Nate Adcock started for the Storm Chasers and left in the 8th inning with a runner on second base and one out. Vin Mazzaro entered and allowed the runner to score (and took the loss).

On offense, the Storm Chasers only had five hits, with Max Ramirez picking up two hits. He also drove in both runs.

Christian Colon was placed on the DL due to an eye injury. He spent a good chunk of his season in Double-A on the DL already. You can find out more HERE (the bottom of the article).

Clinging to a 4-2 lead, Midland scored five runs in the bottom of the 6th inning to defeat NW Arkansas, 7-5. The Naturals made it interesting in the top of the 9th inning, by scoring a run and putting runners on first and second base with just one out. However Whit Merrifield and Brian Fletcher struck out to end the game.

Yem Prades went 3-for-5 in the leadoff spot and Paulo Orlando went 2-for-4 in the loss.

Jason Adam

It was the Adam & Adams show for Wilmington on Wednesday night, as they beat Potomac, 9-1. Lets start with outfielder Lane Adams. He drove in the Blue Rocks’ first run in the top of the first inning and came around to score another in that seven-run inning. In the end, he went 3-for-5.

Jason Adam made another dominant start for the Blue Rocks, as he pitched six shutout innings. He allowed four hits and struck out five. He didn’t allow a hit until the 3rd inning and only had multiple base runners in one inning (the fourth, but with two outs).

Clinton scored all ten of their runs from the fourth to the sixth innings to beat Kane County, 10-4. This was after the Cougars had a 3-0 lead.

Every starter for the Cougars, except Justin Trapp had at least one hit. Alex Llanos went 2-for-4. Chris Elder, who has been on the move all season, went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Burlington’s 2-0 win over Princeton. Each team collected just three hits.

Will Smith opens the series for the Royals tonight at Camden Yards against the Orioles. Photo Credit: Kelvin Kuo-US PRESSWIRE

When Last We Saw …

These two teams haven’t seen each other since May 25-27 when they met at Orioles Park at Camden Yards. KC was coming off losing two-of-three in New York against the Yankees but after taking the series in Baltimore finished the trip beating the Indians twice in Cleveland on that nine game road trip.

Season Series …

KC trails the season series 3-2 but did win two of the previous three at Baltimore in May. The season series began in May with O’s coming to town taking the series winning both games.

Royals fans won’t forget the 15-inning game with Jonathan Broxton blowing the save and Nate Adcock saving the ‘pen. The next day Kansas City built a 3-0 lead that Luke Hochevar and crew couldn’t hold onto losing 5-3.

In the first game at Baltimore the birds knocked Bruce Chen out with a five run fifth en route to a 8-2 victory. Jason Hammel handcuffed KC in six innings no allowing a run on five hits while striking out seven. DH Chris Davis went 2-for-4 driving in three runs, J.J. Hardy and Adam Jones drove in two runs each.

Game two of the series saw the Orioles again jump out to a lead of 3-0 but the Royals scored the game’s final four runs. Humberto Quintero of all players put KC ahead driving in Eric Hosmer with a double to the left. Hosmer extended the lead in the eighth driving in Mike Moustakas on a single, also to note Greg Holland picked up the win with Broxton the save.

The final game of the series was back and forth with the teams exchanging the lead. Hochevar took the no-decision going 4 2/3 innings striking out six. Jeff Francoeur gave the Royals the lead with a solo homerun and Quintero added an insurance run with another double that scored Alcides Escobar.

5/16 – Orioles 4 @ Royals 3 F/15
5/17 – Orioles 3 @ Royals 5
5/25 – Royals 2 @ Orioles 8
5/26 – Royals 4 @ Orioles 3
5/27 – Royals 4 @ Orioles 2

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):

