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Is Lorenzo Cain the Best Option for CF?

Lorenzo Cain crashes into the right field wall after missing a catch in the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins.

I had been planning this article for about a week or so. This morning while finishing it up, Yodazilla basically brings up the same topic. Nice to see great minds think alike.

Once Melky Cabrera was trade to the Giants, the Royals came out and stated that Lorenzo Cain will be the starting CF for the Royals going into spring training. Cain had a decent year in AAA with 16 HRs and a 0.312 AVG. All arrows point to him as the best option, but I am not so sure.

The Royals really have 4 options right now for CF, Lorenzo Cain, Jarrod Dyson, Mitch Maier and David Lough. To begin with, are the ZIP projections for the 4 players:

Name Bats Age BA OBP SLG OPS CF Fielding
Cain R 26 0.259 0.314 0.370 0.684 Fair
Dyson L 27 0.237 0.290 0.302 0.592 Very Good
Maier L 30 0.246 0.324 0.353 0.677 Fair
Lough L 26 0.255 0.297 0.362 0.659 Fair

ZIPs has Cain with the highest OPS with Maier and Lough closely behind him. Dyson's OPS looks to be about 100 points lower. Dyson is the only one projected to play above average defense in CF while the other 3 are below average.

Here are the numbers from the Oliver projections:

Name BA OBP SLG OPS
Cain 0.266 0.323 0.388 0.711
Dyson 0.239 0.290 0.308 0.598
Maier 0.243 0.321 0.348 0.669
Lough 0.265 0.301 0.394 0.695

Cain still has the best numbers, but Lough now jumps Maier with Dyson even further behind. Here is my quick take on the 4 players.

Star-divide

Jarrod Dyson - For the Royals in 2012, Dyson is not the answer. He just doesn't get on base enough, mainly because of his 25% K%, to utilize his speed. While he may be the best CF defender, the speed is not enough to make for his inability to hit.

Dyson's one ace-in-the-hole for the season is his speed though. He could be used as a pinch running specialist. The Royals like to have a deep bullpen. With the current starting pitching staff, they are probably going to need it. If Lough or Maier is the 4th OF, it would leave only 2 spots on the bench for an utility infielderr and a catcher. Having Dyson on the bench for pinch running is a luxury the Royals can't afford. Dyson is just not the answer.

Mitch Maier - I am afraid Mitch's run with the Royals is finally done. Of the 4 players, he is the oldest by 4 years (he is 30, Dyson is 27, Lough and Cain are 26). Mitch's numbers will only get worse as he continues to age. While he would likely have the best OBP of the 4, his SLG is below both Lough and Cain. I would not be surprised if Mitch doesn't get a chance to write letters home from summer camp this year.

David Lough - Lough has performed decently in AAA over the last 2 seasons. While his numbers aren't going to win a MVP, they are very serviceable. Here are his career AAA numbers compared to Cain's:

Lough: 0.299/0.356/0.460
Cain: 0.305/0.377/0.476

Cain has the advantage, but the numbers were much closer than I though they would be. Lough's main problem in the comparison is his walk rate. Lough projects to have a walk rate near 5% while Cain's rate will be near 6.5%.

Lorenzo Cain - In a vacuum, Cain looks to be the best player of the 4. He has the ability to hit for both average and power. Also, he has the speed the Royals are looking for at the top of the lineup. The Royals seemed to have made the best chose, but I think they could do a bit better.

Conclusion

The Solution is a Cain-Lough platoon. The Royals have the nice opportunity to have a nice platoon option in the OF with Lough facing RHP and Cain facing LHP. I think this is the best option because Lough is the youngest and best hitter of the LHH options. Cain is the only RHH. Since they are both relatively young, they will be playing in their peak years. Also, they will give Yost a nice in game substitution option. If the opposing team changes to a different handed pitcher, the Royals can then just bring in the other hitter. The total difference would probably amount to a win or two gain. Not a bad gain for not spending any money.

Cain is by for the best option for the Royals in CF for 2012. The Royals could improve the situation if they were to pair Cain with Lough for a true platoon. Who would start would depend on the opposing starting pitcher. With all these stated ideas, I fully expect the Royals to keep Cain in CF and Juan Pierre-lite will be the reserve outfielder.

