August 05, 2011; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost (left) with general manager Dayton Moore (right) before a game against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

Before we get swallowed by #YearSeven I thought I’d start a series comparing player performances under Moore against the thirty-three other six year intervals in team history. Today we’ll start with everybody’s favorite topic, the rotation. I was looking for seasons where a pitcher tossed 162+ innings with an ERA+ of 110 or higher, once a common thing in KC, but now as rare as a Chiefs lead. Since 2007 there have been only four such seasons, and none since Zack Greinke’s Cy Young season in 2009.

Development issues and an improper evaluation of major league talent have left the Royals starved for even league average starting pitching. Place the blame where you like, but facts are facts, Moore’s rotations have been nothing short of disastrous.

Here’s the short rundown of the Moore era:

2009 – Greinke 205 ERA+, 229.1 IP

2008 – Greinke 125 ERA+, 202.1 IP

2007 – Gil Meche 125 ERA+, 216 IP

2007 – Brian Bannister 118 ERA+, 165 IP

The only time period with fewer was 2001-2006 with three. Shocking, I know. The mid to late 1970’s and mid to late 1980’s were the starting pitching golden eras, which I imagine surprises no one. Anyway, I made this nifty little chart which has all the results. Nothing shocking here, if you know your Royals history. The mid 1980′s to the early 1990′s looks to be the golden era while things started turning for the worse in the late 1990′s. The 2000′s have, of course, been a massive disappointment  The only surprise, for me at least, was 1979-1984. Those six years saw two division titles and three second place finishes. I guess you could describe it as a changing of the guard, from one crop of Royals Hall of Famers to another.

That presents a problem, as there are only so many pitchers capable of producing the kind if impact the Royals (and, yes, those other teams) would hope for. Supply and demand. The supply is low, the demand is high. That being the case, as more teams poke around, the price starts to go up (or at least the asking price). For the Royals, that’s not what they want to hear. We all know that their reputation precedes them – the largest free agent contract they’ve handed out was to Gil Meche before the 2007 season for $55 million and five years.

Two big targets are Zack Greinke and Anibal Sanchez. Greinke, as we know, can lead a rotation and, after Cole Hamels and Matt Cain signed extensions, is the big fish in the pond this winter.

Sep 20, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels starter Zack Greinke (23) delivers a pitch against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

And reports say that he’s looking for a six year deal. For a former Cy Young Award winner with no hint of an injury history  and only 29 years old, that’s a great deal to look for. The Royals (and any other team) would be lucky to have him.

This is the part where you’d hear the record scratch. That six year deal? Greinke wants it to value $150 million.

That is a lot of Chipotle.

It was a long shot that Greinke would return to Kansas City anyway. Almost immediately after the Royals traded him to Milwaukee, fans noticed that he would be a free agent after 2012 and let the possibility trickle into their minds. What a great deal it would be to pick up Alcides Escobar, Jake Odorizzi and Lorenzo Cain (and the recently traded Jeremy Jeffress) for Greinke, then turn around and re-sign the player they traded away. The best of both worlds!

If the Royals had been more successful in 2012, perhaps Greinke would be more inclined to return. The reason he asked to be traded in the first place was because the team wasn’t improving quickly enough, but success could rekindle that love for Kansas City that caused him to keep his place on the Plaza (of course, he could just be a budding real estate mogul).

At that price? Greinke will not be a Royal.

But Anibal Sanchez. He could be a target. There was injury concern, then some worry that he wouldn’t adjust going from the National League to the American League. A strong run through the latter part of the regular season with Detroit and solid work in the playoffs put him in the spotlight and allayed those fears.

And it drove his pricetag up.

Now, the price seemed at first that it might be modest and achievable for the Royals and really any other team. But scarcity and the shared interest changed that. A $15 million annual salary is all but certain at this point, and Sanchez also wants a long-term commitment. Six years for $90 million.

But there’s a catch. As Jon Heyman reported, that demand may increase to seven years and $100 million for some teams. So maybe he’s willing to play for the Royals, but he may charge a premium. Part of what got the Meche deal done was giving him a fifth year when other teams were only willing to go four. Extra years mean extra money, and it’s also extra risk for the signing team. Sanchez, though, will get paid.

Will that be by the Royals?

I hope so for my sake as a fan. Sanchez is the best free agent who’s remotely attainable for the Royals. But the odds he’ll sign with Kansas City get lower every day as his value continues to rise. I’d love for the Royals to start spending, but until they do, I have to be skeptical that they will cough up the money. Part of that is their own doing and their own approach, but it’s also the market playing out naturally. Both are big obstacles if the Royals are to make a splash in free agency this winter.

Oct. 2, 2010; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Zack Greinke watches from the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Rumor: I heard that Zack Greinke secretly wears Royals underwear to bed. Clearly, he’s going to sign with the Royals this offseason.

Rumor: Well I heard, he’s been drawing pictures that look a lot like the Plaza so I think he’ll be signed for less than market value.

Rumor: Yeah, I think he’s probably gonna sign cuz he draws his power from the fountains at Kauffman. Without them, he will eventually wither away. Like Superman with the sun and everything.

This is how ridiculous everyone who believes Greinke is coming back to the Royals sounds. Normally, I would write a rational response to this belief. I would hedge my bets against being wrong and try to consider the reasoning behind the assertion that Greinke will sign in Kansas City. But I feel that would do more harm than good at this point. Those who believe in this fantasy need that belief smothered right now.

IT WILL NOT HAPPEN (watch it happen now).

But seriously. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN.

Greinke asked to leave this place. He didn’t want to be here, and his coming back is contingent on too many variables that are in fact tremendous obstacles. The first and simplest is that he probably doesn’t want to come here. He didn’t want to stay here so why would he want to come back? Because the Royals are poised to lose 88 games? Because the barbeque is so good? (That is tempting but no.)

The second obstacle? The Royals have to want him to come back. We all assume that they do, but maybe they don’t. We don’t know. Greinke comes with baggage. Dayton Moore has already had to deal with that baggage once, he may not think that dealing with it again is good for the team or worth the price tag.

Which brings us to the largest hurdle. The Royals can’t afford Greinke. A former Cy Young winner with Greinke’s dominant stuff in a market that will be starved for big-time starting pitching is going to command a salary the Royals can’t/won’t/shouldn’t give (choose one). The Royals cannot outbid anyone and certainly won’t be able to play in a bidding war the involves multiple big-market teams. Dayton Moore was unwilling to pull the trigger on a guy like Edwin Jackson last offseason. What’s changed so that now he’ll be able to offer even more money for Greinke?

I love the enthusiasm, and I love that people are thinking in the right direction. This team needs starting pitching in a bad way, but why is Greinke the answer? He isn’t, but why do so many people believe he is? There are other capable pitchers on the market who won’t cost as much and may be just as or only slightly less effective. So, why are people so fixated on Greinke?

I’m not going to answer that because either the answer is obvious (people are still attached to him because of the success he had here) or answering it serves no purpose. I’ll just say this. Drop the delusion. Greinke’s not coming back, and ponder this question instead. Why do you want him back?

#CountryBreakfast. Photo Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

His next pitch ended up landing behind the batter’s eye in center field, courtesy of Billy Butler. Butler’s 27th homer of the year tied it up. Earlier in the night, Butler had hit a ball to the wall in dead center but Kauffman Stadium contained it.

Three pitches later, Salvador Perez took a 1-1 fastball deep to left. The ball hit the foul pole for a homer as the Royals took the walkoff win.

The heroics prevented Jeremy Guthrie‘s day from being in vain. Guthrie was just as impressive as Greinke, working eight innings and giving up just two runs while walking just one and giving up five hits. The Angels two runs came off of a Kendrys Morales homer in the fifth and a Torii Hunter single (that Jeff Francoeur lost in the lights) in the eighth. If the official scorer happens to turn the play into an error (it still went off his glove), only the homer would be an earned run.

Guthrie threw 107 pitches with 71 going for strikes. He only struck out two in the fast-paced game, but got eighteen (18!) outs on the ground. Only one out came in the air.

After the game, Ned Yost pointed to Gordon’s hit as being key in the comeback, since it chased Greinke from the game. That allowed Butler to face Frieri a day after he’d thrown 30 pitches in relief.

The Royals end up playing spoiler a lot this time of year, and this game was a crushing loss for the Angels. Their fans are not pleased with the decision to pull Greinke and I can sympathize. Strong starts followed by blown leads is something he probably got used to after his years in Kansas City. Butler put a charge into a ball earlier, so who knows, maybe the results would have been similar or the same. The “What if?” question has to be in LA fans’ minds. The Angels are five games behind Oakland for second in the AL West and are slipping out of wild card contention too.

The Royals 2-5 hitters were 6 for 24, which is about as good as you can do against Greinke. The only other hitter with a base hit was Francoeur. Eric Hosmer walked twice and stole a base.

Johnny Giavotella‘s throwing error in the top of the ninth was seconds away from history. Many have been tracking baseball’s march towards 500,000 errors, and Carlos Lee and Jose Reyes both committed errors in the top of the seventh for Miami moments before Giavotella’s errant throw. Even in mistakes, the Royals can’t win…

Tomorrow, the Royals send Will Smith to face his original organization. The Angels counter with Dan Haren. The Royals evens the series at 4-4 with the deciding game coming Sunday.

Kansas City (65-78) returns home after a successful 4-2 road trip trough division leading Chicago and cellar dweller Minnesota. The Royals haven’t seen the Angels (78-66) since July when Los Angeles took two-of-three games in that series. For the season series the teams are tied three games apiece, so this weekend will decide the winner between KC and LA.

With the Los Angeles Angels coming to town over the weekend the Royals will get a second chance to see Zack Greinke in 2012. Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

When Kansas City visited Anaheim July 23-25, Greg Holland suffered the opening night loss allowing three runs in 2/3^rd of an inning. Game two Will Smith threw seven innings allowing one run on just two hits and was backed by a Lorenzo Cain two-RBI night. In the final LA won 11-6 but that game will be remembered by Luke Hochevar getting thrown batters into the fourth inning.

We conducted a Q&A with Jason Evans who is the editor over at Halo Hangout to see what’s up with the Angels.

Kings of Kauffman – Royals fans will get their second look at Zack Greinke this weekend at the K (first as a Brewer in June), what have Angel fans thought of him so far?

