9 Comments

Thanks! I actually never learned that these are "option years" not that they use an option each time someone is sent down.

Expand full comment

If we finish behind the White Sox this year…..I mean…Its time to clean house and start over. I say that kiddingly…..sort of…lol. They are a train wreck and not close to getting back on the tracks yet. We must finish ahead of them in the standings.

I think I’m most interested this year to see if we have to re-evaluate the players we have. Meaning, last year was a re-evaluation year…but we find ourselves talking up everyone again. Its springs, so I get it of course. And there are legit reasons to be optimistic. But this is the year, where Melendez hits enough or he doesn’t, Velasquez hit or he doesn’t. Isbel is more than a 4th outfielder or he isn’t. Massey hits enough or he doesn’t. Vinny can stay healthy or he can’t. Garcia hits enough to be a 3rd baseman or he hits enough to be a SS but we will know. I think they are all MLB players….but we’ll know if they are MLB starters, MLB bench pieces, or not really MLB guys. Big year for everyone.

Expand full comment

And I do get that it is a simplification of things. But I just don’t think they can Mondesi it with this group and keep everyone around desperate to make it work. And they’ve already shown they aren’t going to do that with the people they have brought in. We’ve been talking about these same guys for so long. It’s time to know. Lol.

Expand full comment

I don't think the plan is to continue to evaluate any more than there's constant evaluation. A flip shouldn't just be flipped from evaluating to not, obviously.

And I will also say that if they finish in last place and it's not like an AL East situation where everyone is somehow good, heads will roll. I know you'll doubt it until it happens, but don't forget I was on Dayton being gone for weeks before it happened, knowing it would happen eventually.

Expand full comment

I’m not saying fire JJ. I’ve come around a bit. In fact, the reason I like the Sandlin/reliever trade more than anything is because it intrigues me. It’s one of the few moves I’ve seen him make where he moved a minor league prospect for someone. I don’t even really care how it works out. I’m more interested in is this them evaluating and making a decision on a minor league guy or is it more they just felt like they needed another reliever arm? I’m not sure yet, but the two things I get to watch for now is should you have moved Vinny, and does this Sandlin move work out. You don’t have to go 100% obviously, but need to be right more than wrong. I think he can horse trade, I’m still not convinced we know our own guys yet. So that’s all fascinating to me. Starting to get more data.

But yea, if they don’t finish ahead of the White Sox, something has gone horribly wrong.

Expand full comment

Hang, on let me clarify a bit. Lol. I still would have gone a different direction after DM. But, it is amazing what a Ragans find can do for your confidence. I don’t care if it was luck, I don’t care how if you identified something…..whatever it is. Do more of that. If you are good at horse trading. Do more of that in general. Even if he gets hurt….its such a confidence booster that you can find that. LOL.

Expand full comment

At some point people will forget to it was the Chapman signing that made it all happen too. They found something they could fix. And signed him, even though he is a terrible person, and people didn’t like the move. Unfortunately, the Royals are still in a position of needing talent first, the person second. But they made it work and then flipped for Ragans. That whole sequence has given me much more confidence. Will he win enough games for it to matter? To be determined yet…because I think this is the year the Wins really start to matter for him.

Expand full comment

Obviously everything is taken into account. If they go 63-99 because BWJ, Vinnie, Garcia, MJ and Ragans all miss a bunch of time, I don't think that'll go against the front office. But if everyone's healthy and they do that, I would imagine there will be a full-scale cleanout. I'm not saying anyone's job is in jeopardy, but they're past the point of saying that losing like that is understandable, unless factors come into play where losing like that actually is understandable.

Expand full comment

Very informative. Nicely done, Sir.

Expand full comment