Halloween Horror Stories

I hope everyone is having/had a great Halloween. In the mood of the holiday, I’m here to present some possible story-lines that frighten me as we begin the cold, lonely grind of the offseason. Now remember, These are MY horror stories; they may not necessarily be yours. However, I’m pretty sure we’ll be in agreement.

Luke Hochevar Is Affirmed As A Significant Contributor To The Starting Rotation

• This issue has been infinitesimally discussed and rehashed as the season came to a close. Luke Hochevar is a bad starting pitcher. His inconsistency is stroke-inducing. He’s worn out his welcome. It’s understandable that the organization may not want to acknowledge the egg on their face. They may not want to admit to a failed #1 overall draft pick. But it’s better to acknowledge a mistake than to continue to throw a guy out there and continually tell a burnt-out fan base that he’s just about to “turn the corner” or “figure everything out.” Pull the plug, stick a fork in him, whatever cliche you like best…Luke Hochevar should not be a significant part of the rotation going forward.

Frenchy Reigns Supreme

• Jeff Francoeur is a great teammate. A great clubhouse some guy. But there is absolutely no reason that he should be the Royals starting right-fielder next year. The job should be Wil Myers’. If Francoeur is still the starter by mid-April, the organization has some explaining to do. I don’t think Myers has anything else to prove. We still owe Francoeur a significant amount of money for this next year, but that’s no excuse to keep Myers tethered in the minor leagues when he is an offensive (and possibly even defensive) upgrade.

It’s Announced That Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino’s Rehabilitation Will Take Longer Than Anticipated

• Tommy John surgery hurt the Royals last year and when this season rolls around, we will still be feeling the after-effects. That means that there needs to be absolutely NO hiccups in the recuperation of Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino. Duffy was impressive last year before he got hurt and Paulino has been quietly steady in his production during his time as a Royal. Dayton Moore’s recent comments about how we can’t build our team through free agency makes the recovery of these two pitchers even more important in my opinion.

These are just a few scenarios I think could railroad the Royals’ before the season even starts. Happy thoughts, I know. However, we snagged Santana today via a reasonable move. I suppose it’s good that Dayton is sticking with his “strike quickly” mentality. We’ll have to see what else happens.