Thursday, 6:05 pm – Will Smith (2-4, 6.00)  v. Wei-Yin Chen (10-6, 3.46)
- Smith will be seeing Baltimore for the first time in his career on Thursday night in his eighth MLB start.
- While 1-4 in his last five starts he’s gone 5+ four times, the lone win game at the Angels in which might be his best start going seven innings allowing one run on two hits.
- Chen took a no-decision in his May 27^th start against KC after going six innings and allowing two runs. He’s won his last two starts against Oakland and at Tampa Bay.
Friday, 6:05 pm – Luke Hochevar (7-9, 5.04) v. Miguel Gonzalez (3-2, 3.80)
- Hochevar is 0-1 with a ND this season against the O’s this season.
- In the start at Baltimore he threw 109 pitches striking out six, allowing seven hits.
- Gonzalez will be making his first career start against KC and has alternated wins/losses during his last five starts with the last being a win over Tampa Bay which he went seven innings.
Saturday, 6:05 pm – Luis Mendoza (5-8, 4.36) v. Chris Tillman (5-1, 2.38)
- Mendoza comes in as probably the Royals most consistent starter being 2-4 in his last six starts going back to July 4.
- His last two starts saw him go 7.1 innings both starts which he’s 1-1 (beat Cleveland and lost at Chicago).
- Tillman since losing his long game of 2012 has won four straight starts. Wins have come at Cleveland, Tampa Bay, at New York and Seattle, against the Mariners he went seven innings.
Sunday, 12:35 pm – Bruce Chen (8-9, 5.51) v. Tommy Hunter (4-7, 5.55)
- Chen suffered his fifth loss of the season on May 25 in Baltimore when he allowed six runs on seven hits going only four innings.
- In his career he’s 2-2 against the O’s in five career starts but has only thrown 25.2 innings.
- Hunter has losses in three of his last four starts with a no-decision at New York. On May 16 he also got a ND against the Royals at the K which he went seven innings.

Nate Adcock throwing a bullpen session in Baltimore

Omaha lost to Reno, 4-2 as Nate Adcock was the hard luck loser. He allowed two unearned runs on seven hits and one walk over eight innings. He struck out eight.

On offense, Tony Abreu and Mitch Maier each had two hits for the Storm Chasers. Abreu however, had the error that cost them two runs (his 19th of the season).

NW Arkansas lost to Arkansas, 2-1. The newest Natural, JC Sulbaran (who was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds), made his first start. He allowed one run on three hits and three walks over just four innings. He struck out two.

The Naturals collected six hits, with Paulo Orlando collecting half of them (3-for-4 with an RBI).

Wilmington lost to Salem, 6-5 in 11 innings. Blue Rocks reliever Antonio Cruz walked three in the 11th inning, as he walked in the winning run with two outs.

The Blue Rocks broke the 4-4 tie in the top of the 8th inning, only to see the Red Sox re-tie the game in the bottom of the inning.

The Blue Rocks 5-6 hitters, Orlando Calixte and Geulin Beltre, went a combined 4-for-9 with two doubles, a triple, a run scored, and an RBI. For Salem, Xander Bogaerts continues his hot streak against Wilmington, as he went 4-for-4 with two doubles, two walks, three runs scored, and an RBI. So far in the first two games of the series, Bogaerts is 7-for-8 with four doubles, five runs scored, and two RBIs.

Close to 10,000 fans were in attendance to watch Kane County lose to Cedar Rapids, 5-2. The Kernels scored all their runs over the first four innings. The Cougars bullpen duo of Jason Mitchell and Cody Fassold allowed just two hits and a walk over the final five innings. They combined to strike out four.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling hit his seventh homerun, a two-run shot in the 6th inning, as Burlington lost to Pulaski, 16-4. Starling went 1-for-3 and was replaced (like many of his starting teammates).

Now, after a couple of false starts at rehab assignments, Cain will be activated and play after the All-Star break.

Along with him, Chris Getz will return at the end of the week. Getz had been sidelined since mid-June with a strained leg.

To open up a spot on the active roster, the Royals optioned Nate Adcock back to Omaha along with Irving Falu. Activating Cain filled the Royals last open 40 man roster spot (after claiming catcher Adam Moore from Seattle put them at 39).

Adcock made one appearance in his most recent trip to Kansas City, filling in for 4.1 innings after Bruce Chen gave up six runs in 3.1 innings. Adcock threw 4.1 innings and gave up two runs, though neither were earned. He has a 2.67 ERA in 30.1 innings in the big leagues in 2012. He’s been back and forth on I-29 five different times this year.

Falu has appeared in 15 games in Kansas City with 17 hits in 53 at bats, five of them for extra bases. He’ll make way for Getz, who had a .290/.327/.380 line when he went on the DL, then had four hits in 24 rehab at bats with Omaha.

