White Sox Receive: Mark Teahen and 1M dollars
I'm fine with trading Teahen as his defense wasn't good enough at 3rd and not much better at a corner outfield position. His bat was average overall, and didn't carry enough pop for a corner outfield position. He was due to make around 5M this year so this deal will save the team about 3M as Getz and Fields make the league minimum. Teahen showed some promise in his time in KC, but now was a good time for it to come to and end.
Kansas City Recieves: Chris Getz and Josh Fields
I like the return on this trade as is, because Getz and Fields as they are now are as good or nearly as good as Teahen, and a lot cheaper.
Here is my take on them:
Chris Getz: My favorite player acquired Getz consistently hit .300 in the minors, but with little pop. He walks at a decent rate and while his defense wasn't great last year, it never had bad reviews in the minors. At worst he's a gritty number at hitter and at best he's a #1 or #2 hitter with his good speed, who will be able to play decent defense at 2nd and allow for Callaspo to be DH'd or traded.
Josh Fields: Fields showed good power 2 seasons ago, when he hit for 20+ home runs. He was a first round pick, so the potential is there. He needs to simply cut down on the strikeout, as his walk rate is good. Fields has the potential to make this trade go from a B to an A.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
All-Grit Team and Moore! (How'd you like that play on words?)
So since Willie Bloomquist is now our gritty player with Gload gone he's taken a lot of crap. Well what if DM assembled the All-Grit team! Yes this means bringing back Gload. How many runs would they score?
C- I went with Varitek. His grit, leadership, and good game-calling ability allowed him to get a nice contract despite the fact that he well sucked last year. I can see an argument for Pierzynski, but I hate him.
1B- Gload, no question. He's so gritty he poops sand paper.
2B- Craig Counsell, because when DM signed Bloomquist he called him a Craig Counsell like player. GMDM said " “He’s an on-base guy, a speed-type player and a hustler,” and "He’s a Craig Counsell-type who really plays hard, hustles and knows how to play”. Can we argue with that? Counsell then signed for less than Bloomy.
SS- Eckstein... see any announcer on Eckstein
3B-Inge, because he can play a lot of differant positions ala Teahen, but also catcher. This makes him grittier. A tough pick though.
LF- Willie Ballgame
CF- Aaron Rowand
RF- Eric Byrnes, because he hustles and is a fan favorite
DH- Doug Mientkiewicz, because Kevin Millar's grit is overrated.
The average of this teams lineups is 4.447 with a high/low of 4.582 and 4.292.
The Royals are scoring 4.06 per. What does all this mean? The Royals have a horrible offense and a team put together based on a tangible characteristic that may or may not have any effect on wins is better. Yikes!
Also on Moustakas- I'm pretty worried. Not so much that he isn't hitting, but that he isn't walking. His long term progress will be based on whether he learns to take a walk decently well.
C- I went with Varitek. His grit, leadership, and good game-calling ability allowed him to get a nice contract despite the fact that he well sucked last year. I can see an argument for Pierzynski, but I hate him.
1B- Gload, no question. He's so gritty he poops sand paper.
2B- Craig Counsell, because when DM signed Bloomquist he called him a Craig Counsell like player. GMDM said " “He’s an on-base guy, a speed-type player and a hustler,” and "He’s a Craig Counsell-type who really plays hard, hustles and knows how to play”. Can we argue with that? Counsell then signed for less than Bloomy.
SS- Eckstein... see any announcer on Eckstein
3B-Inge, because he can play a lot of differant positions ala Teahen, but also catcher. This makes him grittier. A tough pick though.
LF- Willie Ballgame
CF- Aaron Rowand
RF- Eric Byrnes, because he hustles and is a fan favorite
DH- Doug Mientkiewicz, because Kevin Millar's grit is overrated.
The average of this teams lineups is 4.447 with a high/low of 4.582 and 4.292.
The Royals are scoring 4.06 per. What does all this mean? The Royals have a horrible offense and a team put together based on a tangible characteristic that may or may not have any effect on wins is better. Yikes!
Also on Moustakas- I'm pretty worried. Not so much that he isn't hitting, but that he isn't walking. His long term progress will be based on whether he learns to take a walk decently well.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Some Recent Stuff
Josh Anderson- I'm fine with this move in itself. Anderson is a good base stealer, and an okay defender. He can play all three outfield spaces. He isn't a great hitter and doesn't have much patience though. The problem would be that this team already has Mitch Maier, Ryan Freel, and Willie Bloomquist. How many speedy outfielders can a team have? While I do like the commitment to defense, though Bloomquist doesn't play great OF defense, I think this team should be focusing on fixing other holes. My grade on this is a C+.
Ponson released- Excellent move, but should have been an obvious one. Hopefully this is a sign that DM is seeing that this season is done. Ponson doesn't fit in with this teams future, and so they are better served playing Kyle Davies to see if he does. My grade for this is a B, because it was a great move but should have come sooner.
Other moves I'd like to see made:
Mike Jacobs DFA'd/Kila Ka'aihue called up
Jamey Wright DFA'd/ Chris Hayes called up
John Bale DFA'd/ Carlos Rosa called up
Roman Colon sent to Omaha/Lenny DiNardo called up
Ponson released- Excellent move, but should have been an obvious one. Hopefully this is a sign that DM is seeing that this season is done. Ponson doesn't fit in with this teams future, and so they are better served playing Kyle Davies to see if he does. My grade for this is a B, because it was a great move but should have come sooner.
Other moves I'd like to see made:
Mike Jacobs DFA'd/Kila Ka'aihue called up
Jamey Wright DFA'd/ Chris Hayes called up
John Bale DFA'd/ Carlos Rosa called up
Roman Colon sent to Omaha/Lenny DiNardo called up
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Lack of Vision
The most frustrating thing about the Royals during the Allard Baird Era for me was a lack of vision. An example of this is signing Reggie Sanders, then not trading him. Reggie Sanders was a role player on contending team. For a team that was rebuilding or should have been rebuilding Reggie Sanders should have only been seen as a means to acquire prospects. It now seems that the front office of the team now under Dayton Moore is having an identity crisis. There are 2 reasons that I say this team is suffering because of DMGM's lack of vision.
1. Age- Much like Baird acquiring role players on a noncontending team, Dayton Moore has made a few moves which don't make much sense for the state the club is in. Moves like signing Willy Bloomquist (having a utility guy who isn't young is okay) and even Jose Guillen were okay (yes he was older and didn't fit in with the youth movement, and yes we paid too much, but the idea was to improve the offense which I suppose could have happened) by at least some point of view. After all, you can't rebuild with just young players (Herm Edwards/Carl Peterson). The move of bringing in a guy like Ryan Freel though seems silly. How does Ryan Freel fit in with this ball club? Ryan Freel is a utility player who does EXACTLY what Bloomquist does. Aside from 2006 his defense has never really been outstanding either. This isn't to say Ryan Freel has no value, but he isn't a fit with the Royals. His roster spot could be better served by letting someone like Kila Ka'aihue play and just keeping Mitch Maier in the OF.
