Benson to KC

[Archie Bunker]

According the Gammons the Royals are trading Affeldt and MacDougal to the Mets for Kris Benson.

I cant wait for his wife to hit the town. :drool:

http://www.rotoworld.com/

ESPN's Peter Gammons is reporting that Kris Benson is on his way to the Royals for Jeremy Affeldt and Mike MacDougal.
Metsblog.com's Matthew Cerrone says it might be a prospect instead of MacDougal along with Affledt. The Royals can't give up both relievers for the right to pay Benson $15 million over the next two years.

[KevB]

I'd be surprised if it's both for Benson....

[Archie Bunker]

I'd be surprised if it's both for Benson....

I hope it turns out to be just Affeldt and maybe a low level prospect. If not the Royals better be getting more back.

[leviw]

Oh Anna Benson...welcome to KC, sweetheart!

[tk13]

Ehhh. I hope it's just Affeldt and somebody else. I really don't wanna trade MacDougal. Not for Benson. I actually kinda like Benson, I just hope he doesn't have a sour attitude about playing in KC coming from New York.

[nychief]

Gammons ****s these up daily. But, that being said, Victor Diaz/Nady or Keppinger better be on the way to the Rojas - otherwise we got screwed, er, again.

[Reaper16]

People on the Mets' side of things say its Affeldt and a prospect, not both Affeldt and MacDougle

[Sure-Oz]

No way we trade both that would be really stupid, keep Mac out of the two if any, since Affeldt just cannot get it together here, but knowing our luck he'll kick ass elsewhere.

[chief52]

I wonder if KC is ready for Mrs. Benson...

DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE: Rivalling Karen Burnett for the title of Most Talked About Wife at these meetings is the steaming mad spouse of New York Mets pitcher Kris Benson. Amid reports the Mets were looking to deal her husband to Baltimore just one season into a four-year deal, Anna Benson blasted the team and said the move was in retaliation for her musing aloud about posing nude for Playboy magazine.

But even more interesting than Anna Benson's non-clothing issues — she once posed for Penthouse and threatened last season to sleep with the entire Mets squad if her husband ever cheated on her — was her take on patriotism and former Jays slugger Carlos Delgado, now with the Mets.

"How are they going to sit there and say it's so controversial," she told the New York Daily News of her pondered Playboy shoot, "when they sign someone like Delgado, who turns his back on our flag?

"Playboy is all-American. Everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Cindy Crawford has posed. They didn't turn their back on the flag."

Neither did Delgado, of course. If Benson could put her thinking cap on for five minutes — along with the rest of her clothes — she'd realize Delgado not standing for God Bless America was merely exercising his right to free-speech. Just as she now clamours, in a much louder voice by the way, for her right to earn money peddling what seem to be her finest attributes.

[Saulbadguy]

Benson heading to K.C.
Dec 6 - The Mets are about to trade right-handed starter Kris Benson to the Royals for left-hander Jeremy Affeldt and right-hander Mike MacDougal, reports ESPN's Peter Gammons, who says the deal could get done Tuesday night.

Earlier, the Newark Star-Ledger reported that Mets GM Omar Minaya had spoken with several teams about Benson -- including Baltimore, San Francisco and Kansas City.

The Mets like Benson but would move him in order to clear his salary ($15.5M over two years) so they could make a deal for a high-priced starter such as Arizona's Javier Vazquez or Oakland's Barry Zito.

New York almost dealt Benson to Baltimore last week for Jorge Julio. But the Mets went back to the Orioles demanding a high-level prospect in addition to Julio, and the O's balked.

[Sure-Oz]

The only way this deal goes down Macdougal and Affeldt for Benson is cause baird gets a to bang Anna, only explaniation.

[JohnnyV13]

According the Gammons the Royals are trading Affeldt and MacDougal to the Mets for Kris Benson.

I cant wait for his wife to hit the town. :drool:

http://www.rotoworld.com/




I guess I'll be the first to say the obligatory: This post is totally worthless without pictures

[chief52]

[QUOTE]According the Gammons the Royals are trading Affeldt and MacDougal to the Mets for Kris Benson.

I cant wait for his wife to hit the town. :drool:

http://www.rotoworld.com/[QUOTE]

I suppose I must be the first to say the obligatory, this post is totally worthless without pictures

I tried to post pics but I am not too computer literate. She looks great in pictures...of course she can not talk in pictures.

[leviw]

http://www.betus.com/img/benchwarmers/2005-07-22-001.jpg

[ChiTown]

Wow

So the Royals look like they are going to go with Sisco and Burgos as their closers. I'm ok with that, especially if Nunez can figure out how to get some control. We need to find a good 7-8-9 combination like we had with Burgos-Sisco-Mac

[Sure-Oz]

according to kcroyals.com we may be close to getting jacque jones too, we might actually get 2 more wins against the twins if thats the case!!!!!!!!!!!111111111wone!11

[tk13]

Wow

So the Royals look like they are going to go with Sisco and Burgos as their closers. I'm ok with that, especially if Nunez can figure out how to get some control. We need to find a good 7-8-9 combination like we had with Burgos-Sisco-Mac
People obviously think very highly of Sisco and Burgos. Allard supposedly kept throwing Mac and Affeldt at the Marlins for Luis Castillo... trying to get a leadoff/2B... and the Marlins refused, said they wanted Sisco or Burgos.

[Eleazar]

.

[Archie Bunker]

according to kcroyals.com we may be close to getting jacque jones too, we might actually get 2 more wins against the twins if thats the case!!!!!!!!!!!111111111wone!11

I can live with a Brown, Dejesus, and Jones OF.

If all these moves actually happens I like what Baird has done. Jones is solid, Benson still has a lot of potential, Pratt is a top backup catcher, and Dessens is a good swingman. I dont know much about Miles from Colorado so if anyone can clue me in feel free.

Just need another starter and maybe the Royals can win 75 or 80 games this year. Not great but its a start.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Start printing playoff tickets!!!wun1!
/obligatory.

[Eleazar]

I like this deal.

Affedlt particularly hasn't really been able to define a role for himself on a bad pitching staff even when used in a lot of different spots. I don't think Macdougal is ever going to be a guy that a contending team can rely on as a closer. And we need starting pitching help in the worst way.

I think Sisco and Burgos could turn into a decent punch from the bullpen, and both guys have several years less on the odometer than the ones leaving.

Getting younger while not giving up much in the way of potential, and adding a guy who should help in the rotation. What's not to like?

[Archie Bunker]

I like this deal.

Affedlt particularly hasn't really been able to define a role for himself on a bad pitching staff even when used in a lot of different spots. I don't think Macdougal is ever going to be a guy that a contending team can rely on as a closer. And we need starting pitching help in the worst way.

MacDougal in NY is a meltdown waiting to happen. I agree I like this deal.

[ChiefsCountry]

Baird and Glass bring Benson in so they can showcase his wife and more people will buy tix just to see her.

[ChiTown]

Remaining Needs
1. 2b - I'm not comfortable with any of our options right now. It's a glaring weakness that needs to be addressed this Winter

2. OF - Jones would fit the bill just fine, but I wouldn't mind a natural LF vs. another RF.

3. Another Starter. I'm ok with Greinke, Hernandez and Howell. With the addition of Benson, it would be nice to find another arm out there, preferably a hard throwing Lefty

4. Back-up Catcher. I'm not talking about a 40 yr old door stop. I'm talking about someone who can put some pressure on Buck. That's probably a pipe dream, but it's a need for sure.

5. A leadoff hitter - I don't care what position, just find a guy with a little speed who can find a way to get on base.

[kcfanXIII]

at the price of starting pitching right now, affeldt and a prospect, or macdougal and a prospect sound good. but not both, the expierience coming out of the bull pen is important. i like mac, we just don't give him enough chances, what was his save % under bell?

[Eleazar]

MacDougal in NY is a meltdown waiting to happen. I agree I like this deal.

Seems like the Mets are looking to lighten their salary a little bit and will take a flyer on project players like Mac to do it.

I doubt if he will see any of Shea without some growing-up.

[Halfcan]

I thought Benson was a black butler?

[Eleazar]

5. A leadoff hitter - I don't care what position, just find a guy with a little speed who can find a way to get on base.

Castillo would have been nice. I wish there was some way we could still get him.

[Reaper16]

Castillo would have been nice. I wish there was some way we could still get him.
The Twins won't trade him in-division.

[Eleazar]

The Twins won't trade him in-division.

I know, hence the I wish...

[beavis]

Affeldt and a prospect... ok. Affeldt and MacDougal is retarded.

[gblowfish]

The Royals' Wives Food Drive just became a must attend event. I'll gladly give her canned goods...write bad checks....crawl through a mile of broken glass to hear her fart on a pay phone....Did I say that out loud?