Jason Evans – Zack’s start wasn’t the best with the Angels, however he’s come back and become a real stabilizing factor in their rotation. He’s going to need to stay on this roll if they have any shot at a playoff spot

KOK – Los Angeles have had a rollarcoaster season so far any predictions on how it ends?

JE – My opinion on that really changes by the day. They’ve been so inconsistent that at this point, I’m not sure if they make it.

KOK – Albert Pujols is another guy that Royals fans know well and has rebounded well since his slow start, what has his value been to the team this season or has it been lost behind Trout/Trumbo?

JE – I think everyone’s expectations for Pujols were too high. He was going to need to make adjustments in a new league. He’s probably having the quietest 30 home run year he ever has.

KOK – Speaking of Trout, Royals fans got a taste at the All-Star Game in July at the K, do you think he’ll sweep AL Rookie and MVP honors?

JE – I think Trout had rookie of the year locked up in June. MVP probably depends on whether they make the playoffs or not. I think it’s still TBD.

Here is the other half of the conversation that took place at Halo Hangout with Jason

Probable Starters this week (All Times Central) –

Friday 7:10 pm, C.J. Wilson (12-9, 3.69) v. Bruce Chen (10-12, 5.36)

Saturday 7:10 pm, Zack Greinke (5-2, 4.15)* v. Jeremy Guthrie (4-3, 3.23)*

Sunday 1:10 pm, Dan Haren (10-11, 4.45) v. Will Smith (5-7, 4.94)

* = Stats since joining Angels/Royals

The Royals just had a decent road trip but still came away with a loss on Sunday, so the Royalman Report tried to hearken back to better days, then tried to come up with how to bring those good days back.

We talked with our own Kevin Scobee of Kings of Kauffman about the Royals hints about converting some relievers into starters. The conversation led to talking about Luke Hochevar and what’s gone wrong, Kyle Zimmer and what’s going right and what attributes of some relievers work best if they were asked to become starters.

We also talked about Billy Butler‘s power surge in 2012 and marveled at his consistency even in the middle of a breakout. Then we set our sights on Steve Balboni‘s record – and wallowed in the fact that we’re still Royals fans, left behind while other small market teams challenge for playoff spots. Year Six…

Don’t forget the Royalman Report is on every Sunday at 7 and catch our new show, The Kansas City Baseball Vault on ESPN 1510 AM Thursday’s at 6.

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The Royalman Report is hosted by Troy “Royalman” Olsen with co-host Michael Engel and features Chris “Fake Ned Yost” Kamler and 610 Sports blogger Jeff Herr and airs  live Sundays at 7 p.m. central time at RoyalmanReport.com as well as on Livestream.com/RoyalmanReport.

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July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals former player Mike Sweeney (right) celebrates with George Brett (left) after a home run during the 2012 Legends and Celebrity softball game at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

Recently, there’s been some discussion on the Kansas City Baseball Vault about these sorts of matters. We’ve discussed what four players would comprise a Royals Mt. Rushmore. Our latest episode considered the case of Joe Randa and others as potential members of the Royals Hall of Fame.

The players who’ve already been elected have solid cases. Ranking them by bWAR makes Cookie Rojas (5.4) the most suspect of Royals Hall of Famers, but he also played during some of the Royals first winning seasons and made four All-Star teams as a Royal.

So what makes a player worthy of his team’s hall of fame? Number help, and someone in the top five all time would be a shoo-in, but what about the fringe cases? What about the group of players who played after George Brett retired? Players like Johnny Damon, Jermaine Dye and Carlos Beltran have good numbers in the years when they were Royals, but Dye’s best years were with the White Sox. Damon was a key figure in the Red Sox 2004 World Series season. Beltran hasn’t been in a Royals uniform in nearly a decade. They also played on teams that didn’t win a lot of games and obviously didn’t make a playoff appearance.

Does that discount the efforts of Mike Sweeney, who played in more games as a Royal than Royals Hall of Famers John Mayberry and Freddie Patek? Does never making the playoffs make Randa, who’s seventh all time as a Royal in base hits, an easy no?

Also, does it matter that a player like Randa wasn’t the key player on those teams?

Then, how do you rank someone like David Cone, who only threw 448.1 innings as a Royal but is one of three Royals to win a Cy Young Award?

So many questions.

To me, numbers matter and a player who put up good ones as a Royal should get consideration. To an extent, tenure matters too. A player is better off being more recognizable as a Royal than a member of another team. Mayberry is more known for his strong years as a Royal than those as a Blue Jay.

That makes the cases for Damon, Dye and Beltran pretty tough to make. They had the numbers, but most merely doff their cap at their Royals years, while their time on other teams stand out. What, then, happens if Damon, with over 2700 career base hits, were to make the National Baseball Hall of Fame? Can a team have a player start their career with them, spend years in the organization and on the team and then make the Hall but not their own team’s?

Here are some other cases that interest me:

Charlie Leibrandt spent time in a Royals uniform from 1984 to 1989, accumulating 21.5 WAR in 1257 innings. That’s more WAR than Paul Splittorff, more innings than Steve Busby. Leibrandt also made two strong starts in the 1985 World Series after finishing in the top five of Cy Young voting that season. He was never a star, but was a solid starter in his time.

Mike Sweeney finished his career as a Royal with the same on base percentage as George Brett, though in less than half as many games. Still, in the late-90s and early 2000s, Sweeney was a premier slugger in the AL. After trying to keep his career going with the Mariners, A’s and Phillies, he’s still recognizable as a Royal first. He’s always been active in the community and well-liked. Based on that, he’s the obvious next choice to be inducted, but the teams he played on were rarely any good. Is a good player on a crummy team worthy of such recognition? Probably so, but I’d listen to someone who had a strong argument against it.

Danny Tartabull spent just five years with the Royals but ended with the highest OPS+ of any Royal with significant playing time. He drove in 100 runs three times in those five seasons, surpassing 30 homers twice as well. Does playing on teams where he was overshadowed by Brett and Bo Jackson impact his standing in franchise history? It shouldn’t, but it does.

David DeJesus was solid in his Royals career, but never a star. He never excelled in any offensive category, but simply got on base, hit the ball and played adequate defense. He just happened to stick it out with the Royals long enough to end up in the top ten of multiple offensive categories, but he never made an All-Star game and never considered much of a star, but his ranks within the franchise’s history look impressive relatively. He had more WAR than Damon (though in two more seasons).

What about Mike Macfarlane, a solid catcher and often one of the few power threats in some weak Kansas City lineups? What about Tom Gordon, who is more recognizable as a member of the Red Sox, but who threw more innings than Royals Hall of Famers Jeff Montgomery and Dan Quisenberry (and nearly as much WAR as Busby)? What do you do about Zack Greinke when he retires? He’s probably not signing back with the Royals, but only Kevin Appier, Bret Saberhagen and Mark Gubicza (all of whom had more than 500 innings as Royals) have more pitching WAR than Greinke.

You don’t want to let just anybody in, but at the same time, there could be a huge gap in potential inductees given the lean years since the early-90s. I see some merit in going after Damon, Dye and Beltran, though, because for a time, they comprised the most talented outfield in baseball, gave hope for a resurgence and are always in the minds of Royals fans. They have a lasting impact on the organization, for their on-field contributions as well as their historical significance within team history (even if it’s a painful significance).

That trio and Sweeney should have a spot one of these days.

Just for fun, I made a list of some potential inductees, ranked them by WAR as a Royal and included the amount of time they spent with the team and their number of plate appearances or innings pitched: Players in italics are already inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame.

Prior to the recent trading deadline, conventional wisdom indicated the Royals were seeking major league ready starting pitching to help their struggling staff.  The Royals possess the trading chips that could have secured a big name such as the Cub’s #1, Matt Garza, but they were unwilling to part with them.  When all you’re offering is Yuniesky Betancourt, Jeff Francoeur, Jonathan Broxton, and/or Jose Mijares, you aren’t going to get much in return.

This lack of movement provides us with a clue that it’s unlikely the Royals plan to open up the prospect vault and trade any of their blue chip minor leaguers anytime soon.  This leaves us with the hope that one of the Royals promising pitchers on the farm will suddenly develop into a superstar, which is not likely anytime soon, or maybe, just maybe David Glass might finally consider writing a check during free agency for a legitimate arm to lead the club.

Based on experience, I realize it’s unlikely the Royals will pursue any truly big names, other than the slight possibility that they might go after Greinke.  However, there will be a few “affordable” pitchers available in the coming free agency period who I think the Royals should consider next off season.  I’ll give you my short list showing the current status of these pitchers, and with the exception of Greinke and possibly Jackson, I don’t think the Glass family can make the excuse that any of these guys are too expensive.  Any one (or better yet – two) of these players could provide a positive impact for the club in 2013.

Zack Greinke                   LAA      28 yrs    $13,000,000     9-4 W/L           3.61 era

Brandon McCarthy         OAK     29 yrs   $4,275,000        6-3 W/L             2.54 era

Anibal Sanchez             DET      28 yrs   $8,000,000        6-8 W/L             3.99 era

Edwin Jackson              WSN     28 yrs   $11,000,000      7-7 W/L            3.57 era

Colby Lewis                  TXR      33 yrs   $3,250,000        6-6 W/L             3.43 era

Shaun Marcum              MIN      30 yrs   $7,725,000        5-3 W/L             3.39 era

Joe Saunders                ARI       31 yrs   $6,000,000        5-7 W/L             3.62 era

Almost every one of these athletes carries some type of baggage.  Greinke has his famous personality disorder, Brandon McCarthy has experienced shoulder problems, Colby Lewis is out for the season, etc., etc.  But I’m still confident any one of these players would represent a significant upgrade for the Royals staff.  (I realize that isn’t saying much.)

Now that the race for the pennant is over, at least for the Royals, we need some new story lines to keep us interested.  The decisions regarding who will play a role in the Royals starting rotation in 2013 is destined to be one of the most interesting story lines and probably the issue that will either make or break the team next year.

Alcides Escobar is one of the Royals most exciting players in 2012 (Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

I got the idea for this story while watching Alcides Escobar jolt two no-doubt home runs in the same game while batting from his new home in the two-hole on Saturday, July 14 during a 6-3 Royals victory over the first place White Sox.  By the end of the game, Escobar was batting .311 and was surprising all of us with his ability to hit for power and average.

