I’m just bummed that this means we probably can’t also get Eckstein.

Really?

is fascinating

I’m sure it won’t quite reach Farny or Jacobs levels but it might be a nice bit of sunshine to my day.

booooo

given that you won the Kila context, and the bowl contest,

maybe you should just stop predicting horrible things, even as a joke, since they all end up coming true

bastard

Just you wait. DM likes to surprise!

Suddenly, I begin to wonder what it might be like to follow the Rangers.

first:
I really like this signing…

we don’t have a really good utility MI option in the minors
Bloomquist seems to have the right skills for a utility guy, speed, serviceable defense
3/2 isn’t gonna break the bank. sure, its more than league minimum, but who is a comparably skilled player available for league minimum?

Second:

Bloomquist vs. German

same age/yearly salary (Willie has an extra year tho)
Bloomquist plays better (but not good) defense at more positions (including SS)
German has had a better bat, but has declined VERY quickly the last few years

Third:

Bloomquist could replace 2 roster spots in theory, German and TPJ

so would Bloomquist + player x be better than German and TPJ?

If Bloomquist is the backup for the middle infield with German, and TPJ is off this team in AAA perfecting his pitching. Seriously TPJ is NOT a plus defender at SS. He booted more balls last year in limited time than Aviles did all year. Well not quite, TPJ had 9 errors in 61 games started (94 total played in, 592 innings at SS) for a .966 Fielding Pct at SS, while Aviles had 10 errors (a few throwing errors I remember, as they led directly to runs scoring, 748 innings at SS) and he started 89 of the 91 he played at SS. Aviles did not make an error at 2nd or 3rd in limited time, and had a total fielding pct at SS of .974. Don’t believe in FPct? Well I don’t totally either, but Aviles only had 1 extra error in a little more than 150 extra innings. Aviles averaged an error every 8.3 games, Pena was 1 per 7.3 games. I know errors are subjective, but Aviles got to balls last year that Pena wouldn’t have touched. Neither are polished defenders, but I prefer Aviles to the no hit/erratic field Pena Jr. G-G-G-G-G-GOODBYE TPJ!

there is nothing left for Pena to do on this team unless he moves to the bullpen! OH HAPPY DAY! A legitmate big league back up! I’m so happy with this deal, that Dayton Moore will probably make sure that Bloomquist plays in place of Aviles 75% of the time and block him in a Gload-like fashion.

2009 Projections:

Bill James: .261/.329/.319
Marcel: .265/.340/.344
CHONE: .265/.337/.345
ZIPS: .268/.342/.316

Catcher – Olivo
1b- Jacobs
2b- Callaspo
SS-Aviles
3b- Gordon
LF- DDJ
CF- Crisp
RF- Guillen
DH-Butler
Bench
Teahen
Buck
Bloomquist
German?
Shealy?
Gload?

Why do we have three second baseman again? Wasn’t that the problem with Grudz? I know Bloomquist plays SS too but doesn’t the roster flexibility really suck at this point.

His line from last year seems like it must be a typo….but having actually watched the games I know better.
Still, .279/.377/.285? This includes 193 PA’s w/o an XBH which as I recall, was very close to being an all-time record. He did end up with 1(!) double.

Last year he seemed to forsake trying to hit the ball with any authority for an increase in average and OBP. I actually think this is the best approach for him to take. He can hit singles, draw some walks and steal a few bases (Moneybags! as Mr. Rizzs calls them), more so vs. LHP. As much as we’ve razzed him over the years, it was always with love (unlike say, HoRam). If properly used, he’s not really that bad of a guy to have around. I wish him well.

has got to go, at least as the head guy for this organization.

anyone got the numbers?

i love this signing actually. gets rid of TPJ and maybe German. OKish bat in terms of OBP and can play all over the diamond competently.

If a situation ever arises in which Willie Bloomquist is the best player the Royals can have on the field in any position then this team absolutely horrible. Bloomquist has been one of the rock bottom worst MLB players for five consecutive years! And have you noticed most of his playing time comes in CF, not at SS?

Dayton Moore signing him to a 2 YEAR CONTRACT is crazy stupid. And I am absolutely positive I will never regret putting that down in writing.

Has anyone else noticed that Adam Dunn might be available at a buyer’s price? I don’t think GMDM has been following this story. If I read sometime in the next couple of weeks that Dunn signs a 2/20 contract somewhere I’ll just feel like a warm squishy bag of crap. And no, seeing Bloomquist and Farnsworth on the roster will be no consolation.

Agent : My client wants 2 years 3 million
GMDM: I don’t know let me pray about it
Agent: He’s white and attends church regularly
GMDM : Well theres no reason to pray about it then. Agreed shakes hand and thanks him.
Agent : You’re a tough customer GMDM have I talked to you about this sweat vacation timeshare I have in Boise yet?

