These expectations suck.

Playoffs. If DM traded Myers for .500, he's one stupid SOB.

Keith Law's take:

Arizona's return boils down to this: One year of Martin Prado, six years of a fifth starter in Randall Delgado, two fringy prospects, and one non-prospect. If that sounds like a good deal to you, I have some beachfront property in Phoenix to sell you.

:clap:

Well yeah, I was just responding to a comment.

Most people don't equate "crash and burn" with an 80-something win season.

Fair enough. But, in my view, the Royals should be in the playoff hunt this year. I won't flip my shit if we're eliminated in the final few games, but if we're, for all intents, out of it at the break, DM needs to be fired.

It's win or GTFO time.

Most definitely this.

You don't give up the farm for 80 wins. THAT is crash and burn.

We weren't winning more than 80 with Myers either. We had to improve pitching. 2013 will probably be .500ish, but when we clear the Bruce Chen contract and the Frenchy contract, we should be able to put someone decent out in RF.

Could have won more than 80 with Myers and the FA pitcher whom we could have signed with the money we wouldn't have foolishly committed elsewhere.

The trade really was that ****ing stupid. But it's done, and DM needs to be right.

I'm still depressed over it. They traded both my hopes.
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LeadHead Ned needs to go first if he can't keep this team above .500

I agree. I honestly try my best not even to think about it because it still pisses me the **** off to near summer '09 levels of frustration.

Myers better drink from a dick sock, and Shields better be tits.

Yeah. If he truly wants to play for more HRs, his meddling on offense must stop. No more bunts except in close/late situations against stud pitchers, and then only if it is a shitty hitter.

Moore went all in for this year. I hope it works.

I tear up when I think about it
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Great stuff from Brett here:

http://kingsofkauffman.com/2013/01/2...ns-guest-post/

On his most memorable home runs: “The one in 80 [off of Goose Gossage in Game 3 of the ALCS] because I knew if we lost that game we were going to blow it. ..."

I felt the same way. If they didn't sweep the Yanks, they would've been swept in NY.

It is not.

Crash and burn is ~95 losses. 80 wins would be disappointing to a lot of people.

I really can't agree with this. This might be damning with faint praise, but Ned Yost has been the least-stupid manager we've had in over 16 years, maybe longer. We're more likely to get someone dumber than not. Thats on top of the fact that the game of baseball in the American League has one of the least-relevant coach/manager type of positions in major pro sports.

If anyone should hang for a bad season, it begins and ends with DM.

When you go "all in" like DM has, it's playoffs or bust, not "oh well we went .500 so it was okay I guess." That's the same kind of BS that the Chiefs feed people.

#Dbacks expect to sign new 3B Prado, a free agent after 2013, to long-term extension in the near future, source said. Only way deal was made

— Jack Magruder (@JackMagruder) - Fox Sports beat writer for the D'backs.

I don't disagree.

That said, "crash and burn" is never, ever around .500, no matter what the circumstances, whether you are the Yankees or the Marlins.

I guess im only one like that Shields for Myers trade everybody going apeshit over someone hasn't proved themselves

nut?

I'm OK with the trade too btw.

Why not kelly johnson over Chris getz, assuming the money is close to the same? More power, less suck, same money.

It's a better trade if we can sign Shields to an extension. Then i could be ok with it, of course Shields has to perform like he did with the Rays or better.

I wouldn't extend Shields unless he looks phenomenal. WAde Davis will determine how successful the trade ends up IMO

Then, in your scenario, we won't be extending him.

GMDM got fleeced.

Listen I get that lots of people hate that trade. My stepdad has sworn the team off, after sticking with them since day one, 1969.

Anyone trading for frontline starting pitching has to give up a LOT in return. It's just the reality. Nothing is worth as much as quality starting pitching.

Whether we have Myers in right or Francouer, we're not doing shit without quality starting pitching. Nothing else really matters (okay, I exaggerate. But only by a little. Starting pitching is to MLB like QB is to NFL).
Just ask San Fransisco.

Because Chris Getz will always hit FOR MORE POWER

NO ONE GETZ SHOULD HAVE ALL THAT POWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWER

I bet if Chris Getz he would actually be Terry Crews.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dTvtFp_iPKc

If we are winning we'll see how many people even remember that we traded Wil Myers.

Yea, i think that's bullshit. I don't think Odo is top of the rotation quality first of all. Second, yea we gave up Myers, which sucks, but you got to give to get.

Shields is a top of the rotation starter and i think Davis has more upside than Odo. We didn't get fleeced, although i do understand the frustration in giving up a potential run producing RFer, when we trot out Frenchy every game.

Never forget.
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Rany's latest has an amusing section on Scott Pioli...