Think about how excited the clubhouse gets when Moustakas belts a home run.  They meet him at the top of the dugout steps, they high five and chest bump each other.  Now, think about what would happen if Chris Getz ever hits another of his “every blue moon” dingers.  (Getz hasn’t had a home run in any park – major or minor league – since 2009 during his stint with the White Sox.)  The team would meet him at home plate, they would pick him up and carry him back to the bench.  They would drown him in Gatorade.  Why?  Because it wasn’t expected.  When a player exceeds your expectations, it truly makes the game a thrill to watch.

Alcides Escobar came to us in the Zack Greinke trade.  Milwaukee packaged him with Jake Odorizzi, Lorenzo Cain, and Jeremy Jeffress to get our former Cy Young pitcher.  In addition to Greinke, the Royals tossed Yuniesky “Boomerang” Betancourt into the deal as well for good measure.  Unfortunately, Yuni didn’t stick, and he came back to us again this year.

The players the Brewers traded to the Royals were the best prospects they had to offer.  Lorenzo Cain would have been the Brewers starting Centerfielder, Jake Odorizzi is considered to be a future solid contributor from the starting rotation, and Jeremy Jeffress is a former 1^st round pick who is still developing.

Alcides had also garnered some significant accolades, particularly for his defense.  Beginning his career as an Amateur Free agent in 2003, he’s always hit for average in the minors (.293 career over 6 seasons), but his bat has consistently been overshadowed by his glove, and as we all know, offensive prowess doesn’t always translate as well from the minors to the big leagues the way defensive ability does.

Alcides Escobar demonstrates his superb defensive skills. (Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE)

Prior to assuming regular duty with the Brewers in 2010, Escobar was ranked as the #1 prospect in the Brewers system by Baseball America, and Sports Illustrated claimed he was the 17^th most promising prospect in all of baseball saying, “Escobar has the arm, infield actions, hands and range to win Gold Gloves at shortstop. He makes the routine plays and the tough ones, too. Plus, he has speed that impacts the game offensively, and his swing’s not so bad either.”  Saying his swing is “not so bad” isn’t exactly the greatest compliment, but there is no doubt that everyone recognized Escobar’s dynamic defensive potential.

Escobar struggled somewhat in his first full season in the majors with the Brewers.  He hit a light .235 (which unfortunately is still a few points above the “Hosmer line”) and experienced some difficulties defensively too.  He committed the 3^rd most errors of all National League shortstops, and had the unfortunate luck to mishandle the ball with incredibly bad timing.  Brewers fans claimed Escobar suffered from a “lack of focus” and had a habit of committing costly errors at exactly the wrong time.  This disappointing performance may have been why the Brewers were willing to include Escobar in the trade.  Lucky us.

After the Greinke trade, the only note MLB.com included about Alcides in their story was that he had “the tools to be an extremely exciting defensive player” but he struggles at the plate.  ESPN said almost exactly the same thing.

So, what did we think we were getting when Alcides Escobar trotted out to man the left side of second base to begin the 2011 season?  We thought we were getting a light hitting defensive whiz who needed to work on his concentration and focus to be successful at the major league level.  And in 2011, that’s exactly what we got – a .254 batting average, 4 home runs, and 15 errors, but he was at least as good or a little bit better in almost all areas over his previous season.   So, we were pleasantly surprised as his performance mildly exceeded our expectations.

To begin 2012, I believe most of us were expecting another similar season out of Esky.  We expected him to play strong defense, and to hold his own on offense, but we didn’t think he could be a game changer or even a player that we could count on for a key hit.  Escobar has met our defensive expectations with some of the most exciting infield defense most of us have ever witnessed, but on offense…  he’s surpassed our wildest expectations.

If you think Alcides Escobar can't hurt you with his bat, you are mistaken. (Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE)

Think back to last March as we were contemplating the season opener.  What would you have predicted about Alcides Escobar?  Would you have ever dreamed he would be mentioned in the same breath as Derek Jeter on offense?  Jeter and Escobar have been jousting for the league lead in batting average among shortstops.  Jeter has 7 home runs, Esky has 4.  Jeter has 27 RBI, Escobar has 29.  Escobar has far, far better range and defensive skills than the always dependable but long-in-the-tooth Jeter, making plays on balls that Derek would only waive at.  And Escobar is providing this production for the Royals at a $15 million discount over what Jeter is charging the Yankees.  Stunning, but true.

A few nights ago, Brad Brickell tweeted (@BradBrick) that the Royals win the Greinke trade on Escobar alone, and I agree with him, at least to this point.  Greinke is a great pitcher, and I’d love to have him back again when he hits free agency later this year.  But up to this point, I think it’s clear that Alcides has easily exceeded our expectations, and he’s a key factor in our bright hopes for the future.  Hopefully, all baseball fans will realize this when they’re voting for the All Star players in 2013.

If you don’t know anything about the automobile market in 1985, there’s a good reason for that.  There was nothing to know.  Nobody collects cars built in the 80’s because they were stodgy, slow, and ugly.  The market was starved for something exciting, a vehicle that could rejuvenate the industry.  We all sat on the edge of our seats waiting for the reveal of the new S-Series, a vehicle that you don’t remember and probably have never heard of – for good reason.  Have you ever seen an S-Series model Saturn?  Yuck.  It turned out to be an uninspiring piece of plastic junk.

The huge un-recouped investment in the Saturn Corporation by General Motors and subsequent lack of creative and groundbreaking design dulled all the luster on this once eagerly awaited car company.  And as you know, Saturn is now long gone, relegated to the dust bin of history.

Eric Hosmer may not be as good as we hoped he would be (Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

It hurts me to even say this, but what if Eric Hosmer is the Royals’ Saturn Corporation?  The Royals of the past 20 years make a good comparison to the automotive industry of the 1980’s – underperforming, uninspiring, and underwhelming, with little hope of a turnaround.  The fan base has been desperate for any sign of hope and are willing to fall over themselves (me included) when even one prospect appears to have the slightest chance of becoming the next big thing.

We’ve set ourselves up for a potentially huge disappointment with Eric Hosmer.  When was the last time a prospect was so highly anticipated with an expectation that he could potentially turn the club around?  Zack Greinke might be the closest player, but I don’t think anyone expected Zack to elevate the entire team the way we believed Hosmer would impact the organization.

Hosmer was a #1 draft pick, the 3rd player selected in the 2008 draft.  He tore through minor league pitching like Bo Jackson through an Seattle Seahawk defensive backfield.  He carried himself like a veteran with one of the most magnificent and picturesque follow-through swings Royals fans have ever seen.  He had all the makings of a potential Superstar.  Many of us pinned our greatest hopes on him simply because we have been looking for light at the end of the tunnel for so long, even a spark would send us into a frenzy.

Our good looking young first baseman was ranked as the #8 overall prospect by Baseball America in 2011, batted .439 during his 26 game stint in AAA (that is not a misprint), and he impressed nearly everyone with his talent as he made his way toward the majors.  He debuted last year to oohs and ahhs, just the same as the Saturn S-Class did years ago.  But now that we bought our Hosmer sedan, drove him to work and parked him in our driveway every night for a few months, the bloom is beginning to come off the rose and we’re not quite as excited about him as we were a year ago.  I’m beginning to have just a tiny little bit of buyer’s remorse.

Royals fans have been making excuses for Hos for months now.  “He’s just in a sophomore slump, he’ll come out of it”, “as soon as he starts hitting to the opposite field, things will come together for him”, “he makes good contact, his hits are just finding a lot of gloves”, etc., etc.  We’re making excuses because we don’t want to admit that he may not be as good as we’ve hoped, because giving up on Hosmer is tantamount to giving up on the Royals.  Because we’re loyal true-blue fans, we keep waiting, and watching, and hoping for any sign that Hosmer’s bat will find its way again and reignite our passions the way our expectations of his future performance did a few months ago.  Because we love the Royals, this creates a situation where we CAN’T give up on Hosmer.

Let’s be realistic for a moment and say that other players have pulled out of worse sophomore slumps, although I can’t think of any right now.  Even on our own team, Alex Gordon took a few years to find his way and now he’s a strong contributor, although not a Superstar.  And this is really where the problem lies – Eric Hosmer can eventually be a good player, he might even be an All Star (someday, maybe), but because of our high expectations, he’ll end up as a stunning disappointment if he isn’t a Superstar.  Face it, if Hosmer were a newly premiering Fall Television Series, his ratings would have already forced the networks to pull him from the schedule.

So here’s what I think – the race for the 2012 pennant is over.  The winner hasn’t been decided yet, but there can be little doubt that one of the losers will be the Kansas City Royals.  We’re threatening the Twins for last place; Danny Duffy, Felipe Paulino, and Joakim Soria will be on the shelf until at least 2013 or later; and the season is more than half over.  Let’s start preparing for next year.  Let’s stop worrying about bruising Hosmer’s psyche and let’s send him to Omaha and let him earn his way back to the majors.  It’s worked for other players, including Alex Gordon, it certainly couldn’t hurt Hosmer.

Let Hosmer spend some quality time with the club’s hitting instructors and see if he can recapture some of the magic he experienced in 2011.  And while they’re at it, maybe they can coach him to stop that stupid swipe-grab he tries to make at first base every time there’s an errant throw.  I’m not sure if he is just putting on a show with this move, or if he honestly thinks it’s a proper way to play a short hop.  It looks very amateurish to me and he’s going to clown-suit himself eventually when one of these throws skips past him and down the right field line.  This technique has burned him at least once this season that I’ve personally witnessed, and will probably come back to bite him and the Royals some day when the game is on the line if he doesn’t stop it.

Eric Hosmer sends a ball over the outfield wall in Spring Training (Credit: Alan Barrington)

I remember sitting in the stands last Spring in Surprise Arizona, eager with anticipation for Eric Hosmer’s at bat.  I even snapped a picture of his flawless swing that resulted in a Cleveland Indian pitch being deposited over the Center Field wall – it was a thing of beauty.  But something happened to Hosmer between that day and the start of the regular season, and the result is that he’s lost his way and he can’t seem to find it again.  Let’s face the facts, and let’s treat him the way we would treat anyone we love – tell him the truth and send him to get help.  It’s either that, or we all need to admit that he may not be as good as we hoped he would be.

So I started looking back, year by year, at old All-Star games to see how the Royals have done in the past and I came up with ten notable performances. Five of those stand out as very good, but here, I want to glance at five that were solid, though maybe lacking in impact of the game or in Royals history. The All-Star Game is where some stars shine brighter and it’s always great to see your team’s representative(s) doing well on that stage.

