Dayton Moore Advocates Change! (Part Deux)

by Royals Nation on Oct 8, 2008 5:41 PM EDT

Dick Kaegel's latest royals.com article expands on Dayton Moore and his promise of change for the current offseason. Below are some major points that Moore makes.

The Royals are not prepared to move Soria to the rotation for this season. There are some members from within the organization who advocate for doing so, but Moore holds the final vote, and Soria stays in the bullpen.
The Royals are currently having conversations with other clubs to see which players might be available.
We are seeking to upgrade every position on the field.
Upgrading the middle infield is not the highest priority. "If we had to begin the season tomorrow with Mike Aviles, Callaspo, [Tony] Pena and [Esteban] German as our middle-infield candidates, we are pleased with that," says Moore.
We are preparing lists, doing background work, and beginning the interview process for replacements at hitting coach and third base coach.
We are looking for upgrades offensively - preferably a 3 or 4 hole hitter, but realistically just a generic upgrade offensively, since a 3 or 4 hole acquisition likely won't happen.

It appears as if Soria will remain in the bullpen for the season. The Tony Pena, Jr. comment, specifically, worries me to no avail. We should not begin the season with Ross Gload, Joey Gathright, or Tony Pena on our roster, period.

Is this discussion of 'change' merely a farce, or will Moore actually carry through?

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So what change, exactly, is Moore advocating?

We can’t afford four more years of the same…

Shit, wrong realm of policymaking.

If GMDM does not do something to upgrade our offense over the winter, this offseason will almost automatically have to be considered a failure on his part.

by DarthYoshi on Oct 8, 2008 5:49 PM EDT 0 recs

I Read "Advocates"

As a noun at first, and I was more confused than usual. Headlines often can read more than one way. I think my favorite of all time is “Crude Piggybacks On Refined Rally”.

Keeping TPJ anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line is not change i can approve. I suspect much of this is GM-speak, as I think he knows he is not going to upgrade 3B, more than 2 (and probably 1) OF position, and Meche’s spot in the rotation. If he does deal Greinke,it likely will be because he won’t sign an extension.

I could live with Aviles, Callaspo and German as MI’s, but I would love to see TPJ replaced by anyone from Furcal to someone from down on the farm. German would be expendable, but TPJ is a definite addition by subtraction.

I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.

by philofthenorth on Oct 8, 2008 6:40 PM EDT 0 recs

Yes, the team needs improvement, but to the lineup, not the bench

Is this discussion of ‘change’ merely a farce, or will Moore actually carry through?

That’s an interesting question. Apparently you’re asking if he’ll make real, significant change or only tiny, minor change. Moving Tony Pena, Jr. off of the roster is not major change. I’m sure it would make us all happy, but moving him from a minor bench role to no role at all improves the team by how much over the course of the season? 3-4 runs (.3-.4 wins)?

The key is changes to the starting lineup, not the bench. Dumping (in some manner) Pena, Gathright and Gload might be good ideas, but they aren’t major changes which will help the Royals win a lot more games. Gload needs to not be a starter on this team. But rearranging the chairs in the dugout (bench) isn’t important or meaningful change.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Oct 8, 2008 7:29 PM EDT 0 recs

+1

TPJ and Gload and Gaithright will be fine bench guys—-they just can’t be close to the starting lineup. – TL

by timlacy on Oct 8, 2008 10:05 PM EDT up 0 recs

But if they're on the roster

the fear is that Hillman will think they’re more than bench guys.

Kansas City Royals: your 2006 and 2007 NL Central champions!

by mazoboom on Oct 9, 2008 5:35 AM EDT up 1 recs

Let's look at that possibility

Pena – After the first two months of the season, Hillman clearly showed that he thinks of Pena only as a bench player.
Gathright – After the first two months of the season, Hillman basically used Gathright as the 4th OFer. I’d like to have a 4th OFer upgrade, but again, this is a minor issue.
Gload – He is the only real problem. With the current personnel (including Shealy), he sees Gload as at least a part-time starter. He’s the only real risk. He needs to be a bench player only.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Oct 9, 2008 3:30 PM EDT up 0 recs

I think it might be meaningful to rearrange the defense.