The Royals now have Cain, Jarrod Dyson and Jason Bourgeois on the big league roster, which is pretty redundant, but I’d think that Cain will have to prove his health at first and won’t play every day, so the Royals will probably use a platoon on his off days. Cain spent 20 days on his rehab assignment but didn’t play every day and DH’ed often, so the Royals probably won’t rush him back. Once the 20 days were up on the rehab assignment, though, they had to do something with him.

Happy trails. Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

That meant someone had to drop off the active roster and Mitch Maier was the odd man out.

Now the Royals could have optioned Jarrod Dyson or Jason Bourgeois back to Omaha, but instead, chose to designate Maier for assignment, meaning they have ten days to trade him, place him on waivers or release him. If he clears waivers he could be assigned to the minors, but may be able to decline it based on service time.

It’s really best for Maier at this point to head elsewhere. He hasn’t done well this year, but he’s also hardly seen action in 2012. He’s played five games start to finish since April, mostly being a late-inning replacement on defense or as a pinch-runner. That’s just been his role. The Royals want to see what they have in Dyson and Bourgeois has a track record against left-handed pitching that they feel can be leveraged, meanwhile Lorenzo Cain should return (at some point) and Wil Myers is tearing up Triple A.

There just wasn’t much use for Maier. Perhaps he ends up somewhere else where he can find some playing time. If so, his career Royals line will be .248/.327/.344 with 10 homers in 360 games.

That kind of line isn’t much to be upset about, but Maier filled in admirably in 2010 and 2011 when pressed into action and has always been accepting of his role. So while he’s somewhat of an internet cult hero for some Royals fans, it’s the logical move to make.

The 40 man roster now stands at 38.

May 2, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Kelvin Herrera (40) wipes his brow after being relieved during the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

Here’s a statement that will surprise no one. The Royals bullpen has pitched more innings than any other bullpen in baseball, and it’s not really even close. After Tuesday, the Royals bullpen has thrown 186 innings. That’s just over 15 innings more than the next closest team—Baltimore. The high number of innings make the 3.25 ERA—11^th in MLB—more impressive than it seems.

Does it matter that the Royals are burning through bullpen innings like Chipotle burns through colons? Most would say yes. I’m going to say … kind of. Ideally, the Royals wouldn’t use their bullpen so much, but it’s not the end of the world.

I think it’s a safe assumption that this bullpen will burnout before the season is over. I would be fairly surprised if guys like Tim Collins, Aaron Crow, and Kelvin Herrera are still pitching effectively in September, if they’re pitching at all. They’re young and get used a lot. Collins is on pace for roughly 85 IP; Herrera is on pace for roughly 92 IP. That’s a lot of innings for a reliever.

But I don’t think this matters too much. Bullpen burnout is really only an issue if a team is going to compete. The Royals will almost certainly not be in the playoff hunt this year. No one expects that. I’m not saying it can’t happen; I’m just saying it won’t. So, bullpen effectiveness down the stretch isn’t as much of an issue.

The only real downside to pitching them so much early is the potential for injury. We know Herrera has a history of arm troubles, and with that incredible heater, it’s not tough to see them creeping up again. It will be interesting to see if the Royals choose to shut a reliever down early if he hits a certain number of innings. Herrera’s never thrown more than 70 innings in a season, and that was in 2011. Before last season he was plagued by injury. One thing the team can’t afford to do is get this excellent bullpen hurt so they might take precaution against that later in the season.

What’s particularly intriguing is the unorthodox way Ned Yost has chosen to employ the boys in the pen. Most bloggers, analysts, and fans probably saw it coming, but it’s still wild to see him utilizing the bullpen the way he has—essentially using the Omaha bullpen as an extended version of the Kansas City bullpen and carrying what are essentially “backup” starters.

Maybe more so than at any other point in the last 10 years, this team subverts traditional starter/reliever roles, often bringing in long-men early in games who serve as second starters. The motives behind these moves are simple—their starters suck—but simply looking at the unorthodox pattern that Yost has gotten into is fascinating. At one point, this team carried three swing-men—three guys who were essentially extra starters—in the bullpen. The idea behind this was simple. Yost knew that his starters were going to have short outings. So, he decided to have backup starters ready to go. At any given point, the Royals have three non-starter starters (Nate Adcock, Luis Mendoza, and Everett Teaford) in play.

