Rany made a great point earlier today: we need either to sell or to buy. Doing nothing would be a poor, poor choice.

I agree with him. Doing nothing and not trying to improve this year or for the future would be disappointing. Because this is the Royals, I expect to be disappointed.

With Detroit getting a closer today, that might be pretty tough.

Seems DM got himself into a bit of an escalation of commitment scenario. With the Shields trade, they are invested in winning now. To do nothing would waste the trade (and everything we gave up), so now we have to spend more to justify the sunk cost.

Exactly. You can't partially go all in, which is precisely what DM did.

Through Sunday for the AL Central teams.

Detroit:
- Strasburg vs Sanchez
- Gonzalez vs Verlander
This is a pretty equal series so Detroit going 1-1 is reasonable.

- Three vs Chicago: Pretty lopsided so realistically our best hope is 2-1.
That would put Detroit at 62-47 after next Sunday.

Cleveland:
- Danks vs McAllister
- Peavy vs Kazmir
- Quintana vs Kluber
- Sale vs Masterson
Pitching wise, the matchups aren't that unequal. Hopefully, the White Sox get a little bit of luck and take two games and Cleveland goes 2-2.

- Three at the Marlins. We can really only hope that Cleveland loses one to go 2-1.
That would put Cleveland at 60-51

Kansas City:
- Santana vs Pelfrey
- Guthrie vs Correia
- Shields vs Diamond
The pitching matchups favor us big time. This is a series we must win two, but I think we can go 3-0.

- Three vs the Mets. The pitching matchups will be mostly equal. Their offense has been struggling even more than ours so hopefully we can get 2 to go 2-1. That puts us at 56-52 after Sunday.

Detroit - 62-47
Cleveland - 60-51, 3 GB
Kansas City - 56-52, 5.5 GB

If we can do this we pick up 1.5 games in the AL Central and assuredly move up in the wildcard standings.

He is a set up man for them. Benoit is still the closer.

Our singular focus right now has to be running down Cleveland. Then, we try to chase down Detroit. Going to need to play well and have a bit of luck.

Not really. Rios is what this team is lacking, a big bat. Not to mention in 2014 he will play out of his mind since he will be looking for another big contract.

Big bat? What? You must be an Alex Smith fan, too, since you want Rios to be something he's never been, too.

Unless 25 HRs in a season is KC for "big bat," which is possible.

Dayton Moore's efforts since the end of last season are the equivalent of playing the tip game with a girl you think MIGHT have an STD because of her rep.

LMAO.

Did you watch these past three games? He did essentially nothing on offense or defense.

He has one HR since June 29th.
Three doubles since June 23rd.
Thirteen RBIs since July 2nd.

Lough in those same time spans has 3 HRs, 6 doubles, and 9 RBIs.

And Rios is a -0.8 dWAR player according to BR, while Lough has been outstanding defensively, dWAR 1.2.

I will flip my ****ing shit if DM does something as stupid as trading for Rios.

Howie Kendrick should be the main target anyways.

Of course. He's soooo much better than that Altuve option people were throwing out earlier.

Dutton tweeted out earlier that the asking price for him is an MLB-ready starting pitcher. If they'd take Ventura, you have to pull the trigger on that

The decision has been made. Several national reporters are reporting today that the Royals will not sell. Our asking price for Santana is sky-high. The only way we trade anyone of significance is if we believe it'll help us both this year and 2014.

This is why a GM should never be on the hot seat. He's managing his job, not the team's best interests. He should be extended or fired.

Fine, and I am great with that. However, if we aren't selling, we damn sure better be buying to get better at 2B, and maybe outfield. Standing pat would be a BS statement to the Players and Fans.

I HIGHLY doubt we make a move for an OF'er, but if there is a 2nd baseman available and the price isn't crazy we HAVE to make that move.

MLB network said it last night and I tend to agree....

Sometimes the best moves are the ones you don't make.