[Miles]

Not a bad trade. Benson has been mediocre for most of his career but has pretty good stuff. He may finally be able to put it together.

After his wife complaining earlier this week, this trade is pretty damn funny.

[Sure-Oz]

The Royals' Wives Food Drive just became a must attend event. I'll gladly give her canned goods...write bad checks....crawl through a mile of broken glass to hear her fart on a pay phone....Did I say that out loud?
no shit i bet bob davis and split would love to get her in the booth lol

[Mecca]

no shit i bet bob davis and split would love to get her in the booth lol

Bob's looking for his Viagra at this very moment, he wants to be prepared.

[gblowfish]

Oooooh...Daddy Like!
Definitely trade for this guy. Hell, If we're gonna lose 100 games, we might as well have some hot wives hanging around.
Check this out:
http://www.annabenson.net/

[siberian khatru]

Man, I really wish I had remembered to start the "Why the Royals need to trade for Kris Benson" thread earlier today complete with Anna picks. Just got busy and forgot. Oh well.

I'm OK with Benson; I saw these rumors a few days ago and thought it would be a good deal for KC, although I would prefer to hang on to Mac. But again, they've got a lot of good young arms behind him, he'll be aribitration eligible in a year or so, I don't think he'll ever be an elite-type closer. So good riddance if he's part of the deal.

I really don't want Jacque Jones if it's for the contract terms speculated on a few days ago. And I sure as heck don't want Aaron Miles as the 2B.

But Benson for 2 years, I can stomach.

[HolmeZz]

Speaking as a Met fan, I think we just pulled a fast one on you guys. ROFL

I suppose Benson'll be a bit of an improvement over what the Royals usually trot out to the mound, but he's probably not worth the contract. Considering you gave us pretty good bullpen help, I'll take it.

Frees up money for Manny or Zito too. :)

[tk13]

Yeah, the Mets board seems to be pretty happy with the deal, at least if we include MacDougal. I don't know, I don't really wanna give up Mac. Affeldt needs a change of scenery. I really question their mental toughness pitching in NY though. I kinda view those guys the same way I do Beltran, talented but they aren't real tough guys, and Beltran didn't light the world on fire under NYC pressure last year. If Affeldt goes through a slump or two it'll be interesting to see how he responds to the heat. He couldn't do it very well in KC, NYC will be a whole different ballgame.

[HolmeZz]

You figure if it's not MacDougal, it'll be a pretty good prospect. And probably an arm.

[tk13]

MacDougal is about the ceiling on pitching prospects we'd be willing to trade. At least for somebody like Kris Benson. If it's somebody else they won't be MLB ready most likely.

[tk13]

Excerpts from this morning's KC Star....

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/13345454.htm

Although the Royals are believed to be the leading contender for Benson, a 31-year-old right-hander, general manager Allard Baird said late Tuesday night that the teams weren’t close to a deal.

Unless they were blown away by a proposed trade, the Royals did not plan on packaging MacDougal and Affeldt together in a deal, a Royals source said.

***

Mac really had a hell of a year,” Bell said. “And Affeldt, the last month, was as good as anybody we had.”

Both pitchers were commodities Tuesday. The Royals have discussed a deal including one of the relievers for Toronto second baseman Orlando Hudson. Another proposed deal included a twist: One of the relievers and shortstop Angel Berroa going to Atlanta for one of the Braves’ young corner outfielders — either Kelly Johnson or Ryan Langerhans — and another top prospect. The Braves are also engaged in a deal that would land them Red Sox shortstop Edgar Renteria, according to the Boston Globe.

Still, Baird said, although the Royals began Tuesday in a trading mode, they were back in the free-agent market by the middle of the day.

Bell said the Royals remain interested in outfielder Reggie Sanders. The Royals also are among the final three teams courting outfielder Jacque Jones, along with the Orioles and Mariners.

[huskerdooz]

I know I'm in the minority here, but I would like to see them keep Affeldt. Teach him a cut fastball and stick him in the rotation and leave him there.

[Mecca]

I know I'm in the minority here, but I would like to see them keep Affeldt. Teach him a cut fastball and stick him in the rotation and leave him there.

He's never going to be good here. The Royals haven't figured him out and have just screwed him up. They might aswell get something for him from a team that thinks they can figure him out.

[tk13]

I know I'm in the minority here, but I would like to see them keep Affeldt. Teach him a cut fastball and stick him in the rotation and leave him there.
I was over reading the Mets board... a blurb posted over there said that was part of the problem, the Royals kept pushing MacDougal and the Mets kept asking for Affeldt.

I think Affeldt could really use a change of scenery, but I like the logic in not trading him. With Affeldt's stuff, it's wiser to at least try to go after a gold glover like Orlando Hudson or a couple really good young players from the Braves, over a career .500 guy like Benson.

[huskerdooz]

That may be true, but if they are packaging both Affeldt and Mac for Benson they're getting screwed. NYM will be getting 2 cheap power arms for their bullpen (unless they start Affeldt) and will be dumping salary for a SP with a career record of 57-61. NYM knows they screwed up when they gave him that big contract. Their new pitching coach (peterson from OAK) was supposed to perform miracles and help him to finally realize his potential. What makes you think he'll finally realize that potential here in KC. Why the hell should we help the Mets by letting them bail out on a stupid contract plus give up 2 power arms for the bullpen. Affeldt is 5 yrs younger than Benson. If you stick him in the rotation for the next 5 yrs I would almost guarrantee he would have a better career record than 57-61. I repeat if you give up both of them, then they need to get someone like Diaz or Milledge (although I'm sure they will hold on to him to use to try and pry Manny away from BOS).

[tk13]

Read the blurb I posted... the Royals said they have no interest in trading both of them together unless they get an amazing package in return. Which doesn't surprise me at all. Both guys might get traded, but they'll be in separate deals. I think Benson is better than some of the options out there in FA though, even some of the guys that have already signed...

[Miles]

That may be true, but if they are packaging both Affeldt and Mac for Benson they're getting screwed. NYM will be getting 2 cheap power arms for their bullpen (unless they start Affeldt) and will be dumping salary for a SP with a career record of 57-61. NYM knows they screwed up when they gave him that big contract. Their new pitching coach (peterson from OAK) was supposed to perform miracles and help him to finally realize his potential. What makes you think he'll finally realize that potential here in KC. Why the hell should we help the Mets by letting them bail out on a stupid contract plus give up 2 power arms for the bullpen. Affeldt is 5 yrs younger than Benson. If you stick him in the rotation for the next 5 yrs I would almost guarrantee he would have a better career record than 57-61. I repeat if you give up both of them, then they need to get someone like Diaz or Milledge (although I'm sure they will hold on to him to use to try and pry Manny away from BOS).

His W-L record isn't that big of a deal since he has played his much of his career with the Pirates. His salary isn't great but its not terrible either. 7.5 million isn't bad for a #3 starter. Though with the Royals budget its probably not the best way to spend that.

Power arms are not the hardest to find in the pen but then again Affeldt may eventually develop. My first reaction to this trade was mediocre starter is probably better than mediocre relievers. After thinking about it a little more its not really a trade you need to make but I dont think it would be that bad.

[Miles]

I think Benson is better than some of the options out there in FA though, even some of the guys that have already signed...

Yep the FA market this year pretty much sucks. Millwood is about the only good pitcher left but I think someone will overpay for him. Washburn isn't bad but his other numbers just don't support his low ERA.

[tk13]

Yep the FA market this year pretty much sucks. Millwood is about the only good pitcher left but I think someone will overpay for him. Washburn isn't bad but his other numbers just don't support his low ERA.
Yeah, I would rather give Kris Benson 7 mil a year over the next two years over someone like Paul Byrd or Kenny Rogers.

I think I would really like an Affeldt/Berroa for Kelly Johnson and another Braves top prospect. Shame that probably won't happen. Those Braves OF'ers have good plate discipline and I think would be good hitters in the K.

[huskerdooz]

Sometimes it seems that Affeldts fastball tends to be too straight (which is weird for a lefty), that's why I think a cut fastball will do him wonders. I'd just like to see him here when he has the success that he eventually will.

[huskerdooz]

His W-L record isn't that big of a deal since he has played his much of his career with the Pirates. His salary isn't great but its not terrible either. 7.5 million isn't bad for a #3 starter. Though with the Royals budget its probably not the best way to spend that.

Power arms are not the hardest to find in the pen but then again Affeldt may eventually develop. My first reaction to this trade was mediocre starter is probably better than mediocre relievers. After thinking about it a little more its not really a trade you need to make but I dont think it would be that bad.

Actually I think that 7.5 mil is a bit much for a #3. Just my opinion though.

