Time to make some moves

So I won't get overly frustrated with the way the Royals are playing right now, I need to dispel some anger by suggesting what moves I would make as GM. The link is to the 40 man roster for reference.

DFA:
Ponson - worthy gamble but it's run its course
HoRam - I thought he could be a serviceable reliever. I was wrong.

Send down until performance improves:
Aviles - I think his swing will improve but he's hurting the big league team in the process of figuring out the adjustments. Send him down for now or DL him.

Call ups:
Kila - Mashing again. Has nothing left to prove. He can platoon with Jacobs to start out with.
Rosa - Had one really bad outing recently but otherwise peripherals look fine. He could really help out the pen.

Activate:
Bale - should be ready to go soon. When he's healthy, he's good.

8 months ago jsolo 30 comments 0 recs |

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Wouldn't a Kila-Jacobs platoon

be even stupider than the Olivo-Buck platoon?

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

by devil_fingers on May 22, 2009 11:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

not meant as harsh, just that they're both lefties

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

by devil_fingers on May 22, 2009 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I would agree with that.

The 2009 Official You Got Rocked by the Royals and Sent to the Minors List
1. Josh Rupe TEX April 17
2. David Purcey TOR May 1
3. Brian Burres TOR May 1
4. Bryan Bullington TOR May 1

by 306008 on May 23, 2009 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I thought about that as well but I can't find his R/L splits

But I think it’s just a set way to get Kila ABs at first and Jacobs is just terrible versus lefties anyways. At least we know Kila will take walks. Mostly, I don’t want him taking ABs from Butler.

Things is, Jacobs may have some real trade value (SS, Bullpen help) and if Kila could step in, that would help a lot.

Probably not realistic anyhow but I need to make theoretical moves to make me feel better about the team.

by jsolo on May 22, 2009 11:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree about trading Jacobs

would probably hurt the team short-term a bit, and hard to justify while they’re still in the race.

I doubt they could get much an an SS for him, but Kila probably needs to be given a chance to sink or swim.

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

by devil_fingers on May 22, 2009 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Here's the Kila update through tonight:

.285/.448/.546 with 41 walks (!) in 130 AB. PCL may inflate power but it shouldn’t inflate plate discipline. He’s for real and has nothing left to learn in AAA.

I’d agree he definitely deserves his chance. I also agree that they can’t really trade Jacobs while in the race. I’d still like to see Butler/Jacobs/Kila all on the roster at the same time for the time being. At the very least, Kila would make a fantastic pinch hitter.

by jsolo on May 23, 2009 2:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think he deserves a shot, but not quite yet.

Let’s see if the MLB team can get things figured out before we call off the season.

The 2009 Official You Got Rocked by the Royals and Sent to the Minors List
1. Josh Rupe TEX April 17
2. David Purcey TOR May 1
3. Brian Burres TOR May 1
4. Bryan Bullington TOR May 1

by 306008 on May 23, 2009 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The season will be called off before things are figured out

The Royals are 9-11 including today (assuming the Cards hold up) since they STARTED their 6 game win streak.

by AxDxMx on May 23, 2009 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You cant DFA Ponson at this point IMO

For the same reason that you can’t call Kila “For Real”

Hoch has pitched 5 innings of SHITTY baseball in KC this season compared to 40 some of innings of Grienke baseball in AAA. You can’t just hand guys positions and hope their numbers translate.

I’d suggest…

DFA Ho-Ram – Bring up Rosa. I’d agree, bt that spot is going to be taken by Bale/Waechter/Soria when they are off the DL. Rosa will remain in AAA for the majority of the year. The ’Pen is too overcrowded with guys that have no options to start burning his up.

Send Down Hernandez And/Or Aviles – I’m actually OK with the subpar SS defense of Bloomquist every night at this point. Even though his April/1st part of May wasn’t real, he brings more to the offense than Aviles will until he gets his game back, which I am being convinced on a nightly basis isn’t going to happen in KC when your confidence is destroyed at every turn (and to add insult to injury you are being pinch-hit for by Willie B on a regular basis). I’d use this roster spot for Shealy. Gives us flexibility and a bat for double switches involving the 2 headed Butler/Jacobs monster @ 1B. I’d feel better with Hernandez at SS everyday for 10 days while Aviles goes down & figures out that pitchers found a hole, he better fix it.

If Hochevar struggles terribly again, back to Omaha with him - I think unless he goes 5 innings, 3 runs or less (AT MINIMUM) Saturday, he needs to be sent back down. He may have nothing left to prove in AAA, but he sure as shit hasn’t got the job done in KC through 2 starts. Ponson would be a better option, and the roster spot would again be filled with Soria/Bale/Waechter to get a much needed fresh arm in a rapidly sucking bullpen.