1972 – Cookie Rojas

Rojas was coming off of an All-Star year in 1971 where he’d hit .300 and appeared in his first All-Star Game as a Royal. In 1972, he was a reserve and entered the game in the top of the eighth inning. Pinch-hitting for Rod Carew and with Carlton Fisk on first, Rojas homered to left to put the American League up 3-2.

He looked primed to be named the MVP of the game, but Wilbur Wood came in for the bottom of the ninth and gave up a tying run and the National League won in the bottom of the tenth.

Rojas went on to play in two more All-Star Games in 1973 and 1974 in the latter stages of his baseball career.

1990 – Bret Saberhagen

Bret Saberhagen.

Saberhagen was coming off of a Cy Young season in 1989 and made the All-Star team in 1990 with a 2.98 ERA in 121 innings.

He threw two perfect innings, facing Chris Sabo, Mike Scioscia and Barry Bonds in the first inning, striking out Scioscia. In his second inning of work, Saberhagen got flyouts from Shawon Dunston, Lenny Dykstra and Ryne Sandberg. In the following inning, Julio Franco drove in two to break a 0-0 tie and Saberhagen ended up being the pitcher of record and the first Royal to be named the winner of an All-Star Game.

The honor came with a price – Saberhagen made only three more starts in 1990 due to ligament damage in his right elbow. He made his first post-ASG start on July 15 but didn’t resurface until September.

1986 – Frank White

Frank White.

In 1986, the All-Star Game was in the Astrodome, and for the second time ever, featured a Royals manager as Dick Howser led the American League squad after winning the World Series in 1985.

George Brett was selected as a reserve, but due to injury didn’t play in the game.

That left White as the only Royal to represent the World Champion Royals. Earlier in the game, Lou Whitaker, the starting second baseman for the AL, had homered off of Dwight Gooden. White replaced him in the seventh inning and hit a homer of his own off of Mike Scott. White got another at bat in the ninth but flied out against Mike Krukow.

White was an All-Star five times, but 1986 was his final selection. The home run was his only hit as an All-Star in seven at bats.

2009 – Zack Greinke

Zack Greinke in the 2009 All-Star Game. Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

2009 was a special year. The Royals started out 18-11 and were three games up in the AL Central in early May. While that success eventually faded, Zack Greinke made every fifth day an event.

Greinke started the year by giving up just four earned runs in his first 60 innings pitched en route to one of the best pitching seasons in Royals history. As the All-Star Game approached, it looked like Greinke could be the game’s starter in St. Louis but Roy Halladay started instead.

Nonetheless, when Greinke’s turn came up, he flashed the same brilliance he’d shown in the regular season.

He only threw one inning, and it’s difficult to judge an All-Star Game performance on just one inning, but he started out by inducing a weak foul out from Raul Ibanez to third on the first pitch then striking out David Wright on a 1-2 pitch (looking) and finishing off a perfect inning by getting Shane Victorino on a 1-2 pitch on his own for a second strikeout.

Greinke of course went on to win the AL Cy Young Award after 229.1 innings with a 2.16 ERA.

1995 – Kevin Appier

Kevin Appier.

Despite being one of the best pitchers in the 1990s, this was Kevin Appier’s only All-Star selection. Despite surpassing a 100 ERA+ every year from 1990 to 1997, and being the best candidate for the 1993 Cy Young Award, Appier never got the recognition he deserved.

In 1995, he made his one shot count.

Appier had a 3.04 ERA in 121 innings going into the All-Star Game and came into the game after Randy Johnson started for the AL and dominated. In the third inning, he retired Barry Larkin, struck out Vinnie Castilla and finished off Craig Biggio, then continued into the fourth, mowing down Lenny Dykstra, Tony Gwynn and Barry Bonds. That’s four Hall of Famers (or deserving Hall of Famers) and two of the best of the early 90s in that group, and Appier cut them all down in order.

Every batter but Castilla grounded out, in Appier’s impressive showing.

Appier faded a bit as the season wore on, finishing with 201.1 innings and a 3.89 ERA, but he was still one of the best starters that year.

These are performances worth pointing out, but I’ve decided on five performances by Royals in the All-Star Game that stand out even better.

Let me give you an example.  I was recently looking at the Royals team history page and discovered something interesting.  If you review the column of “Top Players” you’ll see a number of recognizable names of athletes that contributed mightily to the success (or relative success) of each specific season.  You’ll find Alex Gordon, Amos Otis, Bret Saberhagen, Carlos Beltran, David Cone, Johnny Damon, Kevin Appier, Zack Greinke, John Mayberry, Dan Quisenberry, Willie Wilson, Joakim Soria, etc. and of course George Brett – a veritable who’s who of Royal’s history.  You’ll also see Jose Offerman, Mark Teahen and a couple other mild surprises.

This made me think…  What is, or what should be, the definition of the Top or Best player?  Baseball Reference defines the Top Player as the individual with the highest WAR (Wins Against Replacement) rating of any player on the team.  WAR is a tangible analysis that takes both offense and defense into account, but it doesn’t make any attempt to measure leadership or intangibles, and it seems to favor pitchers slightly in my opinion.

5 time All Star Mike Sweeney was never the best player on the Royals according to Baseball Reference (Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE)

Let me give you an example of the lack of leadership skills and intangibles in the WAR calculation.  Remember Mike Sweeney?  There is a lot of mixed opinion about Mike, and deservedly so, yet he put up some dynamite offensive numbers for a few years combined with the ability to hold his own at first base, and he was the undeniable leader of the Royals during his time as Captain.  Yet this 5 time All Star who hit .333 with 144 RBIs, 71 walks, and a league leading 15 HBPs in 2000, and a 2002 season that saw him hit .340, .563 slugging, and 148 OPS+ was never the “Top Player” for the Royals according to Baseball Reference and his WAR rating.  In 2002, that honor went to Paul Byrd.

What do you think of that?  Was Paul Byrd a more important piece of the puzzle for the Royals in 2002 than Mike Sweeney and his .340 batting average? (.340 is 2^nd only to George Brett’s .390 in 1980, and how would you like to have a .340 hitter on the Royals right now?)  In 2002, Paul Byrd was 17-11 with a 3.90 ERA and he led the league with 7 complete games – he was definitely a very valuable pitcher, but I don’t think his performance could be defined as “dominating.”  Paul Byrd appeared in 33 games.  Mike Sweeney played in 126 (less than a full season due to the beginning signs of his many recurring back issues), had the first straight steal of home by a Royal in over 20 years, was named to his 3^rd consecutive All-Star game, led the league in defensive assists by a 1^st baseman – and he was the Captain of the team.  But this wasn’t good enough to be the Royals “Top Player.”

Obviously, my definition of the best player on the team is going to differ from other fans, and from other experts as well.  My subjective definition simply asks, “Who was the player the Royals could least afford to do without?”  In 2002, I believe the answer has to be Mike Sweeney.

Before the 2012 season began, who did you think the Royals’ best player would be this season?  If you’re like most of the rest of us, you may have thought, or at least hoped, it would be Eric Hosmer.  If so, those hopes were dashed weeks ago as we’ve witnessed one of the most dramatic sophomore slumps in recent memory.  A few of you may have predicted Alex Gordon, or maybe Joakim Soria prior to his injury.  Predictions are based on hopes, and as a Royals fan you certainly know that hopes are often dashed.

If you said Billy Butler, you were pretty much on target.  (Although according to WAR rating, Alex Gordon is on top for the second year in a row – I don’t agree in 2012.)  However, I am hesitant to name a DH as the best player citing the same reservations many have for naming a pitcher as MVP.  And unless a Royals pitcher is completely and utterly dominating (see Steve Busby, Dennis Leonard, David Cone, Zach Greinke, or Bret Saberhagen) I have similar misgivings.

For 2013 we have several potential candidates for best player.  I’ll list my nominations below and include the odds that I think I’m right.  And, I’ll also acknowledge that there’s no possible way any reader will agree with me 100%.

Could Mike Moustakas become the best player on the Royals? (Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

Mike Moustakas:  The improvement Mike has shown from 2011 to 2012 has been nothing short of breathtaking.  He is much more comfortable at the plate this year, and in the field he doesn’t even look like the same player.  I believe Mike’s personality has many leadership qualities and he’s maturing into a presence that will almost certainly make him the best player on the team at some point in his career.  For 2013, I’d say the odds of Mike being the Royals best player, the guy they can least afford to do without, are about 3 to 1.

Eric Hosmer:  Although he hasn’t come close to fulfilling our expectations this year, Hosmer’s potential is so tantalizing that I have to put him near the top of the list.  I believe Eric is just a tweak or two away from “righting the ship” and getting back on track to becoming the offensive powerhouse we all know he can be.  His defense is still solid, but it may take a while for his personality to mature into a true clubhouse big dog.  I’ll put Hosmer’s odds of being the best player in 2013 at 5 to 1.

Alcides Escobar:  If you told me I could only watch one play from each Royals game, I would pick the inevitable web gem that Esky turns in virtually every night.  It is truly a thrill to watch Alcides display his otherworldly defensive skills while protecting the left side of the diamond.  I’ll go out on a limb and say that after watching him for less than two seasons he may not be the absolute best defensive shortstop I’ve ever seen, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anyone better than him.  Escober is hitting around .290 at a premium position and I believe the only thing that could potentially limit his ability to be a great club house leader are his English language skills.  Alcides is my dark horse candidate for best player in 2013 and he’s my favorite to watch play in 2012.  I’ll put his odds at 10-1.

Jeff Francoeur:  I believe Jeff is the closest thing the 2012 Royals have to a clubhouse leader and his rocket arm and intangibles are great.  Who’s the guy you see chest bumping his team mates every night and cheering them on with one of the most upbeat personalities in the majors?  It’s Frenchy.  Who else tosses baseballs wrapped in $100 bills and gets into hilarious mock disputes with opposing mascots?  Frenchy’s power numbers are way down this year and his average has dipped, so his on-field performance is not trending in the right direction which makes him a risky wager.  I also wouldn’t bet on Jeff being “da man” in 2013 due to the fact that he may not even play in a Royals uniform.   If he is still wearing Royals blue in 2013, I would put Francoeur’s odds at 15-1.

Wil Myers:  At some point in 2012, no matter how hard the Royals brass try to hold him back, he’ll force his way to Kansas City.  And he may light it up offensively when he arrives, but his defense still needs work and there’s almost no way anyone can be a true clubhouse leader in his first or second year.  Odds 30-1.

