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?

[SPATCH]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Brian Wilson, former Giants closer, should be ready about the end of July to start pitching again. It would be cool to have him come in and be a 7th/8th inning guy down the stretch. Kauffman will help his numbers and get him a deal next year.

Also the Carl Crawford is coming off the DL for the Dodgers soon and they will have too many guys for 3 spots. No way they are getting rid of Kemp or Puig but I bet a deal can be made for Ethier or maybe, most likely not tough, Crawford.

God damn I love that guy. So funny.

Would love to have him just for the lulz if nothing else.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Brian Wilson, former Giants closer, should be ready about the end of July to start pitching again. It would be cool to have him come in and be a 7th/8th inning guy down the stretch. Kauffman will help his numbers and get him a deal next year.

Also the Carl Crawford is coming off the DL for the Dodgers soon and they will have too many guys for 3 spots. No way they are getting rid of Kemp or Puig but I bet a deal can be made for Ethier or maybe, most likely not tough, Crawford.

Not a bad idea, but I don't think he will be entirely ready by the time September rolls around. Have to account for rehab assignments, and this is only assuming he rolls through his rehabs and without any injury set backs.

If he wants to do it for the league minimum for a year, and try it in the Minors, I would not be too opposed. But on the other hand, I like to think that KC has a lot of in-house options in Omaha though.

[ArrowheadHawk]

Originally Posted by tambaberry

Earned it by using performance enhancing drugs to make himself better. So, Lance Armstrong deserves to have all those titles?

Yes, why do people give a **** what these athletes put in their bodies? I just want to be entertained, I don't care what is happening behind the scenes.

[TambaBerry]

Originally Posted by ArrowheadHawk

Yes, why do people give a **** what these athletes put in their bodies? I just want to be entertained, I don't care what is happening behind the scenes.

That is extremely boring to me. What if at where you work someone got promoted in front of you because he cheated and you knew it, would that not piss you off?

[penguinz]

Originally Posted by tambaberry

That is extremely boring to me. What if at where you work someone got promoted in front of you because he cheated and you knew it, would that not piss you off?

Why do you care what someone else puts in their body?

Steroids shouldn't even be illegal to begin with.

[TambaBerry]

Originally Posted by penguinz

Why do you care what someone else puts in their body?

Steroids shouldn't even be illegal to begin with.

I don't care what they put in their body as long as I am not paying to watch them play a game. I want hard work and natural athleticism to be put on display.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by Coach

Not a bad idea, but I don't think he will be entirely ready by the time September rolls around. Have to account for rehab assignments, and this is only assuming he rolls through his rehabs and without any injury set backs.

Per Buster Olney today -

Former Giants closer Brian Wilson is working out in Hawaii and could pitch for teams later this month or in early August.

[teedubya]

I hung out with Ryan Lefebvre last night during 4th celebrations out at Lake Winnebago... and he said that the Sonic Slam had only happened 3-4 times in the 13 years that he's been here.

I'd literally NEVER seen it happen before. I wonder if Sonic was pissed.

[Strongside]

Originally Posted by teedubya

I hung out with Ryan Lefebvre last night during 4th celebrations out at Lake Winnebago... and he said that the Sonic Slam had only happened 3-4 times in the 13 years that he's been here.

I'd literally NEVER seen it happen before. I wonder if Sonic was pissed.

25k is pocket change to that franchise...

[Coach]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Per Buster Olney today -

Right, later this month or in August. This is the guy who has been out of baseball for some time, and you have to consider that he needs all the work and reps in the minors for him to get ready, and this is all assuming there is no set backs.

Plus, I just think there are better in-house candidates at this point. I'm more of wanting to get a bat, or a back-end of the rotation starter, because sometimes, Davis scares me more than not, same with Mendoza as well.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by ArrowheadHawk

Yes, why do people give a **** what these athletes put in their bodies? I just want to be entertained, I don't care what is happening behind the scenes.

This. I just want to be entertained could care less how they get there to do it.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by teedubya

I hung out with Ryan Lefebvre last night during 4th celebrations out at Lake Winnebago... and he said that the Sonic Slam had only happened 3-4 times in the 13 years that he's been here.

I'd literally NEVER seen it happen before. I wonder if Sonic was pissed.

I heard it on the radio once, but never seen it happen in person or on TV.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

I heard it on the radio once, but never seen it happen in person or on TV.

Watched Matt Stairs do it approximately 10 years ago or so. Don't think it's happened since then.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by tambaberry

That is extremely boring to me. What if at where you work someone got promoted in front of you because he cheated and you knew it, would that not piss you off?

If they were doing their job better than me, because they did some bio-metric implant to be smarter... then they still deserve the job because at the end of the day.. they do it better. That analogy is fail.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by tambaberry

Earned it by using performance enhancing drugs to make himself better. So, Lance Armstrong deserves to have all those titles?

I'm not really making an argument on whether Rodriguez is a good person or a cheater. I'm just pointing out that the Yankees are to blame for his contract, that's all. Nobody held a gun to Cashman's head and forced him to offer that deal.