Earlier, reports stated that the Royals would listen to offers involving either Joakim Soria or Greg Holland, with starting pitching being the primary target.

A full afternoon at the winter meetings has popped up a few more rumors concerning the Royals:

• The Royals are one of five teams reportedly interested in Carlos Guillen as a utility player. Guillen has struggled with injuries in recent years, and will be 36 years old on opening day. He has played virtually every position on the diamond and has a career 111 OPS+.
• Gio Gonzalez of Oakland has been mentioned as a potential target for the Royals. There have always been whispers and mentions of Gonzalez as someone the Royals would be interested in, especially on Twitter. Oakland would likely be after prospects for the 26-year-old lefty.
• Another starter that the Royals may be after is Jeremy Guthrie. With a free agent class of pitchers being both highly in demand and somewhat underwhelming, the Royals are more likely to get a pitcher via trade rather than overpay for a starter. Guthrie looks like a right-handed poor man’s Mark Buehrle and could be a fine alternative if the price was right. The Orioles would have to get pitching in return, according to reports.
• In case you’re wondering, former Royals pitcher Jeff Francis is drawing some attention on the market, as well.
• According to Bob Dutton’s chat earlier today, the Royals are looking for another situational left-handed reliever. There are also “no plans – none” to move Joakim Soria to the rotation. He also has a guess of a mid-January contract extension for Alex Gordon in the 4 year/$30 million territory.

It’s just the way life works. It’s the same with religion or politics or science or whatever you want. There are always certain folks that either can’t wrap their minds around a new concept or don’t want to accept that what they’ve believed all this time has been wrong. So, they reject the new information.

I’m not one to tell people what to think. Or, at least I try not to do so. Instead, I want to talk about how to discuss the current Royals with these folks. How do you get across the improvements the team is making and the abilities of some of the players on the field without using newer stats? Well, I gave it a shot…

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When the Royals acquired Felipe Paulino from the Rockies for cash way back in May, my response was this: meh. I didn’t really know much about him and wasn’t too impressed by what I saw statistically. For me, I didn’t see a reason to be upset or excited because, well, he was just another stripped cog in a busted gear system. Of course, he then had to prove me wrong.

After Paulino found himself with a bloated 7.36 ERA as a late-innings reliever after 18 games in 2011, it was fair for the Rockies to designate him for assignment. Perhaps trading Clint Barmes for Paulino was a bad idea for the Rockies, as their second basemen have subsequently been, well, Chris Getz or worse. But their heart was in the right place, as Paulino came to the Royals and has started 14 games, relieved in one, and has arguably been the best starter on the staff.

How is he pitching to accomplish this and what could he mean for the Royals down the line? Well, that’s what I wanted to know.

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The team almost went into a complete meltdown while the well-traveled Bruce Chen (career ERA+ of 95) was on the disabled list.

With a starting lineup full of guys picked from top prospect lists (past and present) and a bullpen loaded with young arms who are picking up high leverage innings and experience, the Royals feel like they might have a shot at contention in 2012.

There’s just that one thing – a big gaping hole known as the starting rotation.

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Billy Butler Has Been Eating His Wheaties (AP)

That strange, solid, thumping sound you hear is that of forged lumber smacking the crap out of leather baseballs. By the Royals. No, seriously.

On Friday night, the Royals put together their most complete game of the 2011 season. Before we get back to the thumping, it was Jeff Francis who held his own, throwing a gem the likes of which the team envisioned when they signed him. He threw eight scoreless innings, giving up only four hits while striking out six – two of those in the 8th. For a pitcher who came into the game with a 3-11 record and a 4.65 ERA, he had to have left the ballpark feeling like a king.

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We discussed potential trades and the philosophy the Royals should take at the deadline this year and who might be shipped off.

We also ranted about Chris Getz and gave Billy Butler some love.

Click the embedded player below to listen to this week’s show or you can download the mp3 here.

Our music this week was performed by local band “Seasons of Pain” and you can follow them on Twitter at @seasonsofpain.

If you happen to be a musician and would like to have your music featured on the Royalman Report, contact us at 816-394-9578 or email info@royalmanreport.com.   (more…)

In a busy month, Dayton Moore traded off Alberto Callaspo, Kyle Farnsworth, Rick Ankiel and Scott Podsednik (he later shipped off Jose Guillen in August).  Turning over 20% of a team’s active roster over the span of a couple of weeks isn’t common, but it happens with rebuilding teams.   I don’t imagine it’s something a GM sets out to do before the season starts.

Until, at least, 2011.

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But the schedule goes on regardless and the Royals hit the road, stopping first in Baltimore for a three game series with the Orioles.  In Kansas City, the Royals took two out of three and hope to keep it up at Camden Yards.

Joining me in previewing the series is Chris Raitzyk, staff writer at Birds Watcher – the Baltimore Orioles blog on the FanSided Network.

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It didn’t change their fortunes.

Bolstered by solid defense, Brad Penny shut down the Royals and Jose Valverde sealed the win and handed the Royals their first shutout of 2011.