Billy Butler:  Great DH, one of the best in baseball.  But as I explained earlier, I just don’t think a DH can be the best player.  If a DH is your best player, then your team is in trouble.  Odds 30-1.

Jake Odorizzi:  See “Wil Myers.”  Odds 50-1.

Alex Gordon:  Gold Glove defensive left fielder who has been a disappointment at the plate this year.  He’s a solid contributor and I want him on my team, but he’s not a vocal clubhouse leader and has little chance to be the best player on the team in my rating system.  In 2013, I’d rate him at 50-1.

There are a few other players who have a shot at being the best player, but all of them have significant question marks either because they may not recover from injuries (Joakim Soria and Danny Duffy), they haven’t played in the majors long enough for us to get a good sense of their performance (Salvador Perez), or because Dayton Moore hasn’t traded for them yet or signed them as a free agent (Zach Greinke – hint, hint…)

And don’t get me started about relief pitchers.  Unless you are Mariano Rivera, Dan Quisenberry, or Joakim Soria in his prime, you can’t even be considered the Top Player on the team.  It would be the same as voting the field goal kicker as the top player on an NFL team – it’s not going to happen.

Could Yuniesky Betancourt be the best player? Haha, just kidding! Almost got you, didn't we? (Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE)

Yuniesky Betancourt:  I’ll just skip straight to the odds.  10,000,000,000 to 1.  I had to throw him in just for kicks.

The biggest reason we have difficulty selecting the potential top player is because the Royals are so young.  Most of the time I believe that’s a good thing and not a bad thing, but it causes them to be inconsistent as they go through the struggles of figuring out how to succeed in the big leagues, and most of them simply have not matured into the true leaders that they will hopefully one day become.

I still believe that we are two solid starting pitchers away from being a contending team and I’m holding on to hope that we find these hurlers somewhere, either in the farm system, through trades or free agency, before the start of the 2013 season.  When this happens, we’ll find our team playing in October, and this is the time when true clubhouse leadership emerges and performance on the field has a historical impact on your team and your legacy.   When we play in October, that’s when we’ll definitely learn who is the best player on this team.

How will Kansas City greet Zack Greinke Tuesday when he returns to Kauffman Stadium for the first time since being traded. Photo Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

At this point many probably feel the Brewers got the better of the deal since they made the postseason with Zack and were two wins from the World Series last fall. Another reason Royals fans feel like the trade didn’t work out is because Betancourt was brought back this past offseason. It also doesn’t help that since the trade Greinke’s 23-8 during the last two seasons. During those two seasons Kansas City could’ve used a number one starter.

Saying his time in the city of fountains was up and down is an understatement because he only had two seasons with a winning record, one .500 season, lost 17-games in 2005 and dealt with a social anxiety disorder during his time in KC. As for the bright spots he did strikeout 15 Indians on August 25, 2009 which broke the team’s strikeout in a game record, previously held by Mark Gubicza.

His crowning achievement was winning the 2009 Cy Young award with a 16-8 record and 2.16 ERA for a team way removed from the postseason. That season he represented the Royals in the All-Star Game in St. Louis striking out two of the three hitters faced.

How will the crowd react Tuesday night? I expect it to be a mixture of cheers and boos when he takes the mound likely in a navy blue Brewers jersey. Royals fans never got to say goodbye and with Zack being a free agent this winter I think some people are holding out hope he returns since he and his wife still own a home in Kansas City.

When I heard that he was scheduled to pitch during this brief homestand there was no doubt that I’d drive down from Omaha to see the “return” of the former hero. I was there for the wins and losses in addition to the night where he toyed with Cleveland, I won’t boo but it will be bittersweet seeing him in another uniform.

Maybe if he’d stayed KC they’d be further in the “process” than they are now but there would also be no Alcides at short or No Odorizzi, no Cain (who could still contribute if he can stay healthy), no Jeffress (who might get back to KC at some point). In addition who knows if Greinke becomes the guy he is right now, the one who is nearly unbeatable at Miller Park and 7-2 this season. It’s possible that if he remains might of continued had he not got the change of scenery due to the struggles of 2010.

So if you’re at the K on Tuesday, it’s understandable if you root for the Royals while remembering the good times we had with number 23 throwing for Kansas City. However once Zack throws his first pitch to Alex Gordon your emotions might change a bit.

The good news? We have in-house candidates who are actually deserving of those spots. Remember, as I stated last week, that these ranking are largely subjective. They are based primarily off overall performance, although extra credit is passed out for those who are playing well now and who have, by proxy,  earned greater expectations moving forward.

Enjoy.

1. Mike Moustakas – (Last Week: .250/.323/.571)

Moustakas hit three home runs last week, drove home four RBI, and scored six runs. He’s been as consistent a presence in the line-up as anybody. Moustakas’ overall slash line for the season rests at .295/.351/.525, and he continues to lead AL third basemen in some major offensive categories. As of Tuesday afternoon, Moustakas ranked first among AL third basemen with his .876 OPS, tied for first with 11 doubles, second in Slugging Percentage, and third place with his seven home runs. Moustakas may not have the same cache as some of his contemporaries, but right now he’s putting up enough production to trump cache.

There was no way he was going to slip down the rankings this week.

2. Billy Butler – (Last Week: .440/.516/.760)

Speaking of hot streaks, Billy Butler is scorching right now. Butler hit two home runs last week, but also put up 11 hits and, more importantly, walked four times against just three strikeouts. Butler has hit with authority for most of the season, but one flaw (for the nit-picker) had been his reduced walk rate. Even with the positive week, Butler has only walked 11 times this season, against 26 K’s. Butler’s season slash line is now an impressive .308/.369/.528, and it seems like a few more walks are the only thing keeping him from raising his OPS above .900.

Billy Butler has been crushing the ball over the past week. Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

Butler’s surge has catapulted him above Toronto’s Edwin Encarnacion in the all-important American League designated hitter OPS chase, as Butler’s .897 mark rests below only Chicago’s Adam Dunn and Boston’s David Ortiz among the league’s DH’s.

Ortiz is a certifiable lock, both for his present performance as well as his lifetime achievement within the game (insert PED joke here). Dunn, though, is coming off of a god awful season, and has struck out 62 times this year while sporting a .247 batting average. Obviously, Dunn’s 14 home runs and .596 Slugging Percentage are more important indicators of his success this season than batting average. But there is at least an outside chance that Ron Washington can be persuaded to choose Butler, since the game is in Kansas City.

A guy can dream, right?

3. Alcides Escobar – (Last Week: .321/.387/.321)

Escobar didn’t really do anything to lower his ranking in this list, although he didn’t hit an extra base hit all of last week. For the season he sits at .301/.342/.418, which is excellent for a shortstop with his defensive skills. Furthermore, can Royals fans be any happier with Escobar’s play? Even when he isn’t hitting the ball with authority, he manages to put together professional at-bats. If I had told you during the off-season that Escobar would have a .760 OPS in late May, wouldn’t you be jumping for joy?

I don’t want to put too much pressure on Escobar, but screw it, I’ll ask anyway. Doesn’t his play this season, combined with the great early returns from farmhand Jake Odorizzi, justify the Zack Greinke trade? And what if Lorenzo Cain eventually comes back healthy and posts a productive season? Is it time to give Dayton Moore credit for dealing Greinke for peak value while under difficult circumstances? Should I just stop asking questions and move on?

4. Felipe Paulino – (Last Week: 2 games started, 13.2 innings pitched, 0.00 ERA, 17 K’s, 4 Walks)

Ok, one more question. Remember during spring training when people wondered whether it would be prudent to start Paulino in the bullpen so the organization could get an extended look at Luis freaking Mendoza? Me neither. I’ve blocked it out of my memory, like the the Jim Pittsley era and any movie featuring Paul Walker.

That spring training “dilemma” seems like eons ago now that Paulino has come off the D.L. like gangbusters, throwing 97 mph heat along with a devastating, knee-buckling, now-you-see-me-now-you-don’t slider to a revolving door of confused and hapless batters.

Here’s a crazy (and somewhat discouraging) stat for you: after four starts for the Royals, Paulino is now tied for third on the team with 29 strikeouts, only nine behind team leader Bruce Chen.

It may seem like a long shot now, but if Paulino continues to blow away hitters he can become a surprisingly viable All-Star candidate for what has been a battered rotation.His 1.42 ERA and 10.30 K/9 ratio look shiny, especially compared to the rest of the starters on staff.

5. Tim Collins – (Last Week: 4.2 innings pitched, 9 strikeouts, 2 hits, 2 walks, 0.00 ERA)

Filthy. That’s the only adjective to describe Collins’ performance over the past week. Collins deserves to surpass closer Jonathan Broxton in these rankings, because frankly, he has been the better pitcher this season. And this is not all about Broxton blowing another save against the Orioles last Wednesday. Sure, that had a lot to do with it. But it wasn’t everything.

No pitcher on the team has had me shouting expletives of joy more often this season than Collins. Over the course of the past week alone, he’s probably made five or six hitters look utterly hopeless. I mean, swinging a foot over a falling curve ball hopeless.

In a bullpen full of electric arms, the diminutive Collins has pitched 21.2 mostly high-leverage innings, posting a 2.91 ERA and striking out 32 batters while only walking seven. The strikeouts put Collins second on the team, miraculously, and his 13.29 K/9 ratio is borderline ridiculous.

If another token reliever is chosen to represent the Royals at the All-Star game this season, I see no reason why it shouldn’t be Tim Collins.

Honorable Mention: Bruce Chen (deceptively steady), Jonathan Broxton (free-falling but not out of consideration yet).

In 2012 for Northwest Arkansas, he threw 38 innings and struck out 47, an 11.1 K/9. He only walked 2.4 batters per nine innings.

With a 3.32 ERA, Odorizzi showed the Royals what they need to see and moved him up to Triple A Omaha.

Jake Odorizzi. Photo: Rick Scuteri-US PRESSWIRE

Odorizzi was acquired from Milwaukee in December of 2010 in the Zack Greinke deal, coming over after Baseball America had already deemed him the Brewers number one prospect. Now, he’s leapfrogged Mike Montgomery to be the top pitching prospect in the Royals system.

He made a good first impression with the Royals last year, tearing through the Carolina League in similar fashion to how he handled the Texas League this year. Lots of strikeouts, not many walks. If Odorizzi could work more ground outs (he’s at 36% for 2012), he’d be an elite prospect. As it is, he’s still a very good one anyway. Kevin Goldstein puts his ceiling as a #3 starter with a shot to be a #2.

