Royals Reportedly Sign Rick Ankiel
by Freneau on Jan 22, 2010 12:22 AM EST
in Kansas City Royals News
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PrintAccording to Tim Brown at Yahoo, the Royals have signed Rick Ankiel to a one year deal with an option for 2011. (h/t to Schaum from everyone, who has been all over this)
Brown reports that the deal is $3.25 million for 2010, with a mutual option for 2011, for $6 million.
Umm, what?
No really, what?
Remember when the rumor was that the Royals were considering Rick Ankiel, Scotty Pods and Randy Winn. That was incorrect: they are considering all of them, to comprise in sum the 2010 outfield. When Dayton signed Brian Anderson, we assumed that that meant no Scotty Pods. When he signed Pods, we assumed no Ankiel/Winn/anyone else.
Obviously, our ability to understand Dayton was even lower than previously thought. Just remember that when we all start trying to figure out what this means. It likely means something, yes, but something from the mind of one of baseball's weirdest GMs. Ya think Fields is a goner? You think this means the end of Guillen? You think this means DeJesus is outta here? Maybe... maybe not.
Oh, and why?
The (reported) 2011 mutual option is just classic Dayton. Well, a lot about this is classic Dayton: Ankiel was born in the 1970s, posted an OBP under .290 for a full season in '09, Ankiel is a tremendous athlete etc.)
When we were originally talking about this, I liked Ankiel as an alternative to Pods: he potentially has a different game and might have a bounceback in him. A part of me still feels that way. From the early responses, here and elsewhere, I can see that many of you are willing to dream a little with Ankiel, and I do understand that.
Still, man, this is kinda a weird one. I don't mind the 2010 part of this contract, but the 2011 option just stands out as unnecessary. And by that I mean dumb. There is a not insignificant chance that Ankiel is close to done as a player andin that case the Royals are going to be on the hook for 2011 as well. These are not minor details here. Not when it's January 20th and I'm not sure who we're bidding against.
(update: many are saying that the mutual option means the Royals will have an opportunity to decline, which makes a large difference and is not dumb)
Or, the option could be clarified to mean something different. I'm not sure we know yet. Maybe it's vesting based on playing time? Who knows.
Stay tuned.
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My girlfriend will be happy
She’s a Cards fan, and hates him. I taught her about WAR by comparing his 2009 WAR to Alex Gordon’s 2009 WAR.
To reiterate my point from the FanShot
On its own, this a good deal financially (assuming the option year doesn’t get picked up) and is particularly nice if it means Guillen’s days in KC are over.
I think the CHONE projection of 1.1 WAR assumes he’s a center fielder, so I’m not sure if that will play out. Even if he plays right, he’s obviously a better fielder than Guillen, so there’s that.
The main issue here is, why the heck did the Royals sign Pods and B. Anderson?
OF defensive adjustments are supposed to be in equilibrium
the a 10 run “value different” in the positional adjustment between CF and the corners is supposed to reflect the different skill related to playing each.
In other words, he should have the same value whether he’s in CF or the corners.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 12:56 AM EST up reply actions
Ah - never realized that was how it worked. Thanks.
And check out my FanPost on advanced statistics. I could use your input!
i would assume
the 1.1 WAR is because of UZR
Pujols takes out "I" in BIG and "A" in MAC, previously considered to be an unyielding, consonant threat
I don't see how this can't be a good deal...
3.25M is nothing for the possible upside with Ankiel.
If he plays CF he's projected to be worth $4.8 million by CHONE
So yeah, that seems like a good deal. I assume even if he’s not in center, it’s probably at least break even.
The projections
also assume around a .240 BA and less than .300 OBP (if I looked at the sheets correctly), so they are on the low side of his potential. If you end up with 2009 Ankiel, it is about market value. If you get 2008 Ankiel, then the deal can generate some surplus value.
This is an average deal
for Dayton, that’s a totallly f—-ing win, of course. I mean, only the biggest Braves-worshipping moron or Moore apologist who can’t back down from past defenses think Moore is a competent GM at this point.
The valuations on Fangraphs are based on a past market — this is a market, or slightly below market deal, depending on how the option works.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:01 AM EST up reply actions
which_is_ half the contract
am I right to assume mutual means “if either side wants it?”
or does it mean “either side can decline”
yeah i've never understood
EXACTLY what the mutual option meant.
"I'll take some Coco with that please"
both sides must agree
for it to kick in
by Fernando Vina School of Linguistics on Jan 22, 2010 1:24 AM EST up reply actions
but there's a buyout, right?
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:26 AM EST up reply actions
i think that's part of the $$ amount Tim Brown reported
at least that’s how i understood the article….but i could be wrong.
by Fernando Vina School of Linguistics on Jan 22, 2010 1:29 AM EST up reply actions
Mutual options are seldom exercised ...
… For the option to be exercised, both the team and the player must believe the terms for the next year are acceptable, and that seldom happens.
If the player craps out and makes the option an overpay, the team declines the option and pays whatever the buyout amount is. If the player has a great year, making the option look good, he declines and goes on the free agent market where he can (or believes he can) make more money.
by Steve Nelson on Jan 23, 2010 2:35 AM EST up reply actions
Is DDJ going to be traded?
That seems like the next step, you know…
good riddance DJ
i cant wait to see how Yankee fans treat ya when you get picked off weekly…and giggle about it every time….They’ll love it when you misplay another ball on the OF….they’ll love your annoying fucking accent and your very limited vocabulary…well, they might actually enjoy that last one
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 3:19 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
getting picked off
is like #500 on the list of problems affecting the royals right now…and DDJ is probably #502
Davey's not problematic on this team....
I just cant stand anything about him and watching him really pisses me off. Plus, his presence on this team is just plain dumb…totally pointless
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 5:16 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah, there's no point in having above average players on the Royals
The immoderate moderator
by Scott McKinney on Jan 23, 2010 8:55 AM EST up reply actions
you're telling me that it makes sense to have davey on this team for the next two years....
over using him to acquire some prospects?
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 23, 2010 10:51 AM EST up reply actions
I was responding to your "good riddance" and "I hate him" nonsense
…which of course is all about irrational BS. I’m all for trading him for players with upside who could help the Royals by the time they contend.
The immoderate moderator
by Scott McKinney on Jan 23, 2010 11:28 AM EST up reply actions
ohh...i cant stand the fucker...that's pretty well known...
but that’s not the reason i want him traded…i want him traded b/c it makes sense for the franchise…and it makes no sense to hold onto a guy like davey to go from 70-72 wins
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 23, 2010 12:21 PM EST up reply actions
Hmm
DDJ ’09 pickoffs: 4
Podsednik ’09 pickoffs: 11
by kcbottom9th on Jan 22, 2010 3:27 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Is that what that stench is?
Peeewww!
Tension is the enemy. - Charlie Lau
by aHorseWithNoName on Jan 22, 2010 11:35 AM EST up reply actions
Oh well sure when you look at the numbers the Pods signing doesn't look that good but
Come on, have you seen Pods play!!?!??!!
Numbers are the work of the devil.
Will Ebners Hit Parade, Pain TV; Channel 32; All the time! (PDT)
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Jan 22, 2010 12:40 PM EST up reply actions
glad to hear you want to dump the best OF we have
and go with 3 of the other 5 crappy guys every day instead
Mr Glass, this is a pro sports team, not a retail store - run it like one!
that was directed to
billybeingbilly’s post
Mr Glass, this is a pro sports team, not a retail store - run it like one!
what good does having dejesus on the team do?
he serves no purpose…id rather have pods starting out there. we’d save 3 or so million and pick up a decent prospect or two…at no real cost
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 2:12 PM EST up reply actions
depends on if you are trying to win in 2011
which they probably shouldn’t be doing
that being said, DeJesus is probably the team’s second best position player, so if you trade him, you better committ to a rebiuild
When Do We
Win? ‘Cause I’m running out of time here.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jan 23, 2010 7:13 PM EST up reply actions
what good does having Anderson, Podsednik, or Ankiel on the team do?
they serve no purpose…I’d rather have Maier starting out there. We’d save 7 or so million.
Mr Glass, this is a pro sports team, not a retail store - run it like one!
by loyal2sdad on Jan 22, 2010 3:07 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
they're sunk costs though....
davey with his skills and his salary…has value
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 4:10 PM EST up reply actions
Just cheap to sit behind a computer
and make fun of a guy for his accent and how he talks…especially when he usually has a positive attitude…Now if it was Jose G. I could see not personally liking him. But you are just being a fag, and I got to call you out on it.
no...i dont like the guy...
a positive, upbeat attitude isnt a good thing after huge fuckups
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 4:57 PM EST up reply actions
Could you name some of these huge F-ups please?
by ZachMartin2 on Jan 22, 2010 10:33 PM EST up reply actions
how about his 13 pickoffs/CS compared to 4 steals...
