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?

[Strongside]

Originally Posted by teedubya

Do we win any in the Bronx?

[Demonpenz]

Gio won the George Brett award for best hitter in the orginization

[Prison Bitch]

Escobar is a turd.


WAR this year: Butler 0.5, Kotarras 0.5, Tejada 0.4. Lulz that says it all.

[Strongside]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

George Brett won the George Brett award for best hitter in the orginization

FYP

[Sure-Oz]

Hopefully Will Smith continues to start in AAA.

I don't think Duffy will be ready anytime soon. Dude avgs alot of pitches per inning so far and a high 5 era w/ walks.

[Sure-Oz]

Not a fan of Chen starting cause we have 1-3 SP's but have almost 2 holes now in the rotation

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Hopefully Will Smith continues to start in AAA.

I don't think Duffy will be ready anytime soon. Dude avgs alot of pitches per inning so far and a high 5 era w/ walks.

Did you see my post from earlier today? His first outing in Omaha is kind of skewing the sample size.

I don't think he's ready to pitch in the majors tomorrow... but post-ASB is a legit possibility, if his next 2-3 MiLB starts go well.

Pitch count has recently gotten in the 80s/90s, so he's close to being where you want him from that regard.

[Sure-Oz]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Did you see my post from earlier today? His first outing in Omaha is kind of skewing the sample size.

I don't think he's ready to pitch in the majors tomorrow... but post-ASB is a legit possibility, if his next 2-3 MiLB starts go well.

Pitch count has recently gotten in the 80s/90s, so he's close to being where you want him from that regard.

Just read it...i'm hoping he can be ready by the trade deadline if needed. I want them to be careful with him for sure. Hopefully he's working the kinks out.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Strongside

So far so good. Hopefully we provide Shields some run support tomorrow night.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Ibanez went 2-5 with a HR tonight. 22 on the year.

Just thought I would place this here and walk away.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

Ibanez went 2-5 with a HR tonight. 22 on the year.

Just thought I would place this here and walk away.

I doubt he'll want to leave his home city during what could be his final season.

I'd love to be wrong, though.

[TambaBerry]

Come help our power problem Ibanez

[Archie F. Swin]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

Ibanez went 2-5 with a HR tonight. 22 on the year.

Just thought I would place this here and walk away.

If you get Ibanez, you plan to contend for a pennant this season, right? I mean, Raul will be, what, 47 next season?

[Sure-Oz]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

If you get Ibanez, you plan to contend for a pennant this season, right? I mean, Raul will be, what, 47 next season?

I'd think if Dayton is ALL in for trying to win the division this year and save his own ass he may try it. Royals have this year and next year with Shields and only this year with Santana and Shields.

I still don't think this team can win the division with the current holes and would be smarter to see what they can get for Shields or Santana.

I hope i'm wrong

[gblowfish]

They'll try to keep Shields but will most likely deal Santana. He's going to demand too much, and he hasn't been as consistent as Shields -not this year but career wise I mean. Also what they do will depend on what Paulino and Duffy can do in the next couple weeks.