DDJ to left instead of center + 20 runs
Mitch to cf with Dickerson to come in and steal bases -5 runs
Gordan to rf + 20 runs
Teahen to 3b – 10 runs
Shealy or Kila or Butler at 1b over Gload + 20 runs
Aviels over Avlies and TPJ + 20 runs?
catcher – even
Guillen at DH over Bulter/Shealy/Kila +5 runs?
Callaspo at 2b – even

total runs + 70 = 7 games. or about .500 for the year.

Get us to contention? No, but housekeeping can get us halfway there without any upgrades, and that is pretty nice.

Go Royals!

by BabyBlues on Oct 8, 2008 8:28 PM EDT 0 recs

Sounds like I'd better put a rush on my post on positional runvalue differentials

e.g., even if DDJ would be 20 runs better in left field than he is in center (ahem), you do realize that would actually require him to be 30 runs better, since over a full season, offensive contributions from an LF are worth 10 runs less than a CF?
Gordon would also be worth 10 runs less in RF

I doubt Teahen would be much better than Gordon defensively at third.

Some other suggestions there make sense. i worry about Callaspo’s defense, having had a look at some data from this last season.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 8, 2008 10:28 PM EDT up 0 recs

Sorry

That post sounds condescending, perhaps… my bad. Didn’t mean it to come off that way.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 8, 2008 11:08 PM EDT up 0 recs

Ok, let me explain those points.

DDJ vs Guillen is 30 bases in defense, -20 Guillen vs +10 DDJ. I subtracted the -10 for lf
Your right on Gordan and Teahen, I didn’t account for the positions, so it would be Gordan +10, Teahen – 0, which works out to the same thing. Then I was guestimating on Mitch and Dickerson, to have +15 for fielding, but -20 runs for offense then DDJ. Might be a bigger downgrade in offense, not sure on that. Shealy/Butler/Kila or is most likely conservative because you can use the player that is hitting the best out of those three or even platoon for a larger advantage, so +70 seems pretty fair to me, this is with everyone batting/pitching about the same next year as this year. If we are improved in those areas we are even closer to contention without any pickups, so it looks like we could contend with very few aquisions. A center fielder that is as good or better then DDJ with bat/glove combo looks like the easiest upgrade to me, or maybe 2B or 3B? Royals can move people around a lot, so there is a lot of ways that this could change as far as what would be best if the Royals get FA’s or trades. I was just trying to get the best run differential with in house players.

Go Royals!

by BabyBlues on Oct 9, 2008 3:04 AM EDT up 0 recs

Blowing up the roster

by keeping it the same

by Top Ramen on Oct 8, 2008 9:07 PM EDT 0 recs

On a more serious note

Sounds like the call for Soria to the rotation is getting stronger. At some point, I* want to look at all of Soria’s saves to see how many were “weak” ones (i.e. 2 or 3 run lead, pitched to the 7-8-9 hitters, against the Mariners in September, etc)

By I, hopefully by throwing it out there, someone else will look into it

by Top Ramen on Oct 8, 2008 9:10 PM EDT up 0 recs

O dpm

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 8, 2008 10:20 PM EDT up 0 recs

Dammit, sorry

I just have to assume all the “I’m not moving Soria” is GM speak. I get really frustrated when I take seriously all the talk about how he just wants to win and “will do anything to make the team better,” by making vague suggestions about improvements, and then the says he’s the guy in the organization blocking the one, easiest, cheapest way to potentially improve the team by 2-4 wins. That better just be him bluffing or hiding the fact that he doesn’t think Soria’s arm could handle it. And if the latter’s the case, Soria better get traded for a bat quick, since that would be the second easiest way to improve the team.

But now I’m getting worked up.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 8, 2008 10:24 PM EDT up 0 recs

sounds like GM speak until that's what ends up happening

This space intentionally left blank.

by marbotty on Oct 9, 2008 4:56 AM EDT up 0 recs

There are some trade pieces in the organization

I think we will see some big trade movement, but small FA movement. The class is just weak. I would like to see Oliver Perez in Royal blue, but only at the right price. All I know is that I don’t want to see another disaster like the Guillen signing.

Yes, I'm still alive. Sorry to disappoint you.

by royaldaddy on Oct 8, 2008 9:53 PM EDT 0 recs

Odalis!

