We have a couple of interviews for you this week. Troy talked with Jason Adam about his year in Wilmington, what comes next season and his preparations this offseason while hard at work in Arizona.

You can catch up on old episodes of the Kansas City Baseball Vault here on Kings of Kauffman. Episodes of the Royalman Report are available on the site as well.

Follow the Kansas City Baseball Vault on Twitter and Facebook for future programming updates. Also follow Kings of Kauffman for article updates, discussion and other information.

Alex Gordon will look to continue his recent hot streak as the Royals visit Seattle for the only time this season. Photo Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

When Last We Saw …

As mentioned the M’s were at the K just last week when they took three of four against Kansas City. Seattle traded Ichiro Suzuki earlier this week to the New York Yankees, who went 7-for-20 with five runs scored, one double and triple.

Season Series …

Ichiro wasn’t the only Mariner to hurt the Royals last week left fielder Casper Wells drove in seven runs over the four game series. Jesus Montero was 8-for-17 scoring five runs plus drove in eight runs against KC. Pitching wise the M’s got solid efforts from three of their four starters which was capped by Felix Hernandez eight inning performance.

In the opener Seattle put the final nail in the Jonathan Sanchez coffin scoring five first inning runs and knocking him out after an inning and a third. Jason Vargas went six innings allowing three runs but was picked up by his ‘pen allowing one run over the final three innings. Alex Gordon had three hits with Mike Moustakas providing two in the 9-4 defeat.

Game two was similar to game one with the Royals not getting a long outing from its starter when Ryan Verdugo made his MLB debut and only went 1 2/3 innings. Verdugo allowed six runs on eight hits in his rough debut. KC fought back from a six-run deficit twice in the game but ultimately lost 9-6, Lorenzo Cain had a two-run pinch hit home run.

Kansas City fell behind 1-0 in game three but tagged Kevin Millwood for three runs in the second inning. Gordon and Cain each drove in two runs and six of the seven Royals starters drove in a run in the 8-7 win, Bruce Chen took a no-decision. Billy Butler was the hero in the game with a walkoff HR to left centerfield.

Will Smith gave KC a 6 1/3 inning start which he struck out five walking just two in what was largely a good start. Facing King Felix proved difficult even with Kansas City getting eight hits, they were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and grounded into two double plays. Montero drove in four runs in the Mariners 6-1 victory.

7/16 – Mariners 9 @ Royals 4
7/17 – Mariners 9 @ Royals 6
7/18 – Mariners 7 @ Royals 8
7/19 – Mariners 6 @ Royals 1

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):     

Thursday, 9:10 pm – Luis Mendoza (4-6, 4.31) v. Jason Vargas (10-7, 3.91)
- Mendoza picked up his first victory at home on Saturday night against the Twins going 6 1/3 well pitched innings in a 7-3 win.
- In his career he’s 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA against Seattle in four games which includes one start.
- Vargas has won his last three starts and has been given run support of 7 (at Oak), 9 (at KC) and 2 (at TB) runs in these starts. He hasn’t won at home since May 9, 2-1 against Detroit at Safeco Field.
Friday, 9:10 pm – Jeremy Guthrie (3-10, 6.49)  v. Blake Beavan (5-6, 5.54)
- Guthrie made his Royals debut on Sunday at home against the Twins allowing five runs in five innings, striking out four and walking three.
- He’s faced the Mariners ten times with each appearance being a start, his record is 2-6 both wins were complete games.
- Beavan threw last week at the K picking up the win going six innings, he allowed five runs and struck out three.
Saturday, 3:10 pm – Bruce Chen (7-8, 5.54) v. Kevin Millwood (3-8, 4.13)
- Chen’s last start came in the third game of the series last week in which he got the ND throwing 5 1/3 innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits striking out six without issuing a walk.
- Last week was the first time in his career that Bruce faced the M’s.
- Millwood got rocked in during his five innings at Kansas City last week which he allowed seven runs on 10 hits. On June 8^th he was part of a combined no-hitter for the team against the Dodgers in Seattle.
Sunday, 3:10 pm – Will Smith (2-3, 6.26) v. Felix Hernandez (9-5, 2.80)
- Smith started Tuesday night in Anaheim going seven innings in the Royals 4-1 victory allowing just two-hits.
- He’ll get another shot at King Felix who he faced in the series finale last week where he worked into the seventh inning before being pulled.
- Hernandez like Smith pitched and won on Tuesday night the only game of the previous series for his team. Against the Yankees he went 7 1/3 innings allowed four hits and two runs.

