Grienke might be good for 1-2 innings in each start, I don’t know why the are even starting him except for sentimental reasons, waste of money for 2 years. What are your thoughts on the CF and the C position. Porter and Copley both look better defensively than Fermin. Witt needs to drop another spot in the line up with some power behind him. Be nice to see someone like Vazquez in CF with some power. Hopefully Vinnie can fill the power the need behind Witt in the line up. It’s really hard to see what’s up for the pitching staff with so many on the DL. Their are alot of good that are good players who will be free agents
Greinke was pretty good last season, so I think it’s wholly inaccurate to say he was a waste of money last season. And given their issues, I think it’s pretty easy to see why they’d bring him back this year. It hasn’t been good, but let’s not pretend like they made a massive mistake based on what he did in 2022.
You also keep knocking Fermin’s defense, but both the metrics and every single scout I’ve talked to disagrees with that. He’s been good, both by eye test and the numbers. You’re obviously welcome to your opinion, but I’d say you’re on an island with that one.
I assume you’re talking about Velazquez. It’d be great to have someone with his power in center, but also the number of players with his power who can also play center can probably be counted on one hand, so I’d say that’s wishful hoping.
Six weeks ago I could not wait for this season to be over, but now I don't want to see it end. Thank you sir for helping us all get through this long season. I always look forward to reading what what you write. Perhaps the biggest disappointment this year is Pratto, I have never seen anyone take so many strike three calls. He looks totally lost at the plate, but boy does his defense play.
Pratto looks like he has no chance in just about every at bat. The plus side is that he has always had a plan at the plate so maybe clearing his head will get him back to that. I just don’t know how you can count on that though. Defensively, I’ve actually been pretty disappointed with him. I think receiving throws is way more important than metrics give credit to and he’s excellent at that, but I’ve been really unimpressed with his range and his throwing. Neither are as important as actually taking throws so maybe I’m making too much of it, but I was expecting a lot more from him.
I may have commented on it last week, but very happy to hear that the evaluation year is over. It’s time to be a real professional baseball team again (that’s a little unfair, but the focus has to be on winning now). You gave the young guys they year, I’d argue it worked out simply because Bobby took the next step. But now, if it’s not working with MJ, or Pratto, or Massey, any of the rest of the team really. It’s time to give them a little rope to start the year but you don’t get long. Just be average, but if you are below replacement, got to find someone else that this point.
I’m a little facinated with what they think they can do with the pitching and what reality comes back with. I truely think they are looking to improve the pitching. But if the best you could get last year was Lyles on a two year deal, its just as tough of a sell this offseason for any free agent worth a darn. I’ve been waiting for the creative part from the FO, haven’t really seen it yet. I think it has to come this offseason to get that pitching. Maybe they can just straight up sign a good player and I’m wrong. And they had a good trade deadline but it wasn’t really creative….but they did find a pitcher. So maybe a pretty simple trade gets them something useful on the pitching front who knows. But I do kinda think either they trade someone they don’t really want too…IDK if Salvy is in that group anymore….or the pickings will be lower than they hoped. Only time will tell.
I may be way off here, but while I don’t think they expected Lyles to be this bad, I really think they signed him solely because they wanted SOMEONE to throw the innings. It’s easy to say to let the young guys do it, but they didn’t have enough for four starters a lot of the year, let alone five. My hope is that the idea is that it’s just money and if an extra year made it happen but they don’t care if they move on from the contract, oh well. I hated that second year but if they’re willing to cut bait, it matters a lot less.
I would argue that the deadline wasn’t creative. They were able to swap Jose Cuas for a guy with clearly insane power. That alone takes some creativity, I think. And I know they weren’t completed but they were talking about deals that NEVER would have happened under the previous guy. I feel a lot more confident about JJ than I did a year ago when I was intrigued by how he’d be different. But I also think he’s GMing for his job this winter so that’ll be a very interesting storyline to watch.
