Not necessarily since now this creates an opening in the CF position for the young players, which is needed.

Now they need to do Dozier next. I don't hate the guy and I'm sure he's a good guy, but he just needs to be off of the team. One of Dayton's worst signing, ever.

What Royals player can cover centerfield for a majority of the season?

Would they try Adalberto Mondesi and how long before injury?

Fit these guys in which field?

Drew Waters - Can he hit and can he play CF?
M.J. Melendez
Kyle Isbel
Hunter Dozier - It would be nice to trade but 2023 $7.25M, 2024 $9M, 2025 Club option of $10M
Edward Olivares
Nate Eaton

Center field will be Drew Waters' for a while.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is a tweet of appreciation for Michael A. Taylor, who delivered 5.7 bWAR and was the best defensive CF in the league during his two years in KC, for a total of $6.25 million, and then brought back two live arms. Quietly one of the best moves the Royals have made since 2015.</p>&mdash; Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) <a href="https://twitter.com/jazayerli/status/1617691066265931776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Taylor made some highlight plays but watching him play defense in person was great. The guy could cover so much ground in CF that I don't think TV ever did him justice. If he could only be an average hitter he would be a real weapon of a player. Especially in a place like KC. The Twins are collecting quite the OF defense now.

Taylor actually had the most first-place votes (8) among center fielders in the 2022 Fielding Bible awards. A case can be made that he's the best defensive center fielder in the game.

If the return was that shitty wait until the deadline. There almost definitely would've been someone that needed him.

I mean maybe, but you're still probably getting that type of return. To get much better you'd have to bank on a contender needing basically a defensive replacement CF as their missing piece.

I look at that trade as a win regardless.
Even if the prospects don’t amount to anything, the Royals opened roster space to get true evaluations of some younger players.

Sisk can be a valuable reliever. Other guy is huge, has plus stuff, could be a good bullpen piece.

End of the day, getting 12 years of control of a few high-leverage guys is not a bad return for one year of a 4th OF.

We are going to suck donkey dick this season... might as well get some ABs for the ppl that might be with the team when it is not so shitty.

So this team purports to want to win. They won't bring back Greinke cause he would cost 140% of Jordan Lyles salary, so **** the fans, save that cash and bring in Lyles.

Then sign a cooked DV committer for no discernable benefit.

Ask all taxpayers in Missouri to nut up and pay more taxes for a new stadium that is unneccessary.

And then they DONT offer a contract to a free ace that got extorted by a whore that was already ****ing Tatis Jr before she started ****ing him. That would be too far

Bauer needs to be on this team. I'm losing patience waiting for it to happen.

I don't think trades are what they used to be unless you're trading a Mookie Betts type player. Every team including the big markets is hoarding prospects for the most part. You aren't going to trade middle of the road veterans for anyone highly ranked anymore unless you get lucky and turn a lower ranked prospect into something more.

Drew Waters is like 4 years away fellas. He isn't your 2023 centerfielder.

He played over a month and posted a .800 OPS, took walks and was on pace to be around a 20 HR guy. He's the favorite to take the job for sure.

Drew Waters is 24 years old. If he is still 4 years away, the Royals might as well play him this year to confirm and then move on.

This team is pretty obviously going for cost cutting.

Just go the **** away

Suck my balls sportsfan. I thought he was younger than he really is. That's my mistake. Crucify me for it.

He aint 4 years away. He's already cooked.

Fangraphs raises red flags about that aggressiveness, writing that “upper-level pitching has exploited his free-swinging approach” and continues to “chase pitches that he either misses or that limit the quality of his contact.”

The Braves traded him because they didn't think he had it...the Royals think they can fix him.

Yes yes I remember him. I got sprayed by a skunk last night and temporarily lost my usual sharp edge. I'm not a believer but I won't fault you EMAWs for giving Brett Phillips 2.0 a fair shot.

This team can either flirt with a .500 record or there are about 21 roster changes necessary to make them competitive. There is no single signing that is going to change where they are.

