2013 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread

[duncan_idaho]

Proposed 2013 Slogan: Tigers: They're what's for dinner
Actual 2013 Slogan: Come to Play
A better, more accurate, or alternative slogan: All in, no panic, we promise.

Dayton Moore has pushed all his chips in and is riding on King/Jack suited, hoping it comes together, he gets some good luck, and he hits the nuts by the river card. There's potential, oh yes, there's potential. There's also risk.

At the midway point, Dayton is left counting on the river card. The flop and turn didn't help him, and he's looking at the Tigers holding a pair of Queens and the Indians holding a pair of 9s. His 2013 plan hasn't failed - yet - but the odds are not in his favor.

Burning questions updates below.

Burning Questions for 2013:

1) Will the improve rotation be improved enough? Does James Shields pitch like a fringe No. 1 away from Tampa Bay? Does Ervin Santana pitch to his highest upside in his walk year? Can Jeremy Guthrie build on his strong performance as a Royal in 2012? Can Wade Davis bring his new mentality- and velocity - back to the rotation?

Midseason check-in: Yes, the rotation is certainly improved enough. Shields has pitched like a fringe No. 1 and Santana is having his best season. Guthrie has horrible peripherals but has continued to perform well at his home park and eat innings on the road. Davis brought neither his kick-ass mentality or improved velocity back to the rotation and is in Luke Hochevar/Hiram Davies territory.

2) When will Luke Hochevar be shown the door?
Midseason check-in: It appears, never, at this point. Hochevar has been solid in non-leverage situations, though pretty much every time he has been used with men on base in an inning, it has been a disaster.

3) Does Hosmer bounce back?
Midseason check-in: It took some time, but Hosmer's performance from June 1 on is probably the most encouraging thing about the 2013 season so far.
4) Can Moustakas hit for a whole season like he did in the first half of 2012?
Midseason check-in: Nope. Moustakas was god-awful, then great for about 3 weeks, then god-awful again. He has been better since he started working with Brett and Grafol but still has a long way to go.
5) Who regresses?
Midseason check-in: Welp, Alicides Escobar is not a surprising name here (though Yost's stubborn insistence on hitting him second is ridiculous). Billy Butler is a surprise. He isn't having a terrible year - still contributing a lot to the offense - but he's not hitting for the average or power he has displayed over the past several years.
6) Who plays 2B?
Midseason check-in: A whole bunch of people, and not that great. Gio is at least getting a shot, though he once again is not doing much with it.
7) Can Jeff Francoeur be at least replacement level, rather than epic horrible level?
Midseason check-in: Hahahahahahahahahahaha
8) Will Dayton Moore survive to see 2014?
Midseason check-in: Outlook uncertain. Probably still around, unless the team completely tanks in the second half and he does something foolish. My guess - he sacrifices Ned Yost this offseason and gets one more shot with a new manager in 2014.
9) Will Danny Duffy come back healthy? And if he does, is he the same, better or worse?
Midseason check-in: Yes. Velocity looks the same, and it looks likely he is the same guy as before.
10) And the big one: Has KC added enough to run down the big-money Detroit Tigers?
Midseason check-in: Doesn't look like it, does it?

[DeezNutz]

Wish the organization would hire Rany and that he'd keep up his blog.

Dreaming, of course...

[ShowtimeSBMVP]

Jon Morosi ‏@jonmorosi
Source: #Angels, Josh Hamilton nearing five-year contract. @MLBONFOX


Buster Olney ‏@Buster_ESPN
The Rangers have been told Hamilton is signing with the Angels, according to ESPNDallas.




That lineup is gonna be sick.

[duncan_idaho]

I know Moore has hired two SABRE guys in the past (don't remember how recently, but I've heard them mentioned by name in some interviews).

Glad to see that department growing. Now if they'll just pay attention to them...

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by Zeke

exactly. We were running Ross Gload out ther every day, with Kila tearing up the minors. That's why he wanted Kila to get a shot. He didn't compare him to great ML players, or what a star Kila could be. He said he was a cheap minor league option that was producing, would cost the fraction of what Gload was costing, and at WORST would put up similar production... at best would have multiplied it.

Guess what? In 2010 Kila got 180 at bats and stunk it up.. he still outproduced with those limited AB's what Gload was doing with nearly 400 AB's.

In 2009, they brought in an expensive Mike Jacobs to give us less production than what it would have cost to have Kila do that.

That's BAD GM'ing.

Actually, Rany favorably compared Kila to Ryan Howard of the Phillies, and Rany did hell of a lot more than just say Kila was better than Ross Gload. I read all of those columns at the time, and Rany eviscerated the Royals for not playing Kila in a manner very similar to the way in which he is eviscerating them now for trading Wil Myers.