I mean creative in that everyone they moved was not maybe expected….but they didn’t move anyone no expected either. The fact that they were talking on Singer and Perez was creative. But I don’t really give point for “talking”. That’s what good GM’s are supposed to do. I know you said the return wasn’t anything for Singer and I’m not saying it’s the FO’s fault they didn’t get anything done. It was a great trade deadline for them with Velasquez and Ragans. It just wasn’t creative in my book. And that’s ok if you can find pitching that way. I’m just kinda waiting…thinking…that MJ trade or some trade where it hurts a little bit but you’ve made a decision. If you’re not trading Bobby, it’s really a MJ, or a Perez (what’s the value?), or a Vinny, or a Garcia. I mean, not a ton of options…but I do kinda think something has to happen on that front. Unless they just pony up the cash and overpay someone.
If you don’t find the pitching…next year becomes kinda what I thought this year was going to be. 70 wins or so. You made the comment on JJ GMing for his job. Makes me think something out of the ordinary will happen. If nothing happens so be it…I think my point is more if nothing creative happens on the trade front….I have a hard time thinking the Royals are going to buy pitching. He’s in a tough spot. But maybe he does have a quite a bit of cash to spend this summer. Maybe he can lure a Nola away. That would be something.
I think they’re going to continue the talks they started in July and my guess is something happens that you’ll be expecting but only because we’ve talked about it for months.
I’m getting caught in defining creative here. Lol. Lets put it this way. If they move anyone on a contract that isn’t done next year. I’ll consider that creative. Never thought they’d move Perez in July. I’d count that even if it is this offseason. Lol. I mean, I want JJ to trade to find these pieces. He’s shown the ability to do that. Last year….he got Waters but everything else has been meh…which is fine. And I’m still not sold on Waters. But he can be average I think. This year he’s shown the ability to find guys. So do more of that.
Maybe a premature comparison, but I wouldn't be shocked if Velasquez turned in an Adam Dunn type season next year (but a little more contact). It's a very short list of guys who can go oppo and bounce one off the second deck like he did yesterday.
That was an impressive blast. Him making Kauffman Stadium look small is impressive. And he’s basically doing exactly what he did with the Cubs before the trade. It was only 32 PA, but at least he was doing it before too. I could see a Dunn-ish season or two from him.
Grienke might be good for 1-2 innings in each start, I don’t know why the are even starting him except for sentimental reasons, waste of money for 2 years. What are your thoughts on the CF and the C position. Porter and Copley both look better defensively than Fermin. Witt needs to drop another spot in the line up with some power behind him. Be nice to see someone like Vazquez in CF with some power. Hopefully Vinnie can fill the power the need behind Witt in the line up. It’s really hard to see what’s up for the pitching staff with so many on the DL. Their are alot of good that are good players who will be free agents
Greinke was pretty good last season, so I think it’s wholly inaccurate to say he was a waste of money last season. And given their issues, I think it’s pretty easy to see why they’d bring him back this year. It hasn’t been good, but let’s not pretend like they made a massive mistake based on what he did in 2022.
You also keep knocking Fermin’s defense, but both the metrics and every single scout I’ve talked to disagrees with that. He’s been good, both by eye test and the numbers. You’re obviously welcome to your opinion, but I’d say you’re on an island with that one.
I assume you’re talking about Velazquez. It’d be great to have someone with his power in center, but also the number of players with his power who can also play center can probably be counted on one hand, so I’d say that’s wishful hoping.
Six weeks ago I could not wait for this season to be over, but now I don't want to see it end. Thank you sir for helping us all get through this long season. I always look forward to reading what what you write. Perhaps the biggest disappointment this year is Pratto, I have never seen anyone take so many strike three calls. He looks totally lost at the plate, but boy does his defense play.
Thanks so much for reading and sticking around!
Pratto looks like he has no chance in just about every at bat. The plus side is that he has always had a plan at the plate so maybe clearing his head will get him back to that. I just don’t know how you can count on that though. Defensively, I’ve actually been pretty disappointed with him. I think receiving throws is way more important than metrics give credit to and he’s excellent at that, but I’ve been really unimpressed with his range and his throwing. Neither are as important as actually taking throws so maybe I’m making too much of it, but I was expecting a lot more from him.