I’m fairly certain that I have not despised anyone in Kansas City sports history the way I despised Scott Pioli at the end. You can be an insufferable tyrant and fans will still respect you, if you win. You can be an incompetent fool and fans will still like you, if you’re a nice guy. But Lord have mercy, you can not be both. Pioli terrorized players and employees alike, while drafting Tyson Jackson with the #3 overall pick and sticking with Matt Cassel as his quarterback to the bitter end.

And I’ve never been happier to see one of my teams crap the bed than to see the Chiefs go 2-14 in 2012. I’m not an NFL expert, so I don’t have a strong opinion one way or the other on whether the Andy Reid-John Dorsey combination will work. As a fan, I’m happy to give them the benefit of the doubt. Even if I did the same thing with Pioli four years ago.

There are certainly similarities between Pioli and Moore. Both were widely considered to be the most promising GM candidate in their sport when they were brought to Kansas City in the span of little more than two years, and given a mandate by ownership to do whatever it took to build a winner. For the first time in my lifetime, there was a sense that both the Chiefs and the Royals were pointed in the right direction.

Not so much. On the field, Moore has had even less success than Pioli, who managed to squeak the Chiefs into the playoffs one year thanks to a weak AFC West. But the difference is this: when Pioli axed, he left the Chiefs in as poor a condition as he inherited them, if not more so. They still don’t have a quarterback. Virtually every one of their most talented players today was already in the organization when he was hired. Four years after Pioli was hired to build an organization from scratch, his successors have to do the same thing.

If nothing else, in nearly seven years on the job Dayton Moore has completed one of the most time-consuming tasks in sports: he’s turned one of the weakest farm systems in baseball into one of its perennially strongest. The Royals had essentially no footprint in Latin America whatsoever when he was hired; they have one of the most fertile Latin American pipelines in the game today. Even if Moore’s gamble backfires, and he gets fired sometime in 2013, he will have left the organization in substantially better shape than he found it. The mere fact that a .500 season would put his job on the hot seat is testament to that.

(It’s also worth pointing out that unlike Pioli, I’ve heard only good things about Moore as a person. It’s probably not a coincidence that while the Chiefs were a revolving door of personnel for the last four years, very few members of the Royals’ player development staff have left the organization since Moore was hired. And Trey Hillman never showed up for work looking like a hobo.)

You can read the rest of Rany's post at - http://www.ranyontheroyals.com/

I was going to say his last paragraph there if nothing else. Moore may fail and this Myers trade may look completely stupid in 5 years, but I don't think he's shown a huge ego or ruined the culture of the organization like ***** did. If he fails the Royals probably won't need a complete enema like the Chiefs did... we hope.

Disagree.

I am not a heartfelt defender of this trade (I'm on record as saying it will require them winning/making the playoffs in either 2013 or 2014), but calling getting fleeced is just going too far.

This is a good point. If people have kept up with any of the recent stories on the team site, the players are excited as hell to have what should be a real starting rotation. They feel like they finally have a chance.

I got to hear Dayton Moore speak today at the Tiger Club of KC over lunch. I wouldn't necessarily say I'm a DM fan, but I was pleasantly surprised at his candor. I thought he was a very good speaker. Anyway, I thought some might like a recap, so I will do my best. Sorry if this is all Q.

1. Rays wanted Yordano Ventura instead of of Odorizzi and Montgomery. Says Ventura is considered by most to be a better prospect than both.
2. In order to get Shields, had to part with One of: Moose, Hosmer, Perez, Escobar or Myers. Said he didn't want to part with two great players in the middle of the defense, and didn't want to give up known commodities in Hosmer and Moose, so Myers was the only choice.
3. Explained how high he was on Cain and how important and talented he is. Said hes seeing doctors, nutritionists, etc., to hopefully minimize his injury issues.
4. Not earth shattering, but i found it interesting. He talked a little bit Gordon's swing and how, due to him being right-handed naturally, but hitting left-handed (and because he's right eye dominant -I might have that backwards), results in a swing that loops down into the zone and cause him to strikeout more. Said he also releases his right hand early, which also contributes to strikeouts (that's probably common knowledge, but I don't much about the details of baseball).
5. More on Gordon: he said that Gordon attributes his recent success to Seitzer, but that Gordon has it figured out and should be fine with new hitting coach.
6. Some guy asked about Hochevar and his contract. DM said he wasn't sure he'd make the club out of spring training. He also said that if we didn't sign him, there would be 29 other clubs who would, and that he would be considered the "dumbest GM in baseball." Contract is not guaranteed.
7. He talked a little but about their process in scouting and signing Latin American players. Said they are getting a good reputation for taking care of and developing kids from those areas. He also said he is one of only two GMs who actually travel to the country and sit down and with the prospect and his family and discuss the Royals' plan for them.
8. When he first arrived, they had three players in farm system who they thought was worth anything. Butler, Gordon and Greinke, and Greinke quit before spring training. said we have come a long way since then. And the farm system isn't as good as 2010, but still very good (what else is he going to say?).
9. He mentioned that KC and other small markets have to learn how to compete in an unfair system. They aren't making excuses, they just have to learn how to do it.
10. He was asked about finding a new right fielder and second baseman, and he said we are going with what we got. Said Getz and Francoeur come to work with great attitudes, they work hard, and the players love them (and Hochevar FWIW). Said that Getz keeps Escobar and Hosmer focused, whatever that means.
11. He said that Starling and Mondesi have the potential to be game changers.
12. He talked quite a bit about winning now, and not waiting until next year. Said we have to learn how to win with our young players....
13. Crow staying in bullpen. He is dominant there, but maybe only a #5 starter in the rotation.
14. Some guy who was about 97 years old I think asked DM if ever considered getting Alex Gordon's eyes checked. ROFL I think it must have been the years of ineptitude building up inside him, because he was talking to Dayton like he was an idiot. It was pretty funny. Dayton answered it well, said yes they have had his eyes checked, and everybody gets their vision checked constantly throughout the season. He said many players have 20/15 vision. He also said Billy Butler had maybe worst vision on the team, but he got it corrected.