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 24, 2010 4:07 AM EST up reply actions
How about his above-average OBP
and his competent defensive play, not to mention his team-friendly contract? He’s probably the Royals’ second-best non-pitcher as of now.
It's pronounced Poo-ZHOLS in Catalan.
i dont disagree with any of that...
but with his contract and his age, he should be traded now.
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 24, 2010 4:59 PM EST up reply actions
Just guessing here
but I think DDJ is the kind of player who doesn’t decline as fast as your standard big, slow slugger. He’s a good athlete and physically fit, and his positive attitude makes it more likely that he’ll stay in good shape.
I can easily imagine him regularly putting up a .350-.380 OBP during the next four or five years.
It's pronounced Poo-ZHOLS in Catalan.
thats a very dayton moore way of thinking....
why not expect him to improve on anything he’s ever been after the age of 30…
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 25, 2010 2:39 PM EST up reply actions
Some peoplel suggest that there's evidence "speedy" players age more gracefully
although DDJ doesn’t fit that profile exactly
Almost every study agrees that, on average, players peak offensively between 26-28 (easlier for defense). Some aspects peak later, some earlier, but the most overall value is generally to be found from 26-28.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 25, 2010 3:21 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, good riddance to DDJ. We have too many good players already.
We don’t need that injury-faker.
The immoderate moderator
by Scott McKinney on Jan 23, 2010 8:54 AM EST up reply actions
He's not interested in facts, stats or reality
He hates that grinning faker! Not enough grit, fire or moxy.
The immoderate moderator
by Scott McKinney on Jan 23, 2010 11:29 AM EST up reply actions
ive never said davey sucks as a player...
i cant stand him….and his seemingly constant stupid mistakes really frustrate me…and he needs to go for the betterment of the franchise
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 23, 2010 12:23 PM EST up reply actions
That goddamned grin pisses me off. There's no grinning in baseball
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jan 23, 2010 7:15 PM EST up reply actions
I think I like this deal
Maybe this move pushes Guillen off the roster completely.
A top 10 organizational SP prospect in the A+/AA level
With a lower level position player
"I'll take some Coco with that please"
I really think that it is more likely that Ankeil gets traded
I think the most logical conclusion is that Dayton hopes that Ankiel can rebound to his 2008 form and be traded when either Parraz or Lough are ready.
I can't see him being traded until midseason at least
you rarely see “sign and trade” type deals in MLB
right
He’s going to have to produce something in order to have any trade value and Parraz has at least a half a season of work to put in in AAA.
He's got a career OBP of .381
and minorleaguesplits.com has him rated as a very good defensive RF.
by SK on Jan 22, 2010 1:12 AM EST up reply actions
good point
I guess a part of me still can’t see why the Astros gave up on him, but then again, I consider the astros to be pretty dumb
My concern is that I can't remember Dayton doing this, ever
"Things could always be worse." - Buddy Bell
Nattering nabob of negativity
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jan 23, 2010 7:17 PM EST up reply actions
The guy who designed the minor league splits defense stuff
and also the model for the MLEs is Sean Smith, the CHONE guy.
He has Parraz projected at 10 offense, average defense on the corners - that’s just above replacement level.
Yeah, he could develop more, but he’s already 25.
It was a nice acquisition, but right now he looks like he’s a 4th OF at best.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:15 AM EST up reply actions
stupid cross out
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:15 AM EST up reply actions
you'd think by know
you’d know the dreaded Strike-through is going to get you…
Turner Gill is introduced to the Kansas Athletic dept:
Gill, I'm Bill and this is Phil. Gill, I'm Phil and this is Jill. Gill, I'm Jill, you know Bill, Phil...
He could be wrong about Parraz.
Parraz had R/150 or 28,-12,26, and -2 in RF the past 4 seasons. I don’t think that it’s impossible to be a above average RF in the ML.
I also don’t think it’s fair to limit him to being a 4th OF. He just post a slash line of .348/.432/.541. At age 24 Kevin Youkilis posted a line of .285/.441/.409 between AA and AAA.
Parraz could just be a late bloomer like Youkilis, stranger things have happened.
by SK on Jan 22, 2010 1:34 AM EST up reply actions
we'll see
we’d have to see how the various parks and leagues compared for YOukilis in those days to Parraz now
As for Parraz’s defense, I was simply responding to your using the defensive stats at minorleaguesplits to say he was a good defendr, and I pointed out that if they mean anything, we’d want to go to the guy who created the system (and the MLEs for them), and they certainly do not show a plus defender. Parraz might be one, and he might have the tools, but the stats for minorleaguesplits aren’t evidence of a plus defender.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:43 AM EST up reply actions
Dayton's record on figuring out when a guy should be traded is... not good
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:02 AM EST up reply actions
speculation
trade DDJ & Guillen together = saves lots of $$$
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 4:01 PM EST up reply actions
it all depends on if we want to get real prospects back or just salary relief....either way, im down
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 4:10 PM EST up reply actions
i'm only down
if Guillen is salary dump and DDJ is for prospects
i feel that if GMDM puts those together in a package, he’ll get bent over and somehow emerge w/ no real gain…
but if done separately, i think we can shed Jose, but then get a nice return on DeJesus
the problem is
NOONE would take Guillen alone. package them together and they may be willing to take on Guillen’s salary for his final contract year. sort of like an NBA trade, actually.
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 4:26 PM EST up reply actions
its not really possible to get burned IMO....
if we somehow get someone to pay guillen’s salary….even if it means giving them Davey….
$16 million in salary relief is worth more than the prospects DM will receive
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 4:38 PM EST up reply actions
yeah..and guillen's at the exact opposite end of the spectrum...
it’s really up to each person….
would you rather have a couple decent prosects and be down $8 million
or no prospects, no davey, no jose and $16 million
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 4:59 PM EST up reply actions
I'd rather h ave the prospects, fasho
there aren’t FAs this sesaon worth spending the money on, even if Dayton knew what he was doing
we need prospects for if/when a new, good GM comes along
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 5:01 PM EST up reply actions
i guess it depends on whether the 16m accrues
i would think that 16m saved this year could be spent in the future, but GMDM sure doesn’t act that way, so maybe it doesn’t work like that.
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 10:43 PM EST up reply actions
ok, yeah, i agree -- i'm w/ d_f
i just put more value in prospects than cash…. especially w/ this FO
Please no.
Tell me he’s going to be a pitcher.
by Fernando Vina School of Linguistics on Jan 22, 2010 12:41 AM EST reply actions
this signing really doesn't bother me
not a huge amount of cash, short term. there is still potential upside for ankiel, as long as he can stay healthy. and on one of the corners he’ll be pretty steady defensively. Got a “GREAT” arm too! hehe…
"I'll take some Coco with that please"
hes better
suited to start at center with DDJ and pods on the corner
Pujols takes out "I" in BIG and "A" in MAC, previously considered to be an unyielding, consonant threat
I don't like this
This guy was replacement level in the NL last year. And we gave him a pay rise.
His defense is average at best, probably below. He has exactly one season with an above average OBP (a giddying .337). And we have a bout 6 million outfielders anyway. And it probably heralds the end of the DDJ era, and that makes me sad.
Dud.
in right he has UZR/150 of 6.1
if he can put together another season at the plate like he did in 08 he could be a 3.0 to 3.5 WAR player.
i don't really know how valid this is
but as we all know that ankiel didn’t totally focus on hitting until much later. therefore it is POSSIBLE that he’s development curve is different than your typical player
"I'll take some Coco with that please"
Shoulder injury though was his main issue apparently
and early in the season. It could explain the power outage if you are a glass-half-full sort of person.
According to Ankiel's wikipedia
“On May 4, 2009 Ankiel collided awkwardly with the outfield wall against the Philadelphia Phillies and was carted off the field.”
“He told of being in total body pain and was placed on the disabled list on May 7”
"I'll take some Coco with that please"
that sounds like the kind of thing
that would totally throw a guy off in the year it happened, but wouldn’t matter the next year. Especially if he signed with a different team.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:12 AM EST up reply actions
Wow -
usually your snark is a bit more oevert.
Turner Gill is introduced to the Kansas Athletic dept:
Gill, I'm Bill and this is Phil. Gill, I'm Phil and this is Jill. Gill, I'm Jill, you know Bill, Phil...
Funny snark is always acceptable
To me, at least. In fact, I would encourage it. These days, it’s just about all we’ve got as Royals fans.
"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 Jan 22, 2010 11:47 AM EST up reply actions
the cards then played him for another 100 or so games after that
not saying it wasn’t because of the injury, but i’m not sure its all related to that
did anybody see that when it happened
I watched it live, and it was nasty.