I may have commented on it last week, but very happy to hear that the evaluation year is over. It’s time to be a real professional baseball team again (that’s a little unfair, but the focus has to be on winning now). You gave the young guys they year, I’d argue it worked out simply because Bobby took the next step. But now, if it’s not working with MJ, or Pratto, or Massey, any of the rest of the team really. It’s time to give them a little rope to start the year but you don’t get long. Just be average, but if you are below replacement, got to find someone else that this point.
I’m a little facinated with what they think they can do with the pitching and what reality comes back with. I truely think they are looking to improve the pitching. But if the best you could get last year was Lyles on a two year deal, its just as tough of a sell this offseason for any free agent worth a darn. I’ve been waiting for the creative part from the FO, haven’t really seen it yet. I think it has to come this offseason to get that pitching. Maybe they can just straight up sign a good player and I’m wrong. And they had a good trade deadline but it wasn’t really creative….but they did find a pitcher. So maybe a pretty simple trade gets them something useful on the pitching front who knows. But I do kinda think either they trade someone they don’t really want too…IDK if Salvy is in that group anymore….or the pickings will be lower than they hoped. Only time will tell.
I may be way off here, but while I don’t think they expected Lyles to be this bad, I really think they signed him solely because they wanted SOMEONE to throw the innings. It’s easy to say to let the young guys do it, but they didn’t have enough for four starters a lot of the year, let alone five. My hope is that the idea is that it’s just money and if an extra year made it happen but they don’t care if they move on from the contract, oh well. I hated that second year but if they’re willing to cut bait, it matters a lot less.
I would argue that the deadline wasn’t creative. They were able to swap Jose Cuas for a guy with clearly insane power. That alone takes some creativity, I think. And I know they weren’t completed but they were talking about deals that NEVER would have happened under the previous guy. I feel a lot more confident about JJ than I did a year ago when I was intrigued by how he’d be different. But I also think he’s GMing for his job this winter so that’ll be a very interesting storyline to watch.
I mean creative in that everyone they moved was not maybe expected….but they didn’t move anyone no expected either. The fact that they were talking on Singer and Perez was creative. But I don’t really give point for “talking”. That’s what good GM’s are supposed to do. I know you said the return wasn’t anything for Singer and I’m not saying it’s the FO’s fault they didn’t get anything done. It was a great trade deadline for them with Velasquez and Ragans. It just wasn’t creative in my book. And that’s ok if you can find pitching that way. I’m just kinda waiting…thinking…that MJ trade or some trade where it hurts a little bit but you’ve made a decision. If you’re not trading Bobby, it’s really a MJ, or a Perez (what’s the value?), or a Vinny, or a Garcia. I mean, not a ton of options…but I do kinda think something has to happen on that front. Unless they just pony up the cash and overpay someone.
If you don’t find the pitching…next year becomes kinda what I thought this year was going to be. 70 wins or so. You made the comment on JJ GMing for his job. Makes me think something out of the ordinary will happen. If nothing happens so be it…I think my point is more if nothing creative happens on the trade front….I have a hard time thinking the Royals are going to buy pitching. He’s in a tough spot. But maybe he does have a quite a bit of cash to spend this summer. Maybe he can lure a Nola away. That would be something.
Really all I’m asking for is for the Royals to go full on Texas Rangers mode. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
I think they’re going to continue the talks they started in July and my guess is something happens that you’ll be expecting but only because we’ve talked about it for months.
I’m getting caught in defining creative here. Lol. Lets put it this way. If they move anyone on a contract that isn’t done next year. I’ll consider that creative. Never thought they’d move Perez in July. I’d count that even if it is this offseason. Lol. I mean, I want JJ to trade to find these pieces. He’s shown the ability to do that. Last year….he got Waters but everything else has been meh…which is fine. And I’m still not sold on Waters. But he can be average I think. This year he’s shown the ability to find guys. So do more of that.
Maybe a premature comparison, but I wouldn't be shocked if Velasquez turned in an Adam Dunn type season next year (but a little more contact). It's a very short list of guys who can go oppo and bounce one off the second deck like he did yesterday.
That was an impressive blast. Him making Kauffman Stadium look small is impressive. And he’s basically doing exactly what he did with the Cubs before the trade. It was only 32 PA, but at least he was doing it before too. I could see a Dunn-ish season or two from him.