I know that's not really much new information, but I thought a few might be interested.

The bold is ****ing hilarious.

Great post, though. Thanks for the information.

Thanks for posting that!

NP, thanks.

Good information, Mizzou.

Ready for beautiful weather, and overpriced beer at the K this year.

Nice post, thanks Mizzou

Great Info, Mizzou.

DM calling the small market system "unfair" is interesting and depressing. I've always thought it was unfair, but there were things in place to help even the playing field. But at the end of the day, especially with the draft being a crapshoot, money talks.

No doubt. I'm looking forward to sunny warm skies, cold beer and games at the K this year.

Mayo unveiled his top 100 prospects for 2013 on MLB.com tonight.

Starling at 25. Zimmer at 34. Ventura at 58 or 59.

Myers was at 4, Odorizzi at 44 (or something like that).

It will be interesting to see where KC's farm system ends up this time next year. I think it has the potential to jump into the top spot again. Ventura and MAYBE Colon are the only likely graduates from this year's team, and I doubt Ventura pitches enough in the majors to exhaust his prospect status.

It will depend on luck, health and progression, but Mondesi, Bonifacio and Calixte are all guys who could jump into the top 100 with a good season. Starling has the tools to rise 15-20 spots if his swing mechanics improve and his Ks decrease. Smith, Sam Selman, Miguel Almonte and Angel Baez have some helium if they pitch well while taking the next step.

And don't forget about John Lamb. He was effective at AA with a bum elbow in 2011. If he comes back healthy (as almost all TJ recipients do) and is effective, I expect him to jump back into the top 50 (he was top 25 before the injury).

Starling, Lamb, Zimmer and Ventura are all guys who could jump into the top 25 (though only Starling and Zimmer have top 10 upside).

Mondesi, Bonifacio, Calixte and Almonte all have the talent to be potential to 100 guys, too.

Throw in whoever KC drafts this year (who will get a top 100 ranking almost assuredly, as they always do), and you have a lot of guys that could help build the top system of 2014.

Good post, as always, Duncan.

Ventura is going to be a stud.

Zimmer too.

What's a reasonable time frame for (starting at the draft) for a pitching prospect to become a major league starter, 3-4 full seasons?

Bob Dutton posted on Twitter that Zimmer could break into the majors as soon as late summer THIS season

It varies.

First factor is whether it's a college kid or a high school kid. High school kids generally take at least 3-4 years. Some elite college kids can take as little as a few months in the minors.

Second factor is polish. How refined are their mechanics? Does work need to be done to fix those? What is their pitch arsenal like?

Third factor is how much natural ability they have. If you have one plus-plus pitch, one average pitch, and one that's developing to average, you can move really quickly. If it's more of an all-around guy, or a guy who has upside with pitches but hasn't reached it yet, it takes longer.

I'll use Tim Lincecum, Kyle Zimmer, Clayton Kershaw, and Dylan Bundy as examples.

Lincecum was a college kid who had highly refined mechanics, a dominant fastball, and a curve and change that projected to plus pitches with some work and consistency (And were MLB-average when he was drafted). He moved incredibly quickly (signed late in 2006, then made a few starts in AAA in 2007 before being promoted to the majors) because of how dominant his fastball was and how well his other pitches worked off of that FB. In his first few years in the show, the FB covered his development time as he threw the CB more consistently for strikes, making it a plus pitch, and further developed his movement and control on the change, making it a plus pitch.