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Did the Royals sign a different David Lough who can play center field?

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by Matt Klaassen on Feb 2, 2012 11:44 AM EST reply actions   1 recs

Why can't he play center? Did he get really slow in the last two years?

Prior to the 2010 season, David Lough was named the 10th best prospect in the Royals’ system by Baseball America. They described him as an average defensive centerfielder and above average at the corners. A player with above average speed and major league average tools in other categories.

Go Royals!

by BabyBlues on Feb 2, 2012 12:24 PM EST up reply actions  

When they describe a prospect as an average defensive centerfielder

I think it can pretty much be translated as below major league average centerfielder. I remember them describing Cain as above average, and he is average.

by YouDon'tPhaseMeGobble on Feb 2, 2012 2:15 PM EST up reply actions  

He will be an above avg ML'r

Unless every opinion I have read on the subject in the last year is wrong.

by Bronzillo on Feb 2, 2012 3:17 PM EST up reply actions  

if melky is avg

then yes, i’d expect cain to be above avg. it really depends on what you mean by avg. from what little i saw last year, cain certainly did not stand out in the field

by YouDon'tPhaseMeGobble on Feb 2, 2012 5:38 PM EST up reply actions  

LIES!

Cain didn’t see a lot of time in 2011, but when he did play, Yost asked him to go stand out in the field. More specifically, he was sent out to either rightfield or centerfield every day for a week.

And that is exactly what Cain did. He stood out in the field.

by kcemigre on Feb 3, 2012 10:39 AM EST up reply actions  

Where is Blanco now?

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Feb 2, 2012 11:46 AM EST up reply actions  

I Always Liked

Him more than his numbers warranted. He signed a FA contract with SF.

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

by philofthenorth on Feb 2, 2012 2:10 PM EST up reply actions  

Freel was a Royal?

Holy shit

Don't you ever play GM- Lee "Touch of Gray" Judge

by tiquanunderwear on Feb 2, 2012 11:46 AM EST up reply actions  

IMO

He might be one of the most random Royals ever. There was a post about it maybe a year or so ago.

I'm waiting for my wave of talent to arrive.

by mitchfreakingmaier! on Feb 2, 2012 12:05 PM EST up reply actions  

How soon you forget Eli Marrero

And with good reason.

"Put that in your pipe and smoke it."

by Hal McRae's Telephone on Feb 2, 2012 12:14 PM EST up reply actions  

Very briefly.

"There is nothing shrewd about running a red light and later finding out it kept you from being hit by an asteroid." - philofthenorth

by KeepItCopacetic on Feb 2, 2012 12:39 PM EST up reply actions  

Freel lol

That’s pretty much the only thing to say about that deal.

by Yodazilla on Feb 2, 2012 12:02 PM EST up reply actions  

Scott

Pods

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Feb 2, 2012 11:45 AM EST reply actions  

COUNT DA RINGZ

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Feb 2, 2012 12:36 PM EST up reply actions  

2005!

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

by philofthenorth on Feb 2, 2012 2:13 PM EST up reply actions  

Defense

I think the Royals are of the opinion that Cain plays above average centerfield. If that holds true then he’s a no-brainer, right? And as mentioned, pretty sure Lough can’t play center.

by kcgregory on Feb 2, 2012 11:55 AM EST reply actions  

Not useless, but I also don’t think particularly good defensively. From what I’ve read, he’s been described as “defensively average at best in CF” or worse.

You may know me as NYRoyal.

by Scott McKinney on Feb 2, 2012 1:55 PM EST up reply actions  

I think it is fair to say that Cain is a superior defender to David Lough in CF.

Cain may not win a gold glove, but he will not look like a fat lump *cough*Melky*cough* out there either. If the Royals thought that Lough was a better (or comparable) defender, then Lough would have logged some time there at Omaha last season.

by fightwookies on Feb 2, 2012 2:07 PM EST up reply actions  

Also, I think if they thought he was a pretty good defender who could handle CF and hit a little, they wouldn’t have offered Maier arbitration.

