and wondering he can’t compete right now

Gordon may have been a mistake, but I think Butler and Hochevar are more debateable

all three are gonna be arb-elgible soon enough anyway, and probably pretty well paid in arb

Should they have been left in the minors another month or two so that we get a full 6 years out of them? Probably. But one can make a good argument that when you have top prospects like that, you should move them to the majors when you think it is best for their development, without regard to their service time clock. None were rushed. Their rookie season performance does not support the contention that they were rushed.

1) I may be dead wrong on this, but part of the problem is that AAA has become a strange animal these days. I think many teams routinely field better AA teams than they have in AAA, which creates a strange situation. Again, maybe I’m wrong, but as for development, I’m not sure Gordon would have gotten much more instruction at AAA than otherwise.

2) I go back and forth on this topic. The rational side of me completely agrees with you: Butler should be debuting next year, and Gordon in another month.

3) Then again, the current system is shaped like a dumbbell, with top prospects getting huge signing bonuses, then basically no salary, then another RA payday. From a pure rational, business perspective, if you’ve already invested that bonus in Gordon, you probably want to see it effecting the bottom line and the ML product sooner, rather than later.

4) Finally, there may be an obligation, be it moral, professional, whatever, to field the best team possible. Hindsight is 20/20, but after Gordon’s 2006 minor league season, I don’t think much of an argument could be made that he wasn’t ready. (Remember, he’s also a college draftee.) Going by what you are suggesting, having him spend another 1.5 seasons in the minors just seems extreme. I think an extreme gaming of the system like that sends a really bad professional message throughout the entire organization and the industry. Now, Hochevar is another story, I fully agree. I honestly see no point in him being on the team right now.

I believe it was Sheehan at BP who suggest that what is really needed is a restructuring of compensation. The FA protection and salary control that the owners want is what is driving the push for ever higher signing bonuses, which is fucking up the draft and rewarding the big market teams even more…

that is not a long time to wait to save a full year. Gordon is debatable, but he wasn’t going to stay in the minors long anyway. He was drafted to be the next George Brett so his ticket to the majors was punched the day he arrived for all practical purposes. Butler and his transition to 1B can’t be put wholly on GMDM. The previous management had three years and they didn’t see what was painfully obvious to everyone else, Butler can’t play defense especially in the outfield. So your point is that because the previous management did not recognize that fact GMDM is short-sighted for not inserting a MLB ready bat into the line-up because he wasn’t ready at a position he will most likely never succeed at. I can’t buy that.

Remember that currently GMDM is on a plan to stockpile the product that has the greatest value in the current baseball market (pitching) in order to help the team long term I suppose that that is shortsighted as well.

Gordon, Butler, and Hochy… all were pushed into action because we didn’t have a choice. Granted Butts should have had more time at 1B in AAA. We traded for Shealy and thought he would be our 1B for a couple of years. That didn’t work out. Hochy is up in the bigs because of an injury. If Bales would not have gotten hurt…he would still be at AAA. On Gordon…my choice was to leave him at AAA last year or at least to send him back down after his April showing. But, again we really didn’t have a choice. The Royals sucked in 2006 with Teahen being one of the bright spots. Moore had to rush Gordon, because he didn’t have any other viable options.

Moore in my opinion has done an above average job in turning this team around. Hey, we could still have the Baird and Bell show. Enough said….

Both will have enough time in the minors to develope. Rosa will spend the rest of the season in AAA. He looked great in spring training but the Royals are going to give Tomko a very long look this season. I think Rosa will get a Sept. call up. Mouse will spend the entire season at Burlington. I see him maybe splitting time next season between Wilmington and Arkansas. He won’t be rushed …one, because he doesn’t have a solid position yet and two, because of his age. I give Moore’s handling of the bonus babies a 76%.

...a joke. Dayton’s done the absolute best job with what he’s had available. Moreover, I don’t think that he’s doing anything different than is done in other organizations. The Cubs, for instance, have moved players from AA to the majors. The have made mistakes, but there’s been a lot of pressure in Chicago for the Cubs to prove that they have a viable, useful minor league system—-as much as KC or more. Top Cubs pitching prospects, for instance, do not spend a lot of time in AAA. But even when they do, such as Rich Hill, they don’t immediately produce in the Majors. Every player, no matter his talent or minor league experience, takes a one to one-and-one-half seasons to acclimate. This period is non-adjustable, and applies to Butler, Gordon, Buck, Gaithright, Pena, Hochevar, Soria, Callaspo, etc.

To make matters worse for your argument, the exact players you’re citing have actually performed faster than expected. Touche! – TL

I believe that you have to do what is in the best interest of the club at the time. In which case you could say that Gordon and Butler were brought up in a time where the people of KC needed to see some kind of sign of hope. IMO they have matured very well and will keep doing so as they keep playing. Also, don’t you think that a club that is trying to be more respected by FA’s and such shouldn’t treat their young players baddly? Not saying that holding them back just to keep them from FA is horrible but you have to put yourself in the players position. They only have a small window of time to get their big money and if they are performing well enough to be promoted to the majors, how would you feel if you were kept down just to take one more year away? There is something to be said about treating players well and trying to use that to your advantage when their FA period comes around. I don’t have any stats for this theory of mine but I believe that if you just put yourself in Gordon or Butlers shoes, you might see how it could possibly help in locking these guys up.

really bugs me while I may not be as fully in touch as the rest of Royals Nation I believe Dayton has done an outstanding job. Look at the prospects that we have aquired since he has been with the Royals. Quality pitching prospects like Cortes, Hochever, Davies, Rosa, Duffy, Soria. He is really taking a Schuerholtz approach which I like with our limited budget. If he can build around Gordon, Butler, Bannister, Hochever, Soria I think we could have a midpack to upper echelon team in the near future. When you have the budget KC does that all you can hope for.

I think he is doing the best he can given his situation and the real key to the future now is the Glass family. Will they spend the money it is gonna take to keep Greinke? Sign another Top 3 draft pick? And pick up a better long term o