Zimmer is a college kid who is more raw than Lincecum. He's fairly new to pitching, and he needs more refinement. The mechanics look good, but he needs to gain experience to get the most out of his stuff. He also has a plus fastball at this time rather than a plus-plus, and his curve and change still need to develop. He needs to get the curve and change both to MLB average, and that's going to take a bit of time. Because of that, Zimmer's developmental time looks more like 2-2.5 years than the six months it takes a guy like Lincecum.

Kershaw and Bundy are examples of HS kids who moved incredibly quickly. Kershaw is more of an example of overpowering stuff (LHP pumping 95 with a solid curve and change will play at age 20, 30 or even 40), while Bundy is a combination of a dominant fastball and great mechanics/feel (as well as secondary offerings that are already MLB average with upside).

I have a hard time buying that. Here's why:

1) Depth. There are a lot of guys between Zimmer and a rotation spot.

Shields/Guthrie/Santana/Davis/Hochevar/Chen/Mendoza/Smith/Yordano Ventura/Danny Duffy/Felipe Paulino/Kyle Zimmer or John Lamb

And the bullpen is stacked. Why waste Zimmer's service time bringing him out of the pen?

2) He's still got a long ways to go. The fastball is a plus pitch (And could even become plus-plus if he really masters command of it). But the curve - which has plus potential - is still inconsistent, and his changeup - which varies in potential from MLB average to plus - needs quite a bit of work.

Now, it's possible he puts that all together and tears through the minor leagues. If he's sitting at AAA putting up a sub-2.00 ERA with more than a K/IP and no control issues, then he's clearly ready for the show. But that would be a BIG leap for him (as he's likely to start the year at High-A Wilmington).

You just don't see prospects jump that far, that fast, that often.

Good piece on the Royals pitching staff:

http://double-day.blogspot.com

The Dayton Game
Competitive Rotation Edition
By Tyler Drenon



Dayton Moore has been busy in Kansas City, constantly re-shuffling the deck in his game of rotation solitaire. The recent notion that the Royals were a few starters from serious contention was rather optimistic. The core is still very young and a lot of the future strength in the line up and defense has not coalesced. The bullpen looks promising but every pen is volatile from year to year. Only one spot in the "competitive" rotation will probably be filled by a player that started last season with the team. Moore's attempt at building a rotation that can hang has been tough to watch so far. Adding big dollars and trading cheap assets. One spot is a given…

OPENING DAY STARTER: JAMES SHIELDS

I feel bad for Shields. He has been a stalwart for Tampa. What an awful place for a for such an innovative front office. He's had a positive attitude about coming to The K. And watching him pitch will be a very pleasant change from the soul-shriveling starters of the recent past.
So far, the 2012/13 offseason has seen three major starters call the movers: Zack Greinke, R.A. Dickey, and James Shields. In that regard, it's good that Moore was able to land one of the top three (Josh Johnson excluded due to injuries.) It seems KC's front office can't get anything done without somehow managing to lose the effort. The merits of each pitcher can be debated, but they aren't absolutely legit aces like Verlander, Felix, Kershaw, etc. This group seems to define the #1B starter. The Royals didn't have the money to get Greinke back…if he would've even considered it. They would've had trouble landing any marquee starter no matter their payroll. Why would you choose Ned Yost? Or the club that treated Gil Meche's arm like a medieval catapult? So the Royals turned to the trade market, headlined by Shields and Dickey to date. But what could have been? Did the Mets demand Myers for Dickey? What did Tampa Bay want for Cy Price? And could Moore keep him if he got him?
Many rumors swirled, but it seems David Price could've been had. Who knows what it would've taken…maybe allowing the rumors was Tampa GM Andrew Friedman's way of saying, "Begin preparing your offers." Price is currently under team control until after the 2015 season, but he will outgrow them soon. Assuming he continues throwing neutrons, he will be on the receiving end of some seriously curve-setting salary cases. But at the very least, he would bring the same draft compensation for KC that Shields will when he walks after 2014, or Moore could've moved Price for an infusion of young players before his free agency. AND HE WON THE CY YOUNG. Price reigns as the best pitcher in the AL. Probably in the conversation for the best on the face of the Earth. Much more worthy of being traded for Myers (though he probably would've cost them an additional ML player…) It would've been tough. And Moore must've asked about it. Right?
The Rays probably set the tone early. "You want Shields? Myers or bust." I do feel bad for miniaturizing Big Game James. He's a remarkable pitcher. But R.A. Dickey is in the same category. And he seemingly could've been had without losing Wil Myers, who is an excellent player in his own right. However, the best thing about Myers may be the mercy he would show us all in euthanizing the lineups featuring the current right fielder. Dickey was willing to sign a two year extension with Toronto. Same value as Shields. AND HE WON THE CY YOUNG. I'm glad the team didn't trade Myers for him, but a trade for the Nerdy Knuckler (without losing the best hitting prospect in baseball) seems like it was a possibility. Maybe not. But he wouldn't have cost them as much as Shields.
The reality is: The Royals did trade Myers for Shields. And it is exciting. This year. This could be the best KC team in a decade, maybe two. And he's the ace. His SIERA has been consistently bottoming out over the course of his career and his K/9 has been rising. He's basically just a sequence of parabolas. And he keeps gradually cutting back on fly balls. He'll easily be the best starter in KC since Greinke, and probably Appier before that squirrelly bastard.
Maybe Myers will continue to strike out a lot. Maybe he'll do his best Colby Rasmus impression. But I don't think Joe Maddon will run him out of town if Myers' dad hurts his feelings. And Rasmus may still live up to some of the hype. Perhaps if Jake Odorizzi were not included in the deal, it would have been received better by the fan base. But that may have kept them from acquiring…