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 8, 2008 10:28 PM EDT up 0 recs

"This class is weak"

Don’t we say this every year? Teams are becoming smarter, and elite Free Agents are becoming more and more rare. Besides, this is the strongest Free Agent class I have seen in some time.

The Nation at large.

by Royals Nation on Oct 8, 2008 10:42 PM EDT up 0 recs

I don't see significant change

unless they trade some of our best guys. I agree w/NY Royal, letting Pena go would be a good idea but hardly major. My prediction all along was that we would see trades and low-budget FA signings, and that looks like it will come to pass. Will it be enough to get us over .500? Contend? Maybe the first, but probably not the latter unless some of our guys continue their improvement.

I’m willing to wait and pass judgment until we see what he’s done this winter, but it does sort of sound like talk but not a lot of action at this point.

I hereby resign from this post.

by Home Run Tony Cogan on Oct 8, 2008 10:59 PM EDT 0 recs

Very little action takes place until after the World Series.

I think Selig even announced several years back that he didn’t want the playoffs to be distracted by teams doing as much as firing their manager.

by jbrocato on Oct 9, 2008 7:55 AM EDT up 0 recs

Early prediction

We sign Kevin Millar, Juan Rivera, and Josh Fogg, and make one fairly significant trade this winter.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Oct 9, 2008 10:13 AM EDT 0 recs

Potential Poll: What trade would upset us all the most

A) Zack for Prince Fielder
B) Zack for J. J. Hardy
C) Zack & Butler for Prince and Hardy
D) Soria for Prince
E) Billy Butler for Jeff Francoeur
F) Billy Butler for Jeff Francoeur, Eric Cordier, and a PTBNL
G) Billy Butler for a set of complete hardcover set of the Left Behind series, and 25 1995 World Series commenorative DVDs.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 9, 2008 11:05 AM EDT up 0 recs

Yunieski Betancourt or nothing!!!!

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Oct 9, 2008 11:12 AM EDT up 0 recs

There was a 1995 World Series?

Ah yes, who could forget the epic that was Braves-Indians in the most un-politically correct World Series ever.

Sometimes you just gotta roll the potato.

by CentralChamps2009 on Oct 13, 2008 6:37 PM EDT up 0 recs

I think signing a pitcher is likely

…but I doubt it would be Josh Fogg. I think Moore and his people are better at identifying pitching talent than that.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Oct 9, 2008 3:31 PM EDT up 0 recs

Wow, that's grim, Retro

I would rather have Ross Gload than Kevin Millar. Josh Fogg is mediocre at best. Juan Rivera would be a nice upside signing, I suppose.

The Nation at large.

by Royals Nation on Oct 9, 2008 6:19 PM EDT up 0 recs

Middle Infield

I’m glad to see GMDM acknowledge that middle infield is not the biggest need of this ballclub. I think we could do a lot worse than full seasons from Aviles and Callaspo with German as a backup. I’d like to see Callaspo bat leadoff in spring training. Sure he has no speed (we all know DJ’s no burner either), but he works a count well, is one of (if not the) best OBP guy we have, and rarely strikes out. I like the idea of Callaspo 1, DJ 2, and dropping Aviles to 6 or 7… maybe take a little of the pressure off of him in his sophomore campaign. To me the biggest need (or biggest area we could improve) is at Catcher and corner OF. And of course, pitching, pitching, pitching…

"Greinke and the Brain" (R) (C) TM

by SittinByTheFoulPole on Oct 9, 2008 10:57 AM EDT 0 recs

Only problem is who hits third, out of the current group

I’d say Gordon against RHP, except then you have two lefties, him and DDJ sitting next to each other. Guillen’s OPS against RHP was way under .700 this year. Butler looks like he might be a good choice eventually, but he was as bad or worse against RHP than Guillen this past year.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 9, 2008 11:07 AM EDT up 0 recs

3 hole

Yeah, I was penciling Butler in against lefties and Gordon against righties, but I don’t necessarily think either one of them are really #3 hitters yet. Problem is, this team doesn’t currently have a #3 hitter regardless of “handedness.” Again, hopefully Gordon (if his splits even out) or Butler (if he can be more consistent and not ground into too many DPs) will become that guy, and sooner than later, please!

"Greinke and the Brain" (R) (C) TM

by SittinByTheFoulPole on Oct 9, 2008 3:38 PM EDT up 0 recs