2. Philosophy For Winning- What is Dayton Moore's vision of a winning ballclub? From the moves we've seen, I don't know what he's wanting. The three ways to win would seem to be good hitting and pitching, pitching and defense, or all 3. Moore has made moves to make this club into a decent pitching, terrible defense and offense club. This is obviously not a way to win. Quite frankly it seems like Moore gets ADD when he thinks about his vision for this team. Guillen and Jacobs for power, then players like Pena and Crisp are acquired for defense. What we end up with is a team that has holes on both offense and defense because DM won't stick with a plan. He simply needs to build an offense or a defense. It doesn't matter which, it just matters that he picks one and sticks with it. I would suggest going the route of pitching and defense since it would be cheaper and it has more (no play on words) pieces in place. For this to happen players like Callaspo and Guillen need to go. Try and parlay them into another pitcher and a good AAA 2B and Shortstop. If this team could get an easily attainable infield of Kila/Butler, Brent Lillibridge at 2nd, Chin-Lung Hu at short and Gordon at 3rd this is a better team. If the team can manage an OF of DDJ, Maier (next year Crisp) and Francouer, then the team would be much better on defense. Thats pitching and defense. Plus its not like the offense could be any worse...
1. Age- Much like Baird acquiring role players on a noncontending team, Dayton Moore has made a few moves which don't make much sense for the state the club is in. Moves like signing Willy Bloomquist (having a utility guy who isn't young is okay) and even Jose Guillen were okay (yes he was older and didn't fit in with the youth movement, and yes we paid too much, but the idea was to improve the offense which I suppose could have happened) by at least some point of view. After all, you can't rebuild with just young players (Herm Edwards/Carl Peterson). The move of bringing in a guy like Ryan Freel though seems silly. How does Ryan Freel fit in with this ball club? Ryan Freel is a utility player who does EXACTLY what Bloomquist does. Aside from 2006 his defense has never really been outstanding either. This isn't to say Ryan Freel has no value, but he isn't a fit with the Royals. His roster spot could be better served by letting someone like Kila Ka'aihue play and just keeping Mitch Maier in the OF.
2. Philosophy For Winning- What is Dayton Moore's vision of a winning ballclub? From the moves we've seen, I don't know what he's wanting. The three ways to win would seem to be good hitting and pitching, pitching and defense, or all 3. Moore has made moves to make this club into a decent pitching, terrible defense and offense club. This is obviously not a way to win. Quite frankly it seems like Moore gets ADD when he thinks about his vision for this team. Guillen and Jacobs for power, then players like Pena and Crisp are acquired for defense. What we end up with is a team that has holes on both offense and defense because DM won't stick with a plan. He simply needs to build an offense or a defense. It doesn't matter which, it just matters that he picks one and sticks with it. I would suggest going the route of pitching and defense since it would be cheaper and it has more (no play on words) pieces in place. For this to happen players like Callaspo and Guillen need to go. Try and parlay them into another pitcher and a good AAA 2B and Shortstop. If this team could get an easily attainable infield of Kila/Butler, Brent Lillibridge at 2nd, Chin-Lung Hu at short and Gordon at 3rd this is a better team. If the team can manage an OF of DDJ, Maier (next year Crisp) and Francouer, then the team would be much better on defense. Thats pitching and defense. Plus its not like the offense could be any worse...
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Ramblings
SS- Well its a good thing we traded for Betancourt, he went 2 for 4 last night. He's on track to hit .500 the rest of the way. Yay Dayton! Suck on that Seattle, Rany, and all you others who understand these advanced stats. Julio Lugo? Why would the Royals want Lugo? His OBP is higher. Like .350? His defense isn't worse? He didn't cost prospects? Umm your crazy! Yuniesky Betancourt has hit .289, and has Gold Glove potential! Thats why this team picked him up. He is also better than TPJ was so HA!
3B- On a more serious note Alex Gordon is back. Hopefully he can put together a .280/.370/.500 ish line up the rest of the way. Maybe even better. A-Gord also helps out the defense as Teahen will be moved off third.
P- Zack Greinke should have started the All-Star game.
Thats all for now.
3B- On a more serious note Alex Gordon is back. Hopefully he can put together a .280/.370/.500 ish line up the rest of the way. Maybe even better. A-Gord also helps out the defense as Teahen will be moved off third.
P- Zack Greinke should have started the All-Star game.
Thats all for now.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Shocked
So yesterday the Royals traded for Yuniesky Betancourt and managed to give up their #3 prospect according to BA last year (Dan Cortes) and lefty Derrick Saito. I'm needless to say not very happy with this move. I'll start by admitting that Dan Cortes seems to me to have always been a little overrated. His ERA's of 3.78 in 2008 and 3.92 in 2009 are backed up by FIP's of 4.4 and 4.28. This isn't a huge difference, but he has been somewhat lucky. His walks (besides his off the field problems) have been his hugest problem going from 3.29 per 9 to 4.24 to most recently 5.6. Another worry with him this year has been that his K/9 has dropped from 8.41 to 6.39. This didn't worry me though since the 8.41 was also at AA. The point is Dan Cortes was a flawed prospect. He was NOT worthless though. Some projected Cortes could possibly be a middle of the rotation starter one day. At worst with his power arm he could have been a decent middle reliever (Robinson Tejada?). The other prospect in the deal Saito had a 9.4 K/9 this year in A ball, but really is too far away to project. The two of them together should have been enough to be a large part of a deal to get a decent baseball player with upside (Yunel Escobar) or a solid veteran (Jack Wilson). Instead they got Yuniesky Betancourt. Betancourt is OPSing .609 this year, and has never done better than .725. He's 27 and has been gone steadily down from that .725 OPS 3 years ago. He has hit .289 before (twice) but his career high in walks is 17 and he has never hit 10 HR's in a season. This MAY have been okay if he were a good glove man at short. Betancourt through this point in the year has allowed 8.3 more runs on defense than a replacement level player. Hes produced 10.7 runs less than a replacement player. He is essentially a below average shortstop at BEST! So how do you give a good pitching prospect and a reliever with some upside for a below average shortstop who can't field and can't hit and has DECLINING skills? Were you dropped on your head as a kid DM? Were you drunk? I've tried to be patient with this team but moves like this really annoy me. I've always said no to the fire DM stuff, but now I don't know. I really don't know.
Friday, July 10, 2009
A Lineup Idea
DH Callaspo
LF DeJesus
1B Billy Butler
3B Alex Gordon
RF Teahen
C B. Pena
2B Bloomquist
CF Maier/Freel
SS TPJ
I guess I should explain this. Callaspo leads off because he's probably the best hitter on the team right now, although arguments for Gordon or Butler are acceptable. DeJesus is 2nd, because he's a good OBP guy usually and he has a good liner/contact swing and can move runners over. Butler hits 3rd, because he's been the most promising hitter thus far and has shown some doubles power. Gordon would hit 4th because I think he's our best power threat and he won't clog the base paths if he has to lead off an inning. He also is a pretty patient hitter. Teahen has been a consistent hitter this year and while he isn't an ideal #5 he's the best remaining hitter. B. Pena plays catcher, because theres no reason not to see what he can do for the rest of the year. Olivo's HR% is awful high this year too, so be expecting a slump. After that Bloomquist is at 2nd because he provides a defensive upgrade over Callaspo and has proven to be decent this year. The 8 & 9 spots provide little offense, but should provide at least average defense. I think this lineup gives the team the best opportunity to score and provides defensive upgrades at 2nd, 3rd, and RF.