I don't want to give up zimmer or Ventura. And I like lough over rios at this point.

If you somehow can convince ownership to pony up the dollars to resign Santana for one year.....and get an upgrade at 2b either via a Santana-like trade in the offseason, or via free agency.....I think you have enough to make a serious run in 2014.

Why would Santana sign for one year here when he can get multiple years on the open market?

Every employee should be on the hot seat. Every one.

He won't take a 1 year deal, it's fantasy by our fans.

Exactly.

Which is fine ....and with his history of up and down years.....maybe Duffy or Ventura or whoever steps in and puts up stats close to his.

This team needs to win games. Period.

Have to change the culture of expecting to lose......with much of our eggs in 2014's basket.....that's why it's even more important to win this year in August and September....more so than previous years when the outlook was routinely much worse.

How are you related to Chris Getz?

If you can get a power bat in the OF (which I doubt), you take it. Otherwise, we should be focusing all our efforts on getting better at 2B

Other than hoping for a Santana one year deal (which he already said he would be open to).....what did you disagree with?

There is no value in being .500. A "culture of winning" is created by talent. Anything else is fantasy.

Where did Santana say he'd be open to signing a one-year deal? All I've seen is that he's open to signing with the Royals, and that he'd be open to signing with them even if he's traded this year.

Not parting with Ventura for a possible 2.5 year fun with Kendrick at 2b.

Where did you see Santana said he would take a 1 year deal?

It's funny that the first time in a decade we're in any form of contention, some fans are yelling "Sell!" anyway. Weird. I guess they like Dayton's 10-year plan.

Ventura and other pieces for Kendrick would be worth it.

Keeping Santana doesn't make a lot of sense if you believe the odds facing the Royals to make the playoffs. The right move is to trade him, but this would take a lot of guts from Moore (and confidence in job security).

Bottom line: It all goes back to the Myers trade. Dude was moved to "win now," and now Moore must double down on this strategy, logic be damned.

I heard it on royals broadcast....but as others have posted the same question as you, maybe I misunderstood the quote.

Either way, I wouldn't give up Ventura for Kendrick. Kendrick in his career averages around 10 HR and 55 RBI per season.

Power hitting RF prospects/ Trade!

5'6 150lb SP prospects/ Can't part with!

There's no way in hell Santana signs a 1-year deal. After this season, he'll be getting a lot of multi-year offers. It'll probably have to be at least 3 years, maybe 4.

We should care about RBIs why? The above measures do nothing to evaluate the overall worth of a 2B.

Right. I highly doubt he risk losing 40 million dollars on a 1 year deal.

10 home runs a year for a second basemen puts him in the top 15 second basemen about every year.

Got this from mlbtraderumors.com

He's a 4.0 WAR player. /end argument

Did you happen to notice in those "avgs" he has some seasons where he played less than 100 games figured in?

Since he became a FT player he will likely give you 290 15HR and about 70RBI and play an above avg 2nd base.

The White Sox have asked for two top prospects plus a lesser player for Alex Rios without much luck, hears ESPN's Jayson Stark. Stark feels it's possible the Sox could pull Rios back and market him in the offseason.

That sounds about right for GMDM.

No. No. No.

Rondell Rios.

This. This. This.

Missed a couple of pages while running a meeting.

Santana signing a one-year deal... I think the odds of this happening are INCREDIBLY low. Considering the thin FA market, someone will be willing to give him 3-4 years and sacrifice the first-round pick. It might be for 4 years, $40 million, but that's still a better deal for him, long-term, than another 1-year deal at the qualifying offer price. Santana's track record is similar - and superior in some aspects - to that of Anibal Sanchez, and we saw the money he got.

And as to the actual value of Howie Kendrick... I'm gong to make DeezNuts really happy and once again mention... TISTAAPP.