WADE DAVIS

He has been compared to a more advanced version of Odorizzi. Being advanced certainly takes some of the patience out of equation and it probably helped that he shares Google search criteria with real-life zombie author, E. Wade Davis. I'm sure Moore believes in science-bending voodoo mummies. Maybe Francoeur can play some winter ball in Haiti.
Davis found a niche in the bullpen last year and really took off. That may be viewed as a back up plan for him if his projected role doesn't pan out. His contract, however, does not support this at all. The team has escalating options for '15 ($7MM,) '16 ($8MM,) and '17 ($10MM.) KC can't afford to pay a reliever that much. It looks like Friedman saw that coming for his club. So as a worst case scenario, Shields and Davis will be gone in 2015 and Myers will be cleaning up for the Rays.
His career ERA as a starter is 4.22. He benefitted substantially from pitching at the Trop (3.44 ERA vs. 4.59 ERA on the road.) The AL East is tough. Not only because of the ritzy lineups pitchers have to face, but they have to toe the hill in a pastiche of bandboxes and a tumbledown funhouse in Boston. In AL Central parks, Davis has thrown to a 4.80 ERA in 56.1 IP. So did he learn anything from the bullpen? Will he thrive against plankton like Cleveland and Minnesota?
Well, He will experience a velocity decrescendo, but the Rays were satisfied with him enough to draw up this contract. And God knows they're better at this than Dayton Moore. Though when he struggled as a starter in Tampa, he could seek many accomplished players and coaches for support. Maybe KC's plan is to have Davis lock arms with the lion and the tin man and ask Dave Eiland.

JEREMY GUTHRIE

For 2013, Guthrie is a solid value at $5MM, but Moore signed him to a 3 year deal (!) with $11MM in '14 and $9MM in '15. These are not team options. This is the basic framework of the deal. Guthrie was traded for JONATHAN SANCHEZ last year. He was also designated for assignment by the worst pitching team in baseball. How was the front office sandbagged into this contract? Was Guthrie's agent Marshall Applewhite? The only way he can earn this contract is a return to his 2007-08 form. He will turn 36 before the contract expires. Maybe he channels Woody Williams and finds a meritorious valley in the plane of his career ERA, but the leverage was not there for his camp for such an iron-clad commitment. Just because he has thrown 200 innings doesn't mean deserves the chance. Especially not with a sample size of 14 positive starts for the Royals.
I don't hate the fact that he was re-signed, but the deal is total spineless garbage. One year $8MM tops. Maybe a team option for '14. It isn't as if he was an ace in Baltimore and simply struggled in the thin air in Denver. He was good in his late 20s (when most players show their stuff) as an innings eater (4.12 ERA 1.27 WHIP in 983.1 IP.) And the deal rewards him as such, but there must have been a better configuration coming off of his Coors bender. He was bad enough that the Rockies (yes, the pitching barren ROCKIES!) tapped out 19 games in.
He may benefit further from the AL Central's mediocrity continuum. There were some excellent stretches last year, but three years worth? Here's to hopin' for another Midwestern back yard Guthrie revival.