“Wee Willie”, “Ballgame”. , “The Ignitor”, “Effin”, “WFB”, “WMFB”, “W2008FB”, “The Spork”, “Princess Willie”, and “Willie Boom-Boom”.

The Spork quite possibly is the greatest nickname of all time.

You could do worse.

Although, you could do also do the same for the league minimum which is what I don’t understand.

If he gets the starting job over Callaspo I’ll pull out my eyebrows.

I’m actually content with this move.

Advantages:
- Bloomquist can play a multitude of different positions – some better than others. Basically, he can ably play every position except catcher and pitcher – a pretty valuable asset from the bench
- The Bill James and Marcel projections don’t reveal terrible #s for an essential middle infield backup for 2009
- We have enough worthwhile candidates for starter spots that Bloomquist can be safely stowed on the bench

Disadvantages:

- It’s a two-year contract. I have to think that a one-year deal, or at least a 1 year deal with an option could have been available. Willie Bloomquist is not more valuable in 2008-9 than Miguel Olivo was in 2007-8.
- The formidable possibility remains that Bloomquist unseats Alberto Callaspo (and, to a much lesser degree, Mike Aviles) for the starting role sometime sooner in 2009. That would be a mistake. He doesn’t possess nearly the upside Callaspo does, defense included. (Callaspo is a .300/.360/.380 hitter, at best, which is very good for a 2B.

I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, but only narrowly. A one-year deal for Bloomquist certainly would have been a better move than 1-year for Eckstein or Counsell, but a 2-year? Hmmmm…..management needs to handle Bloomquist correctly.

Sure the money wasn’t huge, but why? If it were a one-year deal that would be one thing. But he really wanted to lock Bloomquist up for two guaranteed years? Another D- move to add to Moore’s grade card.

1991: 94-68 (.605, NL Title)
1992: 98-64 (.605, NL Title)
1993: 104-58 (.642, DIV Title)
1994: 68-46 (.596, strike-shortened)
1995: 90-54 (.625, WS Title)
1996: 96-66, .593, NL Title)
1997: 101-61 (.623, DIV Title)
1998: 106-56 (.654, DIV Title)
1999: 103-59 (.636, NL Title)
2000: 95-67 (.586, DIV Title)
2001: 88-74 (.543, DIV Title)
2002: 101-59 (.631, DIV Title)
2003: 101-61 (.623, DIV Title)
2004: 96-66 (.593, DIV Title)
2005: 90-72 (.556, DIV Title)

That’s simply uncanny. Moore wasn’t an insignificant part of that, folks.

Really, there are only two questions: do we bat him leadoff or second and how many promotional ads do we feature him in?

How about we leave him on the bench so he can fulfill his .265/.330/.350 projections with a minimal cost, good defense, and capability of playing seven different positions?

I’m just bummed that this means we probably can’t also get Eckstein or Keith Lockhart.

I’m glad we didn’t sign David Eckstein. He would have made a poor signing, considering his offensive game is similar to that of Bloomquist except with weaker defense. Keith Lockhart doesn’t look like a terribly unviable option, though.

And hey, if we can build a really old, expensive team that peaks with a fluky 87 wins (or whatever it was) and then implodes, that means the master plan will have worked.

I see no reason to believe this happens. Any of this. What plan?! And no it wouldn’t have.

I don’t get the second year. I can understand that a) he’s just a utility guy (maybe) and that b) he’s not bad defensively actually and that c) the money’s not large. None of that really explains the second year or justifies it. Every roster spot has value and I’m not convinced that Bloomquist is the best use of a roster spot for the next two seasons. As with the Ho-Ram, Gload and Farnsworth signings, the Bloomquist deal looks like one in which Moore sweetened the terms in order to leave no chance that someone else might out-bid him. It just looks pointless from here.

I agree with you here. The second year puzzles me. This would have made a great signing if: a) he isn’t granted more than 200 PA’s per year, and b) he would have only been signed for 1 year.

Bloomquist has NO POWER. None. Joey Gathright laughs at him. The last two seasons, in 373 PAs, Bloomquist managed just six extra base hits. You know those random times TPJ would hit the ball really hard and bang one off the wall? (TPJ has forty extra base hits the last two years.) Well Bloomquist never does that. Ever.

Not worried about the lack of XBH power, as long as he sits in a strictly limited role. He’s a bench option at best, and only a utilityman in that he’s strictly a once-a-week player at any position.

First question, is Bloomquist better than German? Debatable. Is Bloomquist better to have around than TPJ? Possibly, but considering neither guy actually hits at all and should never have any high leverage at bats, I’d rather have the guy who is an unquestioned plus defender at SS. Third question, is Bloomquist better than Callaspo? Unlikely. Is he going to be better in 2010 than Giavotella?

