5 Moves I Haven't Heard Anyone Suggest Yet.

by Dadunca on Dec 13, 2009 7:12 PM EST

Here's some other things we could do:

1. Trade Gordon for a SP or CF and let Callaspo/Aviles/Fields duke it out for the job or a platoon. The downside is that Gordon may not net anything better than Gardner or Pie.

2. Offer Brian Giles a major league deal. He wouldn't cost much and could possibly net us something at the deadline. If he can bounce back (I think he will), RF is solved.

3. Guillen DH's for Betancourt on Greinke starts. I'm serious, a happy Zack is a good thing and I could care less about Yuni's feelings.

4. Use Hoch and Davies as relievers. I know this has been suggested but I mention it because it's an important move.

5. Bat Jason Kendall second. He will be the most useful when he has the opportunity to move runners (but I will refrain from making a "too bad he plays for the Royals" style joke).

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DH can't hit for non pitchers

You really should get professional help. Your obsession with ND football is not healthy. ---Dr. lookingdeadred

by averagegatsby on Dec 13, 2009 7:15 PM EST reply actions

Then Zack at short between starts

I’m only kind of joking here

by Olentangy on Dec 14, 2009 10:28 PM EST up reply actions

Tremendous

it feels good to laugh again. Rec’d.

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.

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by Matt Klaassen on Dec 13, 2009 7:16 PM EST reply actions

Well, you'll notice DF

I never said they were good moves.

by Dadunca on Dec 13, 2009 7:23 PM EST up reply actions

1. This is the worst time to trade Gordon. He’s all potential and short on results. His potential wouldn’t bring a premium in trade. The Royals are better off keeping him and hoping he blossoms. That potential is better than the mediocre SP the Royals would get in return.
2. He turns 39 in January. That’s not a bounce back age.
3. Can’t DH for non-pitchers
4. Davies, yes. But it is too early to give up on Hochevar as a starter. He’s still developing and has nice potential. The Royals need to give him a chance to reach it.
5. In the optimal lineup (not a traditional lineup, but the one that actually leads to the most runs scored), the second spot in the lineup is the place to put your best overall hitter. Kendall will be one of the Royals worst hitters. Putting him there would rob the team of already scarce runs.

The immoderate moderator

by Scott McKinney on Dec 13, 2009 7:29 PM EST reply actions

4.

Not only that, but as has been noted by others, Hochevar’s main problem appears to be the shitty defense behind him.

This space for rent.

by jonfmorse on Dec 13, 2009 8:11 PM EST up reply actions

Already said what I was going too.

Trading Gordon at his absolute lowest value would just be downright insane.

by focs on Dec 14, 2009 12:13 AM EST up reply actions

As if the Royals have not done insane things in the past.

by grudz96 on Dec 14, 2009 5:49 PM EST up reply actions

Question on #4

I see this kind of statement fairly often in relation to Davies and Hochevar. Usually, Hoch gets “credit” for being young and still has time to develop. Davies for some reason does not. It should be noted that these 2 were born less than a week apart (Davies on 9/9/1983 and Hoch on 9/15/1983). They are the same age.

Now, I don’t disagree that Davies is probably best suited to the pen; however, if it’s too early to give up on Hochever, shouldn’t it be too early to give up on Davies? Is Davies incapable of further development?

Tension is the enemy. - Charlie Lau

by aHorseWithNoName on Dec 14, 2009 6:22 PM EST up reply actions

It is not the age, but service time and Davies is the lesser bet to develop

Davies has two more years of service time, so he is more expensive (and getting more expensive each year) and a free agent in two years. In fact, Davies might be a non-tender candidate after 2010 if he does not improve. Thus, the clock is ticking on whether the Royals can find a role in which Davies gives them value going forward.