He’s a smart pitcher who can use any of four pitches at any time. His fastball hangs around 90-94 but can hit 95 or 96 mph according to Odorizzi. His curveball and changeup are effective weapons as well and his slider is developing.

What the Royals are hoping for is a quick adjustment to Triple A. Last year, in his first look at Double A action, Odorizzi struggled at first but finished respectably. His 4.72 ERA was disappointing, but his strikeout rate was still alright and he wasn’t walking many more batters than usual. Combining his 2011 and 2012 time in Double A, Odorizzi made 19 starts for 102.1 innings and 101/32 K/BB ratio is close to his career minor league ratio of 401/112 (3.58/1).

Odorizzi may have a shot to get into the big leagues this year, especially at the rate that the Royals pitchers have been falling to injury. They’ve also been active in using players’ option years to keep fresh arms in the big leagues. If Odorizzi impresses, he may look like a more favorable alternative than Vin Mazzaro, Luis Mendoza or others who may be in the rotation. After a handful of starts, if he’s doing well, the Royals may take a look in late July (Goldstein suggests it’s still too optimistic to see him in a month’s time) to see how he reacts to the big leagues. He’s likely to be added to the 40 man roster in September anyway, as he’d be eligible for the Rule 5 draft after this year if not, as pointed out by Bob Dutton so the Royals, in knowing they’ll add him later in the year, may figure they might as well see what he can do a couple months early.

For now, though, he has the Pacific Coast League to get ready for. The Storm Chasers are waiting until Friday to make a move to fit Odorizzi on the roster and he’s likely to make his Triple A debut at home against Tacoma after that transaction is finalized. Everett Teaford was the probable starter for Friday but with his call up back to Kansas City, it’s Odorizzi’s spot with the rest of the Omaha rotation still in place.

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I haven’t done a very good job of hiding my devotion and fandom of Alex Gordon. Then again, I haven’t really tried. I’ve written about him enough on this site that there’s really little need to link all the posts again again.

But when the Royals announced on Friday that they had agreed to terms on the long-awaited long-term extension with the left fielder, I was left to do nothing more than smile.

We don’t really know what this means for the team this year, or next year, or the year after that. We don’t really know if this is the first, or I guess the third or fourth, sign that the organization truly is started to take a turn towards putting a competitive team on the field year-in and year-out. We don’t know if this contract will end up looking bad a couple years down the road like the Gil Meche and Jose Guillen contracts, or largely irrelevant like the Zack Greinke contract.

What we do know though is that through all the negative things Dayton Moore has done during his tenure as General Manager of the team, he at least has been true to his word when he said he was going to be aggressive in retaining the homegrown talent.

Everyone by now knows the story of Alex Gordon and how he came to be the lightning rod for fan interaction. Heading into last year, most fans couldn’t stand the guy both as a player, due to underachieving, and as a guy, due to some perceived attitude problem. He had troubles staying healthy, which didn’t fit with an athlete of his caliber and the kind of shape he keeps himself in, and he struggled at his natural position of third base, which he was supposed to be the next George Brett.

But heading into last year (with a bandwagon headed by me, I’m proudly to say) Gordon transformed not only his career, but also his image with a fanbase primed to want to believe again. His play in 2011 led to a Gold Glove at a new position, and “dominance” at a new spot in the lineup, lead off. Both new ventures in his career, both successes, and the fans were back on his side.

Quite a few Royals writers and bloggers have been leading the charge to get a new contract signed with Gordon. (Forgive me.) There wasn’t ever a big worry that it wouldn’t happen, but as Spring Training rolled on with very little news either way on the negotiations, there started to be some doubt. Come to find out, Dayton Moore and Co. were just doing what they’re very good at doing: getting things done behind the scenes, without the fans and media attention.

This contract means a lot to this organization. I’m not usually one to think that a contract with one player, in any terms, has a reflection or influence on any of the other players, but maybe in this case it does. Maybe now that three (!) Royals this Spring Training have signed new contracts it will only turn some media attention to the other young players on the roster to do the same. Eric Hosmer would be the most logical next target, and the national and local media have already set their sights on that story. Is it far-fetched? Possibly, but who among us really saw either Alcides Escobar and Salvador Perez coming? It’s a nice dream to dream.

The only worrisome aspect about the Gordon contract is how the money is broken up over the next four years. Being back-loaded for $10MM and $12.5MM in 2014 and ’15 respectively, that money will be cutting into the budget that will also have to be used to cover arbitration years and other new contracts to the likes of Hosmer, Danny Duffy, Mike Moustakas, Greg Holland, and others. But those are small worries.

For now, this is something to just sit back and enjoy. Sure there are risks involved in giving this type of extension.  Mainly, it’s Gordon’s potential to regress back to the player he was before 2011.

But the risks are greatly outweighed by the commitment of the Royals organization, and the effort to follow through from the organization, to put a winning team of the field by retaining one of its best players.

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Johnny Damon, symbol of Royals fan frustration. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Some were decrying these one-year deals, saying sarcastically that it was a real commitment to the future by signing guys to a contract for one year. Despite pleas from myself and others, the message wasn’t sinking in. Then, someone mentioned that these players would soon be Yankees if Kansas City doesn’t lock them up.

That got me to thinking – I couldn’t come up with an example off the top of my head of a big trade involving the Royals and Yankees. Some discussion on Twitter unearthed that the only two significant players to sign with New York immediately after leaving the Royals as free agents were Danny Tartabull (1992) and Chili Davis (1998). From there, I used Baseball-Reference’s handy team-to-team trade history tool to look at trades involving the Royals and Yankees. There have been seven. Total. The two biggest names involved were Lou Piniella (1973) and Fran Healy (1976). Of those two, Piniella had a higher career WAR, but Healy had more WAR as a Royal. Still, at the time of the trade, Healy’s 4.3 WAR (cumulative as a Royal) makes him the biggest producer the Royals have ever traded to the Yankees (and the player the Royals received was Larry Gura, who ended up in the Royals Hall of Fame.)

Well I couldn’t just stop at the Yankees, so below, you’ll find a table listing the most productive players the Royals have ever traded to each team in the big leagues. It’s pretty simple – the “Royals WAR” is the total WAR produced while that player was a Kansas City Royal. In some cases, I added a note of who the Royals received or other interesting trivia attached to the move. It’s an interesting – and sometimes painful – look at Royals trades of the past. I’ve also included additional trades of interest when necessary or in the case of a tie in Royals WAR.

*This is the WAR for their whole career, before, during and after being a Royal.

We can only imagine what could have been. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

What’s depressing to see is the parade of great players that the Royals have dealt off without getting much in return. In a couple of cases, you can see that the majority of a player’s WAR was accumulated as a Royal (like Mark Gubicza or Kevin Appier) which suggests that in those cases, the Royals got about all they could out of them, but along with that come the David Cones and Carlos Beltrans who are particularly painful. Cone was traded twice by the Royals and Kansas City received Ed Hearn and Chris Stynes to show for it.

Beltran is even worse because he was traded after many great seasons with the Royals, continued to improve and stands as the best player the Royals have ever traded. At the same time, after the trades of Jermaine Dye and Johnny Damon, he fits into the narrative of the small-market Royals and their inability to retain the talent they develop.

That’s where I think the bitterness and cynicism comes from when discussing the team with more casual, occasional followers of the team. Bret Saberhagen is another big name who continued to produce value in his post-Royals career as well as Damon (of course) and some like Brian McRae and Tom Burgmeier went on to productive careers as roleplayers.

The Royals rarely won a trade when trading their higher value players. When receiving “established” players, they either turned around and traded them away (Jefferies) or were getting them for one or two years (Gerald Perry, Dean Palmer) and a lot of the prospects received didn’t pan out beyond one summer of greatness (Mark Teahen, Angel Berroa).

So far Dayton Moore hasn’t had the worst track record in trades, but he’s not Cedric Tallis either. Tallis acquired John Mayberry, Cookie Rojas, Freddie Patek, Hal McRae and Amos Otis in trades for hardly anything. All five are in the Royals Hall of Fame.

Your move, Dayton.

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Can you picture Zack Greinke in a Royals uniform again? (Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE)

Every family has a weird cousin that doesn’t fit in with the other relatives.  No one wants to sit next to him at the kids’ table during Thanksgiving dinner or get stuck alone with him after everyone else has gone home.  We make fun of him behind his back, but as soon as he’s gone, we sorta miss him.

Zack Greinke was the weird cousin, a square-peg-in-a-round-hole, the guy that never quite fit in for the Royals after they drafted him with the 6^th overall pick of the 2002 draft.  Zack was a pitcher, the best pitcher in the majors (said Sports Illustrated in May 2009), but his career was unsatisfying to him because he longed to hit and play shortstop, and due to his love/hate relationship with the game of baseball.

Many would say Zack has led a charmed life.  He was the Gatorade National High School Baseball Player of the Year, he married his high school sweetheart / Miss Daytona Beach beauty queen / Dallas Cowboy cheerleader, he won a Cy Young award, and he’s a multi-millionaire with the prospect of life changing riches in his future when he reaches free agency at the end of the coming season.  But if you think all this makes Greinke happy, then you don’t know Zack.

I won’t rehash the details here again, but it’s well known that Zack has suffered from severe bouts of anxiety and depression.  This illness has interfered with his life so dramatically that he once considered giving up baseball and mowing lawns for a living.  We’re talking about an individual so socially withdrawn that when he was in school he hated to sit with other kids at lunchtime because he didn’t want to feel forced to fit in, who has grown up to work in a profession that requires him to stand on a pitcher’s mound in front of 35,000 screaming fans.  Imagine the angst you would suffer if you were asked to speak in front of a business group, in your underwear and forgot what you planned to say, multiplied by 100 – that’s the fear and dread Greinke experiences every time he delivers a pitch.  Zack doesn’t play baseball because he wants to, he does it because the expectations of his God-given talent demand it.

Yogi Berra once said that 90% of the game is half mental, and this statement has never been more true than when referring to Zack Greinke.  Among fans I’ve spoken with he’s been called an enigma, a clubhouse cancer, a prima donna whose talent doesn’t make up for his poor attitude, and much worse.  He pinch hits while wearing the wrong uniform.  He tells other pitchers they have a phony attitude.  He argued with his coach over which side of the rubber to pitch from.  Even Greinke apologists must admit that Zack is a strange guy.  There are thousands of fans who believe Zack’s gifts could take their team to the next level, and an equal number who are certain his addition to the clubhouse would destroy their team’s chemistry.