LF DeJesus
1B Billy Butler
3B Alex Gordon
RF Teahen
C B. Pena
2B Bloomquist
CF Maier/Freel
SS TPJ
I guess I should explain this. Callaspo leads off because he's probably the best hitter on the team right now, although arguments for Gordon or Butler are acceptable. DeJesus is 2nd, because he's a good OBP guy usually and he has a good liner/contact swing and can move runners over. Butler hits 3rd, because he's been the most promising hitter thus far and has shown some doubles power. Gordon would hit 4th because I think he's our best power threat and he won't clog the base paths if he has to lead off an inning. He also is a pretty patient hitter. Teahen has been a consistent hitter this year and while he isn't an ideal #5 he's the best remaining hitter. B. Pena plays catcher, because theres no reason not to see what he can do for the rest of the year. Olivo's HR% is awful high this year too, so be expecting a slump. After that Bloomquist is at 2nd because he provides a defensive upgrade over Callaspo and has proven to be decent this year. The 8 & 9 spots provide little offense, but should provide at least average defense. I think this lineup gives the team the best opportunity to score and provides defensive upgrades at 2nd, 3rd, and RF.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Tyler Sample Interview
Royals pitching prospect Tyler Sample recently gave me an interview. Here it is:
ME: What’s the biggest difference between your 1st and 2nd year of pro ball?
TS: There is a lot of difference! My first year I was somewhat out of shape, I wasn't very strong and my mechanics needed some work. All of these lead to some control issues! This year I worked really hard though the offseason and all through spring training and extended to work on these issues and really learned and better understand how to pitch.
ME: What kind of work specifically have you been doing to improve your weaknesses?
TS: Well I stayed in Surprise AZ during the offseason, working out at the facility. As far as making my mechanics better I have just been going through them with some of our pitching coaches watching and also doing dry pitches in the mirror so I can see and feel what I am doing.
ME: I see. What do you feel your strengths are as a pitcher at this point in time?
TS: My stuff is my strength... I have good stuff; I am just working hard at harnessing it at this point.
ME: What are your best pitches in your opinion?
TS:My fastball is my best without a doubt, then my curveball and my change-up has made a lot of progress I am really happy with it at this point. My curve ball is my second best.
ME: What pitcher current or past would you compare yourself or your style of pitching to?
TS: Well I like to think that compare to Josh Johnson... We have a similar body type... similar pitching style. So that is who I would most like to model my game after.
ME: What pitchers did you look up to as kid?
TS: I looked up to mostly the power guys! Guys like Nolan Ryan, Rodger Clemens. Also Roy Halladay being that he is from Colorado.
ME: What team did you root for? I'm guessing the Rockies?
TS: Actually no... I mean I never really had a "team" growing up but I always liked the Yankees.
ME: Not the Yankees! Ha just kidding. So back to your playing career, what was draft day like for you last year?
TS: It was definitely nerve racking, exciting, suspenseful just a whole lot of emotions all in one day.
ME: Where did you think you would go and what did the Royals say to you after they picked you?
TS: I didn't know where I was going to go, but I did think I was going to go earlier. After the Royals picked me they just said congratulations and welcome to the Royals.
ME: Did they lay out any kind of path to the big leagues that they expected you to take? If not, when do you hope to be up?
TS: No they never laid out a path... I knew they drafted me as a project so its up to me and how fast I progress. That is gonna be how quickly they move me up the minors. My goal to making the Majors is 4 years.
ME: What other goals do you have for your baseball career?
TS: I am just trying to be as effective as I can with my pitches and progress as much as I can at this point.
ME: Thanks for the interview!
TS: Your Welcome
Now on another note I'd like to apologize to Billy Butler. I've bashed him on here before, but that was just me being frustrated with the team losing. He's been one of the few bright spots for the major league club this year.
ME: What’s the biggest difference between your 1st and 2nd year of pro ball?
TS: There is a lot of difference! My first year I was somewhat out of shape, I wasn't very strong and my mechanics needed some work. All of these lead to some control issues! This year I worked really hard though the offseason and all through spring training and extended to work on these issues and really learned and better understand how to pitch.
ME: What kind of work specifically have you been doing to improve your weaknesses?
TS: Well I stayed in Surprise AZ during the offseason, working out at the facility. As far as making my mechanics better I have just been going through them with some of our pitching coaches watching and also doing dry pitches in the mirror so I can see and feel what I am doing.
ME: I see. What do you feel your strengths are as a pitcher at this point in time?
TS: My stuff is my strength... I have good stuff; I am just working hard at harnessing it at this point.
ME: What are your best pitches in your opinion?
TS:My fastball is my best without a doubt, then my curveball and my change-up has made a lot of progress I am really happy with it at this point. My curve ball is my second best.
ME: What pitcher current or past would you compare yourself or your style of pitching to?
TS: Well I like to think that compare to Josh Johnson... We have a similar body type... similar pitching style. So that is who I would most like to model my game after.
ME: What pitchers did you look up to as kid?
TS: I looked up to mostly the power guys! Guys like Nolan Ryan, Rodger Clemens. Also Roy Halladay being that he is from Colorado.
ME: What team did you root for? I'm guessing the Rockies?
TS: Actually no... I mean I never really had a "team" growing up but I always liked the Yankees.
ME: Not the Yankees! Ha just kidding. So back to your playing career, what was draft day like for you last year?
TS: It was definitely nerve racking, exciting, suspenseful just a whole lot of emotions all in one day.
ME: Where did you think you would go and what did the Royals say to you after they picked you?
TS: I didn't know where I was going to go, but I did think I was going to go earlier. After the Royals picked me they just said congratulations and welcome to the Royals.
ME: Did they lay out any kind of path to the big leagues that they expected you to take? If not, when do you hope to be up?
TS: No they never laid out a path... I knew they drafted me as a project so its up to me and how fast I progress. That is gonna be how quickly they move me up the minors. My goal to making the Majors is 4 years.
ME: What other goals do you have for your baseball career?
TS: I am just trying to be as effective as I can with my pitches and progress as much as I can at this point.
ME: Thanks for the interview!
TS: Your Welcome
Now on another note I'd like to apologize to Billy Butler. I've bashed him on here before, but that was just me being frustrated with the team losing. He's been one of the few bright spots for the major league club this year.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Long Awaited Update
It's been a while since I updated on here, but I'll try to do better. But lets address the state of the Royals.