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA batter Wil Myers drives in a run with a fielder

Omaha scored two runs each in the sixth and seventh innings to defeat Round Rock, 4-1. Wil Myers hit a two-run homerun in the 6th inning to give the Storm Chasers the lead they would not relinquish.

Ryan Verdugo is back in the rotation for Omaha and he picked up the win, as he allowed just one run on four hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out eight. Vin Mazzaro followed with three scoreless innings of relief to pick up his second save.

NW Arkansas was swept by Springfield in their four-game series for the second time in 12 days. The Naturals lost 5-4 in walk-off fashion. With a runner on second base and no outs in the bottom of the 9th inning, Jon Keck entered the game. The first batter reached on a sac bunt that Keck could not field. He intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases. Problem is, Keck lost the strikezone and walked in the winning run.

That negated the solid start from Michael Mariot, who allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk over seven innings. Springfield’s two runs off Mariot came on a two-run homerun in the first inning.

On offense, the Naturals collected eight hits, with Rey Navarro and Kevin Kouzmanoff having two each.

Wilmington lost their series opener at home to Frederick, 10-5. The Keys scored three runs in the first inning and four runs in the 8th inning that led them to victory.

The top five in the Blue Rocks order each collected two hits. Matt Fields hit his 11th homerun of the season (while driving in three runs).

Geulin Beltre did commit an error, but he made up for it by throwing out two base runners.

Kane County lost their series finale in Dayton, 5-1. Kellen Moen took the loss, as he allowed four runs over five innings. He gave up two homeruns.

On offense for the Cougars, Henry Moreno and Julio Aparicio each collected two hits. Their lone run came when Justin Trapp led off the game with a homerun.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling hit a two-run homerun in the 5th inning, as Burlington beat Greenville, 5-0. He went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts. Despite the fact that their was less than 500 fans in attendance, three Royals pitchers combined on a one-hitter. Colin Rodgers allowed the one hit, a one out single in the 5th inning.

After a truly miserable start increased his ERA to 7.76 in 53.1 innings, Jonathan Sanchez was designated for assignment this afternoon. The move opens a spot on the active and 40 man rosters.

In his place, the Royals called up Ryan Verdugo from Omaha to start Tuesday night’s game after the scheduled starter, Everett Teaford, had to fill in after Sanchez’s 1.1 inning outing on Monday.

Verdugo had a 3.58 ERA in 88 innings for Omaha and had been called up earlier this season, but didn’t make an appearance in a game before being sent back to Triple A. Poetically, Verdugo was the other part of the trade that sent Sanchez to Kansas City for Melky Cabrera last November. You can hear him talk about joining the Royals on the Royalman Report shortly after the trade.

The Royals also optioned outfielder Jason Bourgeois to Omaha. With Lorenzo Cain‘s return, Bourgeois was a redundant player. Cain has the speed and right-handed bat that Bourgeois had, and Jarrod Dyson is faster than both of them for late-inning pinch-running purposes. Vin Mazzaro was brought back up with the move. He had a 5.70 ERA in 30 innings. He’s been hit or miss as a starter with two starts of six scoreless innings, but three starts where he’s given up more than a run per inning.

The big move, though, is Sanchez’s designation for assignment. It’s a sign that the Royals knew they had to make the change – too often they’ll wait through while a pitcher tries to work things out, when it’s clearly not going to change anything. Kyle Davies comes to mind. The Royals have ten days to add Sanchez back to the roster, trade him or, if he clears waivers, assign him to the minors or release him outright. Unless they can find a trade partner willing to take on his remaining salary, the Royals will be on the hook for his full $5.6 million contract for 2012, minus the prorated minimum (if another team adds him after release). If he’s sent to the minors, he’ll still make the same amount.