Where does the talent of Royals prospects go? I imagine a man in Germany shouting "Why can I play baseball so well? WHY?" - Joe Posnanski
by RoyalsFanStuckInCardsLand on Jan 22, 2010 9:55 AM EST up reply actions
but I did get to bring back overflow girl for this
crazy thing is, I had JUST finished a post on Chiefs/Royals that was gonna go up… not now
Yeah, this damn unexpected Ankiel signing
totally derailed the advanced stats thread I had going.
I still really want to know who this is
Pitchers and Catchers report February 17th... And so begins my masochistic addiction.
by averagegatsby on Jan 22, 2010 1:59 PM EST up reply actions
Her name is Gatti Folgers?
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 2:24 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Kirb Tasterschoice?
"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 Jan 22, 2010 2:29 PM EST up reply actions
Junor Brown?
It's pronounced Poo-ZHOLS in Catalan.
I figured it out, and Im not helping
Pitchers and Catchers report February 17th... And so begins my masochistic addiction.
by averagegatsby on Jan 22, 2010 3:12 PM EST up reply actions
Ah
tori black
tineye is a nifty little tool.
you’d previously mentioned she was in that industry. and i think tori often looks better than this. uh, when i, uh, accidentally, uh, saw her on like maybe one other occasion.
honestly I don't know how I came across this image
I guess I must have google-imaged her at some point, but I really don’t remember, could have been goggle imaging something else
all in all not a process that i’m totally proud of, but i’m happy that I found something that resonated
it's a nice pic
and she’s somewhat mainstream — in a ton of blog sidebar ads (i.e., this one at popoholic)
As I've stated elsewhere
this is an average signing for a competent GM, so it’s utterly amazing for Dayton.
Ankiel has upside as a trade chip, you know, if gets off to a hot start. Unfortunately, one of the few remaning GMs stupid enough to fall for that already runs the team Ankiel just signed with.
But seriously, folks… Ankiel’s a ~1 WAR player. He’s not a center fielder. Well, not a good one. He’s probably a bit above average on the corners.
The bat… well, despite what the Best Fans in Baseball might have thought, it sucks. I mean, not as bad as Mike Jacobs or anything…. wait a minute… CHONE actually says Ankiel’s worse than Jacobs. At least he can play a position, though. Not sure how many centerfielders who can’t play center field Dayton wants on the team, but like I said, on the Dayton curve, this is basically a Longoria contract.
Ankiel isn’t a star. He hit well for less than two seasons, and has terrible plate discipline. He does have positive UZR/150s in the corners… but in really small sample sizes. His CF UZR is the biggest sample, and implies a guy who is average in the corners.
Being a league average position player over a full season will be a minor miracle. even people who have dreams of orgies with Dayton and Picollo have to see that at this point.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:11 AM EST reply actions 3 recs
I really sound that positive?
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:17 AM EST up reply actions
Yippee skippy!
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jan 22, 2010 1:49 AM EST up reply actions
Arm
His arm in right (I don’t think I’m being presumptuous in assuming that this is where he should be playing) has to be a big plus, which can’t hurt.
by Old Man Duggan on Jan 22, 2010 1:59 AM EST up reply actions
and Dayton has been preaching defense
so Ankiel in RF would jive with that
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 4:05 PM EST up reply actions
i actually have no
problem with that if that means joagie’s days meandering out onto the outfield lawn are over
There are rumors that JoGui is done
and Greg Schaum (tanana/gashousegang) has speculated that there is zero trade market for him, even if the Royals kick in most of the cash.
Unless I'm wrong...
My Twitter feed
done as in...
he’s toast w/ the royals organization?
or as in his once major league talent has vanished?
was going to say this in the other thread
but it makes absolutely NO SENSE for an upcoming trade. you don’t sign a guy then expect to trade a guy….all leverage you once had would be gone. and who is to say one of the guys involved in a potential trade doesn’t fail a physical for some reason? then you’d be really fucked.
i guess DDJ could still be traded and it could be a good deal depending on the return, but I very much doubt that is absolutely the plan. i’d be stunned if Guillen isn’t gone or on the DL.
baseball rules.
they absolutely have no reason to bring Gullen back
of course that was true last offseason.
And this might remind us of “Well, Wille/TUG/TPJJ sucks, but at least TPJ is off the roster now!”
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:13 AM EST up reply actions
Betweeen Podsednik and Anderson
we’ll be missing Gathright
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:19 AM EST up reply actions
infamous video of ankiel pitching wildly in AAA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3GnaUBKXtI
"I'll take some Coco with that please"
Cardinals Fan...
Big Ank fan for a long time, kinda glad to see him go and wish him the best.
Honestly have no idea what to expect out of him this year. He’s a terrific athlete with a rediculous arm and a good power stroke, but he has a ton of holes in his swing and seems to allways have several nagging injuries at once. He can be awesome to watch and frustrating at the same time. I’d expect average defense with a hadful of webgems, and somewehere between 7 and 47 homeruns
by I miss Jack Buck on Jan 22, 2010 1:17 AM EST reply actions
Outfield version of Mike Jacobs?
check
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:18 AM EST up reply actions
better fielder and athlete
Pujols takes out "I" in BIG and "A" in MAC, previously considered to be an unyielding, consonant threat
thanks for the feedback
I do think he’ll be fun to watch, and I lovedhis comeback/emergence as a position player
Uncomfortably familiar...
“He’s a terrific athlete with a rediculous arm and a good power stroke, but he has a ton of holes in his swing … He can be awesome to watch and frustrating at the same time.”
Mark Teahan, du jour?
alternate question
what is the absolute worst case scenario?
I’ll go with
1. DDJ traded for nothing
2. Guillen remains in RF
3. Callaspo to 3rd in platoon with Gordon
4. Ankiel in CF, Pods in LF
5. Fields as the DH
You forgot Gordon to 1B
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:26 AM EST up reply actions
That's a positive
Gordon’s bad attitude will rub off on the many baserunners that our wonderful pitching staff will allow, thus causing them to get thrown out by Jason Kendall.
Think about this one:
An outfield of Pods, Ankiel, Guillen, with an infield of Yuni, Callaspo, Fields and Butler. Is that the worst defensive team of all time?
Move Butler off of 1B and insert Jacobs
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:28 AM EST up reply actions
Insert Bloomers into the OF for Pods or Ankiel
…and then perhaps it may be.
by Fernando Vina School of Linguistics on Jan 22, 2010 1:28 AM EST up reply actions
What if a trade takes place with
Callaspo and Dejesus both involved and a nice, young pitcher coming in return. I don’t really have anyone in mind, just kinda throwing it out there.
Yes, I'm still alive. Sorry to disappoint you.
by royaldaddy on Jan 22, 2010 1:30 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
That would not be a good idea
because Callaspo and DeJesus are two of our four best non-pitchers, we’ve got them both signed to good contracts, and they’ve both still got upside. Dayton would get fleeced.
As for Ankiel: .285 OBP last year. Just what we need, another low OBP player. Yeah, maybe he was injured, but this does not look good.
And now what are we going to do with all these below-average outfielders? If the answer is “DFA Guillén,” then I’m happy. If not, not.
It's pronounced Poo-ZHOLS in Catalan.
i would rather
have Ank in CF and pods in a corner spot, Ank’s arm alone warrants that
Pujols takes out "I" in BIG and "A" in MAC, previously considered to be an unyielding, consonant threat
My ankiel projection
25% – 235/285/400
50% – 255/325/480
75% – 270/350/510
"I'll take some Coco with that please"
that's pretty optimistic
even the 50% has a guy setting new career highs for OBP and SLG in his age 30 year, coming off an injury, and facing major league (AL) pitching year round.
Yeah, this feels a lot like Jacobs, II: The Outfield
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:45 AM EST up reply actions
Doh
sorry… looking at the wrong lines at FanGraphs… still thnk it’s optimistic, but those wouldn’t be career highs.
I’m the asshole, as always
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:45 AM EST up reply actions
nah...feels a lot like Jacobs to me too
maybe the Trey-san enjoyed his porn stache last year.
by Fernando Vina School of Linguistics on Jan 22, 2010 1:50 AM EST up reply actions
Exactly my thought
Maybe Trey this was the move to help spread the stache look through the whole clubhouse. That’s what we’ve been missing. That and some slug.
The Royals are ahead of the curve
Introducing the new “rover” position.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
by RoyalsRetro on Jan 22, 2010 10:07 AM EST up reply actions
at this rate
it’s going to have to be rover"s"
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 4:08 PM EST up reply actions
Will, I'm completely confused
You said, “There is a not insignificant chance that Ankiel is close to done as a player and in that case the Royals are going to be on the hook for 2011 as well.”