There is also strong disagreement about Zack’s value on the field.  On the one hand, ESPN’s fantasy baseball rankings has Zack listed as the 14^th best starting pitcher in the major leagues (above players such as Gio Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Mat Latos, Stephen Strasburg, Jeremy Hellickson, C. J. Wilson, Chris Carpenter, and many more coveted names), and on the other hand there is a vocal group of naysayers who observe that Zack is only as good as he wants to be and no one really knows how to motivate him to reach his full potential.

Zack will become a free agent at the end of the 2012 season and regardless of his baggage, there will be a bidding war for his services.  Our sister site “Reviewing the Brew” has already contemplated what it would cost to sign Greinke after next season.   They estimate about $18-20 million per year (I expect possibly for 5 years), unless the market changes significantly in the next few months.

Greinke recently dumped his agent (second time in the past couple years) and Brewer fans are hopeful they can use this opportunity to approach Zack directly and ask for a hometown discount at a more club-friendly $16 million per year.  The Brewers were one step away from the World Series last year and they know Zack would like to continue playing for a winner.  A couple problems with this plan for Milwaukee fans – the Brewers aren’t his home team and their future doesn’t look bright.

The Brewers could still potentially reach the playoffs next year in a weakened division that saw the Cardinals lose Albert Pujols this offseason, but they won’t be the same team without Prince Fielder.  In addition, the suspension of reigning MVP Ryan Braun for performance enhancing drugs doesn’t leave fans with lots of feel good optimism for the future of the franchise.  The Brewers traded away much of their high potential minor league talent to the Royals to obtain Greinke in a big push to make the Series last season.  Now that several of their key pieces are either gone or in limbo, and their future mortgaged for a present that didn’t materialize, I don’t see Greinke returning to Milwaukee at the end of his current contract.

Brewer fans were all a twitter this week when it was reported by the MLB Brew Beat blog (and then repeated by several more) that Greinke was asked about the possibility of an extension with Milwaukee.  Greinke’s polite response was, “I’ll talk to them about it.”  If I was a Brew Crew fan, I wouldn’t hang my hat on that comment and assume Zack was going to return in 2013.

Greinke has played all or part of eight major league seasons.  Seven of those seasons have been with the Royals, the team that drafted him, the team that was patient with him both before and after he was diagnosed, the team he won a Cy Young with, the team whose fans showed up in force just to cheer for him on nights when he was pitching.  At a time when the Royals desperately needed him and their pitching ranks were in shambles (can you say Runelvys Hernandez?), the Royals allowed Greinke to take time away from baseball, to put his life back together.  If anyone has a question about this, let me answer it – the Royals are Zack’s home town team.

You may remember Jim Eisenreich who played with the Twins, Royals, Phillies, Marlins, and Dodgers in the 80’s and 90’s.  Jim suffered from Tourette Syndrome (TS) and was forced to take about three years away from baseball to receive treatment for his disease.  TS is misunderstood by many, and often misinterpreted as an attitude problem which can result in the victim becoming isolated and outcast.  You may also recall it was the Royals who welcomed Eisenreich back into the major league family following his treatment and I clearly remember fans embracing him and rooting for him to succeed.  Jim was so accepted by the community that he made Kansas City his permanent home.  I see similarities between his story and Zack’s.

Zack’s gorgeous and outspoken wife Emily enjoyed her time in Kansas City, and the Greinke’s still own a home in town.  They both grew up in a suburb of Orlando (Apoka = Overland Park), which aside from the palm trees and gigantic amusement parks, and the fact Orlando doesn’t have a professional baseball team, it isn’t really all that different from Kansas City.  There is little doubt the couple feel at home in KC.

Based on what we know about Zack and his condition, it seems reasonable to assume that his family and advisors would encourage him to stay away from the bright lights of the major markets when determining where he’ll play next.  It doesn’t fit with Zack’s personality to be the center of attention, and he’d be constantly hounded in New York, Boston, LA, or even Chicago and Atlanta.

My guess is that Zack has enjoyed playing in the National League which gives him an opportunity to hit and run the bases, so I could see him signing with a “smaller market” team on the senior circuit like St. Louis or the Miami Marlins.  Hopefully, his .143 batting average last season helped to put his dream of being the next Miguel Cabrera to bed, forcing him to focus on the one thing he does better than almost anyone else – pitch.  If so, then an American League team should be on equal footing with a National League team in any bidding war.

You’ve probably figured out by now that I’d like to see Zack wearing a Royals uniform again in 2013.  I realize that many people disagree with my perspective, including some of my fellow writers here at Kings of Kauffman and many of the people who comment below our stories who think it would be a mistake to pursue Zack next year.

If you believe it might be farfetched for the underfunded Royals to afford Greinke, or that he wouldn’t want to return, it might interest you to know that the hosts of the MLB Networks’ Hot Stove Live don’t think it’s a stretch.  On their January 20, 2012 program, they boldly predicted Greinke would return to KC in 2013.  Their reasoning was that Zack and the Glass family have a strong relationship, he and his wife enjoy Kansas City, and the Royals will be poised to field a competitive team in 2013, which would make them attractive to Zack.

I’d like to re-sign Greinke, partially because I like his story.  I almost always root for the guy who overcomes adversity, in whatever form, to succeed.  I’ve personally known people who suffer from the same afflictions as Zack and I discovered that you can’t take this ailment lightly.  It’s real, it impacts lives, and it causes outsiders to question the victim’s judgment and sanity.  But when treated properly and supported by patient friends, family, and coworkers, this sickness can be overcome.

I also know the Royals are two front-line starting pitchers away from having the talent to compete with the best teams in the American League.  With a stable of young and strong pitching arms like Mike Montgomery, Jake Odorizzi, John Lamb, Noel Arguelles, Aaron Crow, and others, I’m relatively confident the Royals can develop one of these starters in-house.  My best guess is that the other will need to come from a trade or free agency.  Who better to fill this gap than with the one that got away, our crazy cousin Zack.

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Well, this year’s candidate is Alex Gordon, if you haven’t read the reports on it before. I love Gordon (not as much as Kevin Scobee does, but still). I really enjoyed watching him “break out” in 2011. And I’m fascinated to see how that continues into 2012. There’s just one question that I’m wondering.

How do you know when to give a player an extension?

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Famous Amos Otis cookies

The offseason moment we’ve all been waiting for arrived last week – the announcement of the Royals promotions for the 2012 season.  Seriously, many of the Royals promotions are quite fun and some have become a Kansas City tradition.  There would be riots if the Royals ever gave up Buck Nights and Fireworks Fridays.

In the spirit of fun these marketing gimmicks are designed to create, I’d like to suggest a few more promotions for the Royals to consider in the future after the jump: (more…)

Will Gordon get a payday? (courtesy of MindaHaas.net)

In the offseason before 2011, Alex Gordon promised to dominate, then went out and did just that, finishing in the top ten in the American League in runs scored, hits, total bases, doubles, offensive WAR, OPS+, times on base…well the whole list is here. He also won the Gold Glove in left field, leading the majors in outfield assists.

The overall production made him the team’s most valuable player last year after many well-documented years of frustration as the former second overall pick finally performed at a level that many expected years ago before injuries and other issues slowed him down.

Gordon is still under arbitration and will get a raise this year. The hunch is that he’ll also get an extension, probably around four years. What would that mean in relation to previous outfielders who have secured extensions over the years, and what price can we guess at with Gordon? There are plenty of examples to look over to get our best guess at those answers.

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In all seriousness, 2011 was a remarkable season for the Royals. Sure, they only finished fourth in the AL Central, but enthusiasm for the team hasn’t been higher since the summer of 2003. Unlike that crazy year, this time the excitement is based on something beyond smoke and mirrors (or at least we hope so).

It’s made for an exciting time in writing about the team, and as I reflect on the last 12 months, I’ve been reminded of many past articles that have shaped the narrative of the year, offseason and all. I wanted to compile those that I was particularly proud of. All of us here do this in our spare time – we have a group of regular guys who have jobs, families, classes (in some cases) and share our opinions and passion for the Royals because we can’t help it.

If you’ve had half the fun reading Kings of Kauffman in 2011, well, we’ve had twice as much fun writing as you have had reading.

If you’d like to take a trip down memory lane with me, check out a month-by-month rundown of our best links for the year:

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The Brewers first round pick in 2008 and their #1 prospect according to Baseball America before the trade, Odorizzi was billed by some as a future Greinke in training. While he may not have the ceiling that could make him a Cy Young contender down the line, he looks to be a future option for the front of the Royals rotation.

Clipped from: kingsofkauffman.com (share this clip)

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The Kansas City Royals will start with Lorenzo Cain in centre, but with concerns about whether the 25-year-old (42 career starts) will hit has the Royals looking at Colby Rasmus of the Jays.

After 2010, Lorenzo Cain had just finished a half of baseball at the major league level where he’d hit .306/.348/.415 for the Brewers and looked set to be their opening day center fielder in 2011.

Then Zack Greinke put the Royals in a position to trade him last winter and Cain was a key part of the package that sent Greinke to Milwaukee. It seemed he’d have a shot to start for the Royals, but there was one little obstacle. The Royals stated something about a “promise” to Melky Cabrera for playing time.

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The Royals need starting pitching.  That’s obvious to anyone who’s watched this team.  With the way the offense has performed, the opportunity to contend could be as early as next year with the right additions.

On many teams, Luke Hochevar might be – at best – a #3 starter.  Felipe Paulino is in the same boat, and Danny Duffy, who showed promise in them majors, could perhaps hold down a #2 spot in a rotation.  That leaves a glaring hole at the top of the hill.

Matt Moore debuted on Thursday and struck out 11 in five innings.  With David Price, Jeremy Hellickson and Wade Davis along with prospects Jesus Colome, Chris Archer (among others) waiting, the Rays can move a starter.  Right now, the early buzz is on James Sheilds being a trade target.

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Would You? (thank you Minda Haas)

As I roamed through the racks of (pretty sweet) gear, I fount something in the Royals section that caught my eye – and brought to mind an issue that I’ve struggled with since I was a teenager.

It was an authentic Powder Blue Zack Greinke #23 jersey. They wanted $45 bucks for it.

