Hey Lesky, thanks for taking my call. I've got a comment and a question, and I'll hang up and listen.
- I have a ton of respect for Dayton's insistence that they aren't going to talk about rebuilding. He went on the record some time ago saying he regretted the "Senior Day" type celebration on the final day of the 2017 season because it set the tone for the returning players that they weren't going to be successful. It's the major leagues, and even if you know internally that you're outmatched, you can't let that culture invade the organization.
- On Lovelady: He's on the 60-day IL, so wouldn't that keep him on the roster (and shielded from the Rule 5) without having to actually use a 40-man spot?
Hard to sell tickets for a rebuilding team but a team that is "reloading" with proven veterans is ready to compete. We know better as does Dayton Moore but you still have tickets to sell. Royals sold over a million tickets this year as 9 teams sold less and a couple of them were in the playoff race and one of them won the AL East
Thanks for all the articles, I found out about your site too late to enjoy it for a full season but I am looking forward to next year.
The Royals finally find themselves in a situation where they have a significant number of good players and don't have enough spots for all of them and you know what that is how it is suppose to work so kudos to the player development side of the team and lets hope the roster building/player acquisition side doesn't screw it up.
Yeah, they've got a lot of decisions to make over the next few months. On one hand, use your depth to fill holes. On the other hand, it's nice to finally have some depth. On the third hand, the player development, at least on the offensive side for sure, seems to be working well, so you should theoretically be able to churn out depth. A lot of difficult choices to make, but that's why they make the big bucks, I guess.
Great article, I was afraid it would be a week or two before we saw one! I have hope that the Royal's process will improve somewhat, as one of Dayton's recent comments seemed to admit that JJ was beyond him in some important ways. I personally hope that we do not fall for the "grass will be greener" with trades, but that we instead (and I am not saying that you are saying otherwise) take a very JJ improved, clear eyed look, at what we have, and what we can do with it. In terms of the big picture, I am guessing that next year will be a second year for the new young starters to get settled, and to be joined by year one of the Omaha Big 3 joining them and also going through their adjustment period, as they will, just like Hosmer/Moose/Cain/Esy needed to do. So, unless we have a true 40 person roster jam, that just makes us trade one or more of our potential shiny new pieces (instead of more questionable talent), I am guessing that they do not make the "big prospects, even secondary prospects" for James Shields kind of front the rotation trade to start the year, but instead let Minor or Keller or Carlos or Brady be our #1 until it looks like the young starters and position players have settled in and we are one big starter away at the trade deadline, which I figure we will not be at that point. I am guessing that we hold on to all of Salvy/Benny/Taylor/Pratto/Witt/MJ/Whit/Lopez/Mondesi, as the starters they want to see in 2023, though perhaps Pratto waits a bit to come up next year as they figure out how best to unload Santana. It will be fun to wait and see, and continue to look for the signs.
My crazy prediction for the offseason... trade that hurts. Royals trade Pratto, Kowar and two other of the pitching prospects not yet on 40 man to the As for Frankie Montas ans Matt Olson. Gives the Royals the SP they need that has 2 years of control left and Olson a true middle of the order bat for next season. Pratto is the type of prospect that would be needed to headline such a move and is a built in replacement for Olson for the budget conscious As. Kowar has been bad at the highest level but was dominant in triple A and was in many top 100 prospect list at the midseason who still has some intrigue left and the other two prospects help reinforce an As system devoid of arms. Guys like Cox and Haake etc.
We heard trade rumors at the deadline about Whit and Santana. In the past, it seems a lot of framework for off season trades sometimes gets laid around the deadline, even if the player isn't traded before July 31. I don't think there is a team out there that takes Santana, but Whit seems to be aging and pretty replaceable with our glut of infielders. I wouldn't be surprised if he's moved as part of the deal for a front line starting pitcher this offseason.
Hey Lesky, thanks for taking my call. I've got a comment and a question, and I'll hang up and listen.
- I have a ton of respect for Dayton's insistence that they aren't going to talk about rebuilding. He went on the record some time ago saying he regretted the "Senior Day" type celebration on the final day of the 2017 season because it set the tone for the returning players that they weren't going to be successful. It's the major leagues, and even if you know internally that you're outmatched, you can't let that culture invade the organization.
