Who is this year's Ross Gload?
by Valcour on Mar 20, 2010 2:48 PM EDT
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Last spring, there was a lot of gloom on the pending roster and the undoubted inclusion of Ross Gload on it. It looked like the Royals were so committed to Gload that nothing would stop them from bringing him back. Then as spring training wound up, the Royals traded him for a player to be named later. This year there are at least two places where they will probably have to trade or lose someone. In the outfield, unless someone gets injured, one person will have to go (I am already assuming Brian Anderson starts in Triple A). Of Podsednik, DeJesus, Ankiel, Guillen, and Maiers, it looked like Maiers was the odd man out going into the spring. He happens to be playing great; is out of options; and I will be totally torqued if he is cut or traded. Any chance any of the others could be traded?
At infield, Callaspo, Bloomquist, and Fields are fighting for a spot. That assumes that Aviles starts the year on the disabled list and that Gordon might start the year in Triple A on a rehab assignment. Until Aviles comes back, Betancourt will have a job (I think), Getz is the second baseman and Butler the 1st baseman. Oh and I forgot Kila who is also out of options and hitting well. Somebody's got to go. Fields might make it through waivers. Callaspo probably has the highest value of the guys the Royals would trade - though it would tick off the fan base to trade the second best hitter last year.
Personally I am hoping Guillen gets traded for cash; Getz plays shortstop while Aviles starts the year at second; Betancourt gets traded for PTBNL; Fields gets through waivers; Gordon starts at Triple A. Even with all that, I don't see how they can keep Kila, which bums me out (unless they traded Callaspo for someone good and Gordon could play opening day at third). In any case, it seems to me that the Royals have more good players to give away than they have in the recent past.
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Schaum seems to think they are gonna trade Bloomquist prior to the season.
Hopefully has some inside info and that’ll be true.
I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.
Hello, Omar?
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Mar 20, 2010 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions
and just like Gload,
Bloomy’s versatility plays much better in the NL
Zapp Brannigan/Dayton Moore quote of the day: "[my most important sabermetric stats are] runs scored and runs driven in"
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Mar 21, 2010 4:40 AM EDT up reply actions
also plays much better to dumb GMs
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by Matt Klaassen on Mar 21, 2010 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Bloomers Is The
Definition of superfluous at this point. When it all shakes out, this should be the MLB position players we keep.
Pena/Kendall C
Butler 1B
Callaspo 2B
Gordon 3B
Aviles SS
DDJ LF
Maier/Anderson CF
Ankiel RF
2K/Fields DH
Bench- Pena/Kendall, Maier/Anderson, Getz, 2k/Fields
Bloomers may well be this year’s Gload. Alternately, promising CF to Ankiel may have the same effect, blocking a cheap, defensive oriented platoon.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Mar 20, 2010 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Rangers
Are looking at Bloomquist and Ramon Vazquez that i know of
I am not saying he will be traded but it would not surprise me…
Geez, Jon Daniels
how are can it be?
Hopefully, Dayton realizes he can’t expect anything in return. Maybe a 2010 Rangers program.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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by Matt Klaassen on Mar 21, 2010 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions
I thought the Rangers
were further than one shitty utilty guy away from winning. At least they have a choice.
by kcbottom9th on Mar 21, 2010 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Some would say the Rangers are the favorites in the West
not me, but they are definitelly contenders
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.
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by Matt Klaassen on Mar 21, 2010 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions
It was kind of a tongue in cheek jab at those two
Although I do kind of think they are behind the Angels and Mariners. Should be a fun division though. Have a soft spot for the the West because I see so much of it, we get Mariners games up here.
by kcbottom9th on Mar 21, 2010 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions
It depends on their pitching.
If Colby Lewis and Derek Holland are average #3 and #4 guys, then they could be pretty good with their hitting and defense.
If their pitching stinks, well at least they are better than the Astros.
Damn, if Dayton's talent evaluation and signings weren't bad enough, he always has to add that stupid 2nd year.
Bloomy should already be on someone else’s roster. As should Farnsy. And next year at this time we’ll be saying the same about Kendall—wait, I’m already saying that about Kendall.
That would be Mitch Maier without the "S"
Sorry – my PC must have a lisp when I type. Don’t know why I keep thinking Maiers instead of Maier.
Kila
Kila deserves to play. He has become a solid fielding 1st baseman, and we all know he has power. Give the guy a break already.
First base is an odd position for the Royals since they have several guys that can play there (Gordon, KK, Fields, Butler) – it’s all about run production and + fielding.
I say if we can trade Callaspo for a pitcher, who is MLB ready, make it happen. We could also use some youth in the OF.