Jeff Francis gave up three runs on five hits in the first inning, but recovered and pitched a complete game, giving up only two more hits the rest of the game.  It doesn’t matter if your team doesn’t score, however.

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It fit the narrative of the whole series against Oakland, as the Royals managed just 18 hits over the three games against the A’s.  Tyson Ross did just enough to keep the Royals from producing runs, while Jeff Francis got behind in the first inning and the A’s added single runs in later innings to pull away.

It was a disappointing end to a 6-3 homestand that included a Royals sweep of the Twins.

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Think of the walkoff hit that brought the Royals within a game of first place.  Think about that rookie pitcher picking up his second win.

Think of last Thursday, when the Royals were 12-7.  After a three game sweep at the hands of the Rangers, the Royals dropped the second of a three game series to the Indians.

That’s bad enough, but they weren’t even in this one from the start.

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Coming into this game, Jeff Francis was this year’s leading candidate for loveable loser. In his first four starts of the season, each was a quality start, but all he had to show for it was an 0-1 record and a 3.00 ERA. This was going to be the night that the stars aligned and Mr. Francis got his first win in a Royals uniform.

The Texas Rangers did not get that memo.

Since 2008, the Rangers have beaten the Royals 17 out of 25 games. Last year, the Rangers won 7 out of 9, including all four played in Arlington. Yet, tonight there was no Vladimir Guerrero in the Rangers dugout. Slugger Josh Hamilton is on the disabled list with a broken arm. Two potential crises averted.

The Rangers started 2011 winning nine of 10, but coming into tonight, the Rangers had lost each of their last three series and had lost six of their last eight games. After the heroics of the night before, all of this seemed like a good formula for the Royals to get over the hump against the defending A.L. Champs.

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He’s left games with scores of 1-1, 5-0, 3-3 and 1-1.  The Royals are 1-3 when he starts, and from the bench he’s seen Joakim Soria blow a save and Robinson Tejeda get rocked by the Twins.

He pitched well enough for the win, but was matched by Seattle rookie Michael Pineda who did enough to keep the Royals off the board for most of the game.

The game wasn’t without its curious decisions, though.

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The Royals look to take another series in this young season, traveling to Target Field to take on the despised Minnesota Twins.  Is it me, or are the Twins kind of like the haughty, arrogant characters often played by Greg Kinnear or Ted McGinley (who, coincidentally played a pompous manager of the same Twins in Major League: Back to the Minors) in almost every film or television role they get?  They walk in with their pitchers who don’t walk people and hitters who move runners over and solid defense.

Pssh.  Twins.  I say bring ‘em on!

To be honest, I’m mildly terrified of this starting rotation.  I feel like it might fall apart at any moment, and a Twins series is usually when these things happen.  Hopefully, Jeff Francis can keep his momentum going and Kyle Davies can figure something out.

The Royals should have opportunities – Brian Duensing isn’t exactly a world-beater, and Francisco Liriano is having command issues.  The newfound approach at the plate could net the Royals more walks than they usually seem to get against the Twins and more baserunners means more scoring chances.  It’s just up to the Royals to come through.

Some solid pitching wouldn’t hurt either.

In the spirit of providing a balanced preview of the series, so my second-place-Royals-homerism doesn’t run rampant, Wally Fish, Senior Editor at Puckett’s Pond and I are collaborating on this preview.  He was my predecessor here at Kings of Kauffman, so he’s one of the good Twins fans.  (He grew up in Minnesota – let’s cut him a bit of slack.  But just a bit.)

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It looked as though they wouldn’t need any such comeback though as they ran out to a 5-0 lead, then went into the ninth with a 6-3 lead and Joakim Soria an out away from finishing off the White Sox.

A Juan Pierre single, a Gordon Beckham walk, an Alex Rios chopper…and it just kept coming.  In the end, the White Sox scored four runs with two outs in the top of the ninth to take a lead.  The Royals tied it in the bottom half anyway, because it seems like they just can’t play if there isn’t a little bit extra drama involved.

It was all in vain, though, as the top of the 12th led to three runs and a 10-7 Royals loss.

Funny thing is, they still almost pulled off another walkoff win.

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What will go overshadowed is a fantastic debut by Jeff Francis.

After the first two innings, Francis settled down, brushing off a Howie Kendrick homer to center in the first inning to go seven strong innings, walking none and wearing out the infield grass with grounder after grounder.

Robinson Tejeda and Joakim Soria added two scoreless while Soria got the win after Kila’s late-inning heroics.

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That isn’t to say there won’t be exciting things on the field. It’s not that there aren’t prospects emerging from the abyss known popularly as “The Process.” I’ve already written that there will be interesting things afoot, especially as the season progresses. Many other Royals bloggers have done the same.

However, even with these bubbling storylines, the problem remains that the Royals will not be a good team. There’s always the chance that they surprise us, but I wouldn’t bet the snowblower on it. They just don’t seem to have the firepower to have any success this year.