ERVIN SANTANA

Santana is a Band-Aid solution for 2012…but he's a used Band-Aid floating over the shallow end of a public pool. Only he costs $12MM. His salary is actually $13MM, but LA was kind enough to kick in enough money for GEICO to put a deposit down for a new ad agency.
Starting the offseason out with the acquisition of Santana did not bode well for the mindset Moore had taken in the "competitive rotation" endeavor. He was the most home run prone pitcher in baseball last year. The rate at which he has been lit up puts him in the most exclusive class of punching bags…almost 2 HR per nine innings. Santana's waning fastball retreated to a career low 91.6 MPH near the end of last year. Writers noticed Dan Haren and Tommy Hanson had similar concerns, but they had those same concerns with Felix Hernandez. So its not a death sentence, but it isn't a harbinger of fabulous things to come. The most alarming stat from Santana's god awful 2012 undertaking was his .241 BABIP. His lowest as a pro -- over forty points below his career average. Last year could've been a lot worse to Santana.
Perhaps the bandage will hold, but there were numerous alternatives. Most of them free agents, which is by and large improbable in the present. One cannot blame free agents for spurning KC since the Meche fiasco. And their status as perennial pants-crappers. So, there went the interest of even the most moderate winter headliners (i.e. Haren, Ed Jackson, Kyle Loshe, etc.) On the trade market, Tommy Hanson was had at a similar price. Brandon Sisk may be a LOOGY at best in the majors, but Jordan Walden isn't the kind of asset Hanson would've commanded a year ago. In fact, it probably would've been foolish to ask. The newly haloed righty struggled in 2012. His velocity tailed off, but he also dealt with a BABIP 20 points above his career average. Moore must've had his ear to the ground on this deal, considering his Atlanta heritage. Maybe he has moved on from his roots (unfortunately he has chosen Rockies castoffs instead.) Hanson will make twenty four times less than Santana this season. Then he'll hit arbitration. He is a raffle and he may have cost the Royals Collins or Crow. A risky starter is a risky starter, but Hanson certainly has more upside and wouldn't have inhibited the team's financial flexibility like Santana has for Moore's All In movement. That flexibility may have been put to good use to replace a reliever or fill the final spot in the rotation…

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Someone has to take the ball before the rotation turns over. Despite having 3 guys who be fifth starters or in the bullpen on a legitimate contender, Kansas City will have to choose from a wide variety of sad sacks and flunkies. The list includes two more orphaned Rockies (yes, pitchers from the ROCKIES,) unproven commodities, and projects on the mend. Moore was looking for depth and if that was simply in reference to the number of pitchers that may be forced into action, he's done it.

BRUCE CHEN

I'm not sure what the worst thing has been about the attention Chen has received over the last few years. Is it being the butt of the laziest Will Ferrell joke ever? That would be pretty bad coming from the guy who co-wrote the meandering Talladega script. Or is it the commentary on his gum chomping (as seen by the jaundiced leather sack sitting next to Ryan Lefebvre?) Or the fascination with his harmonious medley of arm slots that baffled hitters to a 5.07 ERA last year?
Chen has actually had some recent success and he parlayed it into a $4.5MM salary for 2013. This would seem to give him the inside track to the 5-spot. The Royals simply have more invested in his success. Its no guarantee, though. Especially if he continues to spin his wheels against lefties. He also appeared to have trouble keeping his "fast" ball down against RHB. Which would seem to obliterate the already hallucinatory interest in Chen on the trade market. There may have been a vague curiosity during his 3.77 ERA-campaign in 2011. Last year, the Panamaniac saw his K/9 and BB/9 improve. His opponents BABIP was up, along with his HR/FB%. It seems likely that these numbers return to his career averages, which is congruent with Bill James' regression to the mean prediction (4.25 ERA.) With a little luck Chen may be of some use.

LUIS MENDOZA

He may be Chen's most realistic competition for the opening in the sequence. The average ERA for MLB starting pitchers was 4.22 in 2012. Mendoza tossed to a 4.23 ERA. He's so vanilla he may simply vanish into thin air, which would make things easier on the coaching staff (not having to choose from the innocuous options of the Chendoza dialectic.) He may be the most deserving based on performance, and it would be interesting to see if he could build on his relative success. Spring will likely be the acid test.
Mendoza found a groove late last season. This is more than likely the typical September smoke screen, but if he can keep things close, the offense may improve enough to make him useful. His slider found a home down in the zone, helping him induce the grounders that kept him on the mound. Otherwise he'd probably be pitching for the Pirates...the Campeche Pirates...in the Mexican League.

LUKE HOCHEVAR

$4,650,000 would certainly be worth it if Hochevar were pitching to the Royals…but since I'm pretty sure the contract stipulates that he pitches for the team, my first response is: Cut him. Not just from the team. The thought is: Someone should cut his pitching arm OFF. Actually, better make that both arms. Just so he doesn't attempt some kind of Def Leppard/ Jim Abbott comeback hybrid.
The team could've been rid of him. A simple non-tender and we could all rest easy and pretend like it never really happened. They never drafted him over Kershaw and Lincecum. They didn't stubbornly march him out there to be lambasted year after year because of microscopic windows of positivity.
This has to be the worst decision of Moore's tenure. Are they simply too proud to let him go? If they really think he is just one more tweak away, that would be much worse than plainly being unable to swallow a bitter pill. I actually hope it is pride, even though that pride would have no basis in reality. I've read he is on a short leash…But the team has made inexplicably mystifying decision concerning him so far. So I hold little hope.