You may know me as NYRoyal.

by Scott McKinney on Feb 2, 2012 2:15 PM EST up reply actions  

from what I remember

BA was not real high on his defense — his speed was okay but he was not a great fielder and had a questionable arm. Goldstein called him a “tweener” awhile back with scouts questioning that his glove would play in CF and that his bat would play in a corner.

by Gopherballs on Feb 2, 2012 4:54 PM EST up reply actions  

You may well be right, but all I can find right now is his blurb from BA’s 2006 Prospect Handbook:

An above average runner with solid instincts on the bases, he covers plenty of ground in center field. He improved so much at tracking balls that some Royals officials believe he’s a better fielder than Chris Lubanski. Maier’s arm is good for center field and average for right.

You may know me as NYRoyal.

by Scott McKinney on Feb 2, 2012 5:57 PM EST up reply actions  

2006?

Wonder what the word on Franceour was.

Nick Swisher is hands^h^h^h^h^h delicious.

by ChrisCEIT on Feb 2, 2012 6:14 PM EST up reply actions  

He had graduated out of the system by then. He was no longer technically a prospect. But in 2005, he was their #1 prospect.

You may know me as NYRoyal.

by Scott McKinney on Feb 2, 2012 6:24 PM EST up reply actions  

Wait, Lough?

That is who I was talking about.

by Gopherballs on Feb 2, 2012 10:25 PM EST up reply actions  

Apparently I got lost and confused at some point. I think I thought I was replying to another comment. Yes, I think Lough has always been seen as a pretty good cOF defender but not really a CFer.

You may know me as NYRoyal.

by Scott McKinney on Feb 3, 2012 10:31 AM EST up reply actions  

agreed that Cain is supposed to be average or better in CF

I thought defense was one of his strengths.

Lough is supposed to be average or close to it in CF, at the very least he can handle the position.

Kila's slash for Apr 20 to May 4, 2011, right before he was sent down: .276 / .344 / .448

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Feb 2, 2012 1:30 PM EST up reply actions  

BTW - sorry for the crappy formatting.

Let me see if I can clean it up

Doubting Thomas, the patron saint of sabermetrics

by Jeff Zimmerman on Feb 2, 2012 12:00 PM EST reply actions  

banned

Kila's slash for Apr 20 to May 4, 2011, right before he was sent down: .276 / .344 / .448

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Feb 2, 2012 1:30 PM EST up reply actions  

not saying that

I have no idea, but he was moved for a reason. Either:

A) He’s not good enough to play center
or
B) He’s not as good as Cain in center since that’s who took over when he moved

’Can’t play center’ may be strong, but in your post you seem to indicate they’re equal defensively. That seems unlikely.

by kcgregory on Feb 2, 2012 12:01 PM EST reply actions  

Thanks for the recognition/compliment, Jeff.

But why not any love for Dyson? He’s only had 118 PA’s, in which he’s OPS’d .622. He is a fantastic defensive sub and a fantastic baserunner. If he can prove to hit at all, he’ll be a really nice addition to the team when it counts. If not, then, well, what’s the harm that he could do?

by Yodazilla on Feb 2, 2012 12:13 PM EST reply actions  

Look at this:

Dyson’s ML career: 71 OPS+
Escobar’s ML career: 72 OPS+

The Royals are trotting Escobar out there everyday and you’re telling me that Dyson doesn’t even hit enough to be a 4th OF?

by Yodazilla on Feb 2, 2012 12:19 PM EST up reply actions  

Escobar level D at SS

is a much rarer commodity than Dyson level D in CF… (seems to me anyway)

Good observation though.

by Bronzillo on Feb 2, 2012 1:19 PM EST up reply actions   1 recs

Have you seen Dyson play CF?

Neither has played enough to give a ton of weight to the UZR/150 stats, but they’re informative nonetheless. So far Escobar is at 5.9 runs above average through 2,840 innings, which is impressive. Dyson, however, has a UZR/150 of 24.4 in 227 innings, which is unsustainable but also pretty incredible. So, compared the average SS and CF, Dyson and Escobar are each very good, and their respective defensive values are probably pretty similar.

Kila's slash for Apr 20 to May 4, 2011, right before he was sent down: .276 / .344 / .448

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Feb 2, 2012 1:41 PM EST up reply actions  

Jerrod Dyson =

Joey Gathright.