No but if there is someone you view as part of a winner available you should be in. This years FA class is about 1000 times better than next years and the Royals aren't gonna go add 60 million dollars of payroll in 1 year.

Or because they signed Michael Harris to a long term deal and had no room for him.

In reality Waters was a once top flight prospect that had really taken a serious hit.

they are just clearing out salary so they can sign Zach:rolleyes:

I really don't get the narrative of wanting to sign some players or keep some of our vets. Play the young guys. We are going to suck. Play all the young guys everywhere. Know what you got. Fill the holes in 2024 with FAs. I like what they are doing. Michael A Taylor does nothing for you except clog CF for a young player auditioning for that role.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Adalberto Mondesi is being traded to the Red Sox, per source. The Royals will receive Josh Taylor in exchange, while Boston will also receive a player to be named later.</p>&mdash; Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) <a href="https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/1617936358970134531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

wowsa

Struggled in Triple A and Braves have their outfield set. It's the type of moves that they should make. He was 800 OPS and looked like a 20 home run guy. Give him an offseason with Zumwalt and he should be fine.

Wow...still think they should have tried him in the OF but oh well...

Mondesi really is made of glass. It was better not to have him in the plans cause its pointless. He blew out his leg last year on a routine pick off attempt.

LMAO Let's trade him when his value is at its lowest instead of waiting to see if we can salvage some and deal him at the deadline. If he gets injured again who gives a ****, if this scrub ass bumpkin for the bullpen is all we can get in return.

This front office appears to have no desire to maximize value...maybe we're just tanking now.

Got pretty much nothing

???

Just doing what that one who sucks the penis Dayton Moore should have been doing the past several years.

So can they get some team to take Hunter Dozier?

This is like bizarro world. Mondesi is the type of player the Royals always trade for, not trade away. A guy with all the physical tools who just hasn't put it together, has off field problems, or in this case, can't stay healthy.

Probably too expensive for Sherman.

Get ready...

They're gonna attach Scott Barlow to Dozier to get rid of that contract..which means they'll get a minimal return.

Chapman has apparently been promised a shot at closing and if you just remove Barlow from that after 2 years of doing it..and what that could do to his value of being paid...yea.

All the guys the bitchers wanted to be gone, they are getting rid of. But the bitchers are now bitching because we didn't hold on to them to trade them.

Barlow is now in the role that the Indians used Andrew Miller in. Come in high level situations not just to close.

Who will the Royals plug in in his place to play those 3 games?

If you take the dude who lead the team in saves for 2 years and say you're giving his role to a new guy...right before he's a FA that is gonna cause problems.

Barlows getting traded.

I was reading last year that Mondesi was a legit non-tender candidate. He isnt worth the post-arb salary, was the logic. Just not worth paying the money he requires for what he can contribute.

For the Royals to get anything for him is a win.

With cleaning house of Mondesi and O'Hearn, Dozier is now fine in his utility role playing some 1B, 3B, and corner outfield spots a couple games a week. Expensive utility guy given his production, but given the payroll, it's fine...

This team doesn't seem all that interested in paying anyone at the moment.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Why do you even sign Mondesi if this is what you&#39;re trading him for?</p>&mdash; Joe Sheehan (@joe_sheehan) <a href="https://twitter.com/joe_sheehan/status/1617940149450706944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That is a fair question.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I can understand the Royals trading Adalberto Mondesi.<br><br>I can not understand the Royals trading Adalberto Mondesi for a soon-to-be 30-year-old middle reliever.<br><br>No, you&#39;re not getting an elite prospect for Mondesi. But you could get *someone* with meaningful upside.</p>&mdash; Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) <a href="https://twitter.com/DSzymborski/status/1617945792056098816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

At this point, anyone that doesn’t see what Shermanator is doing is just being willfully obtuse

Middle relief lost the Royals a ton of games last year. Taylor was healthy he gave the Red Sox about 1.0 per year in WAR. That is pretty solid for a relief pitcher.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Now, if you&#39;re the *Rangers* and you&#39;re on the edge of contending and you have Seager and Semien and your bullpen is OK and you have Mondesi, yeah, trade him for Taylor.<br><br>But Taylor will basically help the Royals hold leads they mostly won&#39;t have.</p>&mdash; Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) <a href="https://twitter.com/DSzymborski/status/1617947657267208192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I’d bet my left nut (or DJ’s left nut) that Shermanator has ordered Picolo to shop Salvy. For the final salary dump left.