1B: Billy has really been a disappointment, hes gotten better at first but to this point has been a singles hitting 1st baseman who has little power. He has to get some power if he's going to be valuable. Jacobs is what we thought he was.
Fix: If Moore really wants to shake things up he'd trade Butler and call up Ka'aihue. What can you get for Butler at this point though. That said I can't blame DM if he just waits on Butler.
2B: I like Callaspo, but his range really hurts the team. If the team is going to win it will be with pitching and defense. That means Bert is expendable.
3B: Waiting for Gordon to come back so I can quit watching Teahen miss (or rather not get to) everything more than a step away from him.
SS: Aviles has been a bust. I'd honestly play TPJ even once he comes back.
C: I like Buck better, but not too fond of him. I'd like to see if B. Pena can become a decent catcher. If not him maybe JR House?
CF: Coco will be fine once he gets healthy. I'd look at an extension for him. 3 years @ 5M per?
RF: I don't like Guillen even when he's "hitting". He doesn't play defense and he's too streaky
LF: DDJ is going to be fine but really he's expendable.
Trades To Try:
DDJ, Rosa and/or Farnsworth for Brandon Wood and Reggie Willtis (I know I spelled that wrong.
Guillen and his salary for the rest of this year for Jeff Francouer
C Buck/Olivo/Pena
1B Butler
2B Callaspo
3B Gordon (when he comes back)
SS Wood
LF Willtis/Teahen/Maier
RF Francouer/Teahen/Maier
CF Crisp/Maier
I know the infield is really bad, but I'm unsure what to do there...
1B: Billy has really been a disappointment, hes gotten better at first but to this point has been a singles hitting 1st baseman who has little power. He has to get some power if he's going to be valuable. Jacobs is what we thought he was.
Fix: If Moore really wants to shake things up he'd trade Butler and call up Ka'aihue. What can you get for Butler at this point though. That said I can't blame DM if he just waits on Butler.
2B: I like Callaspo, but his range really hurts the team. If the team is going to win it will be with pitching and defense. That means Bert is expendable.
3B: Waiting for Gordon to come back so I can quit watching Teahen miss (or rather not get to) everything more than a step away from him.
SS: Aviles has been a bust. I'd honestly play TPJ even once he comes back.
C: I like Buck better, but not too fond of him. I'd like to see if B. Pena can become a decent catcher. If not him maybe JR House?
CF: Coco will be fine once he gets healthy. I'd look at an extension for him. 3 years @ 5M per?
RF: I don't like Guillen even when he's "hitting". He doesn't play defense and he's too streaky
LF: DDJ is going to be fine but really he's expendable.
Trades To Try:
DDJ, Rosa and/or Farnsworth for Brandon Wood and Reggie Willtis (I know I spelled that wrong.
Guillen and his salary for the rest of this year for Jeff Francouer
C Buck/Olivo/Pena
1B Butler
2B Callaspo
3B Gordon (when he comes back)
SS Wood
LF Willtis/Teahen/Maier
RF Francouer/Teahen/Maier
CF Crisp/Maier
I know the infield is really bad, but I'm unsure what to do there...
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey Goodbye Gload
Ross Gload was traded with cash for a player to be named later today. I for one am furious. How will the Royals replace his massive production though? I mean can you really find another .272/.318/.348 player? Especially at the first base position who else give you these numbers? He also smashed 3 HR's in his rein of terror on pitchers. This is also coupled with his ability to play a corner outfield position at a less than average level. How do you let this type of player go? I mean can Shealy, Ka'iahue, Butler, or Jacobs match that? They all pale in comparison to Ross Gload. Who won't miss his clutch ground outs? Actually in all seriousness this is amazing. Gload constantly brought this club down. His production for a first baseman was putrid and he can't really play anywhere else. Good Riddance! Although Trey may shed a tear when he goes to put down Gload on the card and is forced to play a legit 1B. It'll be okay Trey!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
My Apologies Luke Hochevar!
HOW DID LUKE HOCHEVAR NOT WIN THE #4 SPOT IN THE STARTING ROTATION? HOW DID HE NOT LAND A SPOT IN THE ROTATION! Luke Hochevar despite outpitching every Royal's starter this spring except Kyle Davies will not be in the rotation at the beginning of the rotation. The last time Ramirez was a starter his ERA was above 7, but that was 2007 right? It's unfair to judge him off that time right? So lets look at his Spring Training stats.
Ramirez 19IP 9.00ERA 19ER 26R 6SO 4BB
Hochevar 16.1IP 3.83 ERA 7ER 7R 8SO 4BB
Now at the beginning of spring there was supposed to be a competition between Ramirez, Bannister and Hochevar for the last 2 spots. Now in what way does Ramirez beat Hochevar if this is a competition? Both are ground ball pitchers, so you can't say Ramirez plays better with the defense. Whats the reason? Hochevar beats HoRam in every category. He's 5 runs better in ERA and thats with HoRam getting lucky and having 7 unearned. Now you can say he had bad defense behind him, but don't good pitchers get out of jams on their own? And didn't Luke Hochevar have for the most part the same defense? It's fine if they want to put Ponson in the rotation even though he's proven nothing and hasn't been any good since possibly ever, but even he hasn't performed better than Hochevar. He wasn't going to be with a team in camp if he hadn't looked decent in the WBC. So how is Hochevar who had a brilliant spring and a solid last year not going to be starting over a crappy lefty, and some jerk who wasn't even in camp all spring? Lets hope Hochevar doesn't get a bad attitude though.... we'll need him to bail us out when HoRam or Ponson get yanked from the rotation.
Ramirez 19IP 9.00ERA 19ER 26R 6SO 4BB
Hochevar 16.1IP 3.83 ERA 7ER 7R 8SO 4BB
Now at the beginning of spring there was supposed to be a competition between Ramirez, Bannister and Hochevar for the last 2 spots. Now in what way does Ramirez beat Hochevar if this is a competition? Both are ground ball pitchers, so you can't say Ramirez plays better with the defense. Whats the reason? Hochevar beats HoRam in every category. He's 5 runs better in ERA and thats with HoRam getting lucky and having 7 unearned. Now you can say he had bad defense behind him, but don't good pitchers get out of jams on their own? And didn't Luke Hochevar have for the most part the same defense? It's fine if they want to put Ponson in the rotation even though he's proven nothing and hasn't been any good since possibly ever, but even he hasn't performed better than Hochevar. He wasn't going to be with a team in camp if he hadn't looked decent in the WBC. So how is Hochevar who had a brilliant spring and a solid last year not going to be starting over a crappy lefty, and some jerk who wasn't even in camp all spring? Lets hope Hochevar doesn't get a bad attitude though.... we'll need him to bail us out when HoRam or Ponson get yanked from the rotation.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Position by Position: Outfielders Part 2
David Dejesus- has been a good player his entire career. He's the typical .290 avg guy that can be a guy on a playoff team, but not THE guy. The comparisons of him being baby Beltran when he first came up were too much, but he's another player who is what he is which is good in this case but not great. Last year he managed to hit over .300 combined with a good walk rate and a RISP near .400 . This year he will move to left field where he profiles better as a defender. The only downsides to him are he isn't a power or steal threat .295/.370/.430 w/12HR as a projection.
