting spots and absolutely no corner outfielders."
He was one of our best pitchers the last few years and that ain't saying much. :(

And who the freak is Terrance Long? :spock:

[Saulbadguy]

We need Pedro!

[Sure-Oz]

May Blows ass, im glad he is gone, he's a fvcking crybaby too!! We have enough soft tossing pussies anyway. Long was good his rookie season, hopefully he can be a solid of'er, probably a backup. Tankersley, may as well give him a shot, we didn't lose much in this trade, everyone knows Suckdick wasn't going to be closing for us anyway.

[VonneMarie]

Oz, take that shit out of your avatar and sig. :rolleyes:

I must be in the minority that thought May was decent compared to the rest of our horseshit pitching staff... outside of Anderson, of course.

[Sure-Oz]

Oz, take that shit out of your avatar and sig. :rolleyes:

I must be in the minority that thought May was decent compared to the rest of our horseshit pitching staff... outside of Anderson, of course.
What you don't like desperate housewives???

Great show on ABC! :thumb:

[chiefqueen]

Im sure Steinbrenner is "quaking in his boots" about this signing.....LOL

Steinbrenner just trying to figure out how to get Grienke in pinstripes b/f 2011.

[Sure-Oz]

Oz, take that shit out of your avatar and sig. :rolleyes:

I must be in the minority that thought May was decent compared to the rest of our horseshit pitching staff... outside of Anderson, of course.
you got your wish

[VonneMarie]

you got your wish
Now you can stay up at 8 pm and watch it. Take a picture for that fact...

[the Talking Can]

Royals trade steaming pile for flaming poo.

[Sure-Oz]

Now you can stay up at 8 pm and watch it. Take a picture for that fact...
uh ok??

[DaWolf]

Scouting Report
Assets Long has good bat control, a keen eye and a very good work ethic. He's learned how to hit lefties for more power and better average.

Flaws In the field, he does not have the best arm, his range is average, and sometimes makes adventures out of routine plays. He's got to learn how to steal in order to take advantage of his above-average speed.

Career potential A platoon outfielder at best.


Stats Inc. Scouting Report

2003 Season
Terrence Long came out of the blocks hot, hitting five homers, scoring 15 runs and driving in 15 during April. He cooled off soon after, saw his consecutive-games streak end at 457 and registered a significant drop in production in numerous offensive categories. Perhaps the early-June departure of hitting coach Thad Bosley preyed upon the outfielder, who endured a disappointing season.


Hitting
The Athletics have been waiting for Long to develop into the hitter they hoped for when they traded for him in 1999. Unfortunately, he has struggled against righthanded pitchers, who have been far more successful against Long the last two seasons. He does have good power, especially to the gaps, but he also has a big swing and gets caught on his heels too often.


Baserunning & Defense
Long has very good speed, but like many of his teammates last season, he didn't get on base enough in crucial situations to be able to use it to much of an advantage. He did improve his stolen-base success rate to 80 percent in 2003, but he attempted just five steals. Long's defense did improve some with him playing mostly left field, but he still had four total errors, a lot for a part-time outfielder.


2004 Outlook
At season's end, Long ripped the communication skills of first-year manager Ken Macha, just a couple of weeks after he had complained about his playing time to the media. His ticket out of town came swiftly, as Long was dealt to San Diego, along with catcher Ramon Hernandez, in exchange for outfielder Mark Kotsay. Rumors were flying that the Padres might move Long elsewhere, but what is certain is that he will get another chance to follow through on all that promise.

[DaWolf]

Sounds like he's a crap outfielder from this article snippet (Oakland Tribune):


The ball was low and sinking, and the sun was bright. But Kotsay wasn't deterred. "That line drive," Billy Beane, the A's general manager, said. "No confusion. No mistakes. Everything is so linear."

Mark Kotsay, problem solver. As Beane had told us he would be.

Poor Terrence Long, problem creator, trying his best to meet demands of being put in the wrong place at the wrong time, had played center the past couple of years for Oakland. So had Eric Byrnes.

"Magellan," someone with a devilish sense of humor nicknamed Long, because he went in great circles.

Mark Kotsay, who last autumn was traded to Oakland by the San Diego Padres for Long and catcher Ramon Hernandez, is the anti-Long.

"No wasted motion," Beane said. Kotsay, according to radio play-by-play man Ken Korach, may be something else. "Possibly the team MVP," Korach said.

[tk13]

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/baseball/mlb/kansas_city_royals/10132516.htm

Royals shore up outfield

Long, pitcher to KC; May goes to Padres

By BOB DUTTON The Kansas City Star


KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — Outfielder Terrence Long looks at the Royals and sees opportunity. At this point, that's enough.

“I'm excited,” he said Monday after joining the Royals in a four-player trade that sent left-hander Darrell May to the San Diego Padres. “I'm getting a chance to play again. I'll get the chance to get on the field a little bit more and help a team win.”

The key word is “chance.”

The Royals are guaranteeing nothing more than Long will have the chance to snatch the starting job in right field away from incumbent Abraham Nuñez.

“It adds competition in the outfield,” general manager Allard Baird confirmed. “The loser of that (battle) will be our fourth outfielder.”

In other words, the Royals are still looking for a power-hitting corner outfielder, preferably a right-handed hitter to play left field.

Monday's deal also included a swap of minor-league pitchers who each failed in numerous attempts to secure permanent duty in the big leagues.

The Royals obtained right-hander Dennis Tankersley, who will get the chance — that word again — to pitch his way into the rotation or win a job as a middle reliever. In return, they sent reliever Ryan Bukvich to San Diego.