Try like hell to find a SS from a team that needs a C and trade them Buck + _______ - I’ve heard Jack Wilson and Jason Bartlett as possible “Playoff team caliber” SS’s that may be available. I’d be happy with either. Too bad neither team is in need of catching too bad. I don’t know a contender that IS in need of catching. Milwaukee and the Yankees (J. Kendall & Posada/Molina #4) come to mind as teams that may want to upgrade their depth.

BOOM! ROASTED!

by GoBabies!! on May 23, 2009 3:24 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree. Ponson stays. He’s a better option than anyone is giving him credit for. And his place is NOT in the bullpen. I thought the call to bring up Hoch was to early and that Ponson needed a few more starts. Appears that might have been the right choice.

I don’t agree with bringing up Rosa. He’s still learning. He’ll be okay for another cup of coffee, but the team will rebound soon.

Aviles needs to go down. His awesome swing last year is not happening for him this year. He needs to go down, get out of the pressure, and just hit again. He’ll get another shot at the bigs. But for now, he’s lost confidence, is pressing hard, and not taking the advice from hitting guru Seitz.

We need to find a SS!! Bartlett would be a great option. And would likely be fairly cheap. Wilson hit well at one time, I’m sure he’d be an upgrade over Aviles at the moment.

I know that I say Ponson should be in the rotation, but since we sent him to the pen, we need to give Hochevar a shot. He’s been ZGesqu in Omaha, but that has to translate to the bigs. I’m sure that he isn’t doing everything the same like when he was in AAA… he needs to get it figured out.

We’re down to the Cards 0-1 in the series. Let’s get two wins and call it a series!

The 2009 Official You Got Rocked by the Royals and Sent to the Minors List
1. Josh Rupe TEX April 17
2. David Purcey TOR May 1
3. Brian Burres TOR May 1
4. Bryan Bullington TOR May 1

by 306008 on May 23, 2009 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

no chance Bartlett comes cheap

if we are gonna win its not gonna be because we squeeze 4-5 more semi-mediocre starts from Ponson, its going to be a guy like Hochevar figuring it out. Same thing with Aviles. If he can get back to 80/90% of last year, its going to be a big time help.

Bring up Nicoll, bring up Kila. We need some sort of offensive improvement and Kila is gonna be the most instant solution. Make it a hot hand scenario, understandably hard to gauge, but we don;t have many more options.

by wildthang on May 23, 2009 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This isn't an overnight process....

This is a MESS left to us from Allard. We have to allow GMDM’s players to develope before we throw everyone around everywhere…. at this point, we’ve got a lot of fans going to games. This season has already been a success for the owner as he’ll pull big profits from fans that thought it was fixed already. But we’ll get better this year.

We’ll finish over .500. That’s what this team is… that or slightly below. And it’s an improvement. We have some guys to get rid of before we’ll be good. Until then, you’ll still have fill-ins on the roster….

So not much will change at the moment.

The 2009 Official You Got Rocked by the Royals and Sent to the Minors List
1. Josh Rupe TEX April 17
2. David Purcey TOR May 1
3. Brian Burres TOR May 1
4. Bryan Bullington TOR May 1

by 306008 on May 23, 2009 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rosa

Isn’t ready, he’s had more than just one bad outing and his control which last year was solid is a bit shaky.

Hernandez is pointless to have on the roster IF they are gonna let Aviles work thru his problems. The offense is the weakest part of the team currently so they need to bring up a PH for crucial situations. B. Pena would work fine in that roll being a switch hitter. No one in the organization can turn this team upside down and add runs but giving them more versatility in the lineup and off the bench could help.

I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.

by kcscoliny on May 23, 2009 9:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The only problem w/ bring up Pena

Is I really doubt he’ll get through waivers again, so if you bring him up, and are unable (or unwilling) to deal Buck or Olivo, then when Gordon, or a rejuvenated from AAA Aviles comes back to KC you probably lose him for good. If you lose Shealy in the same situation, you still have organizational depth @ 1B to soften the blow.

I think he would work fine, and earned a shot when he was here the first couple weeks, but his lack of options hurts him.

BOOM! ROASTED!

by GoBabies!! on May 23, 2009 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn't think that

we would send Aviles down and try to trade for a SS, at least not at the same time. Maybe we send him down for 2-3 weeks, get his confidence back, then bring him back up. If after another 3 weeks or so it’s clear he’s not coming around, and we’re still somewhat in the race, then go for a trade. if we’re out of it, then pass.

unfortunately, unless the team starts playing much, much better, looks like we’re going to be falling like a rock in the standings.