Coco Crisp- the best name in baseball arguably is a Royal now after a swap with Boston for Ramon Ramirez. Coco began his career as a speedy outfielder who could hit. He then moved onto Boston and struggled with his hitting while battling injuries. Coco has never really been an OBP guy with his highest being in the .34o's. He has shown improved plate patience though this spring as hes leading the Cactus League in walks. His strengths are a decent contact swing, exceptional speed, and good defense. Last year his defense suffered, but most consider this a result of his injuries. His weaknesses are no power, and a weak arm. Overall though he'll greatly improve the Royals' outfield defense. My projections are .280/.355/.395 with 5HR and 35 SB.
Coco Crisp- the best name in baseball arguably is a Royal now after a swap with Boston for Ramon Ramirez. Coco began his career as a speedy outfielder who could hit. He then moved onto Boston and struggled with his hitting while battling injuries. Coco has never really been an OBP guy with his highest being in the .34o's. He has shown improved plate patience though this spring as hes leading the Cactus League in walks. His strengths are a decent contact swing, exceptional speed, and good defense. Last year his defense suffered, but most consider this a result of his injuries. His weaknesses are no power, and a weak arm. Overall though he'll greatly improve the Royals' outfield defense. My projections are .280/.355/.395 with 5HR and 35 SB.
Position By Position: Outfield Part 1
Jose Guillen- When a team declines an 8M dollar option on a player, its probably not wise to give him 12M per on a 3 year deal. This is especially true when that player is in his mid 30s and due for a huge decline. Such is the case however with Jose Guillen. Guillen had 20HR's and 90+ rbi's last year, but his stats are decieving. He hit cleanup the whole year, thus giving him more chances to drive in runs. His homers came in bunches though meaning he was a force for probably 6 weeks of the season and useless for the rest. He combined his slightly above average power last year with horrible on base skills, bad fielding, an attitude problem, and a lack of hustle. But he does have a good throwing arm and he stayed at a Holiday Inn Express! Hopefully KC can dump Guillen before his contract ends and his skills erode further. Also I'd bet anything he starts getting hurt this year. As for projections .260/.290/.470 with 17HR's if he stays healthy.
Mark Teahen- The talented Mr. Teahen has been a source of much mystery to Royals fans. Does he suck? Where did his power go? What position is he? Teahen was the biggest part of the Beltran trade, so he'll always be linked to Beltran which is a hard guy to be compared to. Teahen initially was disappointing, then after being sent down to AAA in his 2nd season came back and raked and popped 18HR's before having season ending surgery. The next year the batting average was ok, but the power was gone, and both took steps back last season. This year in spring though the snubbing of the St. Mary's Gaels has evoked the wrath of Mark Teahen on spring leagues. In the end we just have to hope Kevin Seitzer can right the Teahen ship. As is he's a guy who can play all the corner positions semi-okay, and can hit semi-okay and has an above average eye. His strengths and weaknesses all hing upon his potential. That's what makes him an okay utility guy or an above average regular. His projection is tough but I'll go .280/.350/.450 with 15HR. That may be optimistic or pessimistic depending on who you talk to.
P.S. An added bonus of Teahen is he makes Gload superfluous and expendable.
Mitch Maier- He's a 4th OF who hit okay in limited duty last year. He's solid in the field and a little light with the bat. I admire him though b/c he got hit in the face with a pitch and was back later that year. He'll likely spend most of the year in AAA, but injuries could see him in KC before September. Projections for full playing time would be .270/.310/.400 with 7HR.
Shane Costa- He's a AAAA player who can't hit in the majors. Some say he hasn't gotten a full opportunity and it seems like an okay argument. The problem is nobody has the patience to watch him flail away in the bigs for more than a few games. Projection is .285/.330/.420 with 10HR with full PT.
Chris Lubanski- The former top pick is changing my mind on him every time I think. One minute I write him off as a bust, the next I think he could still turn out okay. He was a high pick in the draft who went from speedy CF to bulky LF and traded his speed for power. He's struggled initially at each level before hitting and may do the same at AAA. He also has shown improving plate discipline. If the Royals have another Mike Aviles breakout candidate its this 24 year old OF. In a full playing time role I predict he would go .220/.290/.450 with 15 HR. He could do much better though, and with injuries or trades could see KC before September.
Mark Teahen- The talented Mr. Teahen has been a source of much mystery to Royals fans. Does he suck? Where did his power go? What position is he? Teahen was the biggest part of the Beltran trade, so he'll always be linked to Beltran which is a hard guy to be compared to. Teahen initially was disappointing, then after being sent down to AAA in his 2nd season came back and raked and popped 18HR's before having season ending surgery. The next year the batting average was ok, but the power was gone, and both took steps back last season. This year in spring though the snubbing of the St. Mary's Gaels has evoked the wrath of Mark Teahen on spring leagues. In the end we just have to hope Kevin Seitzer can right the Teahen ship. As is he's a guy who can play all the corner positions semi-okay, and can hit semi-okay and has an above average eye. His strengths and weaknesses all hing upon his potential. That's what makes him an okay utility guy or an above average regular. His projection is tough but I'll go .280/.350/.450 with 15HR. That may be optimistic or pessimistic depending on who you talk to.
P.S. An added bonus of Teahen is he makes Gload superfluous and expendable.
Mitch Maier- He's a 4th OF who hit okay in limited duty last year. He's solid in the field and a little light with the bat. I admire him though b/c he got hit in the face with a pitch and was back later that year. He'll likely spend most of the year in AAA, but injuries could see him in KC before September. Projections for full playing time would be .270/.310/.400 with 7HR.
Shane Costa- He's a AAAA player who can't hit in the majors. Some say he hasn't gotten a full opportunity and it seems like an okay argument. The problem is nobody has the patience to watch him flail away in the bigs for more than a few games. Projection is .285/.330/.420 with 10HR with full PT.