The other factor is that Davies is less likely to develop given that his main problems are his command and control. It happens, but pitchers in the last half of their 20s who have struggled with their command and control throughout their careers usually do not significantly improve them as they approach 30. As a flyball pitcher, Davies will also be more prone to give up home runs. While relievers are less valuable than starters, Davies could probably become an effective reliever with minimal improvement. He should add velocity in the pen, and relievers can get away with less than perfect control. With his good changeup and modest platoon splits, Davies also projects as someone who could maximize his value in the bullpen by pitching multiple innings.

Hochevar is already posting solid K/BB rates, and pitchers who have shown some ability to do so tend to still have room for imporvement. He is also a groundball pitcher, so he can rely more on making contact with the idea of being able to go deeper into games. Besides his infield defense (over which he has no control), Hochevar’s biggest problems have come from facing left-handed hitters and situational pitching (for lack of a better term). He will likely always have a platoon issue (as his change has not been very effective in the majors), but he seems due for some positive regression in both regards.

by Gopherballs on Dec 14, 2009 7:19 PM EST up reply actions

Infield defense has been brutal to Hochevar

I still feel like he could be pretty solid starter. That was a great analysis of the two going forward.

by KCBear on Dec 14, 2009 9:08 PM EST up reply actions

That's a fair assessment

I can’t, and I don’t, really disagree with any of that.

So really, it’s more of a “service time + perceived talent potential” issue rather than a “Hoch is young so give him more time” issue. I don’t give him any credit just for being young (BTW – he’s a month older than Greinke), but I do give him some for the reasons you list.

Tension is the enemy. - Charlie Lau

by aHorseWithNoName on Dec 15, 2009 12:05 PM EST up reply actions

Gordon is exactly the type of player the Royals should be stockpiling

not trading — young, cheap, undervalued, and good tools that just have not come together yet. Even if Gordon never gets better than his 2008 season, he still has value.

by Gopherballs on Dec 13, 2009 8:27 PM EST reply actions

I like the Greinke batting suggestion

What if Yuni throws like one pitch with Greinke at short to start the game? What is the requirement to qualify as a pitcher?

Obviously this will never happen, but it would be interesting. Any GM who trades for Betancourt or prefers Kendall over Buck at a 50% higher salary lacks the creativity to do anything remotely like this. Hell, our manager isn’t even creative enough to understand the idea of a platoon or lefty specialist relievers.

by KCBear on Dec 13, 2009 11:51 PM EST reply actions

That will not work either.

If a pitchers stays in the game and goes to a position, then you lose the DH, Yuni would bat in Guillen’s spot, and Guillen would be out of the game.

Go Royals!

by BabyBlues on Dec 14, 2009 1:25 AM EST up reply actions

Win!

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

by philofthenorth on Dec 14, 2009 3:27 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

+1

by grudz96 on Dec 14, 2009 5:49 PM EST up reply actions

How about just having Zack

play SS on his pitching off-days? Bigger injury risk, obviously. But he might sign a 10-year extension for nothing more than all the Chipotle he can eat if the Royals agreed to do it.

"Now…put that in your [BLEEP]ing pipe and smoke it." -Hal McRae

"I was doing this when BJ was in his father's nutsack." -Renzo Gracie

by Sweep_the_Leg on Dec 14, 2009 6:15 PM EST up reply actions

Can we just give him his own franchise as part of the deal?

by AxDxMx on Dec 14, 2009 8:04 PM EST up reply actions

I have another suggestion

- Request special permission from Bud Selig to have the option to “pass” every time Kendall and Betancourt bat, but only count it as a cumulative one out. Also, Kendall will not be allowed to count a “pass” as a plate appearance toward his performance bonuses.

- If this rule is not accepted, propose that the opposing team must allow Farnsworth to pitch every time Kendall and Betancourt are up.

-Insist that the rules are only fair because this is all part of the Process, which must be followed no matter the cost to the integrity of the sport of baseball.

by KCBear on Dec 14, 2009 12:04 AM EST reply actions 3 recs