Between Bloomquist and German, the defense isn’t comparable. At all. German is atrocious everywhere except second base, where he is slightly lower than mediocre. German is not a “super sub”, no matter how much the organization wanted to implement him as such. Pena is gone because of Bloomquist, assuming all other MIF options are healthy. And even then….he is probably gone. Bloomquist is certainly no better than Callaspo, while German is probably a tick better offensively. Callaspo deserves the starting role, no doubt about it, and I’m worried by the organization’s recent comments regarding who will start at second base.

I’d bet a kidney that Hillman falls hard for Bloomquist. Actually, a kidney and half a pancreas. He will see major playing time, so don’t pretend otherwise.

I would be willing to wager otherwise. Pretty big stretch to say he’s an essential starter (I assume that’s what you mean), even with a semi-traditionalist manager like Hillman. I am worried that he’ll be used for 250 or so PA’s, but I wouldn’t bet on “major playing time.”

Your faith in Hillman to do the smart thing and not play the gritty, scrappy player too much is completely inconsistent with his track record.

First question, is Bloomquist better than German?

No. Bloomy is better defensively at SS than Germie, but that’s about it. They are both genuinely poor defensive OFers. German is the better hitter.

Is Bloomquist better to have around than TPJ?

If you had to have one of them as a starter, Bloomquist would be better. But if we’re talking about a limited use role as primarily a defensive replacement, then TPJ is better. TPJ is a good bet to be better defensively at every IF position than Bloomy in 2009. And if Aviles went down with an injury, the team would be better with Callaspo at SS and German at 2B than Bloomy at SS and Callaspo at 2B.

Third question, is Bloomquist better than Callaspo?

No.

Is he going to be better in 2010 than Giavotella?

Gia likely won’t be ready in 2010 and shouldn’t be rushed. And in 2010 there will be more all-defense, no-hit middle IFers on the major league and minor league FA market who can be had for pennies. Bloomy, on the other hand will be another year older (32) and likely another year worse.

This probably means we won’t be spending 3/24 plus a draft pick on Orlando Cabrera.

You can maybe talk me into accepting that Bloomquist is a decent signing for what he is and what he will play (not much). You can maybe even persuade me that he is worth $1.5m. Both are unlikely, but you have a chance.

You will never, ever persuade me that making this 2 years guarenteed is anything other than ridiculous. It genuinley scares me that our General Manager thinks doing that is a GOOD THING. Crazy.

if the Royals really wanted a good defensive SS as a backup, Adam Everett signed for 1/1, hits only slightly worse than Bloomquist (scary, I know), and even hurt last year, was a +10/150 SS.

can’t believe comments are still rolling in

Olivo, Teahen, Shealy and Bloomquist with 12 pitcher

Hope German and Pena are gone also

So now we’re stuck with Bloomquist as our starting 2B if Callapso decides to get crunk and drive drunk again. Couple that with the fact that we have no depth at 2B in the minors, and you’ve got a spicy meatball if anything happens to CallAApso.

Dayton Moore came from Atlanta with a strong record of player development. He’s going to have be a Hall of Fame caliber GM at cultivating talent from within his own organization to overcome what can only be described as a devastatingly poor ability to evaluate major league players.

Perfect title, too.

I am so less excited for the 2009 season than I was a couple months ago. What was supposed to be a cathartic experience has just gotten worse and worse.

I just dont get it.

I was so happy when Bavasi left Seattle, then Willie B. I thought I’d never have to endure it again. I watch Royals games, then flip on the Mariners every night for the last 4 or 5 frames of their game.

Bloomquist sucks, and I almost vomited, then I really did kind of laughingly cry while my wife held my head for a few.

I hope Alberto Callaspo has a kick ass spring. If he gets any at bats.

What the fuck, Dayton?

Bloomquist by himself is a baffling acquisition, but nothing to lose sleep over. Bloomquist on top of Mike Jacobs on top of Kyle Farnsworth on top of H. Ramirez, on the other hand…well, that’s a lot of straw, and the camel’s back is getting pretty tired.

Not sure who this blogger is, but I will say this: I don’t like women, and I don’t think they belong in the blog business.

Life Story

I can’t wait to checkout Kila, Cortes and Stodolka in Omaha this year maybe even BamBam to start the season. I’m heading down to checkout Paulo, DRob, Bianchi down in Arkansas as well as checking out Aaron Crow and Tanner Scheppers when they come to Lincoln to play the Salt Dogs. I may even drive to Iowa City to checkout Josh Phegley from the Indiana Hoosiers and as always checking out a few Creighton games and CWS games.

Woowoo baseball is coming !!!