I'm not sure how to find all the stats to back this up, but it seems to me that Singer would be a damn good option in the bullpen. To the naked eye of someone who watched almost every game this year - he seems to work well his first time through the lineup and then his lack of an extra pitch, fatigue, whatever it is seems to catch up to him. Instead of tasking him with trying to develop another plus pitch, why not put the kid in a position to succeed based on the tangibles we know he already has?
That said, I'm not sure if the stats support that. It does beg this question though: Of the pitchers in your "starter" category, who has the best first time through the order splits that may make sense to move and bolster the bullpen IMMEDIATELY instead of going into next year hoping one of the unproven players like Tapia, Zuber, Zimmer (you get the picture) can hold down the fort?
If this year taught us anything, it's that a strong start is FUN! We have to lay a card on the table to start the year so I say let's lay our strongest card based on prior results instead of what if's, maybe he'll come arounds and/or pipe dreams.
Just like for the position players, my hope for the pitchers is that we take 2022 to find out what we have, and give them a chance to settle in, rather than bring in more veterans to block us from our chance to find that out. And then, in the unlikely event that we catch lightning in a bottle, and realize that one or two "don't mortgage the future again" moves could actually get us into the playoffs in 2022, then make a trade. To me, we already have Mike Minor as the (uninspiring but example setter) innings eater veteran and mentor for the starters. So, bringing in Max or someone for a lot of money - when we do not even know if that would do the trick - and, by doing so anyway - we might lose our chance to keep starting spot open, to find out which of our long list of young starters are going to be the ones we want. On the bullpen side, I would not mind bringing Greg Holland back, to be that veteran mentor. It seems there are some other teams (are there?) that have not felt that they had to free agent sign, or trade for, big name starters or relievers, and have, instead, successfully relied on their own young starters to get the job done, exposing the possible fallacy that it cannot be done without big/expensive names.
I believe that both parties - owners and players negotiate in a slime ball fashion- The lock out leak to me appears to be coming from the players as in those "@#$#@ owners are going to locks us out and that is not good faith negotiation". The players don't care if there is lock then as no one is showing up at club facilities unless they are rehabbing and I believe that will be allowed to continue. So why would the owners leak the lock out when all it does is make them look silly and stupid when no one is coming to work that day anyway.
Great thought. I had not thought of that. As we consider not wanting to lose any of our possible winners through the Rule 5 draft, how do those numbers work (trade/release/non tender the deadweight or low probability ones to have enough room for all/most of our possible winners)? A game of musical chairs, only musical roster spots with 40 being the magic number (or 39 if we want to fish in Rule 5). Yes, if there is not enough room, then a trade to make enough room would be the best thing. But, again, scary, because you do not know who the winners will be, that, in pruning down, we accidentally trade away the next Saberhagen. I would rather, first, let all the older, veteran, "already had their chance" guys go.
I also believe figuring out what we have is a better option than signing free agents. I don't want to see anyone blocked and the depth suggests we have the ability to find out who our long term answers are even if we have some injuries or poor production. We are not going to the playoffs in 2022. Find out what we have so 2023 we can trade or sign pieces to help make a real playoff run.
I really think the Royals need to add a solid starting pitcher: I would add Eduardo Rodriguez and Alex Wood to the mix. Rodriguez is probably my top choice--not sure what he would cost with a bad ERA but good underlying numbers.
I'm not sure how to find all the stats to back this up, but it seems to me that Singer would be a damn good option in the bullpen. To the naked eye of someone who watched almost every game this year - he seems to work well his first time through the lineup and then his lack of an extra pitch, fatigue, whatever it is seems to catch up to him. Instead of tasking him with trying to develop another plus pitch, why not put the kid in a position to succeed based on the tangibles we know he already has?
That said, I'm not sure if the stats support that. It does beg this question though: Of the pitchers in your "starter" category, who has the best first time through the order splits that may make sense to move and bolster the bullpen IMMEDIATELY instead of going into next year hoping one of the unproven players like Tapia, Zuber, Zimmer (you get the picture) can hold down the fort?
If this year taught us anything, it's that a strong start is FUN! We have to lay a card on the table to start the year so I say let's lay our strongest card based on prior results instead of what if's, maybe he'll come arounds and/or pipe dreams.
Just like for the position players, my hope for the pitchers is that we take 2022 to find out what we have, and give them a chance to settle in, rather than bring in more veterans to block us from our chance to find that out. And then, in the unlikely event that we catch lightning in a bottle, and realize that one or two "don't mortgage the future again" moves could actually get us into the playoffs in 2022, then make a trade. To me, we already have Mike Minor as the (uninspiring but example setter) innings eater veteran and mentor for the starters. So, bringing in Max or someone for a lot of money - when we do not even know if that would do the trick - and, by doing so anyway - we might lose our chance to keep starting spot open, to find out which of our long list of young starters are going to be the ones we want. On the bullpen side, I would not mind bringing Greg Holland back, to be that veteran mentor. It seems there are some other teams (are there?) that have not felt that they had to free agent sign, or trade for, big name starters or relievers, and have, instead, successfully relied on their own young starters to get the job done, exposing the possible fallacy that it cannot be done without big/expensive names.
I believe that both parties - owners and players negotiate in a slime ball fashion- The lock out leak to me appears to be coming from the players as in those "@#$#@ owners are going to locks us out and that is not good faith negotiation". The players don't care if there is lock then as no one is showing up at club facilities unless they are rehabbing and I believe that will be allowed to continue. So why would the owners leak the lock out when all it does is make them look silly and stupid when no one is coming to work that day anyway.
Great thought. I had not thought of that. As we consider not wanting to lose any of our possible winners through the Rule 5 draft, how do those numbers work (trade/release/non tender the deadweight or low probability ones to have enough room for all/most of our possible winners)? A game of musical chairs, only musical roster spots with 40 being the magic number (or 39 if we want to fish in Rule 5). Yes, if there is not enough room, then a trade to make enough room would be the best thing. But, again, scary, because you do not know who the winners will be, that, in pruning down, we accidentally trade away the next Saberhagen. I would rather, first, let all the older, veteran, "already had their chance" guys go.
I would simply sign Scherzer, Stroman, and Ray and call it an offseason.
I also believe figuring out what we have is a better option than signing free agents. I don't want to see anyone blocked and the depth suggests we have the ability to find out who our long term answers are even if we have some injuries or poor production. We are not going to the playoffs in 2022. Find out what we have so 2023 we can trade or sign pieces to help make a real playoff run.
I really think the Royals need to add a solid starting pitcher: I would add Eduardo Rodriguez and Alex Wood to the mix. Rodriguez is probably my top choice--not sure what he would cost with a bad ERA but good underlying numbers.