2012 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread

[alnorth]

2012 Slogan: Our Time

A better, more accurate 2012 Slogan: It is Finally Next Year
(from Great Expectations)

An alternative slogan if you don't like that one: Someone has to win this crappy division
(from alnorth)

With the beginning of a new year, it is time for the 2012 version of the Royals Repository Thread. We've got Hosmer, we've got a 2011-dominating Gordon, we've got Moose, we've got hopefully a killer bullpen, we've got a stereotypical slow slugging DH, we've got easily one of the best defensive shortstops in the AL, we've got a promising catcher in Salvador Perez. Hell, we've got offense and promising prospects galore.

We do not have starting pitching.

Oh yeah, we've also got this:



Get ready for, (as of January 2012 anyway), one of the most confusing puzzles of a baseball season in recent Royals history. Will they suck? Maybe, I don't know. Will we be given a year of 0.500 baseball? Possibly, I don't know. Will they win the division and go to the playoffs for the first time in 27 years? For the first time in a long time, it could happen, I don't know. 92 losses, 92 wins, or anything in between would not surprise a lot of us.

Everything goes here except Gameday threads and really big news. If a giant story breaks, the Royals achieve some awesome milestone, or we sign/lose a highly significant player/coach/mascot/whatever, then it might also deserve its own thread. This being Chiefs Planet, please do not clutter the board with new threads about trivial Royals news or you will only annoy those who come here for just Chiefs football. If you aren't sure and its not a Gameday thread, it goes here.

What sort of stuff often goes here? SPchief explained it well, so I'll just copy that:

If you locate something of interest.. ANYTHING.. deals on apparel, best ways in/out of the stadium, giveaways, great stories from this season or from seasons gone by, rumors, trades, anything.... feel free to post it here.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by sedated

According to Rany today, it would have taken Hosmer, or Mouse + someone else, to get Pineda. Seems pretty steep, and I’m surprised Montero got that much value.


His justification for Seattle trading Pineda was that they are 3 years away, and a bat has a better chance of being healthy 3 years from now than a starting pitcher.

shocked that montero is tought of that much more highly than hos or moose

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Yeah, the price is coming down on Boras (which is definitely a pleasant change). Three-four years for Jackson would be pretty perfect, IMO. Especially if they sign him at a reasonable price (which would give you more flexibility in trading him if the Royals minor league pitchers develop really well).

Of course, I would be fine with it being less reasonable, and them actually getting him.

Hochevar/Jackson/Sanchez/Chen/Paulino/Duffy/Montgomery is a vast improvement in the rotation options, and it gives nice insurance if Chen gets hurt (which he probably will) or one of the young guys doesn't really step up.

I think that rotation would be good enough to make them competitive in the division, as long as the offense produces at a similar level as last year.

It makes me wonder if there isn't something going on with Jackson. The guy continues to bounce around and he former teams don't seem to be geeked about keeping him.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

More than likely Boras simply isn't budging on his asking price for Edwin. Boras definitely isn't afraid to have a player miss part of a season or more to hold out on a larger payday, he's done that with Draftpicks multiple times...

Teams may value him at 10 mil per, whereas Boras is still asking for 15+.

Time will tell.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Zeke

More than likely Boras simply isn't budging on his asking price for Edwin. Boras definitely isn't afraid to have a player miss part of a season or more to hold out on a larger payday, he's done that with Draftpicks multiple times...

Teams may value him at 10 mil per, whereas Boras is still asking for 15+.

Time will tell.

MLB players are not going to miss part of a season unless no one wants them. You aren't getting a bigger payday later on, teams will just build their 40-man roster and move on.

With draft picks, you've got that possibility of going to college, or back to college if you are a JR, so they have more leverage to make the team who drafted them sweat.

Its not completely unprecedented for a SR to go to independent ball, but we've seen that end up being a stupid move the few times its ever been done.

[Valiant]

I am officially a sth to the royals for 41 games. Dugout box behind home.

Royals win .750 of the games I have been to in the past. Me going more should get them into the playoffs. I still remember the crowd from when I was a kid in 85.

Sidenote, for games I can't go to I will be selling at face.

Let's go Blue....

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by alnorth

MLB players are not going to miss part of a season unless no one wants them. You aren't getting a bigger payday later on, teams will just build their 40-man roster and move on.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Boras has already done it with players at the big league level...

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Boras has already done it with players at the big league level...

Drafted players, but I cannot think of single established vet. who missed a season because of a contract dispute. Leaving that much money on the table would be mind-numbingly stupid from a business and professional perspective.

