KC Royals: The 5 Worst Moves of Royals GM Dayton Moore

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Apr 6, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore walks on the field before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

It has been just over ten years since David Glass and the KC Royals signed Dayton Moore to be their General Manager. The year Moore was hired, June 2006, the KC Royals lost exactly 100 games on their way to another 5th place finish in the AL Central.

In fact, before Dayton Moore took over as the KC Royals General Manager, the team had exactly one winning season since the strike in the mid 90’s where in 2003, the KC Royals went 83 – 79. The stretch of futility after the 1995 – 1996 strike included three 90+ loss seasons and four 100 loss seasons including the season Dayton Moore was hired.

The very worst of season, which many of us KC Royals fans will fondly remember, was 2005 where the team lost 106 games and finished exactly 43 games out of first place. The futility of the 2005 season was however overshadowed a bit by the fact that it was sandwiched between two other 100 loss seasons in 2004 and 2006.

Those dark days in the KC Royals past have been compartmentalized by most of us and after miles of self-help tapes, we have moved on. The best therapy for Royals fans however has been the fact that the team improved their regular season win total in every season beginning in 2009. Then of course, the demons were completely exercised in 2015 when the KC Royals took home a World Championship Trophy.

To be sure, Dayton Moore made some very astute moves during that period to pull the KC Royals out of the cellar. John Viril recently posted an article highlighting the 10 best moves that Dayton Moore has made since becoming the GM. Some of the highlights include hiring Ned Yost as the next manager, trading Zach Greinke and Yunieski Betancourt for Lorenzo Cain, Alcedes Escobar, and Jake Odorizzi, and trading for James Shields, Wade Davis, and Elliot Johnson.

However, while you will not find anyone in KC Royals land right now who would rather have anyone other than Dayton Moore as GM, including me, nobody is perfect. Even the great Dayton Moore has made a few mistakes along the way. The following are the Top Five Worst Moves that Dayton Moore has made since being named General Manager of the KC Royals.

Next: Mistake No. 5

5: Signing Omar Infante to a 4 Year Deal

To begin the 2013 season, the KC Royals had just made the James Shields and Wade Davis trade. There were young and emerging stars at each position including Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Alex Gordon now in LF, Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, and Sal Perez. Right field going into 2013 was being played by Jeff Francoeur who was coming of a semi-down year in 2012 but had recently had a career year in 2011.

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With Billy Butler coming off a career year in 2012. The only real hole in the KC Royals lineup was at 2B. Prior to the 2012 season, the most recent years leading up-to 2013 saw the KC Royals attempt to use players like Chris Gets, Yuniesky Betancourt, Elliot Johnson, and even Mark Tehaen at 2B.

The revolving door at 2B for the KC Royals was a disappointing from 2010 – 2012. The rotation at 2B during that period posted a combined slash line of .260/300/.355 and had a WAR of -0.1. So after the KC Royals came up a bit short in 2013, Dayton Moore looked to the 2014 free agent market for help to fill the hole at 2B.

Omar Infante was signed to a 4 year 30 million dollar deal prior to the start of the 2014 season including a club option for 2017 of $10 million. In 2013, Omar Infante had a slash line of .318/.345/.450 helping the Tigers win the AL Central once again and it looked like the KC Royals had solidified 2B for the next 4-5 years. Unfortunately for KC, Infante’s 2013 appears to have been his peak.

2014 was Infante’s best year with the Royals posting a slash line of .252/.295/.337. In 2015 Infante battled injuries posting a slash line of .220/.234/.318 and a WAR of -.09. Fortunatly the Royals found relief in 2015 when they rented Ben Zobrist to play 2B in their run to the championship.

2016 hasn’t begun much better of Infante as his current season slash line resembels 2015 at .239/.279/.321. Latley Ned Yost has favored playing Whitley Merrifield at 2B on days when LF is covered. On other days Christian Colon is getting more playing time at 2B after getting recalled from AAA.

Given the KC Royals budget, throwing away $7 million dollars per season on an unproductive player is something the Royals cannot afford to do often. It is for this reason that the medium-term deal given to Infante is number 5 on our list.

Next: Mistake No. 4

4: Royals Pass on Chris Sale, Draft Christian Colon

The KC Royals had the 4th pick in the 2010 draft. As draft day neared, the buzz surrounding the KC Royals was that they were looking to draft a pitcher, and that pitcher was going to be the left handed Chris Sale.

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The 2011 KC Royals outfield featured Cabrera in CF, newly moved Gordon in LF, and Jeff Francoeur in RF. However, a new high-upside prospect in the KC Royals farm system named Lorenzo Cain was ready to make his move to MLB Royals, and Cabrera was apparently blocking that move.

The KC Royals had several pitching prospects in the pipeline at the time but General Manager Dayton Moore believed the Royals needed a guy with some experience to help in the rotation. Dayton Moore also could have traded Francoeur and move Cabrera to RF freeing up a spot for Lorenzo Cain in CF. Moore however opted to trade Cabrera following a near career season for LHP Jonathan Sanchez.

Sanchez’s previous bright spot was 2010 when he was 13-9 with a 3.07 ERA in a year the Giants beat the Rangers. Moore believed Sanchez was a “#3 starter on a championship club”. As a KC Royal however, Sanchez was disaster.

Sanchez lasted only about 1/2 a season in KC starting 12 games and posting a 7.76 ERA. Sanchez was traded midway through the 2012 season for Colorado Rockies Right Hander Jeremy Guthrie as Guthrie needed a change of scenery and the Sanchez experience in KC had already worn thin.

If Dayton Moore was set on trading Melky Cabrera, there were many suitors given his big season the year before he was traded. Despite Cabrera getting suspended for half the following season for PED usage, the Royals still got by far the worst end of this deal.

Next: Mistake No. 2

2: Dayton Moore Signs Jose Guillen

After the 2007 season, Dayton Moore, the somewhat new Royals GM at the time, signed Jose Guillen to a 3 year $36 million dollar contract. If Guillen stayed all three years, it would be the first time in his career which began in 1997 that he had spent three years on the same team.

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Hillman was signed by the KC Royals in March of 2008 based upon his success as a manager in the Japanese baseball leagues. That success did not carryover into MLB as he went 152-207 as the KC Royals manager finishing no higher than 4th in the AL Central. Hillman’s stint was short lived as he was fired by Dayton Moore just 35 games into the 2010 season.

Hillman’s managerial style honed in Japan never translated well into the big leagues. In one occasion, after a spring training game, Hillman actually gathered the team at home plate to discuss fundamentals. Worse yet was Hillman’s handling of the pitching staff, mainly Gil Meche.

In December 2006 Meche was signed to the biggest contract at Royals history at that time for five years and $55 million. Meche had two very good seasons with the Royals in 2007 and 2008 including an All-Star appearance in 2007. However, during a season in which overuse had worn down the arm of Meche, Hillman continued to trot Meche out to the mound and leave him in well beyond 120 pitches on occasion.

This handling of Meche ended his pitching career, one that could have been as productive as any of Dayton Moores great moves fans continue to talk about.

Next: Five Things About Salvy's Slam Over Cleveland

So, while Dayton Moore has done exactly what he was hired to do, which was build a championship ball club, it wasn’t without several bumps along the way. But in my opinion, the man is certainly the best GM in the game right now.

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