It’s utterly impossible for the Royals to be “on the hook” for 2011 with a mutual option. If he’s a disaster this year, the Royals decline. (Okay, we know that there’s a risk GMDM will be an idiot and exercise, but I’m approaching this rationally.)
If, on the other hand, he rebounds well… odds are Ankiel will decline, and even if he doesn’t, well, that second year isn’t actually a horrible deal if he’s back on track.
The only negative to that second year is the risk Moore won’t properly weigh the decision to exercise the option next year. Period.
This space for rent.
by jonfmorse on Jan 22, 2010 2:04 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
i had/have a different interpertation of what a mutual option is
do we know for certain yet?
(fully admiting I could be wrong)
A mutual option means either party can walk away.
More specifically, it means both parties have to agree to move forward.
See Data Differently.
beyondtheboxscore.com | Twitter: @ justinbopp
There's probably a buyout on the option if the Royals decide to walk away first
similar to Olivo’s mutual option, but I’d doubt it’s more than 100-250k or so.
Unless I'm wrong...
My Twitter feed
His Platoon Splits
Aren’t very drastic, so there’s little to gain making him the greater part of a R/L platoon, e.g. Ankiel/Fields in RF. I think DDJ and Guillen are goners.
Fields LF
Poddy CF
Ankiel RF
GMDM better get some great MLB ready prospects for DDJ and Callaspo. And Soria. Also too.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
You're saying trade everybody
except Machine Gun Zack, Scarface Al Gordon, and Baby Face Butler?
It's pronounced Poo-ZHOLS in Catalan.
Not What I
Want, just what it looks like GMDM is doing.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jan 22, 2010 10:40 AM EST up reply actions
that's exactly what im saying
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 2:14 PM EST up reply actions
Why keep those guys
If you are going to rebuild, really go for it.
The haul Zack could bring in makes my eyes water.
As a Cardinals fan
I am happy he is gone. The guy could not hit anything or take a walk to save his life. He was horrible in 2009 before and after his accident. He does have a cannon for an arm though.
A Royals Review Exclusive: DiamondView 2.010 for Rick Ankiel
OBP: 298 | ISO: .194 | SPEED: 4.5 | DEF: -0.12
And don’t let that 88 in power fool you. That translates to 20 homers. So basically:
OLDER, MORE EXPENSIVE, WORSE. He’s below average (as in the average of the 91 center fielders most likely to get playing time in 2010) in everything but power. The dark grey shape is the positional average. Read that again. We just paid a guy 3.5 million dollars that is projected to perform below the backup CF in basically EVERY CITY.
To understand what a .298 OBP is, see that Mike Jacobs is projected to get a .297
Here are his .298 OBP comps for the 2010 projection:
SS Zawadzki, Lance 0.298
CF Repko, Jason 0.298
CF Ankiel, Rick 0.298
CF Duarte, Jose 0.298
CF Cain, Lorenzo 0.298
2B Retherford, C.J. 0.298
2B Rhymes, William 0.298
SS Torres, Eider 0.298
OF Anderson, Garret 0.298
C Wagner, Mark 0.298
3B Sanchez, Yunesky 0.298
SS Navarro, Oswaldo 0.298
THREE POINT FIVE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS
THIRTY YEARS OLD
TWO NINETY EIGHT PROJECTED ON BASE PERCENTAGE
See Data Differently.
beyondtheboxscore.com | Twitter: @ justinbopp
by Justin Bopp on Jan 22, 2010 3:03 AM EST reply actions 7 recs
he does them at Beyond the Box Score all the time
The Royals :Those Watching Are Smarter Than Those Deciding
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 9:23 AM EST up reply actions
Seriously
How much amazing brainpower has been wasted on this farce of a team?
Twitter: awolfson0
by awolfson on Jan 22, 2010 2:46 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
It's not wasted if you love it!
(why, you hiring?)
See Data Differently.
beyondtheboxscore.com | Twitter: @ justinbopp
Nice graphic
But you obviously didn’t realize
OLDER, MORE EXPENSIVE, WORSE.
the alternative is Scotty Pods. In that case, more expensive is still in play.
At the very least
this is the first player in his 30’s with an OBP under .300 with SOME amount of upside potential that Moore has ever signed.
Heres a fun game
Amount given out in Guarenteed contracts this offseason:
Kendal: 3 million
Pods: 1.75 million
Anderson: .7 million
Ankiel: 3.25 million
So basically 9 Million. To get older and less talented. The only player who MAY be worth their contract is Ankiel.
Some players that signed for 9 million or less for this year: (*) designate Mariners, in an unrelated note I hate Jack Z.
Joel Piniero
Dan Uggla
Coco Crisp
Adam Laroche
Vladimir Guerrero
Adrian Beltre
Bobby Abreu
Troy Glaus
Kelly Shoppach
Chone Figgins *
Jack Wilson *
Felix Hernandez *
Franklin Gutierrez *
Ryan Langerhans *
Mark Derosa
Pedro Feliz
Mike Cameron
Marco Scutaro
Hideki Matsui
Marlon Byrd
Jason Bay
Kelvim Escobar
Papelbon is making just slightly more at $9.3
These are all guys who signed contracts this year for less than $9 million.
Instead of getting older, more expensive and worse, the Royals could have gotten some talent. Oh well at least we have 10 million AAA outfielders.
I refuse to set up a signature....DAMMIT
I also see ...
a bunch of Jose Guillen type of players on your list. Sign a guy for 9 million …have an injury …have a down year … and we will have the reverse column of how many players we could have signed for the same amount of money.
All those guys
suffer from what we’re hating on the ROyals signings. They’re older!
Coco Crisp? really?
Vladi, Matsui, and Cameron don’t accomplish anything that Ankiel can’t, atleast in the short term.
Guys like Uggla and Papelbon don’t count.
Lets be real, no matter what, none of these guys are going to be part of the next Royals championship. In my opinion, nothing wrong with having a short term fix/place holder. It’s only one year…
by Royal from Queens on Jan 22, 2010 9:35 AM EST up reply actions
Actually the problem with these signings isn't that their older
Older players are not necessarily a bad thing. Its when you sign older players who are worse than what you have and cost more.
If the Royals had signed someone like Cameron to replace Mitch, I don’t think there would have been much outrage, after all Cameron is demonstratively better, both defensively and offensively and signed for basically nothing.
Or if the Royals had realized their hole at SS and grabbed Scutaro for a paltry $6 million, then I think everyone would have been ecstatic.
No the problem with Dayton’s signings are that they are older and no better than what they have. If we are going to throw money away we may as well do it on someone who could make us better
I refuse to set up a signature....DAMMIT
Or
Alrodis Chapman will only be paid about $3 million this year ($30 million over the life of his contract)
Miguel Sano $4 million
Michael Ynoa $3 million
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
by RoyalsRetro on Jan 22, 2010 10:06 AM EST up reply actions
I fear the battle for Grass Creek is gonna take a turn for the worst
But I guess with More signing all these OFs he is going for the Human Shield approach to circumvent the Ms higher ground.
I am passively indifferent.
Will Ebners Hit Parade, Pain TV; Channel 32; All the time! (PDT)
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Jan 22, 2010 12:49 PM EST up reply actions
well once we reach
negative infinity, it can only go up from there
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 4:11 PM EST up reply actions
or create a black hole
but I guess on the other side of that, there could be a positive amount
Will Ebners Hit Parade, Pain TV; Channel 32; All the time! (PDT)
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Jan 22, 2010 4:28 PM EST up reply actions
a new hypothesis for
what’s between step 1 and step 3: go past negative infinity, creating a black hole, and emerge on the other side where things are opposite (i.e., GMDM roster = Good).
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 10:44 PM EST up reply actions
as soon as i come up with it
you guys will be the first to know.
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 23, 2010 1:21 AM EST up reply actions
This plan
It’s just crazy enough to work!!
Will Ebners Hit Parade, Pain TV; Channel 32; All the time! (PDT)
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Jan 24, 2010 2:03 PM EST up reply actions
rick ankiel
is the big steaming dump dayton moore took on the gone and buried career of Mitch Maier after this offseason.
Methinks Mitch
hath had it.
It's pronounced Poo-ZHOLS in Catalan.
I don't quite get it on the surface
and I am terrified that DM is going to trade DDJ or do something else stupid. Hopefully this means he releases Guillen and B.A. ends up in AAA.
If we end up with an OF of DDJ, Pods, Ankiel and MITCH as the 4th then it’s an improvement over last year.
I guess we’ll see what transpires but I’m worried.
"He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it felt...he lives vicariously...through himself- He is the most interesting man in the world"
by Home Run Tony Cogan on Jan 22, 2010 9:16 AM EST reply actions
Freaky Friday!
TPJ and Ankiel could have had an episode of Freaky Friday with hilarious results.
