Last night is a bad example. Holland came torrential downpour. His first walk was bullshit and should have been a K. The hit was a dunker off the end of the bat that should have been caught but was misplayed by Cain. If that happens, it's a 1-2-3 inning.

Are you sure on Guiel? I thought I remember them making a big deal about getting to start the season in right field against the Yanks at Yankee Stadium one year?

I'll take your word for it, but that thought is stuck in my head.

He never started in RF on opening day.

I'm sure. I think his first ML game was in Yankee Stadium, but it wasn't opening day.

I think Holland will be OK too, but he really needs to come in and have a major door slam close appearance, without a bunch of walks. We keep talking about how good the Royals defense is, but you can't defense a walk. Trust the guys behind you and attack the strike zone. Hopefully Holland will get his control back. I like his attitude on the mound, but he seems to be channeling Broxton these days....

Of the five remaining, two have been mentioned in the thread today, and one of the others belongs on the all-washed-up team.

Okay, so I ask again - is Kelvin Herrera really your likely closer come September/October?

I don't see it as anywhere near a sure thing. I'd probably put the odds at 50/50 at best.

No. Holland is the closer.

obviously Juan Gone

Baseball-reference.com is the best website ever. Here is every opening day lineup for the Royals.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/te.../opening.shtml

Aaron Guiel started in LF on opening day Mon, Apr 5, 2004 against Mark Buehrle.

Yep

Why would we trade him in your scenario if you are basically arguing that Herrera isn't expendable?

A) Because nobody's going to trade you a middle of the order hitter for a guy that's "expendable".

B) I'm arguing that there's a decent chance that he's nothing more than a setup man for the Royals this year and if that's the case, dealing Herrera would absolutely be dealing from a position of depth to handle a position of weakness. That's what you're supposed to do in this game.

I mean c'mon, put this on it's ear here. Let's say Holland blows up tomorrow and the Dodgers, who have Kenley Jansen on their roster buried behind Brandon League, come offering you Kenley Jansen and JP Howell for Billy Butler, you know that Billy Butler is a hell of a lot more valuable than Jansen and Howell. He's a middle of the order hitter. Sure, you'd have a hell of a nice setup man behind Herrera (who would've assumed the closer role after Holland blows up), but who would give up a middle of the order bat to secure an elite setup man?

That's the scenario you're being presented with here and people are really just casually dismissing it as a bullshit deal? Royals fans would flip their shit if the Royals traded Billy Butler, a middle of the order hitter in his prime, to get a LHRP and a premium setup man, even if they suddenly had a need for an arm to cover the 8th inning. A setup man and lefty simply aren't as important as a premier hitter and that's what you'd be getting in return for them.

Who is the premier middle of the order hitter we would be getting back? (I think I missed that part).