***Official 2023 Royals Season Repository Thread***

[ChiefsCountry]

2023 – A new beginning for the Royals. Matt Quatraro era begins. A year to see which of our young players will make up the core going forward. Can Bobby Witt Jr become a superstar SS or will go to the hot corner? Will Brady Singer take the next step forward? Will Salvy be Salvy? Will Big Vin or Pratto take first base? Will they find a position for MJ? Who else emerges from the youth movement? Not to mention the development of the new downtown stadium.

Free Agents/Trades Acquisitions
Jordan Lyles, RHP
Ryan Yarbrough, LHP
Josh Taylor, LHP
Aroldis Chapman, LHP

Top 10 Prospects from Baseball America
1. Gavin Cross, OF
2. Cayden Wallace, 3B
3. Drew Waters, OF
4. Ben Kudrna, RHP
5. Frank Mozzicato, LHP
6. Maikel Garcia, SS
7. Tyler Gentry, OF
8. Nick Loftin, OF/3B
9. Angel Zerpa, LHP
10. Carter Jensen, C

[Wilson8]

Glad to see this trade happen.

I think this is a win for the Royals, a win for the Orioles, and a win for Ryan O'Hearn.

Royals no longer have to pay Ryan $1.4M, plus they received some cash.

Orioles receive a left-handed bat and with the shift gone and Camden Yards shorter dimensions, he could help the team.

A new start for Ryan O'Hearn might help him.

[Wilson8]

Jan. 3: 1B/OF Ryan O'Hearn acquired from Royals for cash considerations
The Orioles have been seeking a left-handed hitter who can back up Ryan Mountcastle at first base, and O'Hearn could fill that role (in addition to possibly getting some playing time in the corner outfield). The 29-year-old spent his first five big league seasons with the Royals, who designated him for assignment on Dec. 28. O'Hearn batted .239/.290/.321 with one homer and 16 RBIs in 67 games for Kansas City in 2022.

https://www.mlb.com/news/orioles-inj...d-roster-moves

[BWillie]

I think Ryan O Hearn will have his best year on record..but I don't want it to be here.

[tk13]

That's a great fit of a ballpark for him. They moved out the LF fence so it's not a bandbox anymore but the RF field is still really short.

[Chiefspants]

It also means the Cubs must be the frontrunners in the Hos sweepstakes.

[PurpleJesus28]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

It also means the Cubs must be the frontrunners in the Hos sweepstakes.

Do the Padres still owe him what was left on his contract ? I'm just curious how all that goes down,i didnt think Boston had to pay any of that.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by PurpleJesus28

Do the Padres still owe him what was left on his contract ? I'm just curious how all that goes down,i didnt think Boston had to pay any of that.

Padres are on the hook for everything minus whatever his new team pays him.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Padres are on the hook for everything minus whatever his new team pays him.

Right. We can pay league min to The Hoz or 1.4 to ROH

Let’s hire the TB front office or Cleve

[Prison Bitch]

Time for Jon E Qweddo. Eat some innings

[BWillie]

is johnny cueto a borderline hall of famer? He gotta be close

[Vladimir_Kyrilytch]

Originally Posted by BWillie

is johnny cueto a borderline hall of famer? He gotta be close

Got you covered on that question Bwillie - the answer is no.

There is actually a useful stat for this, called JAWS:

The JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe — first at Baseball Prospectus in 2004 — as a means to measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness by comparing him to the players at his position who are already enshrined, using advanced metrics to account for the wide variations in offensive levels that have occurred throughout the game's history.

A player's JAWS is his career WAR averaged with his 7-year peak WAR (not necessarily consecutive years).

Here is that leaderboard. Take a look at Cueto at 225th all time, and how many pitchers had a higher JAWS score that wouldn't get in. Amongst active players, he is behind John Lackey (33.3), Bumgarner (34.2), Corey Kluber (34.8), David Price (35.8), Jon Lester (38.8), Adam Wainwright (41.4)....guys like Chris Sale, Scherzer, Kershaw and De Grom are above all them.

The lowest JAWS score of any hall of fame SP was Ray Brown with 34.7, then Candy Cummings with 36.2. There are only four others in history at 38.0 or below. You really gotta have over 50.0 to be a legit HOF candidate, but Curt Schilling put up 64.0 and didn't get in. That's the highest JAWS score for a SP to not get in.

The average JAWS score of the 66 SP Hall of Famers is 61.4, which probably best illustrates where Cueto stands (his is 30.0)

One guy that will get in is Zack Grieinke, 32nd all time with a JAWS of 62.5, just above Tom Glavine (62.4) and just below Clayton Kershaw (62.8).

Cueto has a case for hall of very good, but he ain't no Candy Cummings. You gotta at least be a Candy Cummings to be a real HOF candidate.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Right. We can pay league min to The Hoz or 1.4 to ROH

Let’s hire the TB front office or Cleve

I believe Baltimore is now on the hook for all of that $1.4M for O'Hearn. So the Royals actually ended up paying $0 for him.

If this was the plan all along - make that deal so they can trade him - it is more understandable. I guess.

[Wilson8]

January 4: Hosmer and the Cubs are now in agreement, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

[poolboy]

I dont get why they signed him to trade him, for cash?

[Wilson8]

Originally Posted by poolboy

I dont get why they signed him to trade him, for cash?

I am guessing that the Royals knew that a team like the Orioles could see some value in Ryan O'Hearn. They may have even talked about a possible trade before the Royals signed him to the $1.4 one-year contract. I could not find what cash the Royals received, but probably not that much. The Orioles have a player that might help them. The Royals might have received $25,000 in cash.

From Spotrac.com - https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/baltimore-orioles/payroll/
Baltimore Orioles
Ryan O'Hearn 29 1B Arb 2 1 $1,400,000
So Orioles are paying Ryan the entire $1.4M