[tk13]

Sometimes it seems that Affeldts fastball tends to be too straight (which is weird for a lefty), that's why I think a cut fastball will do him wonders. I'd just like to see him here when he has the success that he eventually will.
There's no doubt about that. That's really his biggest weakness, his fastball is so straight. When you watch it on TV it doesn't look right because most pitchers have at least a little movement on the fastball. The cutter worked wonders for MacDougal.

[huskerdooz]

I'm just not in favor of spending a $#!+ pot full of money on mediocre players that in the long run won't make this team any better. In 2 years Benson's @$$ is out the door. No way his hot little wife wants to be here in KC where there are absolutely no oppurtunities to use that hot little bod of hers to further her career oppurtunities.

The Royals are atleast 2 years away from having a chance to make some noise in this division and that is only if guys like Butler, Gordon, and Huber (as well as some others) develop into Major League hitters. That and the continued development of Teahan, Buck, and DeJesus as well as the young arms is the only chance we've got. We're never gonna get where we want to get by throwing millions after average major league talent.

You take those 2 years and let Jeremy develop in the rotation, and I mean give him a chance to really develop by sticking him in there and leaving him there. If that was allowed to happen I'd be willing to bet that you'd end up with a much better SP then Kris Benson.

[huskerdooz]

His W-L record isn't that big of a deal since he has played his much of his career with the Pirates. His salary isn't great but its not terrible either. 7.5 million isn't bad for a #3 starter. Though with the Royals budget its probably not the best way to spend that.

Power arms are not the hardest to find in the pen but then again Affeldt may eventually develop. My first reaction to this trade was mediocre starter is probably better than mediocre relievers. After thinking about it a little more its not really a trade you need to make but I dont think it would be that bad.

What makes you think that he'll do any better here in KC where our major league talent at the moment IMO, is in considerably worse shape than the Pirates.

[tk13]

Yeah, I don't think we've given Affeldt enough of a chance in the rotation either, at least after he finally figured out his blister problems. That's kinda why I think he needs a fresh start. We'll see.

[tk13]

Really, in an ideal world, and this will never happen, we'd send Mac for Benson, Affeldt/Berroa for Johnson/prospect, sign Jacque Jones or Reggie Sanders, then ship Sweeney and a prospect like Nunez to the Angels for Kotchman/Kennedy/Santana or something like that. The Angels wanted 1B like Konerko and getting rid of Kennedy would help get Chone Figgins on the field more. Doing all of that would kinda thin out our strengths, namely a great RBI hitter in Sweeney and our power bullpen, but it sure would level out our weaknesses some, and in baseball that might be more important.

C- Buck
1B- Kotchman
2B- Kennedy
SS- Blanco
3B- Teahen
LF- K. Johnson
CF- DeJesus
RF- J. Jones or R. Sanders
DH- Stairs/E. Brown

A much better defensive group (actually a pretty good defense I think) with hitters who I think fit our ballpark, probably not an elite offensive team though, but I want pitching and defense. And that doesn't even include the three elite hitting prospects (Huber/Butler/Gordon).

SP - Greinke
SP - Hernandez
SP - Benson
SP - Santana
SP - Howell

RP - Dessens
RP - Wood
RP - Snyder/Bayliss/Gobble/somebody with an arm
RP - Bautista
RP - Sisco
CP - Burgos

Now that's a team I'd be interested in seeing, I think it would appease some by at least being more competitive than the last couple years, while still having tons of room for growth. Even if we couldn't get Santana in a Sweeney trade we'd just have another good position prospect like Erick Aybar to put at short, be able to keep Bautista in the rotation, and fill out the bullpen with another arm, somebody will step up and be a solid bullpen guy. I kinda get scared when we talk about trading Mac/Affeldt but really when you write this all out, we do have some flexibility with our pitchers. We aren't the A's but we aren't hurting there either.

[Miles]

What makes you think that he'll do any better here in KC where our major league talent at the moment is IMO in considerably worse shape than the Pirates.

Just that won-loss record isn't a stat thats specifically dependant on the pitcher's performance is all. You pitch for a bad team you will have less wins. The Pirates were pretty bad when he was there, so citing his won loss record doesnt really say all that much about his ability.

[huskerdooz]

I see some of the logic in that.

Speaking for myself I really don't want to see Sweeney traded. I have to be honest though, these sentiments aren't based entirely on good baseball wisdom. Mike happens to be my kids favorite player. My 9 yr old son really likes him and follows his progress in games more than any other Royal. My 6 yr old daughter absolutely adores him and this has now rubbed off on her 3 yr old sister. What can I say, as a parent he's one major league ball player that you can actually point to as an ideal role model for kids to emulate.

All that being said, it would make alot of sense to try and restock the major league talent level by trading your best player. I'm not a big fan of Kennedy at 2B but he might work out until gordon is ready to play 3B here in KC then I'd explore moving Teahan to 2B. I think Teahan will never be considered an elite 3B (hitting wise) but I think he'd make a pretty good stick at 2B. While Gordon has the potential to be an absolute stud at 3B.

[siberian khatru]

I still think Affeldt was ruined when, coming off his dominant 2003 season, the Royals (and I forget which pitching coach was caught in the revolving door back then) told Affeldt to stop focusing on strikeouts. They took a power pitcher and tried to turn him into a finesse pitcher. His K ratio plummeted, and so did his effectiveness.

As much as I loved the guy, I think he needs a change of scenery.

[huskerdooz]

I still think Affeldt was ruined when, coming off his dominant 2003 season, the Royals (and I forget which pitching coach was caught in the revolving door back then) told Affeldt to stop focusing on strikeouts. They took a power pitcher and tried to turn him into a finesse pitcher. His K ratio plummeted, and so did his effectiveness.


Yeah, I'm not much of a fan of that "pitch to contact" philosophy crap either.

[big nasty kcnut]

Anna benson is not a bad thing She's a good thing.

[KChiefs1]

tk13, I like the world you live in...

[siberian khatru]

More rumors from Rotoworld:

* The Royals are looking to trade for left-hander Mark Redman, according to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.
Rosenthal says they're not close on a deal for Kris Benson, as they won't give up both Mike MacDougal and Jeremy Affeldt. Redman should come at a lesser price. Dec. 7 - 12:49 pm et
Source: FOXSports.com

* The Royals offered to trade Mike Sweeney to the Angels for Casey Kotchman and Brandon Wood, a source told the Los Angeles Times.
How kind of them. Especially considering salaries, Kotchman is a more valuable property. He'll probably be the better hitter of the two within a couple of years and he's far superior defensively now. The Royals are afraid of just what their attendance will look like next year if they dump Sweeney, but trading him straight up for Kotchman would be of a lot of help to the club and it's a deal the Angels would likely make. Dec. 7 - 12:43 pm et
Source: Los Angeles Times

Ha! Kotchman AND Wood! Allard, you devil you. I'd trade Sweeney straight up for Wood, although I doubt the Angels would.

[BigChiefFan]

I hope Baird pulls off some of these moves.

[Pitt Gorilla]

More rumors from Rotoworld:

* The Royals are looking to trade for left-hander Mark Redman, according to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.
Rosenthal says they're not close on a deal for Kris Benson, as they won't give up both Mike MacDougal and Jeremy Affeldt. Redman should come at a lesser price. Dec. 7 - 12:49 pm et
Source: FOXSports.com

* The Royals offered to trade Mike Sweeney to the Angels for Casey Kotchman and Brandon Wood, a source told the Los Angeles Times.
How kind of them. Especially considering salaries, Kotchman is a more valuable property. He'll probably be the better hitter of the two within a couple of years and he's far superior defensively now. The Royals are afraid of just what their attendance will look like next year if they dump Sweeney, but trading him straight up for Kotchman would be of a lot of help to the club and it's a deal the Angels would likely make. Dec. 7 - 12:43 pm et
Source: Los Angeles Times

Ha! Kotchman AND Wood! Allard, you devil you. I'd trade Sweeney straight up for Wood, although I doubt the Angels would.I like these ideas much better than Benson. Kotchman, Wood, and Redman for Sweeney and Affeldt? That would be awesome.

[beavis]

Link (http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20051207&content_id=1277912&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc)

Bucs acquire Bayliss for Redman
By Ed Eagle / MLB.com

DALLAS -- The Pittsburgh Pirates unloaded their second left-handed starter in less than 24 hours Wednesday morning by sending veteran southpaw Mark Redman to the Kansas City Royals for right-hander Jonah Bayliss and a player to be named later.
Bayliss, 25, was 0-0 with a 4.63 ERA in 11 relief appearances as a rookie with the Royals last season. He is expected to compete for one of the right-handed spots in the bullpen which were vacated with the free agent losses of Brian Meadows, Rick White and Jose Mesa.

Redman, whom the Pirates acquired from the Oakland A's as part of the Jason Kendall deal on Nov. 27, 2004, was 5-15 with a 4.90 ERA in 30 starts with the Bucs last season. Redman began the year strong, posting a 2.80 ERA in his first 14 starts, before dropping 11 of his final 12 decisions.