Chris Lubanski- The former top pick is changing my mind on him every time I think. One minute I write him off as a bust, the next I think he could still turn out okay. He was a high pick in the draft who went from speedy CF to bulky LF and traded his speed for power. He's struggled initially at each level before hitting and may do the same at AAA. He also has shown improving plate discipline. If the Royals have another Mike Aviles breakout candidate its this 24 year old OF. In a full playing time role I predict he would go .220/.290/.450 with 15 HR. He could do much better though, and with injuries or trades could see KC before September.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Position by Position:3rd Base
Alex Gordon- So much to say about Alex Gordon. He was primed for greatness from the start. He was a 2-time Gatorade High School Player of the Year. He then went to Nebraska then and began his Blitzkrieg assault. When the smoke cleared Alex was standing as the Golden Spikes Award Winner and tabbed as the number 2 overall pick by the Royals. He was also given a then club record bonus. Alex then began beating up minor league pitchers like they broke in at 3 in the morning en route to becoming minor league player of the year. Alex was starting to draw comparisons to another KC Royals 3B named Brett. He then made the club after only one year in the minors. In his first AB the stage was primed as he stood in against Curt Schilling with the bases loaded and... The Mighty Alex struck out. This was the tone for the first half of his rookie year as he disapointed most all pundits as he was near consensus preseason rookie of the year. He did show some improvement in the 2nd half though. His 2nd year was supposed to be his breakout year and it was to an extent, as Gordon raised his OBP by 40 points and showed the 2nd half splits of the player he was expected to be. Still to this point in his career he's been overshadowed by Ryan Zimmerman and even more so by Evan Longoria. Gordon seems to have lost his crown as the top young 3B in the game. This year is a crossroads for Gordon. Down one road is the path ESPN expects him to take. This path is to go on having an above average career as a .350-.360 obp 15HR guy since "all the unrealistic expectations are gone". The other path leads to becoming an elite 3rd baseman and claiming his place in the sun as one of the game's best. As a Royals fan, if its not the latter this team doesn't have any chance of contending for a World Series until Moustakas and Hosmer arrive. The reason to hope with Gordon is that he never saw AAA pitching so he may be slowly adjusting because of that. Hopefully this means Moose and Hosmer will see AAA. Alex's strengths are his ablility to hit for power, average, run the bases well, draw a walk and he even has the potential to be a good 3B with his solid range and laser rocket arm. His weakness is that he's often too patient at the plate as he set an MLB record for most called strike 3's last season. He also regressed some on defense. Alex could be the next big thing and I think he will. He could very well anchor a lineup like another 3B Dayton Moore may know named Chipper Jones. This year I predict Gordon hits .310/.410/.530 with 34HR's. Evan who?
Position by Position: Shortstop
Mike Aviles- Aviles seems to be living out that cliched high school yearbook quote of "What a long, strange trip its been". He's gone from $1,000 bonus signability draft pick, to minor league depth, to Major League rookie sensation. I saw him in his first start in KC last year in person. He botched 2 double plays and struck out a couple times if I remember correct. He looked like he had no business in the bigs. Then he started hitting last year and after a small slump, readjusted and began again. Aviles ended up playing an okay SS last year too despite being a little range challenged in my opinion. His strengths are his good contact skills, average power, and steady glove while his weakness is mainly just how much of a free swinger he is. Advanced stat metrics also point out his his BAIBP was extremely high (.384?) last year when contrasted to his line drive rate. His expected BAIBP was aroun 60 to 70 points lower. I predict though that Aviles makes up for his dropoff in average with a little more patience and goes .295/.355/.450 on the year with 15 HR's.
Tony Pena Jr.- Not much to say here. He's above average with the glove (not great as some believe) and can't hit worth a lick. I think he should be reassigned to a low level as a pitcher. He may have some potential as a pitcher. If not he's an AAA player this year who would hit .200/.210/.250 over a whole season. Maybe that's harsh but he sucks.
Tony Pena Jr.- Not much to say here. He's above average with the glove (not great as some believe) and can't hit worth a lick. I think he should be reassigned to a low level as a pitcher. He may have some potential as a pitcher. If not he's an AAA player this year who would hit .200/.210/.250 over a whole season. Maybe that's harsh but he sucks.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Position by Position: 2nd Baseman
Alberto Callaspo- Callaspo was acquired before the 08 season in a trade for pitcher Billy Buckner. At the time I liked the trade because Buckner was a #5 starter while Bert had won batting titles in the minors. He had some trouble in the off-field altercation department, but still looked like the replacement for Grudz. Last year his off field issues continued as he had a DUI. Now I'm still a fan of Callaspo and hope he can overcome his off-field issues to win the starting 2nd base job. His strength is that he is an excellent contact hitter, has a decent eye and a good glove man. His weaknesses though are he has somewhat limited range (this is the reason why I think the Royals should trade him or cut him if he isn't going to be their starting 2nd baseman since he can only play one position and thus is a waste of a roster spot as a backup), no power and well off-field issues. Still I predict Bert wins the 2B job and puts up a .290/.360/.400 line.
Willie Bloomquist- When Willie signed with the Royals for guaranteed money and a 2-year deal everyone was furious. They pointed out he had one extra base hit last year and slugged .285 or something. I actually didn't mind the move. He's a good defender and can play every position but catcher. Bloomy also is a good base stealer. Obviously his lack of power and sometimes overall hitting ability are worrysome if he becomes everyday 2nd baseman, but he's a good starter when you need defense for a ground ball pitcher like Luke Hochevar and a good defensive replacement for late in game, who even adds roster flexibility. He's a little overpaid, but Guillen, HoRam, Farnsworth, and Olivo are too. He hits .275/.330/.380 this year with 3HR and 15 SB.
Tug Hulett- acquired off waivers he has a cool name and decent minor league stats. An okay bat and a good eye from what I can tell. I hear he's an okay defender and can play most infield positions though not as well as Bloomquist. He's mostly an AAA guy who can come up after an injury. He goes .240/.330/.400 w/10hr if he gets full playing time, but he wont so don't expect big things, but consider him a sleeper.
Willie Bloomquist- When Willie signed with the Royals for guaranteed money and a 2-year deal everyone was furious. They pointed out he had one extra base hit last year and slugged .285 or something. I actually didn't mind the move. He's a good defender and can play every position but catcher. Bloomy also is a good base stealer. Obviously his lack of power and sometimes overall hitting ability are worrysome if he becomes everyday 2nd baseman, but he's a good starter when you need defense for a ground ball pitcher like Luke Hochevar and a good defensive replacement for late in game, who even adds roster flexibility. He's a little overpaid, but Guillen, HoRam, Farnsworth, and Olivo are too. He hits .275/.330/.380 this year with 3HR and 15 SB.
Tug Hulett- acquired off waivers he has a cool name and decent minor league stats. An okay bat and a good eye from what I can tell. I hear he's an okay defender and can play most infield positions though not as well as Bloomquist. He's mostly an AAA guy who can come up after an injury. He goes .240/.330/.400 w/10hr if he gets full playing time, but he wont so don't expect big things, but consider him a sleeper.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Position by Position: 1st Base
Mike Jacobs- so at first when the Royals traded for Jacobs I was sooo mad! Shealy won't get a chance, Kila is blocked, No Adam Dunn, and not to mention Leo Nunez was a pretty good reliever. Now let me start by saying I feel the same way about each of those, but I don't hate Mike Jacobs anymore. Why? Well at first when we got him I got all caught up in the sabermetrics people saying he sucks because he doesn't walk much. Then again he does hit for plus power. The 2nd reason I hated the trade was that it blocked Kila Ka'aihue. Kila had been tearing up the minors last year and looked like a bona fide power hitting, high on base percentage 1B. The third reason I hated the move at the time time was it killed any shot at adam dunn. Dunn is the typical obp/HR guy that I like and would have been a guarenteed value to our offense. At 10M per year though (he signed a 2 year 20M deal with the nationals) he's much more expensive than Jacobs. So what are the strengths of Mike Jacobs? He hits a lot of home runs.... that's it. His weaknesses are he doesn't walk, is slow, can't field. Now the speed and fielding of a 1st basemen aren't a huge, but walks are. This spring training though has given me hope in Jacobs in that maybe he can continue walking at a decent rate as he has so far and be valueable. After all shouldn't plate patience in spring be the one thing that carries over into the season? So projection time I'll say he goes .265/.345/.515 with 31 HR's. If this happens Royals win the trade.
