I'll be right there, too. Just like last Friday night, my radio buttons are going to get a workout switching among the KU game, the weekly high school game, and the Royals.
It's quite lovely that they get to face Houston six times in their last 15 games. And maybe that last series at home against the Yankees will determine whether the Evil Empire has a winning percentage that begins with "5" or "4."
When the schedule came out, I thought they might get some wins against Houston because they'd have put the division away, but apparently the Royals will get to be on the receiving end of some beatings. At least we'll get to see Ragans twice against them, so maybe he'll put himself into the mix to be talked about for next year's Cy Young haha.
So I really, really, really hate multiple “evaluation” years. I get it, IDK what you want them to do next year. But hopefully they phrase it something else. Idk how you change the phrasing to basically mean the same thing, but they need too. Nobody wants to hear you need another year to evaluate these guys and basically say they still don’t know what they have. I get its only a play on words, but I’ll take that play on words. Lol.
Yeah I’m in agreement. All I really want to see is going after pitching, and then going after pitching, and then going after pitching again this offseason. I do want to say…I don’t want to hear about innings eaters either. Get pitchers that can actually pitch. I don’t get too worked up about Lyles, but if the best we can get is a career 5 era guys to come in…….whoof. Someone we need to get some guys that are legit league average. I’m not even asking for studs. Mahle interests me a bit. Some injury risk there but he’s a league average pitcher when healthy.
I’m not going to lie. The reason I hate the “evaluation” year or years cover is because it is your job….that you get paid for….to know what you have on your roster. That is literally your job. I’d love for them to just call it a rebuild. Can’t stand the evaluation cover. Lol.
Ultimately it's just semantics. I don't really care what they say as long as they're finally being honest about where they are in this league. For years, they weren't being honest with themselves and that's what has led them to where they are (among other things, of course). To actually have a grasp on reality is a great first step, in my opinion. Ultimately, it's about what the end goal is. You should be evaluating every year. But if they say, "Okay, we found we have these players for these spots and this is where we couldn't fill in the gaps outside the organization, so we'll continue to try to find an internal answer here and here" I'm fine with it. What else are they supposed to do, you know?
Agree completely. Not really wanting to get wrapped up in the phrases thrown out when we all know what they really mean. IDK, why the evaluation “years” grinds on me. I think they are being honest, and they aren’t close. If any good has come out of this year, there is not a shred of doubt that they aren’t close right now. Can they get closer fast? Yeah, but we are still in the everything has to go right realm for that to happen and that rarely happens that way. It can….but rarely does. If anything, I think they are about due for some things to go right so at least we have that.
I do struggle to see how they can get enough pitching in next year. It’s almost a couple year project….but then you start running into guys closer to free agency. IDK yet….some promise…but that’s still tough to squint and see.
I’d really, really love to get to the point where…half the things have to go right to be a competent…even .500 team. Lol. People don’t realize, but even .500 gets you quite a bit of excitement throughout the year and looking at standings until September.
We've sat in Kansas City and watched Dayton Moore think every year that his team is just a couple of moves away from being .500 and competing and not doing what's necessary to actually build the infrastructure, so it feels like .500 takes forever, but I think what good organizations have shown is that it doesn't. The problem is the infrastructure was left so shaky that it might take a little longer for this particular organization to get there and it still remains to be seen if it's being run correctly, but I think there are a lot of encouraging signs that it is. The trade deadline should have people excited that they actually can evaluate minor leaguers in other organizations, which is a huge part of fixing the bottom of the roster. I can't tell you if what they're doing will work, but I can tell you that it's better than what they were doing before and it *should* be able to get moving a little faster once they get the base settled.
Yeah, ideally slow in the beginning but the leaps forward should be two steps compared to one IMO. Going from bad to average should take a little longer than going from average to good. But I also think by 25….you should be much closer to average than you are now. So you still only get so long right, wrong, or indifferent. Story hasn’t been written yet.
Maybe I'm reaching here--well, there's no doubt that I'm reaching--but to me, "evaluation year" means that the rebuild hasn't even begun. Evaluating is like looking at the assorted pieces lying on the grass and figuring out where each one goes when you actually start building. The rebuild is next year, and boy, it had better be quick.
I think they're pretty much all part of the same group. They're evaluating to know what they need to do to fill in the gaps. I don't know if it'll happen, but there's a pretty clear path to being good in 2025. It just needs to start in earnest in about two months when the offseason starts.