Due to injuries, these guys aren’t all playing right now, but Yost is, inadvertently I think, experimenting with a different approach to pitching. Has it ever been done before? I have no idea. I’m not a baseball historian. But I know it’s not done often. There’s a saying that innovation is bred by necessity. That’s what this approach to pitching is—necessary. It’s necessary because this starting rotation is atrocious.

Do I recommend this system? No. But can anyone honestly say it’s not the best for what they’ve got roster wise? When healthy, they have 8-9 average to bad starters at best. Why not keep it fluid? Let them shoulder the burden as a group, by keeping a long-reliever ready in the pen at a moment’s notice. When one guy isn’t working, pull him quickly and let the other guy go to work.

Yes, the bullpen will probably burnout. But that won’t matter this year. What will matter is inspiring hope by winning a little. And using the bullpen early and often gives them that chance.

Season Series – Cleveland 4-2, Indians swept series in KC April 13-15 with Royals taking 2-of-3 April 24-26

Can Billy Butler and Jeff Francoeur keep up their hot hitting in Cleveland to close the road trip? Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Since the last time – These two foes met roughly a month ago with KC taking two-of-three after getting swept by the Tribe to open the 2012 home slate. Last time the teams met Cleveland was 9-8 and tied for the AL Central lead since they’ve gone 17-13 and leads the division by half a game over the White Sox and the Royals by six and a half games. Kansas City left the last meeting with a 5-14 record and have gone 14-13 since.

Heading into the Match-Up – Over the weekend the boys in blue took the series against the AL East leading Orioles while the Tribe were swept on the Southside being outscored 25-16 over the three-game series.

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):     

Monday, 3:05 pm – Nate Adcock (0-2, 2.33) v. Josh Tomlin (1-2, 4.67)
- Adcock In the 15-inning loss to the O’s Nate threw a then season high five innings and gave up an Adam Jones bomb to left in the only run allowed by him. His other loss came in the only start he made against the Diamondbacks going five, surrendering just one run.
- Tomlin has won his last two starts beating the White Sox twice in a five day stretch earlier this month. He’s pitched once against the Royals losing 4-2 on April 26 going 4 2/3 innings.

Tuesday, 6:05 pm – Will Smith (0-1, 13.50) v. Justin Masterson (2-3, 4.62)
- Smith had a tough welcome to the show last week getting the ball at Yankee Stadium. In his first MLB start he went 3 1/3 allowing five runs on six hits.
- Masterson is 1-3 in his last four starts for the Indians going six innings in each appearance and into the seventh in his last two. In those starts he’s 1-1 with two no-decisions in the loss he allowed six runs in a 12-1 defeat at Boston.

Monday, 11:05 am – Bruce Chen (3-5, 4.81) v. Jeanmar Gomez (3-3, 3.94)
- Chen didn’t have his best stuff Friday night in Baltimore which was surprising given his previous starts. In the loss at Baltimore Bruce went just four innings allowing six runs on seven hits in his shortest outing since the loss at Minnesota.
- Gomez I’m sure Royals fans remember Mr. Gomez from the opening series at the K. In his last three starts Gomez is 1-1 with a ND winning against Miami but losing to Chicago on Friday night 9-3 allowing six runs.

With how the Royals starting pitching has been at times this season we’ve seen multiple moves with pitchers going to and from Omaha. The Storm Chasers begin a homestand on today so at least Adcock won’t be playing planes, trains and automobiles like he did in getting to Arlington this week.

Nate Adcock was the tough luck loser last night and this morning was sent back to Omaha. Photo Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

After last night Adcock has a 2.51 ERA in four appearances and a 0-1 record with the Royals. Mazzaro, who picked up the game one win against Texas, had a 4.50 ERA in two games. Both had seen more regular work in the Omaha rotation.

As of this morning Teaford is 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA in 17 innings pitched with three starts with the PCL champions. Coleman only has nine innings of work in triple-A in 2012 in five appearances with one start but did sport a 2.89 earned run average.

For the bullpen, the move will add a long lefty while subtracting a right handed pitcher.

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And those alarms bells proved to be warranted today, as Duffy now appears to be heading for Tommy John surgery per an afternoon tweet from the Royals official Twitter account.