Redman chose to exercise his $4.5 million player option for 2006 rather than opt for free agency. It was not immediately known if the Pirates would assume responsibility for any of the money owed to Redman for next season.

Tuesday, the Pirates sent southpaw Dave Williams to the Cincinnati Reds for first baseman Sean Casey. The trade is contingent upon both players passing physicals, and neither team is expected to make an official announcement until Wednesday, at the earliest.

[shakesthecat]

Nice work Allard!

[beavis]

I figure Redman at the very least keeps us from resigning Lima, which is a great thing.

[Archie Bunker]

I like this move. Redman is a good pitcher and it still gives Baird the option to use Affeldt and MacDougal as trade bait for an OF, 2B, or another starter.

[shakesthecat]

I figure Redman at the very least keeps us from resigning Lima, which is a great thing.

Yep

Getting a lefty starter for a guy that would have had a hard time even making the team is quite a steal.

[beavis]

Yep

Getting a lefty starter for a guy that would have had a hard time even making the team is quite a steal.
I would have liked to have seen Bayliss for another year, but I'm not going to cry over it. I don't like the fact that Redman has just one year left on his contract though.

[Reaper16]

More rumors from Rotoworld:

* The Royals are looking to trade for left-hander Mark Redman, according to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.
Rosenthal says they're not close on a deal for Kris Benson, as they won't give up both Mike MacDougal and Jeremy Affeldt. Redman should come at a lesser price. Dec. 7 - 12:49 pm et
Source: FOXSports.com

* The Royals offered to trade Mike Sweeney to the Angels for Casey Kotchman and Brandon Wood, a source told the Los Angeles Times.
How kind of them. Especially considering salaries, Kotchman is a more valuable property. He'll probably be the better hitter of the two within a couple of years and he's far superior defensively now. The Royals are afraid of just what their attendance will look like next year if they dump Sweeney, but trading him straight up for Kotchman would be of a lot of help to the club and it's a deal the Angels would likely make. Dec. 7 - 12:43 pm et
Source: Los Angeles Times

Ha! Kotchman AND Wood! Allard, you devil you. I'd trade Sweeney straight up for Wood, although I doubt the Angels would.

I'm proud of Allard to say "We want Kotchman and Wood for Sweeney." The Angels obviously refused, but there remains the possibility we talk the deal down to Kotchman and Aybar, which is what we want in the first place. Allard really needs to get this Sweeney thing done.

[siberian khatru]

I don't like the fact that Redman has just one year left on his contract though.

I do. Any veteran we bring in should be for 1-2 years (that's why I oppose giving Jacque Jones 4 years). They should be stopgaps to allow our kids time to grow in AA and AAA, rather than be rushed to the majors. Plus, we don't need to make longterm salary commitments to mediocre vets. We need the flexibility to A) make them tradeable in a pennant race and B) dumpable on the fly when the kids are ready.

I think Allard said in the paper today that they're telling agents they're not going beyond 3 years on FA contracts. That seems smart. I wouldn't mind if they signed Scott Elarton or Byung-Hyun Kim cheaply, then package some relief arms for OFers and middle infielders.

[Eleazar]

I'm proud of Allard to say "We want Kotchman and Wood for Sweeney." The Angels obviously refused, but there remains the possibility we talk the deal down to Kotchman and Aybar, which is what we want in the first place. Allard really needs to get this Sweeney thing done.

If we pull that off, and then can get Hudson or someone for 2B, then I will be pretty excited about this offseason.

[siberian khatru]

Potentially bad news for KC:

* If the Rangers trade Alfonso Soriano, they could target Toronto's Orlando Hudson as a replacement and offer some combination of Kevin Mench, Gerald Laird and Adrian Gonzalez.

That's probably a better package than we can assemble.

* The Braves have traded catcher Johnny Estrada to the Diamondbacks for right-handed relievers Lance Cormier and Oscar Villarreal, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal is reporting.

Those are the bullpen arms we could've supplied the Braves for one of their OFers. Dammit.

[Reaper16]

Potentially bad news for KC:

* If the Rangers trade Alfonso Soriano, they could target Toronto's Orlando Hudson as a replacement and offer some combination of Kevin Mench, Gerald Laird and Adrian Gonzalez.

That's probably a better package than we can assemble.

* The Braves have traded catcher Johnny Estrada to the Diamondbacks for right-handed relievers Lance Cormier and Oscar Villarreal, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal is reporting.

Those are the bullpen arms we could've supplied the Braves for one of their OFers. Dammit.
Damn! There goes the Baves deal we had going. Things are gong down fast over in Dallas.

[Reaper16]

Allard's quote that he'll have someone who can at least compete for the 2B job leads me to believe we might take Kevin Howard (Reds) in the Rule 5 draft. Here's what Royals Corner has to say about Howard:
Kevin Howard (2B/3B) - Height: 6-2 Weight: 180 Bats: Left Throws: Right Age: 24

After a strong AFL season in which he hit .409/.475/.557, Howard was identified by Baseball America as having the "biggest buzz" heading into this year's Rule 5 draft. Throughout his three-year minor league career, Howard has been a model of consistency, logging On-base Plus Slugging percentages (OPS) of .756, .774, and .774 as he advanced through each level of the minors. He's a line drive hitter with occasional power, and since he plays both 2B and 3B well, BA labeled him as the best overall position player available in the draft. RC saw Howard throughout the 2004 season, when he played for the Potomac Cannons of the Carolina League, but shamefully, we didn't pay any attention to him. However, since the Royals are looking for both a 2B and a utility infielder, Howard is as safe a bet as any to be selected by the Royals.

[siberian khatru]

Allard's quote that he'll have someone who can at least compete for the 2B job leads me to believe we might take Ryan Howard (Reds) in the Rule 5 draft. Here's what Royals Corner has to say about Howard:

Better him than Aaron Miles.

[Reaper16]

Better him than Aaron Miles.
I think so too. (I made a typo, it's Kevin, not Ryan :)) Baseball America has been giving him a lot of love after hitting well in the AFL.

[ChiTown]

I like this move. Redman is a good pitcher and it still gives Baird the option to use Affeldt and MacDougal as trade bait for an OF, 2B, or another starter.

If I'm Baird, I continue to go after starting pitching. We need another righty, IMO, and we'll be looking much better as a staff. Next on that wish list is a good defensive 2b, preferrably someone who might be able to leadoff. Last is another defensive minded OF. Pitching and Defense will go a long way in this Division.

[shakesthecat]

I don't know much about Howard, but it appears he'd have a lot better chance of hitting his weight than Blanco ever would.

[Reaper16]

If Allard gets a good Sweeney deal done, and continues to pursue starting pitching and someone to shore up the middle infield, then we will have a foundation for a good looking team when our heavy hitters, Gordon and Butler, are ready for prime time in 07.

[siberian khatru]

Better him than Aaron Miles.

This Denver Post item is encouraging:

The Rockies would like to trade Aaron Miles for a minor-league prospect, but the Kansas City Royals are no longer interested in the second baseman. ...

[ChiTown]

If Allard gets a good Sweeney deal done,....

If the Angels do that deal, then they need to have their fuggin heads examined. Personally, I'll be ecstatic if we get a Reggie Bar and a Bar of LifeBuoy for the oft-injured, heavily salaried, aged one.

[Reaper16]

Baseball America on Howard:
Kevin Howard, 2b/3b, Reds

Howard has the biggest buzz coming into this year's draft after having a brilliant season in the Arizona Fall League. A fifth-round pick in 2002 out of Miami, Howard won the AFL batting title, hitting .409-3-16 in 88 at-bats. But perhaps his strongest asset was proving himself to be an adequate defender at third base. Howard played third in college, but played primarily second base since turning pro. He's a patient lefthanded hitter with a line-drive stroke, and has shown improved power. Some scouts in the AFL liked him better at third, and Howard could be solid at either spot making him the best overall position player available in the draft. Dan Uggla (Diamondbacks) is another utility player who dramatically upped his stock in the AFL, but Howard's lefthanded bat, which could be valuable off a big league bench, gives him the edge.

[Reaper16]

If the Angels do that deal, then they need to have their fuggin heads examined. Personally, I'll be ecstatic if we get a Reggie Bar and a Bar of LifeBuoy for the oft-injured, heavily salaried, aged one.
I think we'll have to eat some of Sweeney's salary, which is fine. We won't be spending $50 million this year anyway. You can't blame them; Sweeney's one of the AL's bets hitters when healthy, and Vlad just didn't get it done by himself last year.

[ChiTown]

Baseball America on Howard:

Howard would be a great get.

Then, use Sweeney to get another righty starter. That would be sweet!

[Infidel Goat]

Benson would help us land other free agents.