And, as invariably happens when I build something out of a box, I always have a few extra pieces left (note: don't flop down in my chairs LOL).
If that's the case, and they can actually turn those "extra pieces" into something useful (not saying it has to be pitching, but it has to be pitching), that's just a bonus!
I always convince myself that the company is just being nice and giving me spare screws in case something happens. But yeah, don't actually put any weight on anything I've built.
Obviously we need to go after pitching. If they add a bat bc they get a great trade scenario, fine.
Do you think we can really get the pitching we need just through trades. I feel like Sherman is going to have to spend the money & go after a minimum of two mid-level starters, and do something to stock up the pen. Do you think he’ll do it and how much do you think he’s willing to spend ( just generally).
I don’t think they can get *all* the pitching needed through trades, but there’s a bit of a sad reality that playing for the Royals isn’t likely at the top of most free agents’ wish lists. So they may have to shop for guys who don’t get to make that call. I do think there’s something attractive to pitching in a big park in front of what’s become a good defense, but I think that applies more to guys working to rebuild value.
I really do think they’ll spend some this winter because it’s good for business for the stadium vote. I’m not sure if they would or wouldn’t otherwise but I think the looming vote plays a big role. I’d heard that they could go to 110-115 or so the last couple of years. If they can trade Salvy and eat half the contract and after free agent contracts expire, they’ll have about $73 million on the books with arbitration raises. This is all rough and I’ll look at it in a more exact way after the season, but that leaves about $40 million to spend. I don’t have anything to back this up, but I would guess the budget will expand a bit because of the stadium stuff and they might have $60 million-ish. Again, just guessing here but that’s plenty to make a dent.
Agreed. I was just curious if the buzz was that Sherman would be stingy or not. If the push for the stadium results in a few good signings I’ll take it anyway we can get it. I want to believe we’re just a few pitchers away from contending, but I now know it’ll take more than that.
The buzz from fans is that he’s cheap because all we’ve seen are low payroll teams but every indication I’ve been given is that he’s more than willing to spend.
I'll be right there, too. Just like last Friday night, my radio buttons are going to get a workout switching among the KU game, the weekly high school game, and the Royals.
It's quite lovely that they get to face Houston six times in their last 15 games. And maybe that last series at home against the Yankees will determine whether the Evil Empire has a winning percentage that begins with "5" or "4."
When the schedule came out, I thought they might get some wins against Houston because they'd have put the division away, but apparently the Royals will get to be on the receiving end of some beatings. At least we'll get to see Ragans twice against them, so maybe he'll put himself into the mix to be talked about for next year's Cy Young haha.
So I really, really, really hate multiple “evaluation” years. I get it, IDK what you want them to do next year. But hopefully they phrase it something else. Idk how you change the phrasing to basically mean the same thing, but they need too. Nobody wants to hear you need another year to evaluate these guys and basically say they still don’t know what they have. I get its only a play on words, but I’ll take that play on words. Lol.
Yeah I’m in agreement. All I really want to see is going after pitching, and then going after pitching, and then going after pitching again this offseason. I do want to say…I don’t want to hear about innings eaters either. Get pitchers that can actually pitch. I don’t get too worked up about Lyles, but if the best we can get is a career 5 era guys to come in…….whoof. Someone we need to get some guys that are legit league average. I’m not even asking for studs. Mahle interests me a bit. Some injury risk there but he’s a league average pitcher when healthy.
I’m not going to lie. The reason I hate the “evaluation” year or years cover is because it is your job….that you get paid for….to know what you have on your roster. That is literally your job. I’d love for them to just call it a rebuild. Can’t stand the evaluation cover. Lol.
Ultimately it's just semantics. I don't really care what they say as long as they're finally being honest about where they are in this league. For years, they weren't being honest with themselves and that's what has led them to where they are (among other things, of course). To actually have a grasp on reality is a great first step, in my opinion. Ultimately, it's about what the end goal is. You should be evaluating every year. But if they say, "Okay, we found we have these players for these spots and this is where we couldn't fill in the gaps outside the organization, so we'll continue to try to find an internal answer here and here" I'm fine with it. What else are they supposed to do, you know?