Very fast, but not good enough with the bat to stay in the lineup.

by fightwookies on Feb 2, 2012 2:02 PM EST up reply actions  

Gathright

actually wasn’t an especially good fielder or basestealer despite being speedy.

by Bronzillo on Feb 2, 2012 3:26 PM EST up reply actions  

Gathright was actually a pretty terrible defender...

…his speed did cover a multitude of sins out there, but he was, nonetheless, terrible.

by kcemigre on Feb 3, 2012 10:45 AM EST up reply actions  

Dyson has so few ML at-bats that your numbers are meaningless.

Escobar hit fairly well in AA at age 21 and AAA at age 22. When Dyson was 21 and 22, he was putting up worse numbers…in Rookie Ball and A ball. When Dyson finally did reach the upper levels at a much higher age, his numbers were still worse than Escobar’s by a decent margin.

A 22 year old SS with an outstanding defensive reputation coming off a .298/.353/.409 line in AAA is a good prospect. A 26 year old CF with worse numbers in AAA with an outstanding defensive reputation (and good baserunning) is a 25th player on the roster. Dyson was a below-average hitter in AAA, he would likely be an abysmal hitter in MLB. Dyson simply can’t hit even close to well enough to make him a starter. Escobar did hit well enough last year to be a decent player.

Look at Franklin Gutierrez. The metrics have him as an unbelievably good defensive CF, but his offense last year was probably what Dyson’s will be (at best), and that dragged his value down to where he was a mediocre player at best.

Also, SS is still a more premium defensive position than CF.

Killing time until time kills me

by EspeciallyK on Feb 2, 2012 1:33 PM EST up reply actions  

In a half season he put up 1 WAR
dragged his value down to where he was a mediocre player at best

That’s close to average. I think this is actually Dyson’s best argument – Gutierrez’s wRC+ was 54, which is horrendous, yet he managed to at least approach an average looking season. I’m not arguing that Dyson is even going to be that good, I just don’t want him to get written off solely b/c the bat doesn’t look good enough.

Kila's slash for Apr 20 to May 4, 2011, right before he was sent down: .276 / .344 / .448

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Feb 2, 2012 1:46 PM EST up reply actions  

A 26 year old CF with worse numbers in AAA with an outstanding defensive reputation (and good baserunning) is a 25th player on the roster.

Isn’t that kind of what we’re talking about? The 25th man? I’m pretty sure that’s what some people here are talking about. Really, this sort of comes down to the pitching. If the Royals could carry a normal bullpen, Dyson has a role to play.

Also, on a tangential note, his defense has been really fun to watch.

by kcemigre on Feb 3, 2012 10:56 AM EST up reply actions  

I have a hard time buying the projection that both Lough and Cain are going to be roughly equal defensively in CF.

I say go with Cain full-time for the entire season unless he’s OPSing .500 or something.

Killing time until time kills me

by EspeciallyK on Feb 2, 2012 12:16 PM EST reply actions   1 recs

I was under the impression that Lough was a tweener without the speed to play CF or the bat to play corner OF

If his bat were a little better, he could be a DDJ-type, which would be pretty good, but I don’t think he’ll hit that well.

Cain is reported to be a very good defender, so I wouldn’t put much stock in the ‘fair’ projection from ZiPS. If Cain’s the better hitter and fielder, he’s got to be the every day guy.

by kcdc1 on Feb 2, 2012 12:35 PM EST reply actions  

I think that's right

But there are more than a few guys in the big leagues who are probably stretched a bit in CF – Jayson Werth, Melky Cabrera, Rick Ankiel. I guess the question is – can Lough hit enough to justify subpar defense? I’m guessing no, but its worth a look.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Feb 2, 2012 12:37 PM EST up reply actions  

I've been searching for a scouting report on Lough's d in CF, but

haven’t really found it yet. PT Press thinks he can handle CF just fine, but they also include the caveat that he is something of a pet prospect there.