WILL SMITH

Alberto Callaspo would look good at second base on this team. Instead, Smith and the ghost of Sean O'Sullivan will have a chance to earn the fifth spot. He is still just 22 years old and probably not ready for The Show at this point. Some seasoning as a Storm Chaser seems prudent. One part of his approach that lends itself to a decent future is his SO/BB in the minors. He has never really struggled to get in the zone. If he has continued success he may be suited for a long relief role. Such a role will hopefully be drastically less utilized in 2013 than last year.

EVERETT TEAFORD

It would be interesting to see if he could provide some value in the rotation. Although it was a subsidized sample size, his 6 starts in Omaha were not unimpressive. It is likely Teaford doesn't provide a long-term presence in the KC rotary, but he hasn't had much of a chance. The Kyle Davies era may have been a good time to find out. In 2012, Teaford lost opportunities because he couldn't get lefties out (21.1 IP 10/9 BB:K .300 BAA.) His role is likely in the pen with the occasional spot start for the guy with the most British name in baseball. He just sounds like a monocled Londoner picking biscuit morsels from a tea saucer.

AARON CROW

Where's that Hochevar hubris with Crow?
They must be displaying it by keeping him in the bullpen. He has been pretty successful there, which is the most dominant reason he is not moving to the rotation. I mean, he's an All-Star for God's sake. The All-Star portion of his rookie year was actually only a 39 inning excerpt. The rest of his career has been very similar to his more recent ordinariness. And perhaps 2012 was an indication of what to expect: Inconsistency.
He looks like a set up man at best. And that is only if he can iron out the kinks in his approach and perhaps add a third pitch to his bifurcated repertoire.
A move to the rotation has the potential of being a disaster. His numbers in the minors were an atrocity, but he is still somewhat young, which is what would've made him interesting trade bait. It's been just long enough that people may have forgotten the drop off after his All-Star appearance. And just soon enough that they remember it at all. Could he have supplanted Myers in the Shields trade? No. But he may have been enough (with others) for what would equate to two years of R.A. Dickey. Maybe they tried to dangle him. And maybe Crow's hometown boy appeal kept him from their list of movable assets.

GUILLERMO MOSCOSO

A pattern has developed in purple and black.
Of his career 1.8 WAR, 1.4 were earned during a relatively splendid 2011 in Oakland. In 2012, Moscoso's HR/FB skyrocketed. Thin air. Hitter's park. Yea. Yea. And polar opposites as far as park effects, but HR/FB is a mercurial stat on its own. Some of his numbers suggest he was actually worse in 2011 than last year, but his career numbers en masse suggest he is marginal at best. Though not a bad gamble for the price.
Coors is not as hitter-friendly as it used to be. So that can't be the only problem with the Rockies available in Moore and Dan O'Dowd's back-alley game of Go Fish. Thankfully, Moscoso (unlike Paulino and Guthrie) has not been given millions of dollars for briefly resurfacing after residing at ground level in Denver.

DANNY DUFFY

He looked triumphant at times before the injury (especially his first start of 2012 at the Coliseum.) And you've got to smile at how quickly the team let him scoop up # 23. Don't get me wrong, I loved Greinke…Chipotle, Shawshank, rising from an emotional collapse to win the Cy Young. Actually, his CY campaign was one of the only positive elements of KC baseball in the last decade or so. But he did pull a mini-Dwightmare before he left the team.
Well, now Duffy wears the Jordan digits. And he may see some success in Kansas City, but its not likely to be significant in 2013. There won't be much time for him to make an impact as he is set to return somewhere between late summer and September. It won't be a good sign for Moore if Duffy is asked to pitch a large number of meaningful innings. There may be a few spot starts peppered in with long relief from the pragmatic side of the bullpen, if he is able to contribute at all.

