What moves make sense?

by eboston on May 6, 2008 4:14 PM EDT

Will there be any major moves between now and the trade deadline?

Who will we get? What do we give up?

I know this stuff has been talked about, but something has to happen right? We are hanging in there in a Central that is struggling. You have to think if there was ever a time to try to make a blockbuster that this would be it. We have prospects and some position chips that we can use.

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A few suggestions within the realm of reality

^For that reason, signing Barry Bonds has been omitted. But unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that many options are now available. A couple ideas….

- Trade Carlos Rosa and another Top 15 or so prospect (Robinson? Dickerson?) for Chin-Lung Hu. Ship Toilet Paper, Jr. to the bench.

- Call up Ryan Shealy and send Ross Gload to the bench. I know, I know…

The Nation at large.

by Royals Nation on May 6, 2008 5:05 PM EDT reply actions

Glad to see another person in the pro-Hu trade camp

I’d like to see Shealy’s OBP start climbing before we call him up. Eight bombers in a month is nice, but a .277 OBP isn’t.

by DarthYoshi on May 6, 2008 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions

And on another note....

...I really doubt Moore makes any major moves at the trade deadline. I am willing to bet that Grudz, Mahay, Gobble, Peralta, Gload, German, Olivo, et al will all be in Royals uniforms come the final two months of the season. In fact, I think Moore is positioning the Royals to begin adding pieces rather than subtracting, as the stadium renovations take place. The Padres tried a similar philosophy during their miserable 2003 before moving into PETCO Park the following year. Unfortunately, I don’t think this philosophy is smart for a team that will likely remain small-market for the forseeable future, as the Royals probably will thanks to cheap ownership.

The Nation at large.

by Royals Nation on May 6, 2008 5:09 PM EDT reply actions

If we make a move, it will be for the future, not for 2008

Despite the struggles of Cleveland and Detroit, one or both is going to pull away from the rest of the division. It’s going to take at least 90 wins to take this division. The Royals aren’t going to win that many games, even if we trade our best prospects for a win-now strategy. We’ll make some trades before the deadline, but it will be for prospects and young players who aren’t going to help us a great deal this season. Moore has his eye on the ball. This is maybe a contending team in 2009 and likely in 2010. That is what a smart GM would be, and is, building for.

I think Moore going to move some surplus players like Grudz and/or German and maybe a LHP.

I probably disagree with you.

by Scott McKinney on May 6, 2008 5:14 PM EDT reply actions

I agree

any moves trying to win this year really wouldn’t make sense to me. It would be great and I’m all for winning, but it’s just not that realistic. We are only in it because our division is struggling and I don’t see how that keeps up.

Earlier today on 810, Buster Olney commented that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Royals dealt Mahay near the deadline. He said that he is the type of player a team like the Royals signs in January so they can deal him in June or July. Interesting.

by I need more Esteban on May 6, 2008 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Trading Mahay would be a dumb, dumb move

1. Mahay is signed for two years, meaning that we have the services of an extremely reliable reliever for 2009, when many of us expect the Royals to start contending again. This becomes especially important if/when we move Soria to the rotation.

2. Not only is Mahay signed through 2009, he is signed for a relatively cheap price. The asking prices of reliable relievers skyrocketed last off-season and will likely do so again. If we trade Mahay, we’ll probably end up having to pay his replacement more money for the same performance.

3. I can see why the Mahay signing would be reminiscent of the Dotel signing, but it isn’t. If anything, Mahay was signed to replace Riske, not Dotel, and the way the bullpen roles have shaped up this year seems to support that hypothesis.

4. Unless you’re a closer or have closer-like stuff, relievers tend not to be the best trading chips. We could (and should) get more for trading players like Grudz and Olivo than Mahay. If we’re gonna trade a reliever, trade Gobble and call up Musser to replace him.

That being said, I agree with you otherwise—this is not the time to go into “win now” mode. Next year, maybe. But not this year.

by DarthYoshi on May 6, 2008 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions

I tend to agree with you about Mahay

I was just quoting what Buster Olney said. The only thing I would argue about your points is that trading Gobble would be pointless. I really don’t think we could get anything worth a damn for a LOOGY like him.

by I need more Esteban on May 6, 2008 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions

I realize

that we would only get crap or more crap in exchange for Gobble—he would likely be packaged in as a throw-in for a Grudz/DDJ/Teahen trade. Basic point, though, is that if we’re going to trade one of our relievers, let’s at least trade an easily replaceable one.

by DarthYoshi on May 6, 2008 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions