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?

[InvinciBill]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

... And he won't pitch vs Cleveland either as that would require someone else being skipped in the rotation ....

Cleveland is a 4-game series so Mendoza will pitch the finale.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by InvinciBill

Cleveland is a 4-game series so Mendoza will pitch the finale.

Great Scott! How did you know that? My signature only lists the next five games.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Jayhawker

Bob Dutton ‏@Royals_Report 3h
Fox Sports Kansas City is adding Thursday afternoon's game to its schedule. Starts at 12:05 p.m. Central and features Shields vs. Verlander.

Not only having yesterday's game cancelled, but then now having Shields Vs. Verlander pitching how could they not have the game on TV? But it was originally not going to be televised.

Just in case anyone missed it, the game tomorrow is airing on FSKC.

http://www.foxsportskansascity.com/m...55&feedID=5089

[Prison Bitch]

Maybe I jumped the gun a bit by calling for Moose to go back to Omaha

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Just in case anyone missed it, the game tomorrow is airing on FSKC.

http://www.foxsportskansascity.com/m...55&feedID=5089

[Jenson71]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Maybe I jumped the gun a bit by calling for Moose to go back to Omaha

[DeepSouth]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Maybe I jumped the gun a bit by calling for Moose to go back to Omaha

At this point, I think Moose's head is all messed up. I'd send him down and bring up Seratelli. Seratelli is batting .355 against righties while Tejada is batting .400 against lefties. I'd platoon the two at 3rd until Moose gets his head straight.

[Dartgod]

I was against sending Moose down, but I think it's time. He has zero confidence at the plate. Sit him today and then ship him off to Omaha tomorrow.

[DeepSouth]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

I was against sending Moose down, but I think it's time. He has zero confidence at the plate. Sit him today and then ship him off to Omaha tomorrow.

I think they'd be doing him a favor if they did that. He has to feel some guilt for costing the team games. Last night's performance was horrific.

[Demonpenz]

Christ almighty I might have to start a Royals blog for myself. Every blog I read has a back handed comment about the Royals going "All In" like trying to win this year like a winning franchise is a travisty.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by DeepSouth

At this point, I think Moose's head is all messed up. I'd send him down and bring up Seratelli. Seratelli is batting .355 against righties while Tejada is batting .400 against lefties. I'd platoon the two at 3rd until Moose gets his head straight.

Platoons are good. Never understood why they're so underutilized in baseball. We still have vestiges of old traditions that die hard, and crusty managers that are stubborn to 100 years of data. Moose cannot hit LH if you told him what the pitcher was going to throw.

[DeepSouth]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Platoons are good. Never understood why they're so underutilized in baseball. We still have vestiges of old traditions that die hard, and crusty managers that are stubborn to 100 years of data. Moose cannot hit LH if you told him what the pitcher was going to throw.

Back in the 70's, the Royals had some great platoon guys. Tom Poquette / Joe Zdeb and Pete LaCock / John Wathan

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

Christ almighty I might have to start a Royals blog for myself. Every blog I read has a back handed comment about the Royals going "All In" like trying to win this year like a winning franchise is a travisty.

Royals Review is the snarkiest about this. I actually have been gravitating towards Kings of Kauffman more recently.

In addition to being more open-minded about the moves the Royals have made of late, they also have tremendous minor league coverage (not sure what has happened to Pine Tar Press, which is no longer doing its minor league recap. It is still scouting minor league pitchers though - Lamb's velo is still down, BTW. Officially time to be concerned).

I hated the trade when it was first made, mostly because I didn't look at the comparison of Odorizzi and Wade Davis correctly. I still think Davis is better over the next 5 years than Odo is over the next six (though if anyone can improve Odo's off-speed pitches and find him an out pitch, its the Rays).

If you look at it as two separate deals, I think it's illogical to complain too much. Shields for Myers + Montgomery and Davis for Odorizzi + Leonard is really the way I look at it. And those all make sense.

Montgomery is doing the same thing for the Rays so far he has for the Royals the past few years (And has only made one start... there's something they don't like there). Pat Leonard currently has a sub-.600 OPS. Odorizzi is killling it at AAA, but no more so than a year ago.

Yes, the Royals sacrificed a lot of control of Wil Myers. But it has paid off in spades so far this year, especially when combined with the efforts of Ervin Santana (a trade I liked, as did a lot on here, but most blogggers KILLED) and the re-signing of Jeremy Guthrie (a relatively cheap innings eater at the 3 spot).

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Platoons are good. Never understood why they're so underutilized in baseball. We still have vestiges of old traditions that die hard, and crusty managers that are stubborn to 100 years of data. Moose cannot hit LH if you told him what the pitcher was going to throw.

I agree that platoons are underutilized.

What's sad re: Moose is that he actually is slightly better against lefties this year than righties (and was actually nearly identical in terms of OPS against them a year ago).

I never had a huge issue with the idea of sending Moose down (I think what I was saying the other day was to give it another week or so, but the error last night makes me OK with increasing that timeline. His confidence is dropping to new lows).

I still think the Royals can ill afford to send BOTH Moustakas and Hosmer down (the main thrust of my thought process the other day, and one I probably didn't articulate clearly). Especially since I maintain that Hosmer is close to pulling it together (And he put together some nice at-bats last night against Scherzer and actually barreled the ball a few times).

[DeepSouth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Royals Review is the snarkiest about this. I actually have been gravitating towards Kings of Kauffman more recently.

Duncan, What's your thoughts on Moose. Stay with him through these bad times? Send him down? If you send him down, who plays 3rd ?