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?

[tyton75]

Originally Posted by silver5liter

Kansas City Royals ‏@Royals

MGR Ned Yost tells beat writers this morning that RHP Luke Hochevar has been moved to bullpen. #RoyalsST


YAAAAAAAAAA

I really hope you aren't trolling!

[gblowfish]

Comedian Colin Mochrie on Twitter:

"Because of a slight misunderstanding, the St. Louis Cardinals have chosen the pope. Congrats Pope John Paul Carlos Beltran."

Let's hope Scott Boras is no longer his agent!

[silver5liter]

Originally Posted by tyton75

I really hope you aren't trolling!

Straight from the horses mouth

[silver5liter]

Originally Posted by tyton75

I really hope you aren't trolling!

heres another

Bob Dutton ‏@Royals_Report

#Royals announce Luke Hochevar going to bullpen.

[RockChalk]

WTF are the Royals and Chiefs thinking? Way too much good news coming from our organizations lately

[Stanley Nickels]

Great news for the obvious reasons, but also as a sign that Yost's comments about Hoch's "stuff" was just for the press. They likely tried to deal him and needed to keep the front that they really liked his chances this year.

[KevB]

Obviously a good decision, but it follows the very bad decision to tender him in the first place. I realize we hadn't made the big trade yet, but that's irrelevant when you're talking about a pitcher who has been historically bad in the rotation. If we had $4M to spend, imagine where we could have upgraded instead of bringing that guy back.

[RockChalk]

One little tidbit I took away from Yost's comments/announcement. He specifically mentioned the 5th spot was now up for grabs between Chen, Mendoza, Smith, and Ventura

He'd previously never been mentioned as in the running. Might the Royals let his dominant ST (so far) make their decision for them?

I ask that seriously...Duncan, any insight on this? Am I wishful thinking and is Ventura a lock to start in high minors?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

One little tidbit I took away from Yost's comments/announcement. He specifically mentioned the 5th spot was now up for grabs between Chen, Mendoza, Smith, and Ventura

He'd previously never been mentioned as in the running. Might the Royals let his dominant ST (so far) make their decision for them?

I ask that seriously...Duncan, any insight on this? Am I wishful thinking and is Ventura a lock to start in high minors?

I don't know that Ventura's candidacy would be about the numbers he's producing. I would HOPE it's about the other things (secondary pitch development, command, mechanics).

Those are the things he has needed to work on. Maybe they've come so far along that they just feel he's ready. They have not rushed SP in the past, so if he goes North with the big club and is in the No. 5 spot, I would tend to trust it.

It's also not like they don't have other options at No. 5.

Maybe a bit of it is also learning a litte lesson from Mike Montgomery, circa 2011. Monty looked like a future MLB all-star/Cole Hamels clone in ST that year. They demoted him, and he was NEVER the same (velocity tumbled, command and control evaporated).

It would be a very surprising move, though, considering he was expected to start the year at AA. That AA rotation will bear watching, regardless. Lamb, Zimmer, Adam, Selman all expected to do some work there this year.

[Bowser]

Is there really any need for all this cloak and dagger shit with the fifth spot? Mendoza has far and away been the best of that bunch. Hell, I know it isn't saying much, but Mendoza could have been our legit #3 guy last year, if not #2.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Is there really any need for all this cloak and dagger shit with the fifth spot? Mendoza has far and away been the best of that bunch. Hell, I know it isn't saying much, but Mendoza could have been our legit #3 guy last year, if not #2.

Not really.

I understand wanting to see how both Mendoza and Chen looked in spring training. Hochevar... should have been non-tendered.

Chen has track record on Mendoza despite struggling at times last year (a lot of that after Yost tried to extend him too far). He also offers something different/a nice change of pace to the rotation.

Mendoza was very good from June on, but his track record is bad. Making sure that wasn't a fluke is OK.

I still can't quite believe they actually moved Hochevar to the bullpen. It's like they finally woke up about him. Just wish it had happened earlier (like, say, Nov. 1).

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Not really.

I understand wanting to see how both Mendoza and Chen looked in spring training. Hochevar... should have been non-tendered.

Chen has track record on Mendoza despite struggling at times last year (a lot of that after Yost tried to extend him too far). He also offers something different/a nice change of pace to the rotation.

Mendoza was very good from June on, but his track record is bad. Making sure that wasn't a fluke is OK.

I still can't quite believe they actually moved Hochevar to the bullpen. It's like they finally woke up about him. Just wish it had happened earlier (like, say, Nov. 1).

I wonder what role they are thinking. Long relief or a 7th inning type guy.

[alnorth]

Another advantage Chen has on Mendoza is he's a LHP. If Mendoza's far and away better when spring ends, then we should go ahead with 5 right-handers but if its at all close, Chen will probably get the nod.

[tyton75]

Saying they moved him to the pen is great, but actually filling a spot in our bullpen during the season is going to piss me off. He pitches like crap out of the stretch and can't handle pressure situations. Send him to Omaha, or cut him.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

I wonder what role they are thinking. Long relief or a 7th inning type guy.

As stress free as possbile. Meaning never comes in during the middle of an inning or late in the game. So some middle to long relief would be a good spot for him.

If he can give 2-3 innings instead of having to use 2 studs for two innings or one for more inninngs than they are really used to, then he does have a little bit of value there.