 

 

#Royals head physician Dr. Key diagnoses LHP Danny Duffy with a torn left ulnar collateral ligament. Duffy to get 2nd opinion w/ Dr. Yocum.

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) May 14, 2012

 

Obviously, there isn’t much more to say here that isn’t part of an extended and expletive-laden tirade. Royals fans everywhere just had their worst fears realized, just saw the club’s most (arguably only) promising pitcher likely sidelined for over a year. And while we’re on the subject of heavy realizations, the following question needs to be considered: Will Duffy ever be the electrifying, high 90′s pumping wunderkind he was this season ever again?

I’m not ready to answer that (quite depressing) question yet, and truthfully am barely ready to comprehend the loss of Duffy on this 2012 Royals team. With fellow lefty Jonathan Sanchez also currently on the DL, the already struggling rotation is sure to be a glaring weakness for the remainder of the season. Unless, of course, you have the utmost faith in injury replacements Vin Mazzaro, Luis Mendoza, and Nate Adcock.

Sigh.

Is there any better way to start a road trip against Josh Hamilton and the white-hot Texas Rangers?

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April was a good month for a lot of the higher profile prospects and some less-touted players had strong performances. That’s what we’ll look at today.

Omaha Storm Chasers (17-8)

Hitter of the Month: Tony Abreu

Abreu put up a .340/.364/.491 line and drove in 17 runs. He scattered extra base hits all month, with a pair of triples and homers and six doubles. He could be an option if the Royals find themselves facing an injury at the big league level. He’s played exclusively at shortstop (save one game at DH) but he could play any infield position if necessary.

Pitcher of the Month: Nathan Adcock

In his first appearance of 2012 at the big league level, Adcock stepped in for Bruce Chen after a rough day and continued solid pitching that started in Omaha. Across four starts for the Storm Chasers, he covered 26.1 innings and gave up just four runs. He’s been difficult to hit but he hasn’t struck many batters out. His career minor league strikeout rate is 7.1 K/9 but he’s only struck out 4.8 per nine innings in one month. He held his own at the big league level as a Rule 5 pick last year so he could be a good emergency starter/long relief option, though he may not be someone with a high ceiling. That’s okay. There’s always a spot somewhere for an organizational warrior.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (12-12)

Hitter of the Month: Wil Myers

It’s great news to have Wil Myers in the running for a monthly recognition considering the way his 2011 started. After a strong fall league performance, Myers is keeping the momentum going and then some. He’s a slugging machine and has been improving on already strong numbers. In his first 11 games, Myers struck out 18 times. In his last ten he’s only struck out seven. He has 14 extra base hits – eight doubles and six homers. Last year, he had eight homers all season in Double A. If he keeps up this pace, I’d be very surprised to see him anywhere but Omaha come mid-June if not sooner. He’s been playing some center field too, and if he can adjust to a more demanding outfield position defensively, he’ll be even more valuable as a prospect.

Pitcher of the Month: Jake Odorizzi

Another big prospect name. Odorizzi gets this nod because he’s held back by one bad outing. On April 12 he threw just .2 innings and gave up four runs. Without that start, though, his ERA would stand at 2.74. Even at his 4.18 ERA with the bad game, his FIP is a solid 2.47. He hasn’t allowed many runners – he only has a 1.14 WHIP – but they’ve scored at a high rate. Only 55.6% have been stranded. As long as Odorizzi is avoiding allowing runners, the innings will climb and the runs against will even out and he’ll look a lot better on paper. He’s struck out 29 in 23.2 innings.

Wilmington Blue Rocks (10-13)

Hitter of the Month: Angel Franco

Franco has been hanging around the Royals system for a few years after signing in 2006. His career line to this point sits at .271/.339/.353 but in limited time in High A, he’s hitting a strong .375/.453/.446 in 18 games. He’s not going to be a power hitter, but he’s been a base-stealing threat at every level. So far this year, he’s walking more than he has typically and striking out less as well. He’s getting to an age where he can fill out and mature and if he keeps it up, could be a sleeper prospect going forward.