Rany should write a column called "I was dead WRONG about Kila Ka'aihue, but I'm RIGHT about Wil Myers". I haven't seen that column yet.

Rany's problem is that he doesn't have to suffer any consequences for the decisions he demands that the Royals make. His ego is completely out of control. I've been reading Rany for at least 5 years, and I'm getting pretty damn sick of his constant negativity. This was a trade the Royals had to make. Getting James Shields and Wade Davis is a very good move for this team. Forgive me if I don't worship at the altar of Rany Jazayerli.

[silver5liter]

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

Jon Morosi ‏@jonmorosi
Source: #Angels, Josh Hamilton nearing five-year contract. @MLBONFOX


Buster Olney ‏@Buster_ESPN
The Rangers have been told Hamilton is signing with the Angels, according to ESPNDallas.




That lineup is gonna be sick.

hmm 5 years of hamilton in LA. Better get someone to follow him around and make sure hes not drinking.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

Jon Morosi ‏@jonmorosi
Source: #Angels, Josh Hamilton nearing five-year contract. @MLBONFOX


Buster Olney ‏@Buster_ESPN
The Rangers have been told Hamilton is signing with the Angels, according to ESPNDallas.




That lineup is gonna be sick.

Not better than the ORIOLEZ!!!!!1

[mr. tegu]

The LA teams are spending like crazy. I guess that is just the teams reflecting the extravagent LA lifestyle...

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by silver5liter

hmm 5 years of hamilton in LA. Better get someone to follow him around and make sure hes not drinking.

Dane's gonna have some awesome stories to tell.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Brainiac

Actually, Rany favorably compared Kila to Ryan Howard of the Phillies, and Rany did hell of a lot more than just say Kila was better than Ross Gload. I read all of those columns at the time, and Rany eviscerated the Royals for not playing Kila in a manner very similar to the way in which he is eviscerating them now for trading Wil Myers.

Rany should write a column called "I was dead WRONG about Kila Ka'aihue, but I'm RIGHT about Wil Myers". I haven't seen that column yet.

Rany's problem is that he doesn't have to suffer any consequences for the decisions he demands that the Royals make. His ego is completely out of control. I've been reading Rany for at least 5 years, and I'm getting pretty damn sick of his constant negativity. This was a trade the Royals had to make. Getting James Shields and Wade Davis is a very good move for this team. Forgive me if I don't worship at the altar of Rany Jazayerli.

Funny you think he's negative all the time. Royals Review thinks he has gone soft.

I think he's on tilt regarding Wil Myers. Overlooking some statistical stumbling blocks on Myers while ignoring some statistical evidence that strips his argument against Shields.

If you objectively look at Shields' state from the past two years, taking into account Pitch F/X data, you can see what the differences are (I talked about them earlier, but cliffs: Fewer fastballs, especially two-seamer. A little more changeup and a LOT more curve and slider).

THat change in approach discounts a lot of the troubling statistics from early in Shields' career.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by Brainiac

I've been reading Rany for at least 5 years, and I'm getting pretty damn sick of his constant negativity.

That's ironic considering how many people call Rany a sunshine pumper.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Where are they gonna put him with Trumbo and Trout?

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

Where are they gonna put him with Trumbo and Trout?

Torri Hunter's replacement.

[Ceej]

And Orioles fans thought they had a chance.

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

That's ironic considering how many people call Rany a sunshine pumper.

Rany is fine as long as he agrees with the latest move made by Dayton Moore. But Rany has been telling us for the past several weeks what a mistake it would be to trade Wil Myers for James Shields. His article at the Grantland.com site sounded like an article written by someone who was furious that his sage advice had been ignored.

Don't get me wrong. I think Rany is an excellent writer and an extremely knowledgeable fan, and that's why I've been a regular reader of his for so many years. But every now and then he gets just a little bit too impressed with himself.

Maybe this is just a little bit of homerism in me. Maybe I'm just pissed at Rany because I really want Shields and Davis to win around 30 games between them, and I don't want Rany raining on my parade. But I just think Rany crossed the line in the Grantland article.

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Funny you think he's negative all the time. Royals Review thinks he has gone soft.

I think he's on tilt regarding Wil Myers. Overlooking some statistical stumbling blocks on Myers while ignoring some statistical evidence that strips his argument against Shields.

If you objectively look at Shields' state from the past two years, taking into account Pitch F/X data, you can see what the differences are (I talked about them earlier, but cliffs: Fewer fastballs, especially two-seamer. A little more changeup and a LOT more curve and slider).

THat change in approach discounts a lot of the troubling statistics from early in Shields' career.

I like to think this just means that James Shields has learned some things over the course of his career that bode well for his future.