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA batter Wil Myers drives in a run with a fielder

The Triple-A All-Star Game was held on Wednesday night and Wil Myers took home the MVP award to cap a fine week of All-Star accolades. The Pacific Coast League beat the International League in Buffalo, 3-0. Myers went 2-for-3 with an RBI. He was one of only two players two record a multi-hit game (Leslie Anderson of the IL also collected two hits). Myers played left field.

Clint Robinson came off the bench to play first base and went 0-for-1 (a strikeout). Ryan Verdugo pitched the third inning, walked one, and struck out one. Tommy Hottovy recorded the first two outs in the 8th inning. He struck out one.

NW Arkansas broke their eight game losing streak on Tuesday night with an 8-7 walk-off win over San Antonio. They had Wednesday off before starting a four-game road trip in Springfield on Thursday.

It was ugly in the beginning, as Naturals starter Noel Arguelles didn’t make it out of the first inning after allowing four runs. However the offense battled back, they got enough out of their bullpen, and had a little luck. In the 9th inning, Michael Liberto led off with a single and Yem Prades followed with a walk. After a strikeout and a pitching change, Brian Fletcher walked to load the bases for John Whittleman, who delivered a sac fly to tie the game. A throwing error home led to the winning run scoring.

Wilmington began their home series with Potomac with a 6-2 victory. Brooks Pounders picked up his second win in the Carolina League with six solid innings. He allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out eight.

Matt Fields continued his power-hitting, as he went 3-for-4 with his 7th homerun with the Blue Rocks.

Kane County collected just five hits, but beat South Bend, 3-0. They scored single runs in the first, 5th, and 6th inning.

Aaron Brooks picked up the win with seven shutout innings. He allowed four hits while striking out six.

Bubba Watch: Burlington’s game in Kingsport was postponed.

David Lough hit a solo homerun in the 2nd inning (one of his two hits). Johnny Giavotella drove in two runs in the 7th inning with a two out RBI single.

August 05, 2011; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Manny Pina (28) makes a throw to second during a game against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

The NW Arkansas Naturals have now lost four in a row, as they lost their series opener at home against Corpus Christi, 10-2. The Naturals collected 11 hits, but went just 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and hit into three double plays.

Brian Fletcher went 2-for-4 for the second straight game. Alex McClure went 3-for-4 with an RBI (where is all this offense coming with McClure?).

Catcher Manny Pina began his rehab from knee surgery with an 0-for-3 day. He also threw a runner out trying to steal second base. He caught seven innings.

Wilmington lost the slugfest in Lynchburg, 10-9. The Hillcats gave Yordano Ventura his worst start of the season right before his appearance in Sunday’s Futures Game. Ventura, who supposedly was ON in the first inning, fell apart in the second inning. The Hillcats scored five runs and he lasted just 2.2 innings.

The Blue Rocks actually came back to take a 9-8 lead in the top of the 7th inning with a six-spot. Matt Fields hit a homerun and Brett Eibner followed two batters later with a two-run homerun in that inning (he fell a triple short of the cycle). The Hillcats came right back with two runs in the bottom of the 7th inning against loser Nick Graffeo.

Kane County used a six-run bottom of the 5th inning to beat Quad Cities, 9-2. This came after the River Bandits tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the inning. In that 5th inning, Michael Antonio hit a two-run homerun (one of his two hits).

All of that offense made a winner of Aaron Brooks, who allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out six.

Every Cougars starter (except Yowill Espinal) collected at least one hit.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 0-for-3 with his second error of the season in Burlington’s 8-7 walk-off win.

The top of the order, Derrick Robinson and the rehabbing Chris Getz, went 6-for-8 with three RBIs and four runs scored. Irving Falu hit a two-run homerun in the 5th inning with two outs (he went 2-for-3). Anthony Seratelli hit his 11th homerun of the season. He has homered in three of his last four games (two straight).

That made a winner of Ryan Verdugo, who was recently sent back to Omaha from the big leagues (where he didn’t pitch). He allowed two unearned runs on four hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out four.