But TPJ had to betray us for all our years of loyalty.
by Royal from Queens on Jan 22, 2010 9:32 AM EST reply actions
NO NO NO NO NO!
As a Cardinals fan, take it from me: Ankiel is lightyears betters than any other joker you have in the OF in KC.
For one: http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=2655396
He’ll do that aaaaaaaall day.
Didn't have time to watch the video
I assume it’s a video of him demonstrating how to properly inject oneself with “B-12?”
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 9:47 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Sorry,
but when someone is taking DOCTOR PRESCRIBED steroids for health reasons as Ankiel did, it’s not unethical, and it’s not cheating.
Now, in the case of McGwire, I’m glad he’s the Card’s batting coach, but he just straight up cheated. Ankiel? Not so much.
pretty sure I didn't say it was unethical or cheating
and it was HGH, not steroids
Anyway, as Chris Benoit would tell you, if a doctor prescribed it, it’s definitely on the up-and-up.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 2:35 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
not trying to be mean
but should any perscription from a doctor to an athelete or celebrity be taken on face value?
I know people don’t give f—- about wrestlers, becaus I guess they’re subhumans or something, but learning a bit about the culture teaches you more than you ever wanted to know about the grind of being on the road, staying in shape, etc., and what he realities are.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 2:46 PM EST up reply actions
youre 100% correct on this one....
the doctor did prescribe the HGH to Ankiel, but his reasoning for using it was not an FDA approved reason….which makes it very illegal…and just as bad as what McGwire did
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 4:28 PM EST up reply actions
wasnt byrd's actually legit?
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 4:59 PM EST up reply actions
i can't remember
didn’t he claim to have a brain tumor or something? yet he was getting the hgh from a dentist?
It started in his tooth
And worked its way up.
"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 Jan 22, 2010 9:42 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I like how he
missed the cutoff man. (sarc)
Coffee. The NEW Performance Enhancing drug for Sport's Writers. Just ask Ken Rosenthal.
Well, I don't hate the signing
but like many of DM’s signings, I have no idea what the thought process was behind it. I’m afraid to even predict what it means for the 25-man roster.
Unless I'm wrong...
My Twitter feed
I don't hate the signing
but I don’t understand it.
I guess if you throw enough mediocraty against the wall, some quality will stick to the wall while the rest of it oozes to the ground.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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I like this.
I like this in the way that people like being right about something they know will go wrong before it happens, like the A-Team remake.
See Data Differently.
beyondtheboxscore.com | Twitter: @ justinbopp
by Justin Bopp on Jan 22, 2010 10:44 AM EST up reply actions
how is the A-Team remake going to go wrong?
Will Ebners Hit Parade, Pain TV; Channel 32; All the time! (PDT)
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Jan 22, 2010 12:50 PM EST up reply actions
Not a bad move
Makes more sense if we see another move here soon. My money is trading Callaspo for a soft-tossing lefty. The Twins need a cost controlled 3B and have soft-sossing Glen Perkins. Voila – TRADE.
Its a good move for the money, but really, its still a bad move considering where we are. What is Ankiel really going to do for us? Even if he is halfway good for us, the only upside is that we can trade him and I still can’t see us getting a lot for him. And we’re not going to get a chance to see what Maier or Kila can do, guys that have a chance to be here beyond 2010.
So like Devil Fingers says, this is an average move, which means a great move for the transactionally-challenged Dayton Moore, but it reveals (a) the lack of organizational depth he has failed to build in three years and (b) the overall directionless march we are on as an organization.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
Also
The wise defensive alignment would be:
LF Podsednik
CF DeJesus
RF Ankiel
How much money do you want to bet they go with:
LF Podsednik
CF Ankiel
RF DeJesus
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
by RoyalsRetro on Jan 22, 2010 10:01 AM EST up reply actions
I'll one up the "wise" one
LF DeJesus
CF MITCH
RF Ankiel
but I’d also be willing to put money on your second option
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 10:03 AM EST up reply actions
he doesnt have the arm for left
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 4:29 PM EST up reply actions
As long as no Guillen (or Bloomquist)
I say it’s a win.
One aspect that hasn't been touched one
In so many ways, Ankiel is the perfect RF placeholder until the right free agent comes along
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 10:04 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
I can't figure out who's not going to make this team
Both OF and IF are a mess.
Even if there are five bench hitters, it’s still a puzzle.
Pena, Willie are locks for 2 of the spots. I assume Fields is a lock. That leaves 1 or 2 spots for Callaspo/Getz (whoever doesn’t start), Maier, B. Anderson, and Aviles. That assumes Guillen is the DH and assumes Kila has no realistic chance to make the team out of ST.
Getz and Anderson have options, and I think Aviles will get another shot at least off the bench. Hmm, I guess that means Maier is pretty much done unless there is a trade.
Unless
Willie is packaged as part of a trade.
Here’s to hoping.
Trade Willie? TRADE WILLIE???
BLASPHEMER!!
by Black and Gold on Jan 22, 2010 10:47 AM EST up reply actions
You don't trade Grit
That’s a fact.
Will Ebners Hit Parade, Pain TV; Channel 32; All the time! (PDT)
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Jan 22, 2010 12:52 PM EST up reply actions
More Like You
Can’t trade grit.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jan 23, 2010 7:38 PM EST up reply actions
this is what I came up with...in my head
Royals 25 Man Roster for 2010 (My thoughts after consulting with Marty):
OF: David DeJesus, Scott Podsednik, Rick Ankiel, Brian Anderson
1B: Billy Butler
2B: Alberto Callapso
3B: Alex Gordon
SS: Mike Aviles
C: Jason Kendall, Bryan Pena
DH: Jose Guillen
Bench: Willie Bloomquist, Chris Getz
Starters: Zack Grienke, Gil Meche, Brian Bannister, Kyle Davies, Robinson Tejeda
Bullpen: J. Soria, Kyle Farnsworth, Juan Cruz, John Parrish, Luke Hochevar, Bruce Chen, Phillip Humber
OUT: Yuni, Fields (who will wait in the wings for Gullien to get hurt)
Leave me alone, I'm Starving!
No way Hoch is in the pen.
He’s a guy they will not give up on yet.
Tejeda is in the pen to start. Davies stays in the rotation. He is one of GMDM’s guys.
You forgot Yuni at SS because we all know what’s going to happen there. I like the optimism. Aviles is a bench player/DH/2B/3B guy now. What about Mitch? Sad day.
One thing is for sure though, we do have more competition than we did last year, just it’s all on a MLB deal. WIth GUARANTEED money.
Coffee. The NEW Performance Enhancing drug for Sport's Writers. Just ask Ken Rosenthal.
and
“competition” is a relative term
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 4:15 PM EST up reply actions
Urge to kill
Rising…
GMDM killed me on this one. Hopefully he returns to form, but why sign 3 outfielders for basically 1 spot? Unless we move JoGui and get good return, this isn’t a deal we need to make…
…. this just in, he’s playing both ways… ahh…. now it makes sense… no it doesn’t…
Coffee. The NEW Performance Enhancing drug for Sport's Writers. Just ask Ken Rosenthal.
and if he moves DDJ...
… I’ll break his legs.
Coffee. The NEW Performance Enhancing drug for Sport's Writers. Just ask Ken Rosenthal.
Oh, and don't forget that he was linked to HGH and other performance enhancers
during his glory days… now he’s in his down cycle… would GMDM bet that he is now on the upside of things again? Remember, your body breaks down after you cycle off… that’s what we saw last year…
Coffee. The NEW Performance Enhancing drug for Sport's Writers. Just ask Ken Rosenthal.
See my top five list
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
Only way this deal gets any sort of approval
should be if it causes Guillen to play ZERO defensive innings in 2010. I don’t care if that means he is cut, traded, or merely left to DH full time.
An outfield of DDJ in left, Mitch or Pod in CF, and Ankiel in RF would certainly be a defensive improvement from last season, which is one of the things Moore seemed to emphasize (along with catching) when asked this off-season about what he needed to improve on the team.
All that being said, the concern is that Moore will be tempted to trade DDJ or Callaspo, and alternatively, if he holds onto Callaspo, that Hillman will underutilize Callaspo’s bat.
Look at the imbalance in the OF – assuming Guillen is used at DH, and Anderson is optioned, since he is the only OF with options left, ALL FOUR GUYS bat left handed. That certainly means Hillman will be tempted to play Guillen in RF against left handed pitching, with Callaspo at DH , right?
Mr Glass, this is a pro sports team, not a retail store - run it like one!