Kila's slash for Apr 20 to May 4, 2011, right before he was sent down: .276 / .344 / .448

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Feb 2, 2012 1:48 PM EST up reply actions  

Someone (I don't remember who) was talking about Cain on TV last year

They said he caught everything in CF and was one of the best young defensive CF they had seen. I think the Royals are making a huge upgrade in up the middle defense. With Perez, Escobar and Cain up the middle there is Gold Glove potential in all three of them.

by maddirishman on Feb 2, 2012 12:38 PM EST reply actions  

you forgot Giavotella….

by kcgregory on Feb 2, 2012 12:52 PM EST up reply actions  

i don’t know how to use the fancy sarcasm font, but it was intended as such

by kcgregory on Feb 2, 2012 1:37 PM EST up reply actions  

Put this: @you forgot Giavotella….@

Here: you forgot Giavotella….

Doubting Thomas, the patron saint of sabermetrics

by Jeff Zimmerman on Feb 2, 2012 1:39 PM EST up reply actions  

And if Gia can't cut it

we have two sets of plus hands waiting in the wings

Kila's slash for Apr 20 to May 4, 2011, right before he was sent down: .276 / .344 / .448

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Feb 2, 2012 1:49 PM EST up reply actions  

That's awesome.

plus hands, plus hands, plus hands, and plus hands

by Yodazilla on Feb 3, 2012 8:41 AM EST up reply actions  

Who is The Brazilian Beast, Alex?

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

by philofthenorth on Feb 2, 2012 2:40 PM EST up reply actions  

IMO

I don’t like this platooning crap much. Baseball is a game of rhythm and even flow. That’s why people love/hate the DH position. I’m not totally sure that Cain has somehow earned the job of starting CF for the Royals, but it was bestowed on him by those who watch him daily.

It’s fun to read into stats and try to arrange options and manage trades with statistics like that but there is one thing we know. Lorenzo Cain can play center field. Let him play. What we don’t know is can he hit at the major league level in 2012 and make up for where Melky was at the dish. I don’t see platooning two guys who’ve spent a majority of their time in the minors filling in a role that a guy just had 200 hits.

by MVP-Gordon on Feb 2, 2012 12:42 PM EST reply actions  

yeah, the Rays do it all the time and where has that got them? @@

Kila's slash for Apr 20 to May 4, 2011, right before he was sent down: .276 / .344 / .448

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Feb 2, 2012 1:50 PM EST up reply actions  

Yea, because we have the Rays pitching staff……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

by MVP-Gordon on Feb 2, 2012 5:29 PM EST up reply actions  

What's the general feeling here about using ZIPS for players with little or no previous ML experience?

I don’t like Cains projections at all.

I’m curious what the method is in basing these predictions as I don’t know a lot about ZIPS.

by Bronzillo on Feb 2, 2012 1:12 PM EST reply actions  

Projections of players with little or no MLB data are extremely difficult and have the widest error bars

For such players, they project based on Major League Equivalents (MLE’s) of minor league numbers, otherwise referred to as “translations” of minor league data to the majors. One should have much less confidence in the projections of such players than players with a significant Major League track record.

You may know me as NYRoyal.

by Scott McKinney on Feb 2, 2012 1:58 PM EST up reply actions  

Just subtract 25%

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

by philofthenorth on Feb 2, 2012 2:42 PM EST up reply actions   1 recs

I wonder how the MLE's from the International league compare in accuracy to the PCL

I would presume projecting stats from the former is more accurate since it is the more balanced of the two closest levels.

I’m not a big fan of the PCL. I would love it if KC played in the Int League.

by Bronzillo on Feb 2, 2012 3:15 PM EST up reply actions  

This is why I think the Royals have a chance to be surprisingly good.

With the amount of prospects the Royals have, there’s a realistic possibility one of them breaks through and has a positive impact instantly. Mike Montgomery is really the x factor. If he’s above average this year, that makes a huge difference.

by Yodazilla on Feb 3, 2012 8:43 AM EST up reply actions  

When you're dealing with a lot of young players, there's a chance to be surprisingly good or surprisingly awful

Yes, one or more breakouts could easily happen. Also, one or more complete collapse failures could easily happen. Unfortunately, historically, the latter is much more common than the former. I think it’s good for projections to even things out, rather than trying to predict breakouts and collapses.