NW Arkansas has now won seven in a row with a win against Arkansas, 6-4 on Saturday night. They moved into first place in the Texas League’s North Division (as Tulsa lost again).

The Naturals scored four runs in the first inning on three hits, three walks, a passed ball, and a sac bunt. The big first inning held up, as Ryan Dennick picked up his first save in Double-A (3IP, 2H, 1R, 0BB, 3K).

Jason Adam

The Wilmington Blue Rocks dropped to third place in the Carolina League’s Northern Division (four games back) with about a week to go in the first half. They lost at Winston-Salem, 7-2. Jason Adam fell to 1-9 on the season, as he was bit by the long ball. He allowed three homeruns, two of which were the firsts of the players’ season. Adam struck out six over six innings and did not walk a batter.

Brett Eibner returned to the lineup and hit a solo homerun (his 8th of the season) and drove in the other run with a double. He also did not strike out.

Prior to the game, starter Greg Billo was placed on the DL with a stiff elbow and Brooks Pounders was promoted from Kane County.

Kane County lost the first game of their road trip, 4-1 to Peoria. Starter Scott Alexander lasted just 2/3 of an inning and allowed four runs (though only one was earned).

Jason Mitchell followed with 5.1 shutout innings of relief while striking out six. However the Cougars only collected four hits.

May 07, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez (57) is relieved by manager Ned Yost (3) in the fourth inning of the game against the Boston Red Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

Today, I realized I can no longer do this.  I can’t be hopelessly optimistic about someone who has given me little in return to back up my optimism.  I was never a fan of the Luke Hochevar pick in the 2006 draft, but I sucked it up and tried to find a reason to like the pick and give my support for Hochevar.  First, let me state that Hochevar should have never been the 1st overall pick and because of his selection there, he is going to be the most scrutinized player from that draft.  It’s also hard to swallow that Evan Longoria, Clayton Kershaw, and Tim Lincecum were all top ten picks that year as well, and were passed on.

While Hochevar hasn’t been bad every time out, what makes him so frustrating to watch, is the fact he is one of the most inconsistent pitchers in the game.  He’s had days of complete game shutouts and then he’ll turn around and have an outing like the home opener onslaught that a sold out crowd witnessed earlier this year at Kauffman Stadium.  A starter needs to be consistent, something Hochevar is not.  Yeah, Bruce Chen won’t dominate a line up but you can expect 6 innings and 2-3 runs every time he toes the rubber.  There’s peace of mind knowing what to expect from your starter on any given day.

That being said it really is time to at least scan around for other options to start in place of Hochevar and Jonathan Sanchez.  I’m not sure how much longer their leash is, but it can’t be too long.  Sanchez and Hochevar combined have went past 5 innings only twice thus far this season.  Hochevar is now the 6th worst pitcher in MLB history according to ERA that includes pitchers with over 100 starts.  That’s an interesting piece of information that can be found here* along with the rest of the top, or should I say bottom, ten.  I tend to get a sick feeling in my stomach every time it’s Sanchez’s turn in the rotation.  I know 5 walks and 3 innings is very likely.  These two make watching the Royals a nauseating task.  Normally, I’m not this down on the Royals, but I hate seeing the starting pitching give these types of performances.

*It’s interesting to note Kyle Davies is right in front of Hochevar on this list.

Therefore, there may come a time relatively soon where a change has to be made.  Ryan Verdugo, Nate Adcock, and Everett Teaford are all guys I truly believe can give us a quality start just about every time out.  The most important things a starter can do is keep the team in the game and go deep in the game to preserve the bullpen arms throughout the season.  Jake Odorizzi is also an intriguing name that I’d love to see in Kansas City at some point during the season.

I really don’t like giving up on a player, but it appears as though Hochevar is not capable of overcoming his blow up inning more times than not.  I believe there is a lack of focus there, even though no one will come out and say that.  I’m sure he prepares himself very well and puts in the time and effort, but there is something with the mental side of his game that is just not adding up.  A guy with the repertoire of pitches that Hochevar sports should not be nearly this inconsistent and should be a top of the rotation starter.  It’s just very frustrating to continue to watch him and anticipate his blow up inning.