His wife was once asked what she'd do if she ever caught him cheating on her. Her reply: I would sleep with every one of his teammates.

It's rumored that some of his teammates encourage local hotties to try to tempt him to go astray from time to time . . .

--Infidel Goat

[Reaper16]

Benson would help us land other free agents.

His wife was once asked what she'd do if she ever caught him cheating on her. Her reply: I would sleep with every one of his teammates.

It's rumored that some of his teammates encourage local hotties to try to tempt him to go astray from time to time . . .

--Infidel Goat
"Grimace like that!"
http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_407396.jpg

[Sure-Oz]

Glad we got Redman, wont' be bad, excited to see what else goes on and a big no to aaron miles please!

[cadmonkey]

For those of you who don't know Mrs. Benson......

http://www.fhmus.com/girls/covergirls/benson/1big.jpg
http://www.fhmus.com/girls/covergirls/benson/2big.jpg
http://www.fhmus.com/girls/covergirls/benson/3big.jpg
http://www.fhmus.com/girls/covergirls/benson/4big.jpg

[ChiTown]

For those of you who don't know Mrs. Benson......

http://www.fhmus.com/girls/covergirls/benson/1big.jpg
http://www.fhmus.com/girls/covergirls/benson/2big.jpg
http://www.fhmus.com/girls/covergirls/benson/3big.jpg
http://www.fhmus.com/girls/covergirls/benson/4big.jpg

Damn.

She's so hot, she's invisible...........

[tk13]

Redman was actually pretty good the first half of last year. He lost a lot of games despite a really low ERA, I think it wore him down. He was also a starter on the Marlins championship team a couple years ago, and before that was with the A's. Really, that's a starter that might be a little worse than Benson at a much lower price.

[VonneMarie]

I'm hearing this deal is dead. The Royals only want to get rid of Affeldt and not Mac Dougal.

Which I don't blame them.

[beavis]

He lost a lot of games despite a really low ERA, I think it wore him down.
He's going to love it here.

[Sure-Oz]

Anything from gammons that he says will happen expect the opposite.

[Valiant]

I like this deal.

Affedlt particularly hasn't really been able to define a role for himself on a bad pitching staff even when used in a lot of different spots. I don't think Macdougal is ever going to be a guy that a contending team can rely on as a closer. And we need starting pitching help in the worst way.

I think Sisco and Burgos could turn into a decent punch from the bullpen, and both guys have several years less on the odometer than the ones leaving.

Getting younger while not giving up much in the way of potential, and adding a guy who should help in the rotation. What's not to like?


I think Mac will come into his own there...

[Sure-Oz]

got this off royalboard.com

Reggie Sanders to Royals?
Per KTRS, The Redbirds Station in St. Louis.

They'll offer him arbitration so they can get a draft pick but he'll end up signing in KC, they say.

I don't know about that one, RS is like 80.

[Valiant]

I'm just not in favor of spending a $#!+ pot full of money on mediocre players that in the long run won't make this team any better. In 2 years Benson's @$$ is out the door. No way his hot little wife wants to be here in KC where there are absolutely no oppurtunities to use that hot little bod of hers to further her career oppurtunities.

The Royals are atleast 2 years away from having a chance to make some noise in this division and that is only if guys like Butler, Gordon, and Huber (as well as some others) develop into Major League hitters. That and the continued development of Teahan, Buck, and DeJesus as well as the young arms is the only chance we've got. We're never gonna get where we want to get by throwing millions after average major league talent.

You take those 2 years and let Jeremy develop in the rotation, and I mean give him a chance to really develop by sticking him in there and leaving him there. If that was allowed to happen I'd be willing to bet that you'd end up with a much better SP then Kris Benson.

Thats the problem, blister boy cannot handle the rotation...

More then likely she is going to divorce his ass anyway if he gets traded here or just stay in NY...

[Archie Bunker]

got this off royalboard.com

Reggie Sanders to Royals?
Per KTRS, The Redbirds Station in St. Louis.

They'll offer him arbitration so they can get a draft pick but he'll end up signing in KC, they say.

I don't know about that one, RS is like 80.

If nothing else he will be good trade bait to contender near the deadline.

[nychief]

I saw that also, but I have not seen anything else around saying that - not even Cards fan boards are mentioning it... I assume they would.

I call BS.

[VonneMarie]

got this off royalboard.com

Reggie Sanders to Royals?
Per KTRS, The Redbirds Station in St. Louis.

They'll offer him arbitration so they can get a draft pick but he'll end up signing in KC, they say.

I don't know about that one, RS is like 80.
That's complete BS. He's even said he wanted to stay with STL.

Why would KC want him anyway? :banghead:

[nychief]

Soriano was just traded to Washington for three playersm, wilkerson being one of them.

[cmh6476]

Soriano was just traded to Washington for three playersm, wilkerson being one of them.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2251887

[Skip Towne]

Damn, 7 pages on a farging baseball thread in December. Maybe the Royals will survive in KC.

[ChiTown]

Damn, 7 pages on a farging baseball thread in December. Maybe the Royals will survive in KC.


STFU, Hater. :)

[tk13]

Soriano was just traded to Washington for three playersm, wilkerson being one of them.
Let the Kevin Mench sweepstakes begin.

[Reaper16]

Let the Kevin Mench sweepstakes begin.
You just gave Allard a hard on.

[siberian khatru]

Let the Kevin Mench sweepstakes begin.

To Toronto for Hudson?

[cmh6476]

anyone see this?:



Updated: Dec. 7, 2005, 1:09 PM ET
Royals' Carrasco released to pursue play in JapanAssociated Press


KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Pitcher D.J. Carrasco was released by the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday so he can pursue a chance to play in Japan.

Carrasco became a starter for Kansas City last season and was 6-8 with a 4.79 earned run average in 20 starts and one relief appearance. The 28-year-old right-hander spent parts of three seasons with Kansas City, which drafted him from the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 2002.

He appeared in 101 games for the Royals, starting in 22 of them, and had a 14-15 career record with a 4.81 ERA.

The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of the Pacific League in Japan had been negotiating with the Royals for rights to Carrasco, who expects to get a guaranteed two-year deal.

[Reaper16]

To Toronto for Hudson?
I expect to see this deal done in a matter of minutes.

[Saulbadguy]

wtf

[Reaper16]

anyone see this?:
No real big loss. Plus, DJ gets a $2 million contract, I think. More than he was making here.

[nychief]

See Allard might learn that you have to give up talent to get talent.

[Reaper16]

See Allard might learn that you have to give up talent to get talent.
Allard's been pretty good about getting talent for nothing at all. (See Jose Bautista for Justin Huber, injured Benito Santiago for Leo Nunez, etc.) He's pretty much missed, however, on the big trades.

[tk13]

To Toronto for Hudson?
Eh, it's possible, but you'd think for pitching too. They need pitching, bad.

[tk13]

No real big loss. Plus, DJ gets a $2 million contract, I think. More than he was making here.
The Royals supposedly got a large sum of money to sell him to Japan. How much I don't know but Allard made it sound like quite a bit...

[ChiTown]

The Royals supposedly got a large sum of money to sell him to Japan. How much I don't know but Allard made it sound like quite a bit...

Gallon of 2% Milk and a Carton of Eggs. Good deal...

[siberian khatru]

Eh, it's possible, but you'd think for pitching too. They need pitching, bad.

Eh, just sign Roger Clemens for $20M.

[Valiant]

Damn, 7 pages on a farging baseball thread in December. Maybe the Royals will survive in KC.


Mines just two pages... You must have that ****er on 20 replies per page...

[beavis]

Eh, just sign Roger Clemens for $20M.
I got a feeling the Rocket is going to retire. I just read that story on espn.com about how the Astros didn't offer him arbitration. I guess he couldn't even play for them until May now. I kinda hope he doesn't though. As effective as he still is, I'd be real interested to see how long he could keep doing it.

[huskerdooz]

Thats the problem, blister boy cannot handle the rotation...

More then likely she is going to divorce his ass anyway if he gets traded here or just stay in NY...

"Blister Boy" hasn't had a blister since they removed 1/2 of his nail.

[Miles]

Miles ended up being sent to the Cards along with Bigbie for Ray King. Guess Colorado isn't a bad place to send a player that bitched about wanting to be traded.

[tk13]

Miles ended up being sent to the Cards along with Bigbie for Ray King. Guess Colorado isn't a bad place to send a player that bitched about wanting to be traded.
There's one I didn't see coming. The Cardinals are going to look quite a bit different next year.

[Miles]

There's one I didn't see coming. The Cardinals are going to look quite a bit different next year.

I'm really hoping they have something else planned for at least one of the corner outfield positions. Can't say I'm very enthusiastic about their offseason so far.

Unloading King and his salary was fine but I wish they would have gotten something useful in return. I may be wrong about Miles but he seems to be a total scrub.

[tk13]

I don't know, Miles isn't horrible I guess. I'm not sure he's as good as Grudzielwhatever. Maybe hitting in that lineup will help him out. I saw the guy play once in person and he whipped the ball around and had a 4 hit game, so I probably have a higher opinion of him than I should. It is really rough going out in this FA market... even for a team like the Cards.

[tk13]

Today's notes from the winter meetings... we're apparently getting a second baseman.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/baseball/mlb/kansas_city_royals/13354119.htm

We feel good about what we’ve accomplished,” Royals general manager Allard Baird said Wednesday, when they traded for left-hander Mark Redman, signed free-agent right-hander Elmer Dessens and finalized a trade for a second baseman Baird would not disclose.

At the same time, the Royals’ effort to land a second starting pitcher slowed down on Wednesday, with trade discussions for Mets right-hander Kris Benson stalling. Also, Baird said free-agent catcher Todd Pratt decided against signing with the Royals, who hoped he would back up John Buck. The Royals did sign Joe McEwing to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training.

***
Baird compared Redman to former Royals starter Jeff Suppan, a big man who relies on finesse. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Redman throws a change-up as his strikeout pitch and tries to jam right-handed hitters with a cut fastball.

In his first 14 starts last season, Redman went 4-4 with a 2.80 ERA. In his last 16, he went 1-11.

“The numbers in the first 40 percent of the season were great,” Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t score runs. The rest of the season wasn’t quite as good.”

***

Obtaining another starter remains one of their top priorities. The Royals did not trade relievers Mike MacDougal or Jeremy Affeldt on Wednesday, keeping a number of deals alive. That included the one for Benson, which, contrary to a report on ESPN, “was never almost done,” Baird said.

On the other hand, Baird was confident the Royals would make a trade for a second baseman who he said could be in the lineup on opening day. Baird said he also could fill a utility role, leaving open plenty of possibilities.

Would it be the White Sox’s Willie Harris, the Cubs’ Jerry Hairston, the A’s Marco Scutaro or the Nationals’ Jamey Carroll? No to all four, sources said. And while Mark Grudzielanek will not re-sign with the Cardinals, the fact that Baird said the second baseman will come via a trade rules him out, too.

There were plenty of other “no’s” tossed around Wednesday. Baird said he had not spoken with the Angels about a trade for Mike Sweeney, refuting a report that said Los Angeles had turned down a deal for the first baseman. Baird did not talk with the agents for outfielders Jacque Jones or Reggie Sanders, leaving the Royals likely without a corner outfielder as the meetings end.

[tk13]

News on the Rule V draft today...

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/13354124.htm

DALLAS — There won’t be another Andrew Sisco this season.

After striking gold a year ago in the Rule 5 Draft with Sisco, the Royals this season will likely trade or sell the top pick as the draft concludes the winter meetings this morning.

“I think there’s a deal in place,” Royals general manager Allard Baird said, “but you never know. ... Things can happen.”

With the impending signings of reliever Elmer Dessens and a second baseman, the Royals’ roster will be full at 40. While there are candidates to drop off the roster in case the team decides to select a player in the draft of unprotected minor-league players, the Royals haven’t been blown away by any of the candidates.

Among the top available players are utility infielder Kevin Howard, who hit .409 in the Arizona Fall League, left-handed pitchers Josh Muecke and Ricky Barrett, and right-handers Rafael Rodriguez and Billy Sadler, according to Baseball America.

“We’ll see where it takes us,” Baird said.

***

■ Royals starter Runelvys Hernandez, who is eligible for salary arbitration, has new representation: super-agent Scott Boras.

[Mecca]

I guess we'll be trading Hernandez before long then......

[cadmonkey]

Damn.

She's so hot, she's invisible...........


Holy sh*t I suck!!!!!!!!!!

[siberian khatru]

minorleaguebaseball.com says the Royals could lose Mitch Maier in the Rule 5 draft today. That would suck.

[Chief Chief]

Wow!

That Kendall Gammons is quite a sports guru!!

[BigChiefFan]

So far Baird has made some decent moves. I hope he keeps up the momentum. Too bad we couldn't get Soriano.

[Archie Bunker]

Looks like the Royals traded their rule 5 pick for 2B Esteban German

:shrug:

[shakesthecat]

minorleaguebaseball.com says the Royals could lose Mitch Maier in the Rule 5 draft today. That would suck.

Maier wasn't selected.

[bkkcoh]

minorleaguebaseball.com says the Royals could lose Mitch Maier in the Rule 5 draft today. That would suck.

If he can't make it to the bigs with the Royals in that amount of time, how good can he be?


:hmmm: :banghead: :cuss: :p

[siberian khatru]

I vaguely remember German when he was prospect with Oakland. Great speed, draws walks, IIRC.

[shakesthecat]

Looks like the Royals traded their rule 5 pick for 2B Esteban German

:shrug:

IMO, German is better than any of the Rule V IF's they could have selected. He's not very big, but is a good contact hitter and a very good base stealer.

He'll get a chance to win the 2nd base job, and considering who his competition is, he shouldn't have much trouble.

[KevB]

I vaguely remember German when he was prospect with Oakland. Great speed, draws walks, IIRC.

Me too. He was the heir apparent at 2B for the A's, but then everyone remembered that Beane doesn't value the stolen base. Doubt he's the defender that Blanco is, but brings more to the table offensively with OBP and SB.

[ChiTown]

Looks like the Royals traded their rule 5 pick for 2B Esteban German

:shrug:

I'm ok with this, but I don't think he's the answer at 2b. If this WAS Allard's answer as to how we address the 2b issue, then I'm sorely disappointed.

[siberian khatru]

IMO, German is better than any of the Rule V IF's they could have selected. He's not very big, but is a good contact hitter and a very good base stealer.

He'll get a chance to win the 2nd base job, and considering who his competition is, he shouldn't have much trouble.

I honestly don't know anything about German's defense. But the Rule 5 guy that had been mentioned, Howard, I gather is more of a 3B who can play 2B (a utility guy). Good stick, but my guess is the Royals may have decided Howard couldn't cut it defensively at 2B, and went after German because he's got a better glove. And maybe better leadoff skills, too.

[beavis]

Royals starter Runelvys Hernandez, who is eligible for salary arbitration, has new representation: super-agent Scott Boras.
F*ck. I hate that prick.

[Reaper16]

I honestly don't know anything about German's defense. But the Rule 5 guy that had been mentioned, Howard, I gather is more of a 3B who can play 2B (a utility guy). Good stick, but my guess is the Royals may have decided Howard couldn't cut it defensively at 2B, and went after German because he's got a better glove. And maybe better leadoff skills, too.
We desperately need a speed guy, hopefully German can fit the bill. I like him over any the Rule 5 guys also. He'll be given the shot to stat at 2B on opening day.

The news that Runelvys has hires Boras as his new agent makes baby Jesus cry bitter tears.

[Archie Bunker]

Few more tidbits from rotoworld.com

Paul Bako - C - Dodgers

Paul Bako has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Royals to back up John Buck.
This comes after Bako and the Dodgers couldn't overcome a $50,000 difference to keep the catcher in Los Angeles. It's thought that the Dodgers will bring in SanDy Alomar Jr. to play behind Dioner Navarro.

Brandon Weeden - S - Royals

Royals selected RHP Brandon Weeden from the Dodgers with the first pick in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft.
Weeden was a Yankees' second-round pick in 2002. The Dodgers acquired him in the Kevin Brown-Jeff Weaver three, and he was scheduled to go back to the Bombers in the aborted three-team Randy Johnson deal a year ago. He went 2-9 with a 5.70 ERA, 101 H and 96/69 K/BB in 94 2/3 IP for low Single-A Columbus last season, but he does have a live arm. The Royals risked nothing here by taking a chance on him.

[petegz28]

We are stupid if we get rid of Mac. He was really coming on last year and was his most consistant if you ask me.

[beavis]

We are stupid if we get rid of Mac. He was really coming on last year and was his most consistant if you ask me.
He would have been better if Glass had paid him more.

[petegz28]

He would have been better if Glass had paid him more.


I heard you would be better if you used less teeth. ROFL

[Mecca]

We are stupid if we get rid of Mac. He was really coming on last year and was his most consistant if you ask me.

Depends what they're getting for him.

[petegz28]

Depends what they're getting for him.


I think Mac can be one of the toughest closers in the game as long as he stays consistant.

His slider this year was a monster. And he quit being Mac the Wildthing and was hitting the zone with his fastball.

[nychief]

www.axallard.com

[beavis]

I heard you would be better if you used less teeth. ROFL
Your mom!!!!!!!!!111111111111ELEVENELEVEN!!!1

:rolleyes:

[tk13]

www.axallard.com
What a bunch of crap.

[Valiant]

"Blister Boy" hasn't had a blister since they removed 1/2 of his nail.


Blisterboy had the problem last season...

[beavis]

What a bunch of crap.
Retahded.

[tk13]

Retahded.
Yeah! Allard should be more active in the trade market! Yeah!!!... he only had the freaking no-name Royals on Sportscenter almost every night this week during the winter meetings because he was throwing feelers out everywhere with the Mets, Jays, Braves, Marlins, Rangers, etc, etc, etc. And we have been in contact with the Marlins constantly it seems like, and every time we want one of their guys they want Burgos and Sisco. Of course, if we actually did give those guys away they'd be first to jump on it and call Allard an idiot.

[siberian khatru]

Miguel Tejada wants out of Baltimore. There's Allard's blue-chip trade.

[cmh6476]

What a bunch of crap.
i tagged that shit ROFL

[huskerdooz]

Blisterboy had the problem last season...

No he didn't have any blister issues last season, infact he hasn't had any issues with the blister since 2003.

IIRCC he spent stints on the DL with a groin injury in 2005 and oblique injury in 2004.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=346793&y=2005
2005 Career Highlights:
After beginning the season as the closer, he went on the disabled list for almost two months with a groin injury. Meanwhile, Mike MacDougal took over. Affeldt had problems in a set-up role but finished with nine straight scoreless outings.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=346793&y=2004
2004 Career Highlights:
Made the Opening Day roster for the 3rd straight season...opened the season as KC's No. 3 starter, making his season debut vs. Cleveland on April 8 (5.2 IP, 9 H, 6 ER)...Finished the season with a 3-4 mark, 13 saves in 17 chances and a 4.95 ERA in 38 appearances (8 starts)...Went 0-3 with a 5.24 ERA in 8 starts before being moved to the bullpen on May 21...Suffered a blown save in his 1st relief appearance of the season on May 22 at Oakland...allowed a 2-run home run to Eric Chavez with 2 outs in the 9th to tie the score at 4-4...Converted 8 straight save opportunities from May 25-June 11 before picking up his 2nd win after blowing a save on June 12 vs. the Mets...Was placed on the 15-Day D.L. with a strained right oblique on June 27.... activated on Aug. 21 after missing 48 games...Had his best stretch of the season from May 22 to Sept. 22, posting a 3-0 record and 13 saves in 16 opportunities for a 2.67 ERA (27.0 IP, 26 H, 10 R, 8 ER)...Notched 5 of his saves vs. Detroit, going 1-0 and 5-for-5 in save opportunities with a 3.38 ERA in 8 games against the Tigers...Stranded all 9 inherited runners for the season.

[tk13]

Great column by JoePo...

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/13363836.htm

On the SPOT

Baird needs Royals to win, but he’s sticking to his plan

JOE POSNANSKI

DALLAS — The mystery second baseman seemed a good way to peer into the mind of Royals general manager Allard Baird. Early in the week at baseball’s winter meetings, Baird announced he was close to trading for a second baseman.

He was quick to say that this guy would not be the second baseman, not some savior, but, in Allard-speak, a “piece of the puzzle guy.” The Royals have lost a lot of games in Allard Baird’s 5 1/2 years as general manager. If an election was held in Kansas City, he would surely be voted out of office. Everybody understands that.

But give him this: He has found treasures among those “piece of the puzzle guys.” Other general managers admire this about him. Paul Byrd pitched well enough to get big-money deals. Raul Ibañez turned into a pro’s pro. Even outfielder Emil Brown, while he often struggled with concepts like fly balls, hit with authority much of last season.

Now, Baird hinted that he found a second baseman who might follow in that path, a guy who, given the chance, might just surprise a lot of people.

“Who is it?” we ask.

“I’m not going to tell you,” Baird says.

Allard Baird is under no illusions about the upcoming season. “If we don’t win games, I’m fired,” he says. “You don’t have to be a genius to figure that one out.”

This “I’m fired” concept doesn’t throw him. Baird has always been pretty philosophical about individual goals like job security. He’s a team guy. A Royals guy. He is, again using Allard-speak, an “organization above one’s-self” guy. Last season, when the Royals lost 19 games in a row and inspired jokes on the late-night talk shows, there was tremendous pressure to make changes. According to three sources, Baird went to Royals owner David Glass and team president Dan Glass and offered his own head.

“If you need a scapegoat, please fire me,” he reportedly told the Glass menagerie. “If that will help us stick with the plan, then that’s the right thing to do. Obviously I don’t want to get fired, but the most important thing is that we stick with the plan.”

The Glasses, obviously, did not fire him. They gave him one more year to see if the plan will work. Yeah, that’s more Allard-speak: The Plan (sometimes called “The Direction). The Plan builds around young players. While the Royals have lost 100 games three of the last four years, Baird has done his level best to stockpile young talent. How successful has he been? Well, you know the players: Mark Teahen, David DeJesus, John Buck, Zack Greinke, Denny Bautista, Ambiorix Burgos, Andrew Sisco, and so on.

“It’s been hard, but I feel like we’ve made it through the hardest times,” Baird says. “We didn’t give up on the plan to a win a few games. We took our lumps, but now we think those younger players are ready to help us win games.”

“But you have to be right,” I say. “I mean, those young guys haven’t proven anything yet. You have to be right about them.”

“Absolutely,” he says. “We have to be right. We think we are right.”

“What if you’re wrong?”

“You already know the answer to that,” he says.

“He’s got a good on-base percentage,” Allard Baird says. He’s talking about the mystery second baseman. He has gotten so tired of my nagging, he’s giving out hints.

“He’s a good on-base percentage guy, and he’s versatile,” Baird says.

I go back to the computer, the statistics, and try to figure it out. Who has a good on-base percentage? Baird has said for a while that he treasures OBP. But, paradoxically, the Royals have not reached base much in Baird’s time. In his five full years as GM, the Royals OBP is a miserable .322, seven points below even the league average.

Still, Baird talks about getting on base, so I look at some of the candidates who are versatile and get on base some. I hit on the name. It’s Jamey Carroll. He’s 31, playing with Washington. The Senators are overloaded with middle infielders. Carroll plays a lot of positions. He has a decent on-base percentage. He’s never gotten a real chance to play everyday. Everything fits. It’s him. I call Baird.

“It’s Jamey Carroll,” I say.

“Is Jamey Carroll fast?” he asks.

“No.”

“I told you this guy is fast,” Baird says.

He hangs up. Fast? Wait. He never said anything about this guy being fast.

People like to come up to Allard Baird during the meetings and say, “Hey Al, how much sleep did you get last night?” In the manic world of baseball, where people measure each other by the rings under the eyes, Baird is unique. He does not stop. He sees games, scouts prospects, helps run minicamps, travels to Latin America and Japan, and always has the cell phone to his ear.

He thinks Royals non-stop, every minute, all year long. At night, he will often wake up with a Royals thought, scribble it down on a piece of paper, crumple it up, and throw it into the middle of the room to be read later.

“I can’t imagine that there’s a GM in the game that works harder than Allard,” one baseball executive says.

Of course, as Baird will tell you, a general manager is not judged by his work ethic or his dedication or even his integrity — all undeniable strengths of Allard Baird. He is a good person, one of the best I’ve ever been around.

But a general manager is judged by the team he puts on the field. That’s it. His report card is in the newspaper, every day, all summer long.

And the Baird report card is not good. The Royals lost 106 games last year, 104 the year before. Baird signed and traded for Juan Gonzalez, Brian Anderson, Jose Lima, Benito Santiago and Eli Marrero. For one reason or another they all flamed out.

The Royals top prospects — Ken Harvey, Chris George, Jimmy Gobble, Dee Brown, Dan Reichert, Colt Griffin, Kyle Snyder and now even Zack Greinke — have not emerged.

Baird knows that he has made mistakes. Chief among them, he says, was not going into a sweeping rebuilding mode sooner. But he does believe deeply in his own baseball instincts and the baseball sense of the people who work with him. He believes they have collected a core of young players who can make this team a contender.

“There is no question about it, we’ve got to start winning games,” Baird says. “And it’s not just for the standings. We have to prove to everybody — the fans, the media, ownership and even ourselves — that we can play.

“It’s one thing for me to say, ‘I think Mark Teahen’s going to be a real good player.’ That doesn’t mean anything. It’s another thing for him to go out there like he did at the end of last year and give us good at-bats, play with more confidence. That’s what we need now. I think we’ve got good players. But we need guys to prove it.”

Willie Harris. That’s the second baseman. I’m sure of it. I’ve lined up all the second basemen available in trades, and looked to see which one is fast, has a good on-base percentage and can be called versatile. Chicago’s Willie Harris fits. He has speed. His on-base percentage isn’t great, but it’s not terrible. And he can play second and the outfield. Also, the White Sox have made no secret that he’s a backup and available in a trade.