FELIPE PAULINO

Despite being the answer to the question: What would Oliver Platt look like in a baseball uniform?, Paulino was dominant in parts of 2012. Before he had his UCL bow-tied, he was an ace (over seven starts.) Then his arm gave out and gave way to streaming mediocrity. The injury may have been a sadistic long-term positive. If the Royals were smitten enough to sign Guthrie to a comparatively huge deal after just 14 starts, what would they have given Flip if he had made it through the year? He was twice as impressive in half as many starts (Paulino 1.67 ERA/ Guthrie 3.16 ERA.) Fortunately, 2013 Paulino will make a modest $1.75MM. He has therefore become the Goldilocks of the Colorado castoffs. Not too risky, not safe by any means, but certainly worth a continued interest at a reasonable cost.
Paulino had almost no leverage in negotiations because of Tommy John surgery, but health alone shouldn't have allowed Guthrie & Co. to wrangle such a auspicious amount from Moore. Paulino may show promise again upon his return (which may not be until late autumn.) But of the two, retaining Paulino seems like the more sensible re-signing…because they don't have to pay him 25 MILLION DOLLARS!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Moore was looking for depth. Well, he has warm bodies. And while his roster is more prepared to deal with injuries than last year, the quality of that depth could be hard for him to debate. So many possible directions, but these are the pitchers we get. Like a schizophrenic clutter of mismatched jigsaw pieces. Some seem to fit, but at disproportionate costs. Some simply boggle the mind. Looking at you Hochevar. But, of course, building a competitive rotation from scratch couldn't be considered an easy thing to do (especially with Glass at the helm.). Moore did make the team slightly better for 2013, and maybe they can hang in the pedestrian Central. Maybe one of his personified question marks will turn a corner and return to what we may be resigned to call glory. This certainly has the potential to be one of the most exciting seasons in years, but it comes at the expense of the future. There were many techniques Dayton Moore could have used to solve this Rubik's Cube, but he appears to have resorted to tearing the stickers off.

Just noticed that the Cards and Royals only play 4 times this year - twice in KC on a Monday/Tuesday and in STL on a Wednesday/Thursday.

Bummed.

There are a lot of bodies, but I'm not necessarily convinced that these equal depth.

If all goes well, the rotation can be a tick above average, but it also doesn't take much creative thinking to see this rotation guzzling from a Snuffleupagus sized dick sock. I know I sure as hell won't bet on anyone other than Shields to be anything other than average.

I will be LIVID with the Royals if they don't give Paulino a strong and fair look after he is healthy again. Especially with how he started off last year. He deserves it.

MLB put all the big interleague rivalry games on the same 4 days. And its Memorial Day Week.

I wonder if we could get something out of Hochevar as a long reliever?

Maybe he would be for the best but all that talent and a 10 cent brain

Seeing that he crumbles under the slightest of pressure, I seriously doubt it.

At this point, with a $4.6 million contract?

Cut ties and don't look back.

Word. Paulino is awesome.

The money has been spent already. We theoretically could save money by cutting him in spring training, but he'd have to be incredibly god-awful or we'd lose when his union files a grievance.

We're stuck with him. Someone has to throw emergency long-relief when a starter gets bombed and we're down 6-zip in the 3rd inning. Make him do it.

610 is going to reveal the slogan with the PR guy for the Royals today at 9:15 am.

edit - I think that is the correct time anyways.

The 2013 Kansas City Royals

It really is our time this year, promise!

Okay, so he said 9:50 not 9:15.

"Come to play"

Meh.

We probably should just do away with the slogans now.

"Come To Play?"

That's it?
Seriously?

How bout "Acres and Acres of Parking."
or
"We'll Show Up if You Show Up."
or
"Watch Luke Hocheaver Waste Four and a Half Million Bucks."

Jeez....dare to dream guys.

Your edit would actually make a pretty good slogan for the Royals:

"I think this is the correct time anyways."

LMAO

"Come to play" is the theme.

2013 Royals: Time's up

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/egRGe_STqRM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I CAME TO PLAY
THERE'S A PRICE TO PAY
TIME FOR YOU TO GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES AND PRAY

SAY GOODBYE TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS
THEY'RE NEVER COMING BACK
WATCH YOUR FUTURE FADE

Should have went with a Romeotype message--"Play good baseball!"

You guys, The Rock didn't come to Birmingham, AL yesterday to defend the WWE Championship at the house show I went to. :(

(Cesaro and Miz had an awesome, PPV-worthy no disqualification match though. Also, Jack Swagger was there and he won a match. ALSO, TENSAI IS A FACE NOW. He was doing dance moves from last Monday, he cut a face promo, and he beat Alex Riley to great cheers).

Come to play what?

The Little K?

The kids Merry Go Round and playground in the back?

That is very interesting.

Prospect News:

Royals come in at No. 11 in Keith Law's organizational rankings, released today.

It's on ESPN/Insider if you have access to that.

No doubt in my mind it would still be a top 5 org if Myers/Odorizzi were still in KC.

He also is high on the upside/helium of a lot of the guys that have potential for big breakouts with a good 2013 season (Calixte/Bonifacio/Cuthbert/Mondesi/Selman, etc.)