The two things about this is 1) they pretty clearly think their new pitching regime can fix guys up and 2) if this trade blows up in our face it's going to really blow up and look horrible. Mondesi has the tools to be a superstar. We're about to find out if he's truly glass or if there's something a training staff can do to reduce his injury risk.

Sorry, I like being optimistic about what the Royals are trying to do, but this makes absolutely no sense to me.

Salvy (-37) and Dozier (-17) have negative 54m in value. Vinnie and Singer each have about that in surplus value. Don’t be surprised if skinflint staples one of them to the epic salary dump. A 3 player deal where nothing comes back ROFL

Maybe we can get another middle reliever. To pacify the thread’s Royals ball washers

Welp, I'll admit I don't like the Mondesi trade. I would have tried him in OF, prayed he was healthy and if he produces at all you 3x his value. The best 3 options would have been:

1) Try in OF, hope stays healthy
2) Do not sign to arb deal
3) Do what they did

Seems this regime’s plan is worse than the last one’s plan.

I haven’t been less excited about a season in a long time.

They're trading Barlow, they just grabbed this guy to replace him.

This regimes entire plan seems to be not spending any money.

Yeah. Really sucks. It was looking up when they'd hired some decent baseball people from good organizations but there's nothing you can do if the owner wants to operate like this.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A rebuilding team needs a win-now bullpen about as much as a cat needs a calculator.</p>&mdash; Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) <a href="https://twitter.com/DSzymborski/status/1617949645119885320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I&#39;d also be a little more convinced by &quot;but Mondesi is a huge injury risk!&quot; argument if the guy coming in return for Mondesi wasn&#39;t a pitcher who missed the entire year with a back injury except during intermittent rehab periods consisting of minor leaguers hitting 370/404/611.</p>&mdash; Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) <a href="https://twitter.com/DSzymborski/status/1617951821309349900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It's very smart to cut costs and look like the Pirates while asking for a new stadium..brilliance there.

I'm not in love with the Mondesi trade but this is where we are now I think. Dayton always said KC was a different market and that affected his decision making and judging by the blowback you see on Twitter and such he was absolutely right. It hasn't even been one full offseason and a lot of people already hate the Tampa Bay model of trying to build a team.

Sherman flat out said they need to be more transactional and take emotion out of decisions and so far that's what they're doing just like Tampa. That means trading good players, not overpaying free agents and being ruthlessly efficient with both money and production. We'll see how it pays off but he definitely told the truth, I'll give him that. It's pretty clear they're trying hard to create a pitching staff with no holes so they can play matchups all day long. Openers, different closers based on the matchups, starters only going 3-4 innings if the numbers dictate it. At least that's what it looks like.

Well shit now I hope the Royals sign Bauer just cause that'd be fun.

But why are you trading for a shitty reliever? That part makes no sense, the Royals have like 57 pitching prospects some of them will be relievers because they are failed starters.

Im not as down on these moves, as it feels more like cost efficiency moves than anything. Mondesi was making $3 mil to basically do nothing. Taylor was at $4.5 mil to help how? We have younger guys needing time to either develop or give the org an evaluation period. While loading up on arms. We saw this past season how not having enough arms can be extremely detrimental even in the bullpen. Sign more arms (seems what they are doing), let the young position players continue with the development/evaluation. And continue overhauling the developmental logistics throughout the org. Patience at this point isnt necessarily a bad thing. Paying tens of millions to Taylor, Mondesi, Dozier, Santana, O'Hearn, Merrifield etc is what we all wanted to see changed, and thats what is changing.