Not sure if it is that bad
Look at the infield:
Kendall — R
Betancourt — R
Bloomy — R
Butler — R
Fields — R
Pena — S
Callaspo — S
Getz — L
Gordon — L
Aviles — R
If you are right, we can have a lefty heavy line-up on most days, and with LH pitching, regardless of who makes the team, we can put quite a few RH bats in the lineup (or people like Ankiel that do not have bad splits).
Just last weekend I was looking at the roster and trying to figure out how the hell everyone was going to fit on the 25 man squad.
Couldn’t do it. Now, throw Ankiel into the mix?
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
The Royals recently signed free agent Scott Podsednik, and had since been talking to Xavier Nady, Marcus Thames and Jonny Gomes as possible power-hitting options.
Before the Royals signed Ankiel, they were looking at an alignment of Podsednik in center, David DeJesus in left and Jose Guillen in right, though Guillen could get many of his at-bats as the designated hitter.
From the espn writeup: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4848252
We had heard about Gomes and Thames, but I don’t think we caught the Xavier Nady rumors.
yay DHes who can't hit
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 12:14 PM EST up reply actions
I think this eliminates Thames and Nady for sure
I suppose Gomes could still be in play for DH – he would make an interesting platoon partner with, say Callaspo – but that would mean Guillen would have to be cut, since he is untradeable, and we all know the organization has yet to embrace the concept of a sunk cost. (well, at least the concept of a sunk cost greater than a few million dollars)
Mr Glass, this is a pro sports team, not a retail store - run it like one!
You're a Royals fan
Never say never.
Maybe Dayton thinks he can redshirt somebody.
Hey, can I change my screen name to "CentralChamps20??"?
by CentralChamps2009 on Jan 22, 2010 2:56 PM EST up reply actions
Upcoming announcement
“Mitch Maier has accepted the Royals offer of a greyshirt. He’s going to play CF and hit cleanup for Cloud County Community College this year, with the promise of a guaranteed roster spot next season.”
Unless I'm wrong...
My Twitter feed
this actually makes Thames and Nady MORE likely
see my comment below. what would be less likely is a player at a position of need or a low-priced backup who makes sense.
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 4:18 PM EST up reply actions
Has anyone brought up the horrible implication that .............
Ankiel’s “transition” from P to OF will have a negative impact on Zack? We don’t need anyone rekindling those “I want to play every day” fantasies again. On those grounds alone, the move is an unmitigated disaster. Every time Ankiel goes up to the plate, Greinke is going to freel a little gnaw in his belly that makes him feel like he should be getting some more ABs. Jesus! Even Dr. Phil’s blind step brother could have smelled that one out.
by Nighthawk at the Diner on Jan 22, 2010 12:39 PM EST reply actions 4 recs
How about this
He gets to laugh at a guy who sucked as a pitcher and now struggles but is still ok as a positional player. He gets to laugh at the fact he only has to play 1 out of 5 games and still will make 100 million dollars more in his career for playing 20% of the time.
by GobbleforCyoung on Jan 22, 2010 3:15 PM EST up reply actions
true
maybe we should root against Ankiel so that Zack sees how hard it really is to be an every-day hitter.
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 4:19 PM EST up reply actions
lol
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 4:26 PM EST up reply actions
That's IT!
Moore is assembling a team that can dominate when Little League type rules are implemented, requiring all players be given a chance to play all positions at least some of the time.
We have two guys now who have converted from pitcher to hitter or vice-versa. Only 7 more to go, and the push thru this bizzare rule change, and PRESTO!
PARADE!
Mr Glass, this is a pro sports team, not a retail store - run it like one!
by loyal2sdad on Jan 22, 2010 3:14 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
We Could Probably
Get him for Montgomery or Duffy.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jan 23, 2010 7:47 PM EST up reply actions
How does anyone have a problem with this
the Royals paid about the same for Jason Kendall! He has had .500+ slugging %. Not one player on the Royals has EVER HAD EVEN ONE YEAR of .500 slugging % except for GUillen when he was on roids.
I like the Fields Getz and Ankiel signings. Atleast they have some potential. Kendall, Anderson and Podsednick don’t/. But I wouldn’t be shocked to see Pods have a better year (.350 OBP, 40 steals, etc) than we all though Coco would have
by GobbleforCyoung on Jan 22, 2010 12:51 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
We just don't understand how this puzzle is going to fit together.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
Moore finally was true to his word
It took a couple of seasons but I remember late in 2008 he said there would be changes. Well, podsednick, fields, getz, ankiel and kendall are definitely changes. It’s tough to say those 5 players are any worse than our 9 starters and you can’t say they are improvements either. I think this is a good mix of competition. Are any of these guys going to be stars? No, but i bet you either Getz, Fields or Ankiel blossom into above average MLB players
by GobbleforCyoung on Jan 22, 2010 2:17 PM EST up reply actions
Allard changed things too!
He brought in Reggie Sanders, Scott Elarton and Joe Mays! Hurrah!
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
Reggie Sanders was better than Rick Ankiel at the time he was signed
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Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 2:22 PM EST up reply actions
yeah thats really it
I’m not hoping for anything really, just want to see how it plays out. I do think our offense will be better than last years and the year before. I think we have more players with upside than years past. Will any of them realize that potential? Probably not, but you might get lucky.
Ultimately, this is better than banking on career years from Coco and Jacobs and parting with two promising young cheap relievers in the process
by GobbleforCyoung on Jan 22, 2010 2:26 PM EST up reply actions
I agree about the 2nd part of your comment.
Just don’t see how this offense is any better.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
yeah
They’ll be worse than Jacobs, Olivo, Betancourt, Bloomquist, Maier, playing every day.
by GobbleforCyoung on Jan 22, 2010 3:06 PM EST up reply actions
I have a franchise in MLB 2k9
in which I traded for Ankiel. He hits bombs like every third at bat — against LHPs or RHPs.
Hopefully this portends subsequent trades for Joe Mauer, Adam Dunn, and Ryan Ludwick.
"You know what, I mean I cried in bed for a while, moaning 'Why!? Why did this have to happen?'"
Zack Greinke on the Brad Pitt - Jennifer Aniston split
It's another bad Dayton signing, so here's my 2 cents
1) This joke has surely been made, but perhaps Ankiel is being signed as a pitcher?
2) Playing DDJ in right and Pods in left is a massive, massive fail and had better not happen.
3) This is probably a 120-loss offense. Or worse.
Twitter: awolfson0
Oh dear
Ankiel is expected to play center field for Kansas City, David DeJesus is expected to play right and recently signed Scott Podsednik left, the source said, while Jose Guillen is expected to get most of his at-bats as a DH.
Unless Yuni gets hurt
then he moves to short
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 1:15 PM EST up reply actions
snark free-
seriously, Guillen at DH and Getz at 2B with Callaspo being a pinch hit specialist is not what I want to think about.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
DM has indicated that Fields is the likely starter at 2B b/c of his defense
and Callaspo is backing up at 2B/3B/LF/RF
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 4:21 PM EST up reply actions
I think you mean Getz (at least I HOPE you do)
And putting the guy who was your 2nd best hitter last year on the bench/roving platoon is just asinine. I’d rather see him traded.
"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 Jan 22, 2010 4:33 PM EST up reply actions
yes, i do mean Getz (pshew!)
just a typo from being in a hurry. although bad and less bad are still not part of the solution.
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 10:46 PM EST up reply actions
Kings of Kauffman
Has the UZR/150 stats on all three laid out. This would probably be the worst configuration possible defensively, which means ESPN is likely correct.
FAIL
I really don’t get the reasoning here. Let’s see, you have:
1) DeJesus = A guy who can hold his own in CF, and is one of the best fielding LF in the league, but whose biggest weakness is his arm.
2) Podsednik = A guy whose speed overcomes his misreads in CF, but is not as good in LF
3) Ankiel = A guy with a cannon arm, whose range in CF is not good.
I’VE GOT IT!
Pods in LF, Ankiel in CF, and DJ in RF! It makes perfect sense.
TRUST THE PROCSES
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
Podsednik is a terrible CF
and average at best in LF
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 2:23 PM EST up reply actions
Am I wrong
Or doesn’t DDJ have better range and Ankiel the stronger arm?
Hey, can I change my screen name to "CentralChamps20??"?
by CentralChamps2009 on Jan 22, 2010 2:59 PM EST up reply actions
Another interesting question
Who gets pulled off the 40-man. Interestingly, the Royals site says he won’t take his physical until monday, so the Royals have the weekend to figure this out.
But here is the list of possbilities:
Lerew
Marte
Wood
Lisson
Kila
Dyson
Maier
Fields
Guillen.
I’ll take my guess and say Marte goes. Older player, really not a lot of upside. And we have lots of camp arms that can take that spot.
With Aviles getting healthy
And Bianchi needing to play at AAA anyhow, Lisson on the 40-man is pointless. That doesn’t mean he’ll be going anywhere, but still.