Billy Butler- Billy is a hitter. That's just it. He smacks the ball. Butler is one of the prized Royal's prospects the team needs to step forward this year and for the future. Butler just raked everywhere he went in the minors. The only issue with him was can he field anywhere? Butler started as a 3B, then moved to OF for the majority of his time in the minors. This begs the question who saw Billy Butler run and thought he could EVER be anywhere in the field besides 1B. Butler has struggled in the field since coming to the majors, and also seems to have left his patience and some of his hitting in the minors with him. In stints back in the minors since being called up he's hit, but he'll need to bring his bat to the majors in full( he has to hit righties also) for the Royals to stay on track. His strengths are he hits for average and some power. His weaknesses are his fielding and questionable attitude. Projection is .300/.380/.500 with 18HR's. His batting style is like Sweeney's in that he's a line drive type hitter and thus more of a gap hitter than a slugger.
Kila Ka'iahue- Kila came from nowhere to become a fan favorite despite only a few at bats in the bigs. Kila represented hope that the Gload era was over. Many scouts are skeptical of him as he came from nowhere. Kila's strengths are his great patience and plus power. He lacks great bat speed though and is slow. Kila is okay in the field from what I've heard. A good comparison for him may be Carlos Pena. He'd go .250/.365/.500 with 25HR's in a years playing time in my opinion which may be optimistic. Expect him to start in AAA and come up after an injury.
Ryan Shealy- Shealy looked like he could hit in his first year in KC, then looked awful in his 2nd. Last year in September he hit HR's like crazy when called up. This once again peaked the curiousity of people, and made us wonder why Gload was the primary starter the whole year. Odd thing about him is he is a righty who hits righties and struggles vs. lefties. He'd go .275/.340/.490 for a whole season by my projection with 20HR's. I'm a shealy fan and think with him showing promise last spring its not the time to part ways with him.
Ross Gload- He does what Teahen does, but worse and with no upside or possibility for improvement. Find a farm for useless utility players and send Gload there to play with Desi Relaford and Luis Alicia.
.275/.315/.350 for a whole year projection with 5 HR's. Put this dog down.
*sidenote- my douchebag roomate likes ross gload.
Billy Butler- Billy is a hitter. That's just it. He smacks the ball. Butler is one of the prized Royal's prospects the team needs to step forward this year and for the future. Butler just raked everywhere he went in the minors. The only issue with him was can he field anywhere? Butler started as a 3B, then moved to OF for the majority of his time in the minors. This begs the question who saw Billy Butler run and thought he could EVER be anywhere in the field besides 1B. Butler has struggled in the field since coming to the majors, and also seems to have left his patience and some of his hitting in the minors with him. In stints back in the minors since being called up he's hit, but he'll need to bring his bat to the majors in full( he has to hit righties also) for the Royals to stay on track. His strengths are he hits for average and some power. His weaknesses are his fielding and questionable attitude. Projection is .300/.380/.500 with 18HR's. His batting style is like Sweeney's in that he's a line drive type hitter and thus more of a gap hitter than a slugger.
Kila Ka'iahue- Kila came from nowhere to become a fan favorite despite only a few at bats in the bigs. Kila represented hope that the Gload era was over. Many scouts are skeptical of him as he came from nowhere. Kila's strengths are his great patience and plus power. He lacks great bat speed though and is slow. Kila is okay in the field from what I've heard. A good comparison for him may be Carlos Pena. He'd go .250/.365/.500 with 25HR's in a years playing time in my opinion which may be optimistic. Expect him to start in AAA and come up after an injury.
Ryan Shealy- Shealy looked like he could hit in his first year in KC, then looked awful in his 2nd. Last year in September he hit HR's like crazy when called up. This once again peaked the curiousity of people, and made us wonder why Gload was the primary starter the whole year. Odd thing about him is he is a righty who hits righties and struggles vs. lefties. He'd go .275/.340/.490 for a whole season by my projection with 20HR's. I'm a shealy fan and think with him showing promise last spring its not the time to part ways with him.
Ross Gload- He does what Teahen does, but worse and with no upside or possibility for improvement. Find a farm for useless utility players and send Gload there to play with Desi Relaford and Luis Alicia.
.275/.315/.350 for a whole year projection with 5 HR's. Put this dog down.
*sidenote- my douchebag roomate likes ross gload.
Position by Position: Catchers
Buck- was a huge part of the Beltran deal thus giving everyone unrealistic expectations. Its time to accept he is what he is, a solid defensive catcher who can call a good game. The fact that Meche and Zack love him is a good enough reason to keep him around. His biggest weaknesses are he doesn't throw out runners or hit for average. He's also never going to be a 20-30 hr guy barring a kevin seitzer miracle. He'll look like a good catcher when he's on a hot streak at the plate then you'll forget he exist for 2 more months. Overall he's a .240/.310/420 hitter with 15 HRs if he's a fulltime starter.
Olivo- I find this guy to be very overrated. Most of what people like about him is due to watching Buck's shortcomings. He throws out more runners than Buck but isn't necessarily a great defensive player. He mashes lefties, but isn't a great hitter. To me he's similar to Buck, but doesn't call as good of a game. His weaknesses include his alergy to walks (career high obp is in the .270s), utter uselessness hitting righties, and the fact that the pitchers haven't warmed to him yet. In my opinion as a full time starter he'd hit about .250/.265/.450 with oh 17 HR. To me I'd rather have Buck and trade Olivo. If only cause is he better enough than Buck (if he is) that you want to risk making Grienke and Meche mad?