Agree completely. Not really wanting to get wrapped up in the phrases thrown out when we all know what they really mean. IDK, why the evaluation “years” grinds on me. I think they are being honest, and they aren’t close. If any good has come out of this year, there is not a shred of doubt that they aren’t close right now. Can they get closer fast? Yeah, but we are still in the everything has to go right realm for that to happen and that rarely happens that way. It can….but rarely does. If anything, I think they are about due for some things to go right so at least we have that.
I do struggle to see how they can get enough pitching in next year. It’s almost a couple year project….but then you start running into guys closer to free agency. IDK yet….some promise…but that’s still tough to squint and see.
I’d really, really love to get to the point where…half the things have to go right to be a competent…even .500 team. Lol. People don’t realize, but even .500 gets you quite a bit of excitement throughout the year and looking at standings until September.
We've sat in Kansas City and watched Dayton Moore think every year that his team is just a couple of moves away from being .500 and competing and not doing what's necessary to actually build the infrastructure, so it feels like .500 takes forever, but I think what good organizations have shown is that it doesn't. The problem is the infrastructure was left so shaky that it might take a little longer for this particular organization to get there and it still remains to be seen if it's being run correctly, but I think there are a lot of encouraging signs that it is. The trade deadline should have people excited that they actually can evaluate minor leaguers in other organizations, which is a huge part of fixing the bottom of the roster. I can't tell you if what they're doing will work, but I can tell you that it's better than what they were doing before and it *should* be able to get moving a little faster once they get the base settled.
Yeah, ideally slow in the beginning but the leaps forward should be two steps compared to one IMO. Going from bad to average should take a little longer than going from average to good. But I also think by 25….you should be much closer to average than you are now. So you still only get so long right, wrong, or indifferent. Story hasn’t been written yet.
Maybe I'm reaching here--well, there's no doubt that I'm reaching--but to me, "evaluation year" means that the rebuild hasn't even begun. Evaluating is like looking at the assorted pieces lying on the grass and figuring out where each one goes when you actually start building. The rebuild is next year, and boy, it had better be quick.
I think they're pretty much all part of the same group. They're evaluating to know what they need to do to fill in the gaps. I don't know if it'll happen, but there's a pretty clear path to being good in 2025. It just needs to start in earnest in about two months when the offseason starts.
And, as invariably happens when I build something out of a box, I always have a few extra pieces left (note: don't flop down in my chairs LOL).
If that's the case, and they can actually turn those "extra pieces" into something useful (not saying it has to be pitching, but it has to be pitching), that's just a bonus!
I always convince myself that the company is just being nice and giving me spare screws in case something happens. But yeah, don't actually put any weight on anything I've built.
Obviously we need to go after pitching. If they add a bat bc they get a great trade scenario, fine.
Do you think we can really get the pitching we need just through trades. I feel like Sherman is going to have to spend the money & go after a minimum of two mid-level starters, and do something to stock up the pen. Do you think he’ll do it and how much do you think he’s willing to spend ( just generally).
Thanks!
I don’t think they can get *all* the pitching needed through trades, but there’s a bit of a sad reality that playing for the Royals isn’t likely at the top of most free agents’ wish lists. So they may have to shop for guys who don’t get to make that call. I do think there’s something attractive to pitching in a big park in front of what’s become a good defense, but I think that applies more to guys working to rebuild value.
I really do think they’ll spend some this winter because it’s good for business for the stadium vote. I’m not sure if they would or wouldn’t otherwise but I think the looming vote plays a big role. I’d heard that they could go to 110-115 or so the last couple of years. If they can trade Salvy and eat half the contract and after free agent contracts expire, they’ll have about $73 million on the books with arbitration raises. This is all rough and I’ll look at it in a more exact way after the season, but that leaves about $40 million to spend. I don’t have anything to back this up, but I would guess the budget will expand a bit because of the stadium stuff and they might have $60 million-ish. Again, just guessing here but that’s plenty to make a dent.
Agreed. I was just curious if the buzz was that Sherman would be stingy or not. If the push for the stadium results in a few good signings I’ll take it anyway we can get it. I want to believe we’re just a few pitchers away from contending, but I now know it’ll take more than that.
The buzz from fans is that he’s cheap because all we’ve seen are low payroll teams but every indication I’ve been given is that he’s more than willing to spend.
I come to you if I actually want a discussion & not to hear random things about how cheap our owner is or that Q should be fired already Lol
Haha I appreciate that!