You may know me as NYRoyal.

by Scott McKinney on Feb 3, 2012 10:33 AM EST up reply actions  

You're absolutely right

However, you do have to admit that the prospect “X-Factor” this year for the Royals is a much bigger one than most teams have most years.

by Yodazilla on Feb 3, 2012 1:04 PM EST up reply actions  

I think Lough is a meh utility corner OFer

who should only play CF in the majors on an emergency basis.

You may know me as NYRoyal.

by Scott McKinney on Feb 2, 2012 1:59 PM EST reply actions  

How good was Mitch's CF reputation in the minors?

I was under the impression that in general, when a scout says a player is, “an average CF” for ex, that he is usually speaking in terms of a ML projection.

by Bronzillo on Feb 2, 2012 3:37 PM EST up reply actions  

Maier had the reputation of a good defensive CFer who could play all three positions, but a light hitter. Lough is likely a better hitter, but a significantly worse fielder who really shouldn’t play CF at all.

You may know me as NYRoyal.

by Scott McKinney on Feb 2, 2012 4:39 PM EST up reply actions  

that sounds about right.

Luff can’t seem to get a shot, so we may never know for sure.

by Bronzillo on Feb 3, 2012 3:43 AM EST up reply actions  

if he never gets a shot, we can be pretty sure....

there are 30 teams out there, if he’s good enough, he’ll get a shot

Fire Everyone

by billybeingbilly on Feb 3, 2012 3:53 AM EST up reply actions  

I agree on Lough

but I think this “if a guy is good enough, he’ll get a shot” thing is overused in general. Every team in baseball had a chance to pick Nelson Cruz up off of waivers — and the Rangers put him on waivers. He “got a shot,” yeah, but after every team passed on him at least once.

Jack Cust’s story is similar.

It doesn’t happen very often, of course, and I will personally buy a LaRussa replica jersey if Lough turns into the next Nelson Cruz.

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by Matt Klaassen on Feb 3, 2012 9:50 AM EST up reply actions  

if a guy doesnt get a shot here, he'll get a shot in japan or somewhere like that...

and if he thrives there, someone will give him a job here. there’s too much information out there for guys to be missed entirely. it may take longer than it should, but it’ll happen eventually as it did with cust and cruz.z

Fire Everyone

by billybeingbilly on Feb 3, 2012 10:06 AM EST up reply actions  

This all hinges

on the judgement that Lorenzocaine is only fair in center field and that Lough is at least fair. I doubt that very much.

2011 Royals Review NCAA Bracket Challenge Winner, by process of attrition

by sfeldkamp on Feb 2, 2012 2:08 PM EST reply actions  

Considering the way Yost used (or didn't use for that matter) the bench last year

I think Dyson is the best option for the 4th outfielder. If the starters are going to start 95% of the games, it won’t generally hurt the line-up, and they can actually use his speed and defense late in the game to their advantage. I just don’t see the point of carrying a guy like mitch on the bench if they aren’t going to use him.

If an outfielder gets hurt, they can move up lough from AAA so they dont have to put Dyson in the line-up. This seems like a no brainer to me.

by YouDon'tPhaseMeGobble on Feb 2, 2012 2:10 PM EST reply actions  

I too am of the agreement that dyson should be the 4th outfielder for the reason you stated....

then if someone goes down for an extended period you bring a more well rounded guy up.

Fire Everyone

by billybeingbilly on Feb 2, 2012 3:30 PM EST up reply actions  

I think the biggest reason why Cain needs to play as much as possible this year

is that you’ve got to see what you have. Last year was lost because of Melky’s unexpected resurgence. Actual contention is still a longshot this season, so this needs to be Lorenzo’s audition year. If he falls flat then you know that CF is a need heading into 2013.

by Sweep_the_Leg on Feb 2, 2012 3:06 PM EST reply actions   1 recs

agree

I am not really a huge fan of Cain (or Giavotella for that matter) but they have some skills and have shown enough in the minors to suggest that they have a reasonable chance to succeed in the majors. Let’s see what they have.

by Gopherballs on Feb 2, 2012 4:58 PM EST up reply actions  

And, in a year like this, it would make no sense to platoon Cain or Giavotella and get perhaps the half-win net benefit from that, rather than have a season of full-time play for their development and evaluation.