Branyan Pena & J.R. House- These guys to me are like a rookie 3rd string quarterback for your NFL team from a college you liked. They're exciting if for no other reason than they're something differant, but the only place they'll have an impact likely is in Madden. This is the case with House and Pena barring injury or a trade. Lets start with Pena though as it is possible he could see some playing time this year. Pena came from the Braves and has always been a good contact hitter in the minors. He's in his mid twenties and has yet to get a legitimate shot. His biggest weaknesses are a weak arm, bad defense behind the plate, limited power, and from one radio personality I hear he lacks the leadership skills a catcher needs. Honestly though his arm can't throw out less runners than Buck, and his defense could improve still at this stage. Over a full season I see him as a guy who would hit .290/.350/.400 with 5 HR. This isn't bad as you'd love that obp out of your catcher and that's a good average. On a team without a glut at 1B he could provide extra value by maybe also learning to play there. It doesn't appear he's ready for the show yet though as he's likely going to be in AAA this year mostly. He is on the 40-man though. JR House has less of a chance of playing than Pena but more upside to me. House was a top propect for the pirates and was going to force their all-star at the time (Jason Kendall) to switch positions. Then injuries derailed his career and limited him behind the plate. This of course hurt him and its unclear if his bad would profile well enough for a move to 1B. In the meantime what's left is a defensively-challenged, ex top-prospect, who still hasn't gotten a shot at the big league level for large period of time. Some may call him the new Justin Huber. To me though he's a guy who the Royals should give a long look to. How bad can his defense be? His best projections are amazing. I'd be willing to venture as an everyday starter he'd hit .280/340/.430. Since he has average power I'll also go 15 HR just like Buck. Now this is awesome production from a C but if he's capable of this and hasn't gotten a shot then his defense must be putrid from his injuries. Again one wonders though could defense be bad enough to offset this production? House will start the year in AAA and likely be there till sept. However if there's another Mike Aviles this year who comes out of nowhere to just rake, then House would be my guess and therefore a Top preseason Mike Aviles award candidate.
Olivo- I find this guy to be very overrated. Most of what people like about him is due to watching Buck's shortcomings. He throws out more runners than Buck but isn't necessarily a great defensive player. He mashes lefties, but isn't a great hitter. To me he's similar to Buck, but doesn't call as good of a game. His weaknesses include his alergy to walks (career high obp is in the .270s), utter uselessness hitting righties, and the fact that the pitchers haven't warmed to him yet. In my opinion as a full time starter he'd hit about .250/.265/.450 with oh 17 HR. To me I'd rather have Buck and trade Olivo. If only cause is he better enough than Buck (if he is) that you want to risk making Grienke and Meche mad?
Branyan Pena & J.R. House- These guys to me are like a rookie 3rd string quarterback for your NFL team from a college you liked. They're exciting if for no other reason than they're something differant, but the only place they'll have an impact likely is in Madden. This is the case with House and Pena barring injury or a trade. Lets start with Pena though as it is possible he could see some playing time this year. Pena came from the Braves and has always been a good contact hitter in the minors. He's in his mid twenties and has yet to get a legitimate shot. His biggest weaknesses are a weak arm, bad defense behind the plate, limited power, and from one radio personality I hear he lacks the leadership skills a catcher needs. Honestly though his arm can't throw out less runners than Buck, and his defense could improve still at this stage. Over a full season I see him as a guy who would hit .290/.350/.400 with 5 HR. This isn't bad as you'd love that obp out of your catcher and that's a good average. On a team without a glut at 1B he could provide extra value by maybe also learning to play there. It doesn't appear he's ready for the show yet though as he's likely going to be in AAA this year mostly. He is on the 40-man though. JR House has less of a chance of playing than Pena but more upside to me. House was a top propect for the pirates and was going to force their all-star at the time (Jason Kendall) to switch positions. Then injuries derailed his career and limited him behind the plate. This of course hurt him and its unclear if his bad would profile well enough for a move to 1B. In the meantime what's left is a defensively-challenged, ex top-prospect, who still hasn't gotten a shot at the big league level for large period of time. Some may call him the new Justin Huber. To me though he's a guy who the Royals should give a long look to. How bad can his defense be? His best projections are amazing. I'd be willing to venture as an everyday starter he'd hit .280/340/.430. Since he has average power I'll also go 15 HR just like Buck. Now this is awesome production from a C but if he's capable of this and hasn't gotten a shot then his defense must be putrid from his injuries. Again one wonders though could defense be bad enough to offset this production? House will start the year in AAA and likely be there till sept. However if there's another Mike Aviles this year who comes out of nowhere to just rake, then House would be my guess and therefore a Top preseason Mike Aviles award candidate.
Lineup Time
How I'd do it
1. Crisp CF
2. Dejesus LF
3. Gordon 3B
4. Jacobs 1B
5. Butler DH
6. Aviles SS
7. Guillen RF
8. Buck C
9. Callaspo 2B
Bench
1. B. Pena C
2. Bloomquist IF
3. Teahen 3B/OF
Last 1 in:
1B Ryan Shealy
First 4 out:
C Olivo
1B Gload
SS Pena
1B Kila Ka'aihue
More likely though the starting lineup will be
C Olivo
1B Jacobs
2B Callaspo
3B Gordon
SS Pena
LF Dejesus
CF Crisp
RF Guillen
DH Butler
Bench
1. Buck
2. Teahen
3. Bloomquist
4. Gload
Really only 1 roster spot is up for grabs which is the one I project Gload to get.
1. Crisp CF
2. Dejesus LF
3. Gordon 3B
4. Jacobs 1B
5. Butler DH
6. Aviles SS
7. Guillen RF
8. Buck C
9. Callaspo 2B
Bench
1. B. Pena C
2. Bloomquist IF
3. Teahen 3B/OF
Last 1 in:
1B Ryan Shealy
First 4 out:
C Olivo
1B Gload
SS Pena
1B Kila Ka'aihue
More likely though the starting lineup will be
C Olivo
1B Jacobs
2B Callaspo
3B Gordon
SS Pena
LF Dejesus
CF Crisp
RF Guillen
DH Butler
Bench
1. Buck
2. Teahen
3. Bloomquist
4. Gload
Really only 1 roster spot is up for grabs which is the one I project Gload to get.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Who Am I?
My Name is Tylor and I'm a student at the University of Missouri, I had the unfortunate fate of being born into being a Royals fan (I hate it when I meet people from Kansas City who root for another team. If you are from KC you have to root for the Royals, theres no choice in the matter. Rooting for the Yankees or something is just stupid. I especially hate people who root for the Cardinals, because 1. They're in Missouri too and/or 2. The Royals suck) so I've lived a pretty miserable life as a baseball fan. I hear my dad, and older people talk about the championship teams of the 80's and the concept just seems crazy to me. I can't remember a better Royals team than the 83 win team. So how do I first remember getting pulled in to the Royals. It all started when I played T-ball and loved catcher. As a result my favorite player at the time was Royals catcher Brent Mayne (I didn't care that his best season as a Royal was the one where he posted a 66 OPS+), then he got traded. Then I met my first real favorite player in the form of Mike Sweeney. I watched him go from .250 hitting horribly fielding catcher to .330 hitting below average fielding 1B (I'm optimistic). I watched him go to 5 all-star games and post an OPS+ of 120 6 times. Then I watched his back injuries sap him of all his power and ability to stay healthy. I watched a frustrated city turn on him, and him stay classy the whole time. Now is a new time for me as a Royals fan. The fate of the franchise rest almost squarely on the shoulders of 2-time Gatorade Nebraska State HS Player of the year award winning, Golden Spikes Award Winning, Minor League Player of the Year award winning 3B named Alex Gordon. I saw him in the CWS game for the first time and watched him hit a home run and get ejected and I loved him since. Him turning into a star will determine if KC turns into a playoff team. More post later though.
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