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If they go into next year with this infield….Vinny over Pratto obviously…I think I’d be ok with it. It would be the best defense they could put out there with the guys they have. Now, I “think” JJ’s going to have to get creative this offseason so I’m probably hoping for a Garcia trade…move Loftin to 3rd see what happens….so be it. I tend to agree with you that if you have a person on each side of the infield mashing….does it really matter what position it comes from? No, so you can live with Garcia and Massey respectively with the defense they play. The interesting part comes more when the outfield gets involved. Can you survive with those two with no outfielder mashing?….gets trickier then. Like Isbel…but I’m still of the impression he is a 9 hitter on a good team….so either that or a 4th outfielder or platoon with someone. Regardless, don’t need to get into Waters and MJ so much as it’s interesting that I think the infield as is can work…but then if you don’t have a hitting outfield….can it you know? By itself yeah I think it can. But then you look at it all…..and I’m like huh, 80% might have to come from the infield. Anyway, I hope they move Garcia. I don’t dislike him or anything, but do think Loftin can provide a lot of that. Two players with the same skill set….see what you can get anyway.

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The outfield is much trickier and that's where I think moves come in. I wrote back when I looked at who has been good enough to be part of next year's roster that Waters and Isbel don't seem to work on the same team. Melendez is slumping again now, so his last 15 games are huge for him. Every hitter will struggle here and there. If he can show me he can get out of it and hit again, I'm a lot closer to sold. I think he should be traded, but if he's not, I feel good that he can be part of a good offense. But yeah, I don't know what they're going to do because Tyler Gentry is lurking too. I mean he hit .321/.417/.555 in AA last year and struggled to start the year in AAA, but has really come on over the last couple of months and looked like the same guy from last year. Lots to consider.

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Does not giving Gentry a shot in a year like this tell you they don’t really see it…DM always had “his guys” I hope that isn’t the same with this group….but I’m a little surprised in a lost year like this they didn’t even give him a shot.

They really need MJ to hit….so that they can trade him. Then of course if he does come on will they. I know they are smart people and understand …..well I think they understand value anyway. But man they really jacked around with MJ and it didn’t have to be that way. Still a bit frustrating but nothing can do now.

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The short answer is I don't know. The slightly longer answer is I don't think so. I think they were hellbent on getting as much information on Isbel and Waters as they could and Melendez as well. I think the fact that they didn't bring him up to play sparingly like they have with Blanco and did with Taylor says more than that they didn't bring him up. He does need to be added to the 40-man this year, but that doesn't mean he has to be a big leaguer right away, so I think it was just a numbers game.

I'll spin the MJ thing a little more positively with the current leadership on the bench. Quatraro didn't have much time to evaluate MJ behind the plate in spring training because of the WBC. It took him seven starts behind the plate to say "nope, not doing this" and he was a full-time outfielder. He was jacked around, but I feel pretty good about Quatraro coming in and taking very little time to end that.

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I actually don’t have any issue with Q this year. And maybe that’s because I stopped really looking at the managerial stuff early because it went south so quick. I don’t have any huge issues with what he’s done though. I don’t think he’s had the talent to fully evaluate the on field stuff. These things typically go the extreme opposite of the previous manager. I think that was probably the case as far as temperament goes. I do think at some point he’ll have to be able to…idk what exactly I mean…not light someone up…but call someone out if needed. IDK, just show a little more fire next year if needed. IDK that it is fair, but that’s the impression I get.

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You know, it's funny that people always think he's just sitting on the bench doing nothing and never arguing with umpires, but he just goes about it differently. Actually, he goes about it a lot like Tito and Cash do, which shouldn't be a surprise. If you go to a lot of games like I do, you see him out there in between innings talking to the umpire a lot. The last game I was at, I think he went out three or four times and one of them got somewhat heated. I just think he's very even-keeled generally and people would love it if they were good.

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Do you think they get to the point next spring that it is a genuine position battle for left field? Mean, if they don’t bring in someone or move MJ, man I’d love to see an actual position battle between him and Velasquez. I’d love to get to the point of not just giving guys spots all the time. I know they say they have these battles but we all know MJ was playing this year and that’s fine….but when does that end kind of thing. Hopeful it end after this year is over and they start really moving towards the 76 wins as you said.

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Maybe we need an evaluation year.

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"Evaluation year" is a term that I'd like completely stricken from the lexicon, right along with "social distancing," "gaslighting," and "Bowl Championship Series" (OK, that one's already gone, but I'm still having flashbacks).

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I know this is tongue-in-cheek, but every team should be evaluating every year. I'm fine with them making this year *all* about the evaluation, but that's done the second they lose on October 1.

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I don’t know why I have an interest in what they call next year. Lol. I mean, we all know it’s not really a competitive year, but they can’t call it an evaluation year again. It’s stupid that I’m interested in how they word it…but I am for some weird reason.

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I think it's fair to say wins and losses never mattered this year. They have to matter at least somewhat next year. That's all I really care about. They don't need to make the turn to firing guys for 76 wins or whatever, but they need to make the turn to getting to 76 wins.

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founding

Great article. Loftin looks good, small amount of MLB evidence but very hopeful. Whitt or Garcia in CF? Massey hitting .225 is not the answer on a winning team. Vinnie at first, trade Prato.

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They’re not moving Witt off SS at this point and I think it’s at least somewhat informative that they made a big deal about Garcia in the outfield in the spring and then haven’t heard a word about it.

I’m all for trading Pratto, but it’s the absolute bottom of his value. I don’t know that it necessarily gets better but the value is so low at this point that I’m not sure trading him makes sense.

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IDK what the heck you do with Pratto to be honest. Can’t really trade him at the moment. Vinny hits better so he will play over him. He looks ok in the outfield actually….but he can’t hit better he’s not a corner outfielder. Keep him in AAA for depth I guess. IDK, he’s one that doesn’t really fit anymore either.

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They don't really have any first basemen knocking on the door right now, so there are worse things than having guys in the minors who have seen the big leagues before in case you need someone. He's fine as depth for now, but I don't see a big league path for him at this point.

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founding

Garcia’s offensive numbers would sure look good for a center fielder. His speed is being wasted at third. Maybe Loftin at 2nd and sign a plodding Third baseman that could hit 30-35 HR

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I get the sentiment, but you can also argue that his quickness helps him quite a bit and isn't wasted at all at third. And as for the plodding third baseman to hit some bombs, if you can find him, they can sign him. That guy just isn't out there.

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I keep reading about how they need to trade Salvy, then I read about them needing veteran leadership. Keep Salvy and trade Pratto. Give Fermin a continued look. Alternate Vinny and Salvy at 1st and DH with Salvy Reliving Freddie behind the plate. Go with the infield they have now with Loften as backup. Go after a veteran OF with proven ability. Pratto would interest many teams and a Royals icon stays where he belongs and provide guidance to the younger guys. Payroll will not suffer.

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I’m sure some are saying they need to trade him, but the general consensus is not that they need to but they could benefit long-term from making that move. Plus, if it’s something Salvy wants, they’ll do what they can for him. At this point, I’d say it’s 60/40 that he is traded and that jumps to 75/25 if Dayton Moore actually does join the White Sox.

What I will say is that Pratto has very little value right now. Teams would trade for him, but they wouldn’t trade anything of any value for him.

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