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.

[KevB]

Originally Posted by Codered

I like McCarthy a little more then Marcum, but Marcum wouldn't cost us anything in a trade.

Neither would, both are free agents. I prefer McCarthy, but I still hope we're able to snag a top of the rotation type.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by alnorth

This might be the first time we don't care about the rule v draft (except wondering who we lose) in a while. The Royals will not be able to make a pick tomorrow unless they drop someone from the 40-man roster tonight.

Hmmm, can't think of ANYONE we could do without.

[Codered]

Originally Posted by KevB

Neither would, both are free agents. I prefer McCarthy, but I still hope we're able to snag a top of the rotation type.

Oops. I didn't realize that McCarthy was a free agent.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Marcum, as I mentioned earlier, was born and raised in KC. I'm not going to say he would come at a discount to KC so much as he might not require as much of a premium to come play here.

I like Marcum quite a bit, and when healthy, he's a solid No. 2 starter.

Very, very smart and crafty pitcher. It wouldn't be an awful gamble, especially since the Royals' rotational depth is pretty solid (they have lots of 4/5/fringe guys that can fill in).

Marcum
Guthrie
Santana
Mendoza
Chen

with Odorizzi, Smith, Marks, Teaford, etc. waiting in the wings.

Best case scenario from above:

Marcum stays healthy and logs 180+ innings, pitching like a true No. 2 (3.50 ERA, 180 IP, 170 K)

Guthrie keeps up his 2012-KC form, pitching like a borderline No. 2 (3.50 ERA, 200 IP, low walks)

Santana follows his career trend and bounces back after a rough season, making heavy use of the improved slider he found late in 2012. Good Santana (3.75, 200 IP, 180 K) shows up.

Mendoza is what he was in 2012: An OK back-end starter.

Asked to pitch fewer innings and given a shorter leash (thanks to the innings-eaters in front of him), Chen bounces back a bit and settles back into a solid 3-4 level starter.

Of course, worst case is that:
Marcum gets hurt, Santana doesn't bounce back and is just as bad, Guthrie posts an ERA in the 4s, Mendoza regresses and Chen is just as bad.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I like Marcum quite a bit, and when healthy, he's a solid No. 2 starter.

Very, very smart and crafty pitcher. It wouldn't be an awful gamble, especially since the Royals' rotational depth is pretty solid (they have lots of 4/5/fringe guys that can fill in).

Marcum
Guthrie
Santana
Mendoza
Chen

with Odorizzi, Smith, Marks, Teaford, etc. waiting in the wings.

Best case scenario from above:

Marcum stays healthy and logs 180+ innings, pitching like a true No. 2 (3.50 ERA, 180 IP, 170 K)

Guthrie keeps up his 2012-KC form, pitching like a borderline No. 2 (3.50 ERA, 200 IP, low walks)

Santana follows his career trend and bounces back after a rough season, making heavy use of the improved slider he found late in 2012. Good Santana (3.75, 200 IP, 180 K) shows up.

Mendoza is what he was in 2012: An OK back-end starter.

Asked to pitch fewer innings and given a shorter leash (thanks to the innings-eaters in front of him), Chen bounces back a bit and settles back into a solid 3-4 level starter.

Of course, worst case is that:
Marcum gets hurt, Santana doesn't bounce back and is just as bad, Guthrie posts an ERA in the 4s, Mendoza regresses and Chen is just as bad.

Were this to happen, it would be the first time in over a decade we will be entering the season with a Major League quality starting rotation. I'm not sure whether to be excited or to cry.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Marcum
Guthrie
Santana
Mendoza
Chen

That is not a glorious rotation by any means, but it is not a complete shit rotation either. A lot can obviously go wrong, but there is track records of success.

Please let Marcum happen, for the sake of the fans. We need something to get behind.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Were this to happen, it would be the first time in over a decade we will be entering the season with a Major League quality starting rotation. I'm not sure whether to be excited or to cry.

Yeah, 2008 would be the only season that really came close.

Gil Meche
Zack Greinke
Brian Bannister (coming off a very strong rookie campaign)
Kyle Davies (though he was not very good late in 2007, he was actually pretty good in 2008)
Bret Tomko/Luke Hochevar (Hochevar waiting in the wings, still didn't know he actually was a great comparison to Tomko yet...)

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Marcum
Guthrie
Santana
Mendoza
Chen

That is not a glorious rotation by any means, but it is not a complete shit rotation either. A lot can obviously go wrong, but there is track records of success.

Please let Marcum happen, for the sake of the fans. We need something to get behind.

McCarthy would be just about as good, I think. Though you wouldn't have the local-boy angle.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Where does Hochevar fit in that mix? Tendering him a contract was so dumb, consider that 4 million could have gone toward signing a guy like marcum or mccarthy, and he is taking a spot of the 25 man.

Summary: ****.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Marcum
Guthrie
Santana
Mendoza
Chen

That is not a glorious rotation by any means, but it is not a complete shit rotation either. A lot can obviously go wrong, but there is track records of success.

Please let Marcum happen, for the sake of the fans. We need something to get behind.

If Odorizzi comes on strong, who does he replace? Mendoza? That would be nasty if he pans out and puts up solid numbers.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

Where does Hochevar fit in that mix? Tendering him a contract was so dumb, consider that 4 million could have gone toward signing a guy like marcum or mccarthy, and he is taking a spot of the 25 man.

Summary: ****.

Hopefully he'll wind up at emergency long relief. Someone has to do that, and he wouldn't do any damage in that role.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

Where does Hochevar fit in that mix? Tendering him a contract was so dumb, consider that 4 million could have gone toward signing a guy like marcum or mccarthy, and he is taking a spot of the 25 man.

Summary: ****.

I imagine he goes into Spring Training as a starter and takes the spot of one of the afore mentioned 5 guys that ends up on the DL. It's inevitable to happen. This also buys Dayton\Ned more time with Hoch to see if he comes out and pitches well, which is what they ultimately want. If he does pitch well he takes the place of Mendoza who they don't view as any type of set piece for the future. Mendoza will eventually be surplanted later in the season by one of Duffy\Paulino, unless he's pitching lights out.

Poor poor Mendy, i really like him.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

If Odorizzi comes on strong, who does he replace? Mendoza? That would be nasty if he pans out and puts up solid numbers.

Only way I see Odorizzi coming up is if he blows up and forces it. If he pitches "solid" or even "good" in AAA we'll not see him until late in the year. Of course injuries always changes everyone's plans.

[duncan_idaho]

I still wouldn't be surprised if they move Hochevar for a bag of balls or something, IF they sign Marcum or McCarthy. A my crap for your crap deal that possibly lands Dayton's reserve IF or something.

If the Royals add a third guy, either Chen or Hochevar will be gone. I'd prefer it be Hochevar, but who knows what Dayton will do there (I'd expect him to stubbornly stick with Luke because "upside.")

I think they'll start Odorizzi at AAA and see if his second run-through there is as successful/dominant as his second run-through at A+ was or his second trip through AA was.

Things to watch for with Odo at AAA: Improved K rate, improved K:BB ratio. IP.

Those are the things he needs to work on.

[Priest31kc]

Buster Olney ‏@Buster_ESPN
One of the teams involved in the four-team Ariz-Cle deal is the Kansas City Royals. Not sure about the form yet.