Hey, can I change my screen name to "CentralChamps20??"?
by CentralChamps2009 on Jan 22, 2010 3:02 PM EST up reply actions
good
he hadn’t earned his 40 man spot the last two seasons
by royalspipeline on Jan 25, 2010 8:59 PM EST up reply actions
A possible good side to this whole thing
Since Ankiel is a Boras client, maybe this is a way of staying on Boras’s good side so that the Royals will be able to continue to sign affordable, can’t-miss talent like Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer!
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
is he Dayton's boy this week or not?
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 2:25 PM EST up reply actions
wow....i cannot fucking wait to see davey's noodle arm throwing from RF...
it will be AWESOME
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 2:19 PM EST reply actions
Do we have room on this roster for Wily Mo Pena?
Pitchers and Catchers report February 17th... And so begins my masochistic addiction.
fasho
all these outfielders have me wondering if Jim Bowden is working for the Royals now
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 2:29 PM EST up reply actions
Is Pena still playing?
He was released after just 41 games with the Mets AAA team last year.
I think the question would be “does Omaha have room on its roster for Wily Mo Pena”
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
dayton needs to package meche and dejesus
and really go for a mega deal
i’m horrified about what he’ll get back for DDJ because a) he’s a bad GM and b) he’s not high on DDJ himself
but throw in his precious Meche, and we may have something
Might be too late
I think I’d be happy with what the Braves got for Vazquez, actually (of course, Vazquez is miles better than Meche at this point). The pitching prospect is supposed to be awesome, and Melky’s better than people think.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 2:32 PM EST up reply actions
yeah....i'd be ecstatic with an Arodys Vizcaino level....
hitting talent….through the roof upside but very high risk
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 4:32 PM EST up reply actions
I thought Vizcaino was a pitcher
god I’m clueless when it comes to prospects
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 5:05 PM EST up reply actions
he is...
i meant a talent who is on vizcaino’s level….but a hitter….we have lots of pitchers already
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 22, 2010 5:30 PM EST up reply actions
yeah, I just meant that type of haul
the team isn’t at a place where they can pick and choose, just have to get the best player
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 7:14 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, but if he were going to do that
It should have been done MUCH sooner. Then you would have had another $14 million or so in 2010 payroll coming off the books that you could play with (assuming you didn’t get any MLB veterans in return).
Of course, we’re talking about Dayton Moore and FA acquisitions here, so I shudder to think what carnage would have been wrought with a hole in the OF and that much cash ready to burn.
"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 Jan 22, 2010 2:36 PM EST up reply actions
Mathews Jr.
So the Mets just took GMJ off the Angels hands for some 30 year old reliever and $2 mil. The Angels will pick up roughly $21 mil of the salary still owed to him for the next 2 years. I don’t know if this reliever will amount to anything for them, but they did save themselves $2 mil and at least have an arm that could possibly do something out of them pen for them.
If Guillen was on the open market right now, what could he sign for? 1 year and $3 million? If so, I’d be looking for another Omar to send us a 30 year old reliever and $2 million right now.
FKA "MileHighKCfan"
Guillen would be extremely lucky to get a major league deal at this point
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 2:36 PM EST up reply actions
While that is a possibility
I see him as one of those players that some how gets a deal no matter what happens. The guy kept screwing up and somebody was always there to take a chance on him. Might have finally found the end of the road with that, but if anybody is willing to give us a reliever and a bag of balls I’d probably do it.
FKA "MileHighKCfan"
It'd take the bag straight up
It’s nothing personal. Guillen is simply done as a major-leaguer at this point.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 2:42 PM EST up reply actions
Oh I hear ya
I am ready to just cut bait and eat the whole thing if needed. But I thought that trying to find some kind of return, and I mean anything really, would just be icing on the cake.
FKA "MileHighKCfan"
Guillen?
He can’t play defense, is coming off a .680 OPS year, and a terrible second half of 2008 before that, he has burned bridges all over the league for being a known clubhouse cancer, is a known PED user, and is terrible against righties.
Devil Fingers is right, he’d be lucky to get a MLB deal if we were to release him.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
Anybody else get the picture that with all these position acquisitions,
Dayton Moore appears to be panicking? He must be happy with the pitching staff, but…these are not the moves of a guy confident in his farm system (which he’s had three years to rebuild).
See Data Differently.
beyondtheboxscore.com | Twitter: @ justinbopp
I have thought Dayton has been panicking
Ever since about June of last year.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
He doesn't have time to explain his panicking to us
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
He's panicking so much that he's forcing the envelope
"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 Jan 22, 2010 3:24 PM EST up reply actions
pretty much
especially considering that we also signed a minor league FA two days ago
somehow moore’s regime hasn’t been able to rebuild AAA by 2010, which is pretty amazing
It really belies the image of him as the "good scout but bad GM" he's acquired.
He’s not even a good scout, either!
See Data Differently.
beyondtheboxscore.com | Twitter: @ justinbopp
Panicky Dayton Moore and Calm Dayton Moore
Neither one knows shit about being a GM.
Twitter: awolfson0
by awolfson on Jan 22, 2010 2:56 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
He got a bunch of college arms last year
To try to bridge the gap, but I only remember him getting the two college infielders from Arkansas in the first 20 picks or so. He/Piccolo/Arbuckle (if he has any input in drafting) just seem allergic to college bats, which should have been a primary source of higher picks in the first couple of years to flood the upper system with offensive prospects.
Hey, can I change my screen name to "CentralChamps20??"?
by CentralChamps2009 on Jan 22, 2010 3:07 PM EST up reply actions
is it just me or does it seem like a huge percentage of the minor league FAs/trades we've had
have been for pitchers?
I could be wrong, but it does seem that way
I don't really recall the trades
But yes, he’s signed a bunch of MiLB free agent pitchers. Most get a shot as AAA starters or, like Bullington and Rupe, a shot at the ML bullpen.
AA should see a number of last year’s pitcher draftees: I’d expect at least Crow, Coleman, and Keating to be there to start the season.
Hey, can I change my screen name to "CentralChamps20??"?
by CentralChamps2009 on Jan 22, 2010 3:27 PM EST up reply actions
using like 2003 slang
this rebuild is about to get real
there’s been a lot of promise and hope attached to daytons drafts, and as those guys start to mature to the higher levels, we’re truly going to see just how many of them are able to take it to the next level
i think we’ll know a lot more about our minor league system in a year
by Freneau on Jan 22, 2010 3:29 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Yep, this...
…coming year is a big one for the GM. – TL
"Sir,--It has been wittily remarked that there are three kinds of falsehood: the first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third and most aggravated is statistics." *The National Observer* (June 13, 1891): p. 93-94.
That's what I never understood about the drafts
he knew that AA/AAA have been weak on bats, yet hasn’t made a concerted effort to improve it through college bats. Giavotella was notable because he was such a rarity.
Unless I'm wrong...
My Twitter feed
if that's the case
I still say trying to “time” your drafts/development is crazy. PLayer development/drafting is incredibly complicated and risky as it is. Don’t add another layer of risk — gotta take the best player every time.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 5:07 PM EST up reply actions
Adding fuel to the fire
Jim Edmonds is available, and he will play for the league minimum.
FKA "MileHighKCfan"
They are the new Braves
Pitchers and Catchers report February 17th... And so begins my masochistic addiction.
by averagegatsby on Jan 22, 2010 3:13 PM EST up reply actions
well Im sure we have exhausted the well of players that GMDM had a hand in bringing to Atlanta
therefor Atlanta is not longer Atlanta to him
Pitchers and Catchers report February 17th... And so begins my masochistic addiction.
by averagegatsby on Jan 22, 2010 3:38 PM EST up reply actions
our problem understanding Dayton was that we didn't BELIEVE him
what we said:
“Ok Dayton, you’ve acquired 2 2Bmen, 2 3Bmen, 3 CFers; there’s NO WAY you would pick up ANOTHER player who plays a redundant position.”
what we should have said:
“OBVIOUSLY you’re going to go get ANOTHER player who plays a redundant position.”
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 3:56 PM EST reply actions
I probably took our collective statments as a double dare
you can’t not do a double dare, hence Ankiel
Will Ebners Hit Parade, Pain TV; Channel 32; All the time! (PDT)
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Jan 22, 2010 4:29 PM EST up reply actions
I = He (freaken english language)
Will Ebners Hit Parade, Pain TV; Channel 32; All the time! (PDT)
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Jan 22, 2010 4:30 PM EST up reply actions
right,
we’re back to the “you think that’s bad, I’ll show you bad” mode from DM
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 10:47 PM EST up reply actions
Dayton just has a very "sexy" roster construction disability
by Top Ramen on Jan 22, 2010 4:41 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Wouldn't that be a "sucky" roster construction disability?