Pitcher of the Month: Jason Adam

His last start wasn’t great (six earned runs in four innings) but Jason Adam’s overall numbers still look great. In five starts, he threw 26.2 innings, striking out 25 and walking just eight. He’s impressed scouts and writers while pitching in a higher level in his second season of pro action. Control was a strong point last year in Kane County (2.2 BB/9) and so far it’s still a strong point (2.7 BB/9). He’s been striking out more batters per nine innings though, and has been inducing more ground balls than last year (54% vs. 45%). Adam has given up a hit 37% of the time when the ball is put into play, which suggests he may have been unlucky to this point if that regresses to the norm of around 30% historically. Those are fantastic signs for a young pitcher. Limiting walks + increased strikeout rate + increased ground ball rate is a recipe for potential breakout.

Kane County Cougars (11-14)

Hitter of the Month: Jorge Bonifacio

There have been many candidates for best hitter in Kane County. Lane Adams, Justin Trapp and Daniel Mateo are all hammering the ball right now. Bonifacio, though, gets the nod because he’s the most highly regarded of the group. Many picked him as a sleeper breakout candidate and he’s lived up to the acclaim. His .340/.415/.443 line is strong and his plate discipline has improved. In 2011 he walked 6.2% of the time. This year, he’s drawing a walk 10.8% of the time but it hasn’t caused him to get passive at the plate. He’s still ripped 32 hits.

Pitcher of the Month: Santiago Garrido

Garrido has been in the Royals organization since early 2007 and this is his first sign of success. So far he has a 4.87 career ERA and Kane County is his highest level of competition, but so far, he has a 0.84 ERA in 21.1 innings. He’s shown the ability to get ground balls (50% or better GB rate since 2009), but walks too many to be the real deal so far (4.2 BB/9 career). He’s worth keeping an eye on though just in case he’s put it all together.

Luis Mendoza's may have what it takes to be a key part of the Royals in 2012. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

Can we all agree on one thing? The Royals’ starting rotation doesn’t have a track record that suggests it will be good in 2012. I know it’s the spring and everyone’s optimistic and hopeful and talking about chips on shoulders and shoulders on chips and so forth, but where I live—reality—this is a mediocre rotation. Do I hope they’ll be great? Sure I do. But a very wise man once said, “Well, you can wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which gets filled first.”

With that in mind, the bullpen looks like it will play a more important role than a bullpen might on a team with a more established rotation. David Lesky of Pine Tar Press had an article this Thursday outlining the importance of Joakim Soria to the bullpen and made a terrific point that the Royals will be in some games where the starter has to come out in the third or fourth inning.

I love the phrase “swing man.” It sounds like the guy is part of an elaborate Danny Ocean style con. The swing man for the Royals this season is going to play a very important role, perhaps more important than any other swing man in the league. Is everyone clear on what a swing man is? A long-relief bullpen guy who occasionally makes a start when needed.

It seems clear the Royals have an offense and bullpen capable of competing but a starting rotation capable of working a drive through window (just to add more chip to the shoulder). Sometimes, they’re going to need a swing man who can not only cover the long bridge from starter to bullpen during short starts, thus saving vital bullpen innings, but also jump in and start when Bruce Chen, or whoever, has to miss a start.

If the Royals want to compete, this pitcher needs to be able to stop the bleeding in a game and give the Royals lineup a fighting chance to get back in the game. He needs to be good enough to win a start here and there, but not so good that he should be in the rotation. He also needs to be someone who may not have a high ceiling but has a decently high floor so the Royals don’t have to worry about foster his talent in the minors. Do the Royals have a guy like that?

Hello Luis Mendoza. For those readers who haven’t heard of Mendoza, he’s a 28-year-old pitcher who burst onto the scene last season in AAA with incredible, if deceiving, numbers. In two starts in September with the big club, he pitched very well, winning both. That said, nearly everyone who thinks and writes about the Royals is in agreement that Mendoza’s 2011 was an anomaly. He doesn’t strike a lot of hitters out. He had never shown that type of promise before 2011, and he had some things really go his way.

That’s not to say that Mendoza isn’t any good. He is good. He just doesn’t miss enough bats to be considered a legitimate starting candidate. But he is perfect as a candidate for the swing man role. He’s got the arm for it—he pitched 158 innings last season. He’s pitched in a relief role before. The Royals don’t have to worry about ruining his potential by putting him in this role because he’s 28. His potential is this role.