As for the most-cited reason for the bad team? Pitching.
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And the unlucky player cut loose was Dusty Hughes.

I find it confusing.

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• In regards to the Francis signing, Dave Cameron at FanGraphs calls it the “best free agent signing of the winter” and congratulates Dayton Moore.
• On Friday, an odd anniversary occurred.  Sometime around 8:50 p.m. Central time, the billion second anniversary of a beanball breaking Frank White‘s hand in 1979.  Later in that game, the same pitcher, Ed Farmer, beaned Al Cowens, breaking his jaw.  Chris Jaffe and The Hardball Times did all the counting on that one.
• It’s Steve Balboni‘s birthday today (happy 54th!) and Baseball-Reference looks at his career as the ultimate for a three true outcomes player.  Balboni, of course, still holds the Royals single season home run mark of 36, which has stood since 1985.  C’mon Moustakas, wipe that off the board…
• This is an older article I stumbled upon at Mental Floss: Ten Overhyped Baseball Players Who Fizzled.  Sadly, the Royals don’t have just one player on the list, but two.  They also acquired one more and a fourth was involved in a significant trade in the Royals past.  Scary.
• In 1980, George Brett never went more than two games without a hit.  Baseball-Reference has a list of nine other crazy statistics about the Hall of Famer.

Happy Sunday!

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Chen led the Royals in wins last season with 12 wins and compiled a 4.17 ERA in 140.1 innings.  He pitched ten games out of the bullpen and started another 23 after injuries knocked Gil Meche and Luke Hochevar out of the rotation.  In 2009, he’d made 17 appearances for the Royals, starting nine games.

His 2010 earned him a major league contract.  The past two seasons he’s signed with  the Royals on a minor league deal and was promoted in midseason.

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Jeff Francis is now a Royal. (Jamie Schwaberow, Rich Clarkson and Associates, LLC)

Needless to say, I like this signing. The contract value isn’t clear yet* and Francis has to pass his physical before the signing is official. Still, I see very few issues with this signing. I’ll lay those out before I gush over what this could mean for the Royals in 2011.

*The signing was for $2 million with another $2 million in incentives, according to Jerry Crasnick. That’s great news. Absolutely impressed with that value.

Since we don’t yet know the value, the biggest issue is that Dayton Moore signed Francis for way more than he needed to. I’m thinking in the $9-11 million range. That’s unnecessary and Francis hasn’t shown that he’s worth that kind of money. Of course, it really doesn’t hurt the Royals in any way. It’s a one-year deal and the money will be off the books in 2012, just like basically all of the other money currently in the payroll. Still, overpaying would be the worst possible issue here.
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Freddy Garcia - starter for hire

Dayton Moore confirmed what we already knew earlier this week: the starting rotation is the last remaining offseason priority. The Royals will march out Luke Hochevar, Vin Mazzaro, Kyle Davies and Sean O’Sullivan, but that fifth starter hasn’t been determined yet.  Rumors have linked Kansas City to Kevin Millwood, Jeff Francis and Carl Pavano in the offseason, and while they seem to have moved on from their previous interest in Millwood, Francis could still be an option.  Pavano is likely to resign with the Twins.

There’s another pitching reclamation project out there that the Royals could look into.  He has a career ERA+ of 109, he has solid control, and in a location like Kauffman Stadium, his increasing vulnerability to the longball could be hidden (slightly).

The title of the post spoils the surprise, but the Royals could and should take a run at Freddy Garcia.

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Jeff Francis

We’re about three weeks removed from the Zack Greinke trade and the Royals still don’t have any real inkling as to who might take the open spot in the pitching rotation.

There are some potential in-house options – Austin mentioned Robinson  Tejeda, Joakim Soria (who’ll be the subject of these discussion until he retires I’m sure), and minor leaguers Danny Duffy, Mike Montgomery, Aaron Crow, Everett Teaford or John Lamb – as potential fits for the open spot.  Zach Miner, who signed a minor league contract, could be another option coming out of spring training.

Recently, the Royals have been mentioned in the list of teams that are vying for the services of former first round pick (9th overall in 2002) Jeff Francis.

So what about him?  Pros and cons?  Let’s look:

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Luke Hochevar, doin' his thing

By now its fairly well known that our starting rotation next year isn’t going to be very good.

We’re staring down a rotation where Luke Hochevar, Kyle Davies, Sean O’Sullivan and Vin Mazzaro are locks and the fifth starter is still up in the air.

As for our set in stone guys, Hochevar’s likely the best out of all of them and our Opening Day starter. “The Hoch” like many Royals, is big on potential. He was, of course, a star at Tennesee and the number one pick in the 2006 draft and he’s been bred for a high rotation spot since then. However, his career is pockmarked with injuries and underachievement. Hochevar only mustered 17 starts last year while dealing with an injury in his throwing shoulder. Otherwise, his performance and numbers have been shaky at best. In four years, he’s averaged a beyond mediocre 5.60 ERA and a far below average 78 ERA+, but not all of his stats are terrible.

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