JJ Picollo says they want to see Bobby Witt Jr as much SS as they can... same with Drew Waters and Kyle Isbel in the outfield. Those were factors in moving Mondesi and Taylor.

Isbel is a really good defender...not so great with the stick though.

I don't know for sure because we haven't seen how Quatraro manages. But if we're going off how Tampa does it, it's because they're trying to find 12-13 arms that can fill out a staff top to bottom and can match up with any possible scenario. Some of these guys will get hurt or surely bomb, but they're throwing numbers at it.

If he runs it like Tampa, it's not always going to be 5 starters, 3-4 strong bullpen guys you can rely on with 3-4 bullpen guys you use for long relief/getting blown out.

It's going to going to be 3-4 starters, a 1-2 guys who are "starters" who might pitch the innings 3-6 sometimes. A couple guys who can "close" and a couple guys who can "open" and maybe a couple other guys they can use in specific matchup situations. We'll have to see though but every guy will have to bring something to the table because they'll play the numbers and matchups religiously.

Pretty sure that Barlow is getting dealt....

Not bothered by these moves at all. A decent middle reliever for our young pitching staff sounds OK to me. What can I rely on Mondesi to provide for a young team that needs evaluation and development? Nothing. That's the answer. Nothing. Get some perspective people. There were no good moves to make for this contract and player. Same will be true with Dozier, except that Dozier could be a solid right handed platoon bat or batt off the bench w/ defensive flexibility (even if defense is sub-par) for a team in need of their 24th or 25th man.

Let's go worst case scenario. Mondesit has an MVP year after getting traded. If somehow that happened in KC, the Royals would not be able to resign him as he enters free agency after this season. So, if this majorly blows up on the Royals, the only thing they lost out on was trading the guy for a higher value to a contender. Royals trade record isn't great so even that would probably result in a minimal return that would not work out.

Mondesi has never had a passion to play baseball in Kansas City. That was not changing this year while on the Royals and it really didn't matter when they made this move.

I would guess that the plan is to rehab/flip Taylor at the deadline and the Royals actually have a place to play him where they didn't with Mondi? Idk. Maybe trying to make sense of the deal is a futile effort

Seriously. The past 6 months has turned the Organization into what many wanted to see. We wanted GMDM gone, wanted Math****tard gone, wanted Eltard gone, wanted the expensive vets that were blocking players gone, wanted the young players opportunity to play at the big leagues. Most of all we wanted an overhaul in Operational thinking as well player development. These things are all happening. I'm seriously feeling optimistic about the path

They still have 1 huge issue though...all of those young players aren't gonna hit and they still won't move any of them because they afraid they'll trade the wrong one. It's been a problem forever that they live in fear they'll accidently trade a star and keep the wrong guy so they just keep all of them...when the law of averages says more top prospects fail than hit.

I would've hung on to Mondesi. If I was going to trade him, it would be for a young lottery pick. Whatever.

So let them play and sort it out. Keep rebuilding the developmental system and minors. Lay the foundation. We will probably suck this year, but how is that different than the past few years? Do it, but allow the prospects the chance to be evaluated.. Saying "It's been a problem forever that they live in fear they'll accidently trade a star and keep the wrong guy so they just keep all of them" isn't necessarily the end all now, seeing as it's only been this offseason with GMDM gone. Let's give it time and see if JJ does the same thing. Sure seems like he's trending towards it not being the same thinking (see Mondesi), but this process is in its infancy at this point without GMDM.

Once they play they lose value...for example there are people that think MJ Melendez isn't an MLB catcher. If you really believe that you are supposed to trade him before he ever touches an MLB game and attempt to rip off another team that thinks he can catch. You value your evaluation and win the deal.

And we should sign fringe middle-ing Free Agents to man the Majors, paying them Tens of millions to suck. Mecca... Are you Dayton Moore? :D

Never once have I said they should do that...I think they should be in play for actual guys who can be part of winning teams.