[img]http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0eTH2sm73rf3u/610x.jpg[/img]
The problem with trading Callaspo
is that Dayton wouldn’t get what he’s worth.
There are too many below-average players on the Royals. When you finally find someone who’s above-average at something important (Callaspo: getting on base and hitting line drives) and who’s cheap, it’s dumb to trade him. Especially if you’re Dayton and you think Scotty Pods is a good player.
Kila’s never been given a fair chance at winning a job. The problem is he’s competing with Butler and Guillén at 1B-DH. We know we want Butler to play first to improve his skills and maximize his value. We also know that the Royals are going to give at least 400 PAs to Guillén at DH because that’s how dumb they are. No room for Kila, I’m afraid, unless a reader with Mafia connections can talk Lefty Guns, Sonny Red, and Joey Fats into kneecapping Guillén.
I would be ecstatic if we could get even a level C prospect for Bloomy, and I’d take literally nothing for him, for if he is on the squad Trey will play him and he will consume useful PAs.
It's pronounced Poo-ZHOLS in Catalan.
Agreed on all counts
Can you imagine what Dayton would get for Callaspo? I shudder to think.
In the case of Bloomy, I’d be ecstatic if we actually got something for him, but it would help our team even if we got nothing. We just can’t afford to be flushing ABs down the turlet on a guy like that, particularly outfield ABs. I just can’t believe they view him as a suitable outfield option. It’s insane.
What should Callapo get?
I think we overvalue him. His glove butchers his value at second. He doesn’t hit well enough to be a good 3B, doubly so for DH.
Unless someone is really desperate for a bat at 2B, I don’t see why anyone would really give up much for him at all.
by kcbottom9th on Mar 21, 2010 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions
fans always value their own players/prospects
Callaspo’s probably about an average player at 2B/3B, overall
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by Matt Klaassen on Mar 21, 2010 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Even though he's hitting his peak years?
I think he’d probably be valued at least similarly to what we valued Kelly Johnson at last year.
And Kelly Johnson's about an average player
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 Mar 21, 2010 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions
I would love it
if the Royals had more than about two average players. When your team sucks so bad that you’re starting Kendall and Scotty Pods and the Big Yunit, and Bloomy and Mad Dog Farnsworth are getting paid to play baseball and not mow the grass, you can’t be too picky.
Callaspo is cheap, in his mid-20s, still has a little upside, and is good for an 800-850 OPS and his UZR/150 at second base is -3, while the Yunit is -10. He’s not a good fielder, but he’s not the absolute dregs of the league. He can play first or third if somebody gets hurt, and he could DH. He’s not what you’d call an ideal DH, but José Guillén is a hell of a lot worse.
I would not trade Callaspo for anything less than another real major league player.
It's pronounced Poo-ZHOLS in Catalan.
Just a question
Any more developments on the Speedy Kendall domestic abuse / amphetamine addiction story? Any chance he might be charged by the law or suspended by the club or league, so that we don’t have to play or pay him?
It's pronounced Poo-ZHOLS in Catalan.
What is this average player you speak of?
- .-. ..- … – / – …. . / .—. .-. - .. . … …
by Jeff Zimmerman on Mar 21, 2010 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Keeping Guillen on the roster has a really bad trickle down effect
someone good will get bumped if he stays on the roster.
Bloomers is this years Ross Gload, and
like Gload we don’t think that he will be traded.
Go Royals!
What's the absolute worst scenario?
That’s what will happen.
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by Justin Bopp on Mar 22, 2010 3:32 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Mitch Maier, NL All-Star
Seriously, I think Maier sticks as a decent 4th OF somewhere, and maybe gets an injury-replacing CF spot. It’s not that losing MITCH is the worst thing in the world, as I don’t think he’s truly an impact player, its that he would have been extremely valuable to this team: had they just let him start in CF instead of chasing after older players who are, at their best, just as good as him, they would have gotten 120+ starts of adequate at a premium-ish position for the league minimum. I don’t think the same will be said about Pods or Ankiel come September. For a rebuilding team biding time waiting for the “wave” of talent come 2011-2013, a Mitch Maier type is gold.
Second part of that scenario, Willie Bloomquist plays 3-4 days a week. With Callaspo and eventually Aviles, as well as Getz getting occasional work at SS, this team has enough utility IF to keep Maier, a better OF asset defensively and offensively, over Bloomquist as the 4th OF. Since I think Hillman’s hell bent on giving Guillen RF starts on occasion anyway, there’s your RH OF with Fields as the DH against LH pitching anyway.
I fear the “trading Bloomquist” rumor is just too good to be true.
That seems like a more appropriate name.
by CentralChamps20?? on Mar 22, 2010 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions
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