Since we know, for the most part, who will be pitching for the Royals next year, we're starting to talk more about how much better or worse the pitching will be in 2008.  So I thought I'd put some individual projections down to see how that works out for overall team numbers.  First, last year's pitching staff:

Pitcher IP ERA

Meche 216 3.67
Bannister 165 3.87
Perez 137.3 5.57
De La Rosa 130 5.82
Greinke 122 3.69
Peralta 87.7 3.80
Riske 69.7 2.45
Soria 69 2.48
Gobble 53.7 3.02
Davies 50 6.66
Duckworth 46.7 4.63
Nunez 43.7 3.92
Bale 40 4.05
Braun 39.3 6.64
Elarton 37. 10.46
Buckner 34 5.29
Musser 27.7 4.38
Dotel 23 3.91
Wellemeyer 15.7 10.34
Hochevar 12.7 2.13
Thomson 10.7 3.38
Standridge 7.7 8.22
Hudson 2 18.00
TOTAL 1437.7 4.48

And these would be my predictions for 2008:

Meche 200 4.00
Greinke 200 4.00
Bannister 190 4.25
Tomko 150 4.90 (mostly starting, some relief)
Bale 120 4.60 (mix of starting and relief work)
Soria 90 3.25 (mostly relief with some spot starts late in the season)
De La Rosa 75 5.5
Peralta 70 4.00
Yabuta 70 3.75
Mahay 60 3.75
Gobble 55 3.50
Davies 50 5.80
Nunez 35 4.25
Hochevar 30 4.50
POOL 50 6.00 (other pitchers who will throw some innings which could include Braun, Musser, Hudson, Tsao and Ducky)
TOTAL 1445 4.31

While no one will agree with every one of those predictions, I think they are both fair and a bit conservative.  But, I'm sure some would see too much optimism in some of those predictions so, let's see how a somewhat more pessimistic set of predictions works out:

Meche 200 4.40
Greinke 200 4.00
Bannister 190 4.50
Tomko 150 5.20
Bale 120 4.75
Soria 90 3.50
De La Rosa 75 5.90
Peralta 70 4.00
Yabuta 70 4.00
Mahay 60 3.75
Gobble 55 3.50
Davies 50 6.10
Nunez 35 4.25
Hochevar 30 5.00
POOL 50 6.25
TOTAL 1445 4.52

These predictions allow for some injury and take into account that no team is going to use only 12 pitchers in a season.  But it doesn't allow for major injuries with would but a key pitcher on the DL for an extended period of time.  But, barring that, I see this as likely an improved pitching staff in 2008, with the downside being a staff which allows essentially the same runs as 2007.