I hereby resign from this post.

by Home Run Tony Cogan on May 23, 2009 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If Aviles were a top prospect

before last season, I’d be inclined to agree. Lest we forget he wasn’t a top 20 prospect last year, and was left open to the Rule-5 Draft. At this point, I’m leaning towards thinking that he was playing WAAAAY over his head for 4 months last season. His swing looks gawd awful. He is missing mistake pitches by a wide margin. He has cost us games defensively too, which tells me he is starting to take it to the field with him (he turns that 99.9% of the time double play vs Cleveland we take 2/3 from them in all likelihood).

I don’t think we can afford to run a 7 man line-up out there offensively during the stretch of interleague games this year.

BOOM! ROASTED!

by GoBabies!! on May 23, 2009 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

agreed, but

the problem is that bloomy WILL turn into a pumpkin if he’s run out there every day.

I hereby resign from this post.

by Home Run Tony Cogan on May 23, 2009 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

So

You replace a pumpkin with a pumpkin. But the pumpkin that you send back to AAA might just return in a month able to help the club.

BOOM! ROASTED!

by GoBabies!! on May 23, 2009 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

brilliant!

The 2009 Official You Got Rocked by the Royals and Sent to the Minors List
1. Josh Rupe TEX April 17
2. David Purcey TOR May 1
3. Brian Burres TOR May 1
4. Bryan Bullington TOR May 1

by 306008 on May 23, 2009 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You don't need to use him as a Catcher

This team needs some offensive flexibility more than it needs defensive replacements. As bad as the defense is Spork and Aviles aren’t the problems defensively. Having someone like Brayan Pena as a PH gives the team a switch hitter they can use off the bench. Pinch Hitting has to be one of the most difficult things to do but he did alright a couple times in that spot already.

I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.

by kcscoliny on May 23, 2009 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

We don't have the depth at other positions to

Have a PH on the bench. See weeks 1-2 of this season for reference.

BOOM! ROASTED!

by GoBabies!! on May 23, 2009 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why not?

They have a player sitting on the bench that has place twice in two weeks. Explain me how having Pena instead of Hernandez/TPJ is different?

I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.

by kcscoliny on May 23, 2009 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

place=played

I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.

by kcscoliny on May 23, 2009 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It isn't

They shouldn’t have Hernandez up here.

BOOM! ROASTED!

by GoBabies!! on May 23, 2009 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can't figure Trey out.

When they bring people up they sit for 14 days, play 1, sit 8 more, then get sent down to play everyday….. what’s the deal?

The 2009 Official You Got Rocked by the Royals and Sent to the Minors List
1. Josh Rupe TEX April 17
2. David Purcey TOR May 1
3. Brian Burres TOR May 1
4. Bryan Bullington TOR May 1

by 306008 on May 23, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know

It worked last year w/ Aviles (not to say starting him from day one would have led to much different results), so maybe there is some method to his thinking.

Or maybe not.

BOOM! ROASTED!

by GoBabies!! on May 23, 2009 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

one encouraging thing is

looking at the schedule, it’s not as bad as i thought. we have a chance to get well, although we’ve got 9 tough games against TB, TOR, CLE but then the rest of June is interleague, mostly at home, but then 3 at HOU.

BUT, isn’t that what we all thought about Baltimore and Cleveland, and look what happened there. Sure, we’ve got a chance to hang in the race, but for god’s sake start playing better. on top of us playing poorly, it does seem that we’ve had a large amount of bad luck this year.

However, our BABIP is .297 on the hitting side, .311 on the pitching side, so really we haven’t been that unlucky there. Strand rate is on the low side at 69.8%.

I think that to some extent you make your own luck, but it does appear that we’ve been slightly unlucky thus far. add that to some questionable managerial moves that may have cost us at least two wins, and other various and sundry player mistakes that may have cost us another couple of wins, and this team SHOULD have a much better record than it does. That’s what is so frustrating, that they’ve pissed away some of their games.

I hereby resign from this post.

by Home Run Tony Cogan on May 23, 2009 12:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That's what we thought

going to Anaheim, Oakland and then getting Baltimore and Cleveland at home. 3 last place teams and a struggling offense in Anaheim with our best pitchers on the mound.

I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.

by kcscoliny on May 23, 2009 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just not Jack Wilson.

I’d rather TPJ play every day at SS than Jack Wilson, considering what it’d cost with the trade and the contract and everything.

Aviles will come around. I promise. I wouldn’t be opposed to sending him down to AAA for a little bit, just to get his confidence back or whatever, but I’m also fine with him staying up. Eventually, he’ll go on some tear. I promise.

Try and trade Jacobs and/or Olivo. We have Brayan and Kila ready, both of which could probably outperform them. You don’t have to get a lot in return, but if you could get a halfway decent SS prospect for either one, you get a gold star.

by rockchalk on May 23, 2009 3:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs