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?

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

You bet. When we traded Myers, we went balls deep. Too late now to start asking the bitch if she's got an STD.

At least with the Stanton trade, we'll get a little pleasure before we go sterile.

I agree.

We might just be ****ed
Posted via Mobile Device

[Shogun]

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

This is ****ing cool

[Archie F. Swin]

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I would do it, and not think twice about it. I would probably try to see if I could get away with offering Orlando Calixte and another prospect instead of Mondesi, but that wouldn't be a stopping point.

Thing is, I'm not sure Ventura+Mondesi+Zimmer+Cuthbert would be enough. Stanton's value is, by all accounts, higher than that of Miguel Cabrera when the Marlins traded him, and that is a lesser package than what was given up for Cabrera.

It would leave the Royals pitching depth slim after the 2014 season, but you know what? Acquire Stanton, win some real games, and you might actually have a chance to re-sign James Shields after 2014.

Even without Ventura and Zimmer, the Royals' farm system would not be devoid of pitching talent.

Chris Dwyer
Danny Duffy
Miguel Almonte (who some think is equivalent to Zimmer, anyway)
Kyle Smith
Angel Baez
Bryan Brickhouse
Sean Manaea
John Lamb

And as for positional talent...

Jorge Bonifacio
Orlando Calixte
Hunter Dozier
Bubba Starling

That's probably STILL a top 1/2 farm system. And you don't have many needs at the MLB level until the 2015 season. 1B, LF, CF, RF, 4th OF, C, SS, all have clear options in place, as does DH. YOu're set in the bullpen for quite a while in terms of major pieces. 2B, 3B, and SP are your only potential questions.

Emptying out the farm system for young studs like Stanton with years of control remaining is not a bad thing, at all.

Gordon
Hosmer
Butler
Stanton

would be a pretty strong top 4 and create a LOT of runs. Stanton would make the Royals a legitimate contender in 2014, even if they can't bring back Ervin Santana (they'll have enough cash to bring in a quality SP, though). And if this team starts winning... and filling the ballpark... who knows what happens in terms of payroll?

2015 pitching staff would be the question. You're looking at...

1) VACANT (Unless you can extend Shields for a few seasons)
2) Danny Duffy (you hope)
3) Jeremy Guthrie (you hope he's slotted no higher than here)
4) FILLED BY a Pitching Prospect
5) Filled by a Pitching Prospect

Lot of question marks there. Best-case scenario would be Manaea getting healthy and zooming through the minors, because he has legitimate TOR ability. Almonte also has premium shelf ability, and Lamb did at one time (he has shown signs here and there of getting all the way back but hasn't done it yet). The rest of those guys are more back-end starters.

Stanton has transformational potential for this team. That's why the cost is so high and that's why so many teams will chase him. But if he were brought in and this was the 2014 lineup:

LF - Alex Gordon
1B - Eric Hosmer
DH - Billy Butler
RF - Mike Stanton
C - Sal Perez
2B - Kelly Johnson/other acquisition
CF - Cain
3B - Moustakas
SS - Escobar

You're talking about a real, legitimate, playoff-caliber lineup. They'd need to find a lefthanded stick at 2B that can legitimately hit 6, which makes Johnson a PERFECT fit. If moustakas doesn't show signs of life this year, you also need a solution there, which Johnson could be (insurance for suck from Moose). If Moustakas did show life, you're probably looking at him in the 6 hole as a beginning-of-year "plan."

Gordon and Stanton controlled through 2016
Hosmer, Cain and Moustakas through 2017
Butler through 2015
Perez and Escobar through 2019

You'd have Bonifacio and Calixte and Dozier probably knocking on the door in 2015.

Ultimately, it probably makes too much sense. ANd the Royals probably don't have enough NEAR-MLB talent to get it done.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

Cisco VoIP rocks!!!

[Prison Bitch]

Now Alex has quit on the team. He's got a slugging % of .229 (yeah, that's not a misprint) his last 130 AB. His slug is now down to his rookie year level, the year he struggled so badly remember? Alex isn't stealing any bases, his defensive metrics are way down, and his ISO is on pace to be the worst in his career.


His BABIP is still a stunning .345 so that's not it. He's not unlucky this year. He's just quit on the team with his BFF, BIlly Butler. Thanks guys for leading this team.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Now Alex has quit on the team. He's got a slugging % of .229 (yeah, that's not a misprint) his last 130 AB. His slug is now down to his rookie year level, the year he struggled so badly remember? Alex isn't stealing any bases, his defensive metrics are way down, and his ISO is on pace to be the worst in his career.


His BABIP is still a stunning .345 so that's not it. He's not unlucky this year. He's just quit on the team with his BFF, BIlly Butler. Thanks guys for leading this team.

Is he sucking? Yes. Quitting? GMAFB

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Now Alex has quit on the team. He's got a slugging % of .229 (yeah, that's not a misprint) his last 130 AB. His slug is now down to his rookie year level, the year he struggled so badly remember? Alex isn't stealing any bases, his defensive metrics are way down, and his ISO is on pace to be the worst in his career.


His BABIP is still a stunning .345 so that's not it. He's not unlucky this year. He's just quit on the team with his BFF, BIlly Butler. Thanks guys for leading this team.

You're leading this message board in reerunedness.

Congrats!

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

You're leading this message board in reerunedness.

Congrats!

Right. Now, back to Alex. Why does he suck so badly, and why does his BFF suck so badly too? I mean we've beaten Hos & Moose to death (deservedly) but what about these two turds?


Dayton counted on them to produce, and they aren't. That's 19M of payroll with them. What's your explanation?

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Right. Now, back to Alex. Why does he suck so badly, and why does his BFF suck so badly too? I mean we've beaten Hos & Moose to death (deservedly) but what about these two turds?


Dayton counted on them to produce, and they aren't. That's 19M of payroll with them. What's your explanation?

I think Gordon is trying too hard.

[GloryDayz]

I think it's more that they're doing the bare minimum to get by. It's infectious, and it's a mentality that a Wal-Mart owner brings to any organization. It may not start that way, but it gets there no matter how hard you try.

Soon enough, we'll see Shields move along, as will the likes of Gordon and a few other choice players.

And we'll never have the locker room fight that's needed, the juicing controversy that's needed, or any of the other things that are so needed in this clubhouse. Hell, we won't even see these "can't take it deep regularly" players running fences after the game either. LOL, that'd be worth the price of admission...

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Right. Now, back to Alex. Why does he suck so badly, and why does his BFF suck so badly too? I mean we've beaten Hos & Moose to death (deservedly) but what about these two turds?


Dayton counted on them to produce, and they aren't. That's 19M of payroll with them. What's your explanation?

They're pressing because the rest of the lineup sucks ass?



Nah, that couldn't be it. They've obviously quit on the team.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

I think it's more that they're doing the bare minimum to get by. It's infectious, and it's a mentality that a Wal-Mart owner brings to any organization.

Hey Prison Bitch. This one's attempting to take your title.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

They're pressing because the rest of the lineup sucks ass?

Nah, that couldn't be it. They've obviously quit on the team.

We are 13th in the AL in runs. Last year we were 12th in runs. Both had excellent years despite the crap around them in 2012. Therefore your explanation "they're pressing" because the lineup sucks doesn't work either.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

I think it's more that they're doing the bare minimum to get by. It's infectious, and it's a mentality that a Wal-Mart owner brings to any organization. It may not start that way, but it gets there no matter how hard you try.
...

I'm afraid this is exactly right. The vortex of suck eventually swallows everybody whole here. I don't know how to turn it around really. When you see the 2011 BB America rankings and how we had 5 of the top-20....and they all sucked balls whereas most of the rest are young stars....you have to chalk it up to the org just sucking.

Players can't wait to get out of here. Alex and Billy are half-assing it. Billy is slugging .390 this year. What a complete turd he became. Why isn't the heat on that fat boy more than it is? 8M for this?