- On Lovelady: He's on the 60-day IL, so wouldn't that keep him on the roster (and shielded from the Rule 5) without having to actually use a 40-man spot?
I understand to some extent not saying it, but also, they were absolutely rebuilding. I don’t know why you have to skirt that the way he did.
As for Lovelady, there’s no 60-day in the offseason, so he’ll be taking up a spot until late March when they can put him back on it.
Hard to sell tickets for a rebuilding team but a team that is "reloading" with proven veterans is ready to compete. We know better as does Dayton Moore but you still have tickets to sell. Royals sold over a million tickets this year as 9 teams sold less and a couple of them were in the playoff race and one of them won the AL East
Oh they absolutely were not rebuilding this year. I was more referring to 2018 and 2019 when they were obviously not going to be winning.
I agree with you- I was trying to point out why Moore refuses to call it a rebuild regardless of what year it is.
Thanks
Thanks for all the articles, I found out about your site too late to enjoy it for a full season but I am looking forward to next year.
The Royals finally find themselves in a situation where they have a significant number of good players and don't have enough spots for all of them and you know what that is how it is suppose to work so kudos to the player development side of the team and lets hope the roster building/player acquisition side doesn't screw it up.
Yeah, they've got a lot of decisions to make over the next few months. On one hand, use your depth to fill holes. On the other hand, it's nice to finally have some depth. On the third hand, the player development, at least on the offensive side for sure, seems to be working well, so you should theoretically be able to churn out depth. A lot of difficult choices to make, but that's why they make the big bucks, I guess.
Great article, I was afraid it would be a week or two before we saw one! I have hope that the Royal's process will improve somewhat, as one of Dayton's recent comments seemed to admit that JJ was beyond him in some important ways. I personally hope that we do not fall for the "grass will be greener" with trades, but that we instead (and I am not saying that you are saying otherwise) take a very JJ improved, clear eyed look, at what we have, and what we can do with it. In terms of the big picture, I am guessing that next year will be a second year for the new young starters to get settled, and to be joined by year one of the Omaha Big 3 joining them and also going through their adjustment period, as they will, just like Hosmer/Moose/Cain/Esy needed to do. So, unless we have a true 40 person roster jam, that just makes us trade one or more of our potential shiny new pieces (instead of more questionable talent), I am guessing that they do not make the "big prospects, even secondary prospects" for James Shields kind of front the rotation trade to start the year, but instead let Minor or Keller or Carlos or Brady be our #1 until it looks like the young starters and position players have settled in and we are one big starter away at the trade deadline, which I figure we will not be at that point. I am guessing that we hold on to all of Salvy/Benny/Taylor/Pratto/Witt/MJ/Whit/Lopez/Mondesi, as the starters they want to see in 2023, though perhaps Pratto waits a bit to come up next year as they figure out how best to unload Santana. It will be fun to wait and see, and continue to look for the signs.
My crazy prediction for the offseason... trade that hurts. Royals trade Pratto, Kowar and two other of the pitching prospects not yet on 40 man to the As for Frankie Montas ans Matt Olson. Gives the Royals the SP they need that has 2 years of control left and Olson a true middle of the order bat for next season. Pratto is the type of prospect that would be needed to headline such a move and is a built in replacement for Olson for the budget conscious As. Kowar has been bad at the highest level but was dominant in triple A and was in many top 100 prospect list at the midseason who still has some intrigue left and the other two prospects help reinforce an As system devoid of arms. Guys like Cox and Haake etc.
We heard trade rumors at the deadline about Whit and Santana. In the past, it seems a lot of framework for off season trades sometimes gets laid around the deadline, even if the player isn't traded before July 31. I don't think there is a team out there that takes Santana, but Whit seems to be aging and pretty replaceable with our glut of infielders. I wouldn't be surprised if he's moved as part of the deal for a front line starting pitcher this offseason.
Opening day 2022 if I had my druthers!!
Lopez SS
Whit 2B
Perez DH
Benintendi LF
Modesi RF
BWJ 3B
Melendez C
Pratto 1B
Taylor CF