All I’m hoping for is this doesn’t continue.  Whether Hochevar and Sanchez figure out a few things and can pitch deeper into a game or Ned Yost finally makes a move and replaces one or both of them with a few candidates I mentioned earlier, something will need to change.  The starting pitching is the weak spot of the team but that doesn’t mean you can’t make changes to try and produce different outcomes.  These two are certainly not cutting it.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Jordan McLaughlin on Twitterto be notified each time he posts a story.

The Royalman Report, LIVE Sundays at 7 pm CST

We were pleased to get Ryan Verdugo on the line this week to talk about his thoughts on joining the Royals, his approach to pitching and changing organizations, and baseball in general.

We also talked about Harry Potter, unicorns and Twitter. No, really. We did.

He was a great guest to have on and a great follow – check him out on Twitter. We promised him we’d get him to 2000 followers – @teachmetodugi11 – Note: Verdugo shut down his Twitter account towards the end of spring training to focus on baseball. No word on if he’ll return. We hope he does.

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

If you want your business featured during breaks on the Royalman Report, contact us at 816-394-9578 or email royalmanreport@gmail.com.  

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The Royalman Report, LIVE Sunday at 7 p.m. CST

The big news last week was the trade between the Giants and Royals that sent Melky Cabrera to San Francisco for Jonathan Sanchez.

Along with Sanchez, the Royals received left-handed minor league pitcher Ryan Verdugo. He’s on Twitter at @teachmetodugi11 and is our guest tonight on the Royalman Report. He’s among the more active players on Twitter and worth the follow, and worth a listen tonight as well.

We’ll also cover the news and notes about the Royals as well.

As always, we’ll have our chat room up during the broadcast for any questions and comments and whatever discussion arises. You can also call 1-816-394-9578 and leave a voicemail or join in during the broadcast

The Royalman Report is brought to you by Kelly’s Westport Inn at 500 Westport Road in Kansas City, Missouri.  Tell them the Royalman Report sent you.

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The Royalman Report, LIVE Sundays at 7 pm CST

In the latest Royalman Report, we looked at the Melky Cabrera/Jonathan Sanchez trade and its implications for 2012 and beyond. We also guessed at what moves may be next for the Royals (if any).

We also covered what free agents might be options for the Royals and looked at trade targets. On top of that we discussed the possibility of moving Joakim Soria, the changing trade market as the offseason goes on and Royalman even said he’d welcome Zack Greinke back if it came to it. Breakthrough!

Next week, we’ll have an interview with the newest Royal in the organization and part of the Melky deal, left-handed pitcher Ryan Verdugo. That’ll be November 20th, so check back in then!

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

If you want your business featured during breaks on the Royalman Report, contact us at 816-394-9578 or email royalmanreport@gmail.com.  

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My initial reaction was excitement. I can’t tell you if that was due to a trade being made or for the content of the trade itself. It was just a reaction. On first glance, it looks like the Royals have traded an average hitter following a career year for a left-handed starter with hints of domination who might be an adjustment or two from being a breakout performer.

The Royals didn’t rip off the Giants, nor did the Giants rip off the Royals. With a glut of outfielders capable of playing at the big league level – I’m thinking of Lorenzo Cain (who stands to benefit most from the trade), David Lough, Mitch Maier and perhaps Jarrod Dyson – and in need of pitching, the move makes sense for the Royals. Melky isn’t the best defender, not the most patient hitter, but he performed admirably in 2011. Sanchez has always had his warts. He walks quite a lot of batters but also strikes out a lot.

Upon further thought, it’s an even deal I think for both teams.

But what about Sanchez? What kind of pitcher is he, and what can Royals fans expect from him?

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I think we all know what we had in Melky. He was a one-year deal that seemed to be nothing more than a flyer to spin off at the trade deadline for whatever Dayton Moore could find. Instead, he had a career year and jacked his trade value up to a ridiculously high level. Rather than turning him at the deadline, the Royals waited until their favorite time of year – a week after the season completely ended – to ship him off. And Moore completed a trade that seemingly can’t do anything but help the Royals in 2012 and beyond.

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