If Mendoza struck out more hitters or had a more ridiculously low walk rate—it was decent in 2011 at 3.37 in AAA and 3.07 in the big leagues—he could be seen as a back-end starter. In essence, he’s almost good enough to start, but not quite, which makes him perfect as a swing man. Plus, he’s out of options, which means the Royals have to either keep him in the majors or hope he clears waivers, which he probably won’t.

It’s not just that Mendoza falls short of being a starter. He actually fits the Royals swing man role perfectly. He seems to be a contact pitcher, but doesn’t give up a ton of home runs. If a pitcher does give up too many walks, which Mendoza doesn’t seem to and doesn’t give up too many home runs, all he really needs is good defense behind him and a limited role. The Royals should have a pretty good defense, and with a limited role, Mendoza doesn’t have to be spectacular, just consistently average.

I’ll be very surprised if Mendoza is not the Royals’ swing man on Opening Day, especially because he’s out of options. Of course, I could be wrong about his abilities. Maybe, he’ll get rocked every time out, and the Royals will turn to another swing man—Everett Teaford or Nate Adcock. But if that’s the case, there’s really nothing hurt. Those were starts they were probably going to lose anyway. Ned Yost claims that Mendoza is getting a look as a starting pitcher this spring. I can’t see that happening. But he could be a very valuable resource as a swing man, I’m thinking worth as many as 4 wins when thinking about spot starts, long relief, and saved bullpen innings (not in WAR but just in a general sense of helping the Royals win).

I’ve started the campaign: Mendoza for Swing Man in 2012. We’re not well funded but at least we’re low in numbers as well.

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Myers leads all Royals hitters taking place in offseason leagues with a 1.214 OPS.  He also leads all hitters in base hits, walks, runs scored, RBI and extra base hits. He’s taking advantage of the opportunity to get in more time in the outfield as well, logging an outfield assist at the plate. It’s an encouraging sign after he hit .254/.351/.393 in Northwest Arkansas as a 20-year-old.

Outfielder Lorenzo Cain has also put up good numbers, with seven hits in his first 19 at bats in the Venezuelan League.

Other Royals in offseason leagues:

(more…)

Wil Myers, Nate Adcock, Christian Colon and Clint Robinson are the headliners, with an quirky age range of 20 years old (Myers) to Robinson (26).

They’ll be joined by pitchers Jeremy Jeffress, Bryan Paukovits and Brendan Lafferty.

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They’ll probably omit the attempt to go from first to third by Aviles on a Mark Reynolds error that cost the Royals an out.

The barren wasteland of Royals offense from innings three through seven might be overlooked too.  Jake Arrieta ran up his pitch count to 45 after two innings and still managed seven innings.  He shut down the Royals in order in five of those innings (facing the minimum in the sixth on a Billy Butler double play after Alex Gordon singled).

And while the Royals didn’t get a break to go their way when Aviles’s shot to the gap lodged under the padding on the left field wall for a ground-rule double, it’s not the reason they lost tonight.

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Justin Morneau came up with the bases loaded and no outs.

It felt like a typical Royals game against the Twins, where the Royals fall all over themselves to give the game away.

Then Morneau grounded out into a 4-3-6-4 double play.  Span scored on the play, but the Royals got two outs.  An error by Mike Aviles allowed Tolbert to score.

Amazingly, even with seven O’Sullivan walks, those were the only runs the Twins scored.

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Despite losing the season opener, Melky Cabrera, Jeff Francoeur and rookies Aaron Crow, Nate Adcock and Tim Collins all performed well.

The old guard, however, was up to their usual tricks.

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There were a few surprises, though not big ones.  The Royals open camp with four rookie relief pitchers:  Tim Collins, Aaron Crow, Jeremy Jeffress and Rule 5 selection Nate Adcock.  When Robert Fish was sent back to the Angels, it left Collins as the lone lefty reliever in camp while Crow’s promotion has been debated as a good move or not.  It seems split between those who see him as a starter and think he should open up in the rotation in Double A or Triple A and those who see him as a full-time late-inning pitcher.

Then there are those who see him as a potential rotation candidate down the line while getting bullpen work to acclimate himself to the big leagues.  Crow struggled in 2009, but showed solid command in Arizona and in today’s game induced three ground ball outs in a perfect seventh inning.

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