[alnorth]

This situation could work the other way too. There might be 1 or 2 teams willing to pay 15 per, but they think no one else will, so they play hardball. However, when it gets to the beginning of March, someone might give in, thats what Boras may be hoping for. Boras might still come out of this looking like a genius.

If he doesn't reduce his price, his bluff gets called, and he concludes that there really is no team willing to pay 15 per, then with the short time remaining and the rosters almost full, he'll be forced to put a 4-year contract out on Ebay with zero reserve and hope he gets a bid war.

[58kcfan89]

https://twitter.com/#!/Royals_Report...12918418042880

@Royals_Report Bob Dutton
A top #Royals official just said he'd "be really surprised" if the club signs or trades for another starting pitcher before spring training.

Damn. Hope this is a smokescreen.

On the plus side, the promotional schedule is out. Playing the Cards on my b-day and then Moose antlers on Sept. 1. I'm there.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/sch...939671785-1066

God, I can't wait for baseball.

[Jenson71]

What are the details on Student Night? Half price with student id or something?

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by 58kcfan89

Damn. Hope this is a smokescreen.

On the plus side, the promotional schedule is out. Playing the Cards on my b-day and then Moose antlers on Sept. 1. I'm there.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/sch...939671785-1066

God, I can't wait for baseball.

Looking at the rotation, barring injury, Hoch, Sanchez, and Chen have to be locks, regardless of spring training.

Paulino probably has a very significant amount of leeway for the 4th spot, if he doesn't fall apart in Surprise, he's in.

Duffy is probably a lock to start, just not necessarily in KC. I don't think he goes to the bullpen, he's either starting here or in Omaha.

#5 is being fought over by Duffy, Crow, and a bunch of others. If its a tie, Duffy probably gets it. If Duffy excels, maybe he pushes Paulino to #5.

Ideally, you'd like the Royals to sign one more guy and make Duffy wait in Omaha for someone to get hurt or fail. This could be a smokescreen, but if not, perhaps DM has basically decided that he wants to know who can pitch and who can't, and is willing to lose a game or two in order to find that out.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

shocked that montero is tought of that much more highly than hos or moose

He's a Yankee.

[Demonpenz]

We better not be seeing who can win and who can't. I will be pissed off while watching every inning of every game if it is true! Sidenote: How Royals-like would that be if Gordon was moved to 3rd base at some point in the year.

[58kcfan89]

Originally Posted by Literature

What are the details on Student Night? Half price with student id or something?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's $5 outfield tickets with a HS or college ID.

Originally Posted by alnorth

Looking at the rotation, barring injury, Hoch, Sanchez, and Chen have to be locks, regardless of spring training.

Paulino probably has a very significant amount of leeway for the 4th spot, if he doesn't fall apart in Surprise, he's in.

Duffy is probably a lock to start, just not necessarily in KC. I don't think he goes to the bullpen, he's either starting here or in Omaha.

#5 is being fought over by Duffy, Crow, and a bunch of others. If its a tie, Duffy probably gets it. If Duffy excels, maybe he pushes Paulino to #5.

Ideally, you'd like the Royals to sign one more guy and make Duffy wait in Omaha for someone to get hurt or fail. This could be a smokescreen, but if not, perhaps DM has basically decided that he wants to know who can pitch and who can't, and is willing to lose a game or two in order to find that out.

That's fair. I guess I'd rather see a guy like Paulino as the 5th starter than the 4th, but when you mention all those names, there's a lot of potential there to be a decent 5th starter. Then again, we are the Royals & it's probably more likely they all fall flat on their collective faces.

Personally, I hope it's

1) Sanchez/Hoch
2) Hoch/Sanchez
3) Chen
4) Paulino
5) Duffy

with Crow as the long man in the pen.

I think my biggest problem with the rotation is that I have zero faith that Chen continues to pitch as well as he has the last year or two...

[Nightfyre]

Originally Posted by 58kcfan89

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's $5 outfield tickets with a HS or college ID.



That's fair. I guess I'd rather see a guy like Paulino as the 5th starter than the 4th, but when you mention all those names, there's a lot of potential there to be a decent 5th starter. Then again, we are the Royals & it's probably more likely they all fall flat on their collective faces.

Personally, I hope it's

1) Sanchez/Hoch
2) Hoch/Sanchez
3) Chen
4) Paulino
5) Duffy

with Crow as the long man in the pen.

I think my biggest problem with the rotation is that I have zero faith that Chen continues to pitch as well as he has the last year or two...

Our rotation is one giant roll of the dice.
Sanchez - can he come back to form after injury?
Hoch - Will we get the Hoch from the first or second half of last year?
Chen - Dude is a little long in the tooth... can he continue to perform?
Paulino - Can he repeat last year's magic?
Duffy - A promising prospect-level pitcher.