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?

[Mizzou_8541]

I'm wondering if someone can provide a recap of a conversation I heard this morning on the way to work on either 610 or 810 (Sorry, I know that's not much information). It had something to do with Rex Hudler calling Moustakas out for not hustling and/or pouting, and that he should be sent down. Did anyone else hear that? What did Moose do (or fail to do)? What did Hudler say?

Sorry if Q; hadn't seen it discussed and am curious.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by alnorth

ESPN's got a brutal 10-question True/False quiz on the rules of baseball. I'm proud to say I got 7/10.

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/quiz...know-mlb-rules

3/10.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Mizzou_8541

I'm wondering if someone can provide a recap of a conversation I heard this morning on the way to work on either 610 or 810 (Sorry, I know that's not much information). It had something to do with Rex Hudler calling Moustakas out for not hustling and/or pouting, and that he should be sent down. Did anyone else hear that? What did Moose do (or fail to do)? What did Hudler say?

Sorry if Q; hadn't seen it discussed and am curious.

During the game last night Moustakas hit a relatively routine grounder to the first baseman. As soon as he left the batters box he put his head down and just sort of trotted to 1B without running hard or running as if he could potentially somehow get on base. Hudler crushed him on TV.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

During the game last night Moustakas hit a relatively routine grounder to the first baseman. As soon as he left the batters box he put his head down and just sort of trotted to 1B without running hard or running as if he could potentially somehow get on base. Hudler crushed him on TV.

Wow, I'm impressed that Hud did that (I had deemed any negative analysis from Hud an impossibility). Moose's spirits are completely defeated at this point, Dayton is the only one that doesn't see it.

[Mizzou_8541]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

During the game last night Moustakas hit a relatively routine grounder to the first baseman. As soon as he left the batters box he put his head down and just sort of trotted to 1B without running hard or running as if he could potentially somehow get on base. Hudler crushed him on TV.

Wow, if Hudler turns on you, you know you've messed up. Thanks for the explanation.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

Wow, I'm impressed that Hud did that (I had deemed any negative analysis from Hud an impossibility). Moose's spirits are completely defeated at this point, Dayton is the only one that doesn't see it.

Yep, even Ned isn't playing him that much anymore. He'll have to go to Omaha eventually.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Three7s

Yep, even Ned isn't playing him that much anymore. He'll have to go to Omaha eventually.

He did get benched in the most favorable situation a hitter could ever be in last night (bases loaded, no outs). That was hopefully a sign to Moustakas that they were not happy with the effort he put forth in his last AB.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by Three7s

Yep, even Ned isn't playing him that much anymore. He'll have to go to Omaha eventually.

Send Moose down and bring up Irving Falu. Platoon Falu and Tejeda for as long as necessary.

[Demonpenz]

I didn't know you could stand on the base and get hit and you are out.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

Read it, saw the other posts, still want him.

Can you elaborate on why you want him?

Kendrick is a nice player but not a star, and he probably costs "Star" prices to purchase. There are other targets who offer more offensive upside (Alex Rios, Chase Utley, Mike Morse) at likely lower costs in prospects/trade chips.

If you bring in a stop-gap like Utley or Morse, you can sign a similar replacement in FA for about the same money you'd give Kendrick.

If you are able to land a guy like Rios that you control for a few more years, don't have to worry as much about a FA bat.

I'll put it this way: Rios and Utley are big-enough bats to make a major difference and impact in the KC lineup. Kendrick is a good bat but does not have the same effect.

[Demonpenz]

escabar didn't run out a ball last week that was close. Got to have some red asses even if it is hudler yelling at em.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

Send Moose down and bring up Irving Falu. Platoon Falu and Tejeda for as long as necessary.

They have better options than Falu. Anthony Seratelli, Johnny Giavotella.

Falu is really not as good as a lot of KC fans think he is.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Falu is really not as good as a lot of KC fans think he is.

but you can say the same thing about Giavotella. Falu actually produced at the major league level (granted with only 1/4 of the ABs), where Giavotella hasn't.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Ethier has negative trade value. That's the worst contract in baseball under $100 million. That would be worse than signing broke dick Reggie Sanders.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

but you can say the same thing about Giavotella. Falu actually produced at the major league level (granted with only 1/4 of the ABs), where Giavotella hasn't.

You really think 91 PAs is a valid sample size?