/ducks from the impending shoe coming towards head
Will Ebners Hit Parade, Pain TV; Channel 32; All the time! (PDT)
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Jan 22, 2010 6:04 PM EST up reply actions
i rec for any
post relating DM to his cartoon doppelganger
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 10:50 PM EST up reply actions
I Officially Give Up
Ok, I do not have a problem with signing either Rick Ankiel or Scott Posednik. But signing both? And Brian Anderson? Even if we get rid of Jose Guillen (a man can dream), I just do not get it. We acknowledge we are not ready for contention, but also won’t give our younger players a chance to see whether or not they can succeed. While Mitch Maier probably does not have the power potential, he is a better fielder than Posednik and probably equal or better than Ankiel.
I want to keep the dream alive, but I just don’t see The Plan anymore
Dayton has moved on from collecting 2Bs
to collecting center fielders who can’t play center field
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 22, 2010 7:15 PM EST up reply actions
that's all we've got left
it’s like watching “Destroyed In Seconds” from the Discovery Channel
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 10:51 PM EST up reply actions
the outfield!
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 23, 2010 1:08 AM EST up reply actions
maybe you haven't met
former second-baseman extraordinaire Willie Bloomquist
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 23, 2010 1:23 AM EST up reply actions
I think I have it.
We’re going to play five outfielders. No third baseman or shortstop. We’ll trade Gordon, DDJ and Guillen (with money to cover his contract) to the Mets for Oliver Perez and Francoeur.
Yes, that was highly sarcastic. Cue Major League II: “He must be thinking . . . I don’t know what the hell he’s thinking!”
Murphy was an optimist.
by The Ol' Perfesser on Jan 22, 2010 7:36 PM EST reply actions
I guess I view this move in the terms of all the other moves
I think Dayton sees this seasons roster as being in a state of flux. I think there will be a number of trades (before, during, and after the season) and he is looking ahead giving the team options for filler players if moves are made. I’d be surprised if any of these guys is in the outfield opening day 2011.
cue the Onion article
“Royals GM finds out you can only have 25 players on a Major League Baseball team roster at any one time”
Conversation b/t Special baseball operations consultant Zapp Brannigan and GM Dayton Moore: "...but paper covers rock and rock crushes scissors...we have a conundrum. Get me some paper, a rock, and some scissors."
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 22, 2010 10:52 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Jesus...
Everytime I stay away from the site for a couple days, DM decides to go and do something silly. I guess I don’t think it’s horrible, but man… I guess I’m hoping for an Ankiel bounceback now.
If Getz starts over Callaspo that’s just unforgivable.
Ankiel bounceback
at least he might be the only signing Dayton has made recently that has the potential to be fun to watch.
So with all these position players
Looks like we are gonna have a 3 man pitching staff. Expect Meche and Zack to log about 550 innings. Trey will say that pitchers in Japan and in the 1880’s do it all the time.
Stuck following the Royals since 1976.
I like the move....
I seem to think this is a positive move…..take a flyer on a guy that may have value during the season and near the trade deadline. This means Mitch and his half -swing are doomed!
Fair deal, as d_f essentially said
But you know the org. will grossly mishandle it. We won’t trade Ankiel when we’re 40-70 and he’s hitting .270/.330/.500 in mid-July. Or…we guarantee his option after an average-ish 2010 season only to see him tank ridiculously far. Or….we’ll trade him for a less than stellar return. Or…we’ll continue using him in CF while he’s on pace for a record-low UZR. Or…we’ll continue to use him over Kila at DH. Or….
The possibilities are endless.
Has Moore made one positive position player free agent signing or other acquisition at the MLB level and handled it correctly? One? Possibly Callaspo, I guess, though I seem to recall he was late to the ball granting him PT in 2008. And of course his job is never that safe. Not that he’s some great or even above average 2B, but still…
Maybe Dayton doesn't know
That you can only play 3 outfielders. Seriously is there any way in hell we don’t score less runs than last year?
We are a Greinke injury away from losing 110 games.
Is it safe?
A bit late to the party, but how is Ankiel like Jacobs?
I agree with Devil_fingers overall assessment of the trade, and then he and others referred to it as “Jacobs II” or “Jacobs of the outfield.” How so? As D_f pointed out, Ankiel projects to be about a 1 WAR player. Jacobs projected to be little more than replacement level (maybe .3 WAR or less) when acquired. And Ankiel projects to earn his money (if 1 WAR = $4M, then even with the buyout, his a very minor bargain). Jacobs made a little more money and projected to be a worse player (and proved to be so, with a negative WAR). So again, how is Ankiel like Jacobs here?
I see this signing as follows:
1. Mostly meh.
2. An upgrade over Pods, Anderson and Maier.
3. Not a big bargain, but not a waste of money either.
4. Moore getting an ok player, but still turning his back on better, inexpensive alternatives in the OF.
5. We’ll see if this leads to a trade of DDJ or a release of Guillen.
The immoderate moderator
Actually, he isn’t an upgrade over Maier according to CHONE.
Yes, he’s more valuable than Jacobs, but his plate approach might even be worse — he swings at balls more often and makes less contact. That’s what the Jacobs in the outfield reference was about. CHONE actually has him as an inferior to hitter Jacobs in 2010.
So, yeah, it’s not a bad signing, but it hits all the Dayton Moore hotspots.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 23, 2010 9:30 AM EST up reply actions
Actually, he isn’t an upgrade over Maier according to CHONE.
Fair enough. Although, I think we should be less confident in projections based on as little MLB data as this one. But it is a useful piece of information.
So, yeah, it’s not a bad signing, but it hits all the Dayton Moore hotspots.
Sure, but I wish people could/would/wanted to evaluate something like this in and of itself. I think you did a good job of that above in your much-recommended comment. But then things kind of unravelled in later comments on this post, which were about the Ankiel signing on their face, but were actually just venues for anti-Moore vitriol. I prefer straight up analysis to emotional word-vomit, but to each his own. People are pissed at Moore, and rightfully so.
But a bit about plate approach. If a player is an X WAR player, do we really care what his plate approach is? I mean if a player is a 1 WAR player (or a 4 WAR player) does it really matter how much of that WAR came from hitting singles, drawing walks, hitting home runs or excellent defense?
The immoderate moderator
by Scott McKinney on Jan 23, 2010 9:42 AM EST up reply actions
no, I don't really care about his approach
I’m just talking about how the Jacobs comparison is appropriate. Hopefully he’s more of an Olivo-type hitter in 2010 (and I mean “guy who swings at everything but gets lucky” by that Olivo comparison — and if you look at Ankiel’s HR/FB rates from his good 1.5 seasons, it makes sense)
Although it isn’t something you’re discussing here, I should mention that while some people make a big deal out of Ankiel being hurt in 2009, that other than that being the sort of non-argument that drives me crazy (he still had 400+ PA, and do people really think that will only effect 2009 and 2010, etc.), it’s really interesting to look at CHONE’s 2009 projection for Ankiel, you can see that the 2010 projection isn’t just based on 2009 performance. Based on Ankiel’s 2007 and 2008, CHONE wasn’t all that impressed heading into last season — it wasn’t just an injury related “fluke.” I’m guessing it’s a combination of MLEs in the minor leagues and other stuff.
In other words, from CHONE’s perspective, Ankiel’s 2009 isn’t a total surprise — CHONE never saw him as a good hitter.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 23, 2010 10:02 AM EST up reply actions
Yes, an injured 2009 doesn't make me optimistic for a much better 2010
It’s not like he was projected to be good in 2009 before the injury. And injuries don’t always just go away. They come back. Or other injuries come. Who knows, he could miss a lot of 2010, much like Crisp did last year, limiting his WAR.
The immoderate moderator
by Scott McKinney on Jan 23, 2010 10:07 AM EST up reply actions
And even 2007 is really a mirage
Yeah, he had a decent WAR… but I just realized it was over 190 PA.. that’s about as indicative as Mike Jacobs 2005 call up with the Mets.
SEriously, though, if they can at least figure out DDJ/Maier/Ankiel as the best OF (assume DDJ is still around), this could be okay. Not as okay as actually managing to obtain better players than Ankiel and Maier (which wouldn’t have been difficult), but better than putting Ankiel in center or Pods in the starting lineup.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 23, 2010 10:16 AM EST up reply actions
I’ll just be happy if Hillman figures out that Ankiel is better than Pods and Anderson. Should be a no-brainer, but I don’t know. Ok, I won’t be happy, but it will be the kind of little positive which keeps me from crying myself to sleep at night. And I really think there islittle chance that DDJ/Ankiel/Maier are the regular starters in the OF.
The immoderate moderator
by Scott McKinney on Jan 23, 2010 10:24 AM EST up reply actions
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