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Greinke was in town on a rehab assignment and I was lucky enough to have bought first row tickets for this game long before the pitchers were announced. On the bump for Omaha? Jeff Suppan himself.

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My thoughts on Hochevar as the opening day starter boil down to this – he can’t be all that bad.  He’s not Runelvys Hernandez, at least.

And no, he’s not that bad.  Except that, yes, he IS that bad.  Historically speaking, that is.

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They could not name one Royals player.

Take a look at this year’s roster.  This past off-season was a killer for name recognition.  Two of the franchise’s most known players over the past several seasons now have new homes – Zach Greinke – now pitching in Milwaukee, and David DeJesus – now playing right field in Oakland.  This team also lost Gil Meche to retirement and traded Jose Guillen to the Giants late last season.  Even recent favorites such as Alberto Callaspo, Willie Bloomquist, Yuniesky Betancourt, and Brian Bannister are gone.

So who’s left?

Now, as a die-hard Royals fan, I don’t really expect my friends to throw out the names of guys like Mike Aviles & Mitch Maier.  But even I had to think a bit to be able to name guys who were on this year’s active roster.  Even then, they weren’t that impressed when I named Bruce Chen, Wilson Betemit, and Kila Ka’aihue.  It led me to think, “Geez, who is the face of this Royals franchise?”
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There’s been a heavy dose of the “will bes” this off season with the trades of Zack Greinke and David DeJesus, and how Royals fans really shouldn’t be all that concerned because of what is coming behind then in The System. The loss of Greinke, while it may sting this year, doesn’t really matter all that much because there are at least four “can’t miss” prospects coming to take his place that are just as good, if not better. It’s the great part about a rebuilding process, the team is always just *this* close.

That sentiment that surrounded Greinke can almost be applied to the curious case of Billy Butler and how he’s regarded within the Royals community. No, not with the misplaced vitriol that was directed at the former Royals ace, but with the same sort of indifference to what his considerable skills are, especially to this organization. (more…)

With the performance of Jeremy Jeffress (3.38 ERA, 1.250 WHIP in 8 IP), Lorenzo Cain (.273/.400/.364 and some great defense in spring), Alcides Escobar (.361/.400/.528 and ONE strikeout in 36 at bats) the Royals got some good players who will contribute at the big league level at some point this summer.  That they also got a solid starting pitching prospect in Jake Odorizzi only sweetens the deal.

And yeah, there’s the rib thing.

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Imagine my surprise this morning that while catching up on my Twitter timeline, three such names were dropping rumors about the Royals.
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I figure it’s a good time to get caught up on a few things that have been happening over the past few days.  Kila Ka’aihue is killing the ball.  Mike Aviles is looking like 2008 was the real deal, and Alex Gordon…well he’s walking a lot, at least.

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I was at lunch this afternoon, waiting on my order to arrive, and became terribly frustrated.

The service was great – this place is just across the street from my work and I’m in often enough that I sometimes don’t have to order, they just ask which of three options I’m in the mood for that day.  The food was on time and delicious.

No, I was frustrated because while waiting, I was bouncing around on my phone, checking Twitter, Facebook, the usual stops.

I’d posted a link to my profile for our #1 Prospect, Eric Hosmer, indicating my thought that he could be one hell of a player some day.  That’s where the frustration came in.

Someone on my friends list said “So your [sic] saying the kids gonna get traded in a year or two then?”

Is it just me, or are you sick of this being a running theme?

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Rankings:
~ Baseball America: #1 (Milwaukee)
~ Royals Review #8
~ Kevin Goldstein: #8
~ John Sickels: #7 B+

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Rankings:
~ Baseball America: #3 (Milwaukee)
~ Royals Review #16
~ Kevin Goldstein: #9
~ John Sickels: #8 B+

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That is, if it weren’t absolutely terrifying.

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Ken Harvey celebrating a rare victory.

I’m not so sure.

Earlier this off-season when it looked like Kevin Millwood and Luke Hochevar would be the most accomplished pitchers on the staff and the outfield seemed like the Island of Misfit Prospects, I had my reservations. It looked like another 100 loss season and I was bracing myself for a long summer of watching former Braves duff around the diamond while waiting for the Futures Game.

But in the past few weeks I’ve been doing my best to look for bright spots on the 2011 roster. Since Zack Greinke left the team, the Royals have actually made a fair amount of smart transactions. Jeff Francis and Bruce Chen were added to shore up the rotation, Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain were brought in to tighten up the defense, and our stockpile of top-rated prospects continued to grow.

As Gage wrote earlier this week, the Royals have off-loaded a fair amount of money and are *GASP* finally making legitimate strides toward fruition of The Process.

But the question remains, how bad will this team be in comparison to the other terrible teams Royals fans endured in the past?

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So, when the Royals began increasing their payroll starting in 2007, it looked like their small market standards might begin including random free agent signings. In one year, the payroll increased from around $47 million to $67 million. Part of that resulted from the Gil Meche and Octavio Dotel signings in the previous offseason. Things kept rolling after that year, as the Royals signed Jose Guillen. The payrolls in the next few years were $58, $70, and $75 million.

Well, unfortunately, money doesn’t directly translate to wins. From 2007-2010, the Royals averaged 69 wins. While better than the three-year stretch before that, it’s not as productive as you would hope. From 2007-2009, the Twins had a comparable or lower payroll and won an average of 85 games. Basically, while the payroll didn’t create as bad of a situation as the Cubs’ did, it was still pretty frustrating.
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They were not, however, able to come to an agreement on 2011 salaries with Billy Butler, Robinson  Tejeda and Kyle Davies.  If there isn’t a deal reached with any of the three players by Monday, the team and player will exchange salary figures.  Arbitration hearings start February first and run through the 18th.  At any time before the arbitration figures are judged by a panel, the team and player can come to an agreement.

There’s a strong chance that the Royals can get all three to agree to a salary before it gets to that step.  Davies made $1.8 million in 2010 and after a season where he finished with a 5.34 ERA and a 1.557 WHIP and had an ERA+ of 78, he’s not in much of a position to ask for more.  Tejeda made $950,000 in 2010 and has pitched pretty well – well enough for a raise – but I don’t see how he’d win a hearing after missing chunks of the last two seasons with tendinitis issues.  Those two seem like quick signings…

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Between the typical platitudes you’re going to hear from a public address by a GM, there were a few nuggets of information if you were looking for them.

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Now in most contexts, I’d say that’s rather unprecedented, but considering our home run leader did so with an unexpected career high and tied a player on the team who was DFA’d on August 5th, it’s not really a momentous loss.  And while we know what Greinke’s ceiling can be (and have covered that he was a bit unlucky in 2010), his ERA was right at the league average.

Still.  That looks weird.

Mike Aviles is ready to prove his rookie season was no fluke

Last year, as you’ve probably heard by now, the Royals were second over-all in the Majors in team batting average, but ranked twentieth in runs scored. At the same time, the team dominated the basement of all pitching statistics (28th in quality starts, 29th in ERA, WHIP, and BAA).

In short, the Royals could hit the ball, they just couldn’t score, protect a lead, or defend very well.

The addition of defenders who can actually make plays like Alcides Escobar, and (I know, I know) Jeff Francoeur should help out a team that has had to suffer through the woeful defense of Yuniesky Betancourt, Jose Guillen and Alberto Callaspo. But our rotation, which will probably be one of the worst since 2005 when Jose Lima, a young Zack Greinke and Runelvys Hernandez combined to win 18 decisions out of 94 starts, isn’t going to do us any favors.

So again the slim chance of the Royals playing respectable baseball falls upon our offense. I’ve taken a look at our best offensive players who finished 2010 strong and could keep the momentum going into 2011.

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Zack Greinke lives with social anxiety. Yeah, that’s better.

It sounds trivial to say it that way, but it almost feels like you have to. It feels like you have to remind the general public every now and again that a mental disorder doesn’t mean you belong in a padded room or in a therapist’s office five days a week. Some disorders can get out of control and be debilitating to the point that a person can actually “suffer” from it, but in the case of one of the top 10 pitchers in the world, it’s safe to assume he’s not suffering.

So let us all stop referring to it like it’s a negative, like it’s a chink in his character. It’s not. (more…)

Greinke had two years on his contract left and Garza had three years with the Rays, causing some to speculate that Garza may be an equal target to the 2009 Cy Young Award winner, or perhaps even a better acquisition.  Now that both pitchers have been traded, we can compare the players involved and come to a determination.

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Their choice is to focus on the stadium, then work their way into highlighting the prospects as they come up.

That’s probably fine for now, but what other options could they try?

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In the interest of light-hearted prognostication, I think it might be fun to toss out some predictions for the 2011 season – some good, some bad – and perhaps have a little fun thinking about what awaits us this year.
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I love spring training.

Here are some other goings on in the Royals universe:

• The Kansas City Business Journal looks at how the Royals will market the team in 2011 after the Zack Greinke trade.  While Billy Butler and Joakim Soria are the faces of the franchise, Butler’s not quite the draw Greinke is and Soria’s no guarantee on any given day to appear, so the Royals will be featuring the stadium and the experience while introducing the players who’ll start making their way into the big leagues later in the season.
• There’s an interesting interview from earlier in 2010 featuring Billy Butler while talking with Phoenix Bats where he said all the right things for a Royals fan.  He hates how money is such a factor in baseball. He loves it in Kansas City, and he wants to stick around as long as the Royals will have him. We’ve heard these kinds of things before from players, but my gut says Butler might actually mean it.
• Mike Moustakas was on XM Radio a few weeks ago and talked about, among other things, the talent in the Royals system and the opportunity to pick George Brett’s brain.  I like this kid’s makeup – he’s gonna be a great leader once the Royals start taking big steps.
• Wally at Call To The Pen has a depressing graph that you may or may not want to look at.  I’ll let you decide, but it’s scary if you’re a Royals fan.
• M.C. Antil took a look at the Greinke trade and blames Dayton Moore for not putting a good team around Greinke and essentially pushing him out the door, BUT, does pitch the idea that the trade does position the Royals into a nice position.  With added depth and impact prospects on the way, and with Greinke’s contract expiring in 2012 (and the Brewers system being tapped dry), the Royals might be in line to bring in an ace free agent pitcher about 2013 – and in position to start winning.  Rany Jazayerli had the same idea and I don’t think it’s without some merit.  The Royals just have to start winning now.

Also, we’re looking for contributing writers at Kings of Kauffman.  See my previous post for details.

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