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.

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Kila was NEVER considered anywhere NEAR the prospect Myers is.

That's why Kila struggled to get an opportunity: Nobody in the Royals org (or probably inside baseball) really believed those numbers were for real. They thought they were a mirage. They didn't see the skill set that would translate to the majors.

And they were right.

(Full disclosure: Given the Royals' dearth of 1B options, I thought Kila deserved a full shot, and was intrigued by his MiL plate patience and power. And I was wrong.)

That's very true. But the fact is that he did put up big numbers in the minors, and Myers has really only had one big year in the minors.

For what it's worth, I expect Myers to be a much better player than Kila. But you never know. I thought Eric Hosmer would hit a lot more than .232 last year too.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by stevenidol

Great pitcher, never been injured. Can be a head case, but he gives a great interview. No filter.

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

One of the most talented pitchers in baseball. He's underperformed his peripherals for almost his entire career and has never been as good as he should be. I doubt that will change in LA, but he should be a very good #2 behind Kershaw.

Originally Posted by alnorth

Every time he's interviewed by anyone, on any topic, tune in.

The dude is really weird and has no filter. Sometimes he's shut down and will say nothing, but when he gets talking its high entertainment.

Originally Posted by jbwm89

He is fun to watch, nasty slider, I miss Greinke days.

Originally Posted by theelusiveeightrop

Dude can pitch when he decides he wants too. Seems like an odd duck at times.

Originally Posted by Capt Tasty Cheeks

Greinke is a ****ing flat out stud regular season pitcher who will probably shit himself in playoff baseball like he did the first time around.

He's stubborn, and will throw a pitch he believes to be the right pitch even when it's not working for him.

He was either flat out unhittable (more often than not) or gave up hits and runs in bulk.

My prediction for him this year?

18-7 2.6 ERA 1.0 WHIP 225 K's

Originally Posted by bobinkc

Mental case who has underperformed all but one year. Not worth what you are going to pay him. By a long shot.

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

As physically gifted as he is mentally unpredictable in terms of approach, focus, and drive.

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

I fear that if someone charged Greinke's mound, Zack would beat them do death with the umpire's mask.

Sounds like he'll fit in just fine in LA.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

JIM BOWDEN ‏@JimBowdenESPNxm

James Shields just told us he would be open right now to talk about an extension with the Royals if they are interested "no doubt about it"

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Strongside

It doesn't scare me as bad with this guy as it would with some. Some guys just have better durability than others...Shields, I think, is one of those guys. He's a workhorse.

I sure hope so. His delivery doesn't look strained or violent, which helps.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Are you sure about extending a pitcher who would be 33 going into the first extended year (2015 season) and whose eaten a whole lot of innings over his career?

It's probably no more risky - possibly even less - than giving a six year, $90 million contract to Anibal Sanchez right now. That would be Sanchez's age 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 seasons. Vs. 31, 32, 33, 34 for Shields.

Shields has a lot more innings piled up, but he's also never had major arm trouble like Sanchez. And is built like a workhorse pitcher (6-4, 220 guys tend to be able to handle workloads a lot better than someone built like, say, Kris Medlen or Tim Lincecum).

I mentioned it a few pages back. an additional two years at, say, $30-35 million. Very fair market price (possibly even a little under what he'd get as a FA).

[Reaper16]

If Shields is the kind of pitcher that the Royals clearly think he's going to be for them in the Central, then a two-year extension is very much worth pursuing.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by Brainiac

For what it's worth, I expect Myers to be a much better player than Kila. But you never know. I thought Eric Hosmer would hit a lot more than .232 last year too.

And he did: In 2011.

That's why I'm still high on him. If 2012 had been his rookie year, I'd be concerned. But he's already shown that he can hit in the bigs.

Soph slumps happen. Now, if he sucks hard in 2013, I'm gonna be nervous.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I mentioned it a few pages back. an additional two years at, say, $30-35 million. Very fair market price (possibly even a little under what he'd get as a FA).

I think I'd offer that. When you get to talking about extending into a pitcher's age 36 or 37 season, or 34 or 35 with a guy who has injury history, that gets a bit scary.

James Shields is built like a big horse and we're only talking early/mid 30's, if he's willing to talk extension the day after he got traded away from his teammates and from the only team he's ever played for, great.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by alnorth

I think I'd offer that. When you get to talking about extending into a pitcher's age 36 or 37 season, or 34 or 35 with a guy who has injury history, that gets a bit scary.

James Shields is built like a big horse and we're only talking early/mid 30's, if he's willing to talk extension the day after he got traded away from his teammates and from the only team he's ever played for, great.

Yep. This deal gets a lot more sexy having him for 4 yrs vs the current 2.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by alnorth

if he's willing to talk extension the day after he got traded away from his teammates and from the only team he's ever played for, great.

Everything I'm reading is that he's excited to be "the man" in this rotation. He should bring all those intangible qualities that Jeffy Ballgame was supposed to bring, with the performance to back them up. That kind of chemistry stuff does matter to a contending team.

[duncan_idaho]

Another positive for Shields:

His repertoire leans heavily on fastball/changeup/curve. The changeup and curve are much less risky pitches to throw, long-term.

Sliders are the pitches that seem to shred the most arms...

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

And as I said before, if Dayton made this move based on some kind of handshake deal with Glass that Glass would spend more money if Moore would field a "more competitive" team, not only does the trade make sense for the here and now but it's also protecting the future.

Trading away Myers hurts, but if trading Myers means somehow that the overall spending budget goes up in future years, it's absolutely worth it.

We've done the $40M budget thing. Myers really isn't all that different than Moose, Gordon, or Hos. We've been down this route, now we're trying something different.

This is the Royals equivalent of the Chiefs drafting a 1st round QB.

wut??

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Another positive for Shields:

His repertoire leans heavily on fastball/changeup/curve. The changeup and curve are much less risky pitches to throw, long-term.

Sliders are the pitches that seem to shred the most arms...

He throws his changeup more than almost anybody, and its his out pitch. He's got one of the best slow pitches in baseball. So, his innings might be less stressful than most.

[DaWolf]

Originally Posted by warpaint*

Meyers is going to be an absolute star.

Why not keep him, dump Francour, and sign Anibal Sanchez? Probably could get him for similar $. He is not the pitcher Shields is but we're not getting fleeced and mortgaging the best prospect in the game who's going to be up THIS year. Not to mention giving up Odorizzi TOO!

I am very frustrated by this. Just another cluster**** by the Royals.

All in the name of DM saving DM's job.

Disgusting.

From what I have read, it was going to take us severely overpaying to get Sanchez to even sniff our way. His people are willing to take a bit less to go to a proven winner. I hear the Dodgers are still in on him, even after the Greinke deal. The Dodgers have some crazy money coming in their TV deal.

I'd be all for dumping Frenchy, but no one is going to take him for his salary. We're basically stuck with that salary. Even if we deal him, we will either have to take on a similar salary in what we get in return, or we will have to pay a large portion of his salary for any team to make a trade...

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

Yep. This deal gets a lot more sexy having him for 4 yrs vs the current 2.

The yep monster just belched out 38 yeps. /FAX