I’m a little bit bothered because the White Sox and Royals are in the same division and might not trade with each other. But in the end, this one makes too much sense. I go to see Allard in his suite. Royals’ manager Buddy Bell is there, along with several Royals executives, including assistant general manager Muzzy Jackson.

“Well?” Baird asks.

“Willie Harris,” I say.

Laughter breaks out everywhere in the room. I sense I may be wrong.

“This guy has better plate discipline,” Baird says after the laughter fades out.

I slowly slink out of the room. “Craig Counsell?” I ask as the door closes behind me.

There is one simple, unquestionable truth about being the general manager of the Royals: You have to be smarter than other GMs. It’s not good enough to be as smart as Brian Cashman or Kenny Williams or Walt Jocketty. Those guys have more money. They have more scouts. They can afford to pay draft picks more. They can make big-money mistakes, and it won’t knock them backward five steps.

And, let’s not forget, big-money teams can afford to pay more for general managers.

People tire of hearing it, but money is still the overwhelming reality in baseball. And sure, every so often Oakland’s Billy Beane or Minnesota’s Terry Ryan can beat the house, at least for a while. But people do forget the subtitle of the book “Moneyball.” It is “The Art of Winning An Unfair Game.” That’s the point.

“I think most people have at one time or another thought, ‘Poor Allard,’ ” says one assistant general manager. “It’s hard to win when you have no money to spend. That might be a whole different team if they could have kept Carlos Beltran and Johnny Damon. … I think people around the game think a lot of Allard. It’s just rough there.”

Baird hates when people talk this way. “I should be judged by our record, plain and simple,” he says. “I don’t want to hear the money talk. That’s an excuse. We lost 106 games last year. That’s me. I didn’t do my job well enough. That’s the bottom line.

“The one thing I’m proud of, though, is we stuck together through it. It was hard. But we didn’t panic. We didn’t trade away our core players. We stayed with the direction. I’m not dumb. I know there are challenges in Kansas City. But we held together through some hard times. And now it’s time to start winning games.”

A Royals source comes to the rescue. He will not tell me the name of the second baseman — it’s like talking to Deep Throat in a parking garage — but he gives me a crucial hint. “He’s hitting well in the Dominican winter league,” my Hal Holbrook says.

Back to the stats. There are two second basemen hitting well there. One is Washington’s Bernie Castro, who leads the league in hits. The other is Texas’ Esteban German, who leads in stolen bases. They are about the same age (German is 27, Castro 26), neither one has been given much of a chance. Both have some speed and versatility.

So, much of the night, I study the numbers of the two players closely. This has become something of an obsession. WWAD? What Would Allard Do? I finally choose German, figuring that he seems to have more speed and a better on-base percentage. I corner Allard before the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday. We’re both bleary eyed.

“It’s Esteban German, isn’t it?” I say.

“Good work,” Baird says. He then talks about how he likes German’s speed and plate discipline, thinks he could be a good utility infielder and, perhaps, the everyday starting second baseman next year.

“You know,” I tell him, “I spent an awful lot of time trying to figure out your mystery second baseman. I didn’t think I would end up with some guy I never heard of, Esteban German, who had four at-bats in the majors last year. I’m not sure that was worth it.”

Baird smiles an odd little smile, one that seems to say, “Now you might have a little taste of what it’s like to be general manager of the Royals. Other guys are signing big money free agents, and I’m sweating it out for Esteban German.”

But that’s not what he says at all.

“Come on, you know it was fun,” he says. “This guy’s got a chance to be pretty good. I’m excited. He’s a ‘piece-of-the-puzzle’ guy.”

And with that, he heads off to another meeting to find more puzzle pieces. One the way he talks to another agent. He shakes hands with a dozen people. A few minutes later, the Royals announce that they traded their pick in the Rule 5 Draft for Esteban German, a versatile little second baseman who is tearing up the Dominican Republic.

“I think he wants to prove himself,” Baird tells reporters. He is talking about Esteban German. But Baird means himself, too.

[siberian khatru]

“If you need a scapegoat, please fire me,” he reportedly told the Glass menagerie. “If that will help us stick with the plan, then that’s the right thing to do. Obviously I don’t want to get fired, but the most important thing is that we stick with the plan.”

That makes little sense. Allard IS the plan. If he's fired, that's an admission that the plan isn't working and a change of direction is needed. I seriously doubt that a new GM would follow the same blueprint Allard left behind.

Allard's got to know that if he wants the plan to succeed, he's got to be the one to see it through. I guess they could fire him and promote Muzzy Jackson, but from Glass' standpoint how does that look to the outside world? "We're getting serious about winning -- we fired Allard and promoted Allard Jr."

Overall I like Allard. I think he's making the RIGHT KINDS of deals. He just needs them to start panning out.

I also think that baseball in KC may be on a 5-year lifeline. A couple more 100-loss seasons soon, and I honestly believe the team will leave town. Actually, I say that without remembering what the stadium lease situation is. So if they can't get out before 2010, forgive me. But the general principle remains: Time is running out. They have got to start improving soon. A modest amount this year, a lot more in 2007.

[ChiTown]

That makes little sense. Allard IS the plan. If he's fired, that's an admission that the plan isn't working and a change of direction is needed. I seriously doubt that a new GM would follow the same blueprint Allard left behind.

Allard's got to know that if he wants the plan to succeed, he's got to be the one to see it through. I guess they could fire him and promote Muzzy Jackson, but from Glass' standpoint how does that look to the outside world? "We're getting serious about winning -- we fired Allard and promoted Allard Jr."

Overall I like Allard. I think he's making the RIGHT KINDS of deals. He just needs them to start panning out.

I also think that baseball in KC may be on a 5-year lifeline. A couple more 100-loss seasons soon, and I honestly believe the team will leave town. Actually, I say that without remembering what the stadium lease situation is. So if they can't get out before 2010, forgive me. But the general principle remains: Time is running out. They have got to start improving soon. A modest amount this year, a lot more in 2007.

Allard banked on a bunch of young arms that have taken longer to come through (or no panned out) than he expected. Some of that is due to injuries, and some is do to these kids just not developing.

Whatever the case, this is 110% at his feet. They need a 75 win type season in 2006, and a 85+ win type season in '07. If that doesn't happen, it's time to move on.

[siberian khatru]

They need a 75 win type season in 2006, and a 85+ win type season in '07. If that doesn't happen, it's time to move on.

I pretty much agree. I was thinking 70 and 80.

[KChiefs1]

Damn that's a great read! I sincerely hope they keep Baird because the Royals won't find a better GM that him.

I'm all for sticking to "The Plan" too.

[ChiTown]

Damn that's a great read! I sincerely hope they keep Baird because the Royals won't find a better GM that him.

I'm all for sticking to "The Plan" too.

Honest to God, I like tha Man. He seems genuine, and hard working. But, I'm pretty sure just about any GM in the league can figure out how to lose 100 games as many times as he has.

[shakesthecat]

Damn that's a great read! I sincerely hope they keep Baird because the Royals won't find a better GM that him.

I'm all for sticking to "The Plan" too.


So just how many 100+ plus loss seasons will it take before you decide that despite his best efforts, Baird has failed?

How much worse could someone else do?
I'll answer that one....they couldn't.

[beavis]

Yeah! Allard should be more active in the trade market! Yeah!!!... he only had the freaking no-name Royals on Sportscenter almost every night this week during the winter meetings because he was throwing feelers out everywhere with the Mets, Jays, Braves, Marlins, Rangers, etc, etc, etc. And we have been in contact with the Marlins constantly it seems like, and every time we want one of their guys they want Burgos and Sisco. Of course, if we actually did give those guys away they'd be first to jump on it and call Allard an idiot.
Don't forget the part about Glass losing raising the payroll to $80-90 million, we'd instantly become contenders then.

[nychief]

www.axallard.com

[tk13]

So just how many 100+ plus loss seasons will it take before you decide that despite his best efforts, Baird has failed?

How much worse could someone else do?
I'll answer that one....they couldn't.
Patience. It's taken him 5 years to get to this point, and as it said in the article, he said if he could have done it over again he would've cleaned house sooner, but I think he has us on the right track. I know that defies some sports logic to stick with him, but with everything the Royals have against them you can't treat this like we're the Yankees. Baird is a good baseball mind, I think getting rid of him would be a massive, massive mistake.

I think the only reason he hasn't gotten us to this point sooner is because of ownership. And I'm not talking about resigning Beltran or any of that... I'm talking about the stuff like wanting an ML player for Dye, vetoing the Randa trade 3-4 years ago, sending Baird out here with a bunch of money in a crap FA market. That's my biggest fear about all of this, that Glass is so afraid of looking too cheap that he wrecks building up this core of young players.