I like Ventura a lot. I was praising him as a prospect probably before anyone on this board, and before all the prospect guys EXCEPT for Jason Parks at BP. I am probably his biggest fan. But he's still a prospect. He's still a guy with some significant flaws.

If you can get 2.5 years of a top 10 2B like Howie Kendrick for him, you have to look at it.

I'd probably still back up and try to see if I could make that a Kyle Smith + Cheslor Cuthbert/Orlando Calixte + Christian Colon + Brett Eibner deal, or something like that. But if it gets to the point where it's Ventura or bust, I wouldn't let it bust.

ROFL

Trade Hoch, move Davis to bullpen, Duffy or Will Smith moves into starter role. Profit.../Rany
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I understand getting something for basically nothing is nice - but would we get anything of substance for Blowchaver?

To which you'd be met with hysterical laughter, and then a "click" sound on the other line.

Absolutely. And to add, the Royals control Gordon and Butler for only the next couple of years, too. So the window is pretty clearly defined.

Go get a real 2B.

Send all of them and take Trumbo as well.

Ex-Royal George "Boomer" Scott died Sunday.

Trumbo's bat would be nice.

The Angels front office is notoriously dumb when it comes to trades. It's like making a fantasy trade with a bad owner... you throw out a low first offer to see what happens.

I'm also thinking they value Cuthbert and Calixte pretty highly ... their minor league system blows and they need help at 3B. I remember them being connected with Cuthbert before KC nabbed him, so he probably has more value to that FO than others (and he IS a former top 100 prospect who put up impressive numbers for his age at A+ ball and isn't being overwhelmed at AA despite being the youngest player in the league).

I don't know what the Angels would do about Trumbo, and I'm not sure how much I want him as a Royals fan.

On one hand, he has tremendous power. On the other, he is a .260 hitter who is going to get on base at a .305 clip and can't be played anywhere (and play poorly defensively) but a corner OF spot, 1B or DH.

He and Kendrick are their best trade chips for rebuilding that team quickly, though. Aybar could be useful, too, to a team that is desperate at SS (i.e. St. Louis)

Kendrick and Trumbo are probably a pretty costly pair for KC. I rather grab one and keep Zimmer/Mondesi/Duffy than try to get both (because you probably have to give up one of those guys).

that's a good point. They prove it every year.

They traded us SOS for Callaspo. Have to say they screwed us on that one.

Completely agree but it's one of those dreamer days in the thread so I'm dreaming big. Trumbo was so amazing in the Derby last year and it would be cool to see anything close to that on a regular basis.

We still have Will Smith.

Rays get Jesse Crain

Will Smith?

only 23 and has taken HUGE steps this year, especially with his K rate. I think they get several solid seasons of back-end rotation work from him eventually. \

Callaspo has put up sub-.700 OPS 3/4 seasons in Los Angeles. With him playing 3B primarily, that really hurts.

hmmm

I'm not sure what the Twins would be offering. Trevor Plouffe? Not sure if he can play 2B, but if he can, that would be interesting.

Rios is also known as a quitter
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Is Plouffe really that interesting? Career .236 hitter. Around .700 OPS.

It will be Josh Willingham...

Why couldn't we pay Santana 40 over four years?
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Because he will be asking for 60.

He's making 12M this year. I doubt he's going to take a pay cut after the type of season he's had.

He's a RH stick with pretty good power. If he COULD play a passable 2B, a guy like Plouffe (who has average a HR ever 23 AB the past three years) wouldn't be a bad guy to have playing 2B and hitting 7th for you.

He also wouldn't be a bad platoon or bench guy.

Nope.

Only way he takes 4/$40 million is if that's the only long-term offer he gets. Edwin Jackson got 4/$52 with a less pedigree, coming off a lesser year in the easier league.

I'd say somewhere around 4/$60-70 million is what he's likely looking at.

DL so they probably weren't scouting him.

Yeah I was kinda basing it off your post earlier.

He will probably get 60.
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Would anyone be in on him for 3-45?
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