The Padres kicked in sufficient cash to bridge most of the salary difference — Long will make $4.7 million in 2005; May will make $3.225 million. Both players have one season remaining on multi-year contracts.

The Royals, in a separate transaction, signed shortstop Chris Clapinski to a minor-league contract. Clapinski, 33, will be invited to camp as the early favorite to win a roster spot as a utility infielder.

Both moves came on the eve of the annual general managers' meetings, which open today in suburban Miami.

Long, 28, is a left-handed hitter who got a career-low 288 at-bats last summer in his first year with the Padres after four seasons in Oakland. He never had fewer than 486 at-bats with the A's.

“I had trouble getting on the field,” he said, “but I know what I did when I got on the field. I stopped trying to hit home runs. That's never been my game. Not even in high school.”

The result was Long batted a career-high .295 while splitting time at all three outfield positions. But he finished with just three homers and 28 RBIs in 136 games.

Long batted .288 with 18 homers and 80 RBIs as a rookie in 2000 and 12-85-.283 in 2001 before slumping to 16-67-.240 in 2002 and 16-71-.245 in 2003.

The A's traded him after the 2003 season to the Padres with catcher Ramon Hernandez for outfielder Mark Kotsay. Long never found regular playing time in San Diego.

Even so, the Royals view him as a good risk.

“This past season was a good offensive year for him,” Baird said. “He tried to become more of a doubles hitter by hitting the ball from gap to gap. And he's been on winners. I think he fits in well with us.”

Long has played on playoff contenders throughout his five-year career but dismissed concerns about joining a team that lost a franchise-record 104 games in 2004.

“That may even push me a little harder to raise my game another notch,” said Long, who has a .268 career average. “This is a good move for me.”

May, 32, was the Royals' pitcher of the year in 2003 but slumped last season to 9-19 with a 5.61 ERA. Bukvich, 26, is a hard-throwing right-hander who failed to stick with the Royals over the last three seasons.

“We're moving a guy who was an extra outfielder for a guy who has a chance to be a starter,” San Diego general manager Kevin Towers said. “Bukvich gives us another power arm with a solid fastball out of the bullpen.”

May's departure helps clear a potential logjam at the back of the Royals' rotation. Baird had sought to trade either May and Brian Anderson, another veteran lefty under contract through next season.

May should benefit from pitching in spacious Petco Park after giving up a club-record 38 homers last season in his 31 starts.

“I don't think any ballpark would have helped me last season,” he said. “But last season was last season.”

The Royals' projected 2005 rotation now includes just two certainties: Anderson and rookie Zack Greinke, selected last week as the club's pitcher of the year.

Club officials are hopeful that right-hander Runelvys Hernandez can regain his early 2003 form in returning from reconstructive elbow surgery, and they will give lefty Jimmy Gobble and righty Denny Bautista every chance to win a job.

The Royals also remain in the market for what Baird terms an “innings starter” to bolster their mix.

Baird said Tankersley, 25, will join Mike Wood, Chris George and others who enter spring training as second-tier rotation candidates.

“Tankersley has a (high-)quality slider,” Baird said. “He'll compete for the fifth starter slot or for a job in middle relief.”

Tankersley spent most of last season at Class AAA Portland, where he was 7-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 19 games. He was also 0-5 with a 5.14 ERA in nine games for the Padres.

[beavis]

Translation: "He's going to be 33 years old and has been in the league for three years and sucked wind for two of them, given up almost 100 homers in that span, including 38 this year even though the fences were moved back 10 feet, yet I'd like to see him take the ball so I can stab my eyes out every 5 days when baseball season comes around despite the fact that there's a boatload of pitchers in the organization fighting for starting spots and absolutely no corner outfielders."
Exactly. I don't think Long is the best fit, but he makes a hulluva lot more sense than May.

[milkman]

Holy crap... that's a great trade. I can't believe we got anything that good in return for Darrell May... of course May will probably tear it up in that ballpark in San Diego. That thing is a pitcher's paradise and a hitter's nightmare. That's why Long's power numbers went downhill this last year... plus Long can actually play defense and play any outfield position! Woohoo defense and speed! Baird's doing it right this time. Tankersley is a former top pitching prospect I believe, I guess we'll see what Guy Hansen can do for him....

I'm not going to read through this entire thread to find out if anyone has addressed this yet, because, quite frankly, I don't care enough about baseball, especially in the middle of football season to read it all.

Tankersly is, as you think, a former top prospect, that just hasn't panned out on the major league level to this point.
Many in the Padres org. had hopes that he would be every bit as good as the other young pitchers thaaey've started in the last couple of seasons.
But he is still young yet, and may still reach his potential.

The question is, can the Royals develop young pitching talent?

[tk13]

I'm not going to read through this entire thread to find out if anyone has addressed this yet, because, quite frankly, I don't care enough about baseball, especially in the middle of football season to read it all.

Tankersly is, as you think, a former top prospect, that just hasn't panned out on the major league level to this point.
Many in the Padres org. had hopes that he would be every bit as good as the other young pitchers thaaey've started in the last couple of seasons.
But he is still young yet, and may still reach his potential.

The question is, can the Royals develop young pitching talent?
No doubt about that. I guess I always thought that nobody would want anything to do with Darrell May unless it was some kind of dump salary move that just got us a player to be named later that would end up being a nobody.... I didn't expect to get anybody with any kind of "potential" out of a pitcher who just had one of the worst W-L records in recent baseball history....