You may know me as NYRoyal.

by Scott McKinney on Feb 2, 2012 5:59 PM EST up reply actions  

If KC is going to use their farm system to build the team, then you have to play Cain

for the full season and see what he can/can’t do. He was good at Omaha and is ready for big leagues. I feel the same way about Lough.

by daveyork on Feb 2, 2012 10:22 PM EST reply actions  

Really

1st—-do you ever proof read your articles before you post them? Mitch Maier never was how can be be a has been? Let’s see what Lorrenzo can do, I watched several StormChasers games last year and he didn’t look all that bad, I would have given him the nod over Melky for defense alone. Besides with all these fancy stats in sports today I beleive you can overstat anything. Baseball just happens to be the most over stated game on the planet. Theres probably someone out there figuiring the ratio of shoe size vs pant size vs chest hair vs hat size as to how big a bat it takes to hit a ball off a tee.

by Thugwatcher on Feb 3, 2012 11:59 AM EST reply actions  

AMAZING insight.

My day is complete now.

Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
Rock Chalk Talk

by Warden11 on Feb 3, 2012 12:09 PM EST up reply actions  

Yeah, I agree completely

There’s a study being done on the effects of nude batting practice on batting average. I hear it’s being sponsored by Pop-Tart.

by Yodazilla on Feb 3, 2012 1:07 PM EST up reply actions  

uhhh, do YOU ever proof-read YOUR posts?

“Mitch Maier never was how can be be a has been?”..awesome sentence. And baseball may very well be over-statted, and given the length of discourse on this site alone, is probably over-stated, too. Sorry, but if you’re going to criticize someone for proof-reading, you ought to follow the practice yourself. ‘Beleive’ it.

If women only slept with nice guys...guys would only be nice. And they don't. And we're not.

by setupunchtag on Feb 3, 2012 2:43 PM EST up reply actions  

This post is why they make you pass three semesters of English

before they let you out of college. I’d give a native speaker an F for that paragraph, and I’d give a non-native an incomplete and offer some suggestions on how to turn it into a decent second draft.

"That fucking fucker of a general swears too fucking much." --Unnamed soldier about Gen. George Patton, 1943

by Juancho on Feb 4, 2012 5:16 AM EST up reply actions  

If I'm being a real dick, there are 18 or 20, depending on how you want to count 17 through 19.

1. Capitalize ‘do.’
2. ‘Proof read’ should be one word.
3. There should be a semi-colon or comma followed by a conjunction like ‘so’ after ‘was.’
4. The first of consecutive ’be’s should be a ‘he.’
5. ‘Lorrenzo’ is misspelled.
6. ’Let’s see what Lorrenzo [sic] can do’ is an independent clause and should be ended in this situation with either a semi-colon or (preferably) a period. The period is preferable because otherwise this sentence is a helluva run-on.
7. ‘StormChasers’ is two words.
8. There should be a comma after ‘year’ but before ‘and.’
9. There should be a period after ‘bad.’
10. There should be a a comma after ‘today.’
11. ‘Beleive’ is obviously misspelled.
12. If we allow that ‘stat’ can be used as a verb, ‘overstat’ should have a hyphen between ‘over’ and ‘stat.’
13. The next oddly different use of ‘overstat is wrong in two ways. First it should be hyphenated again.
14. Secondly, when conjugating the dubious verb of stat into the past tense, it should be spelled ’statted.’
15. “Theres?” Really? Jesus Christ.
16. Then in that same sentence, he spells ‘figuring’ as follows: ‘figuiring.’
17. 18. 19. Each of the abbreviations of ‘versus’ should be closed off with a period.
20. The portion of the last sentence that follows ‘hat size’ makes little to no sense and stumbles along awkwardly.

Sporadically musing on the Royals at both Royals Review and Royalscentricity, pop culture at Inconsiderate Prick, SVU at Munch My Benson and on Twitter at Old Man Duggan

by Old Man Duggan on Feb 5, 2012 6:56 PM EST up reply actions  

I think it's been stated in other ways, but the platoon idea is s*** because of two words...

Player development.

It’s the same reason, like it or not, that Yoster left Alicedes spell that shit in for late game at bats in a lost season. This most likely isn’t a contending year. This could quite possibly be our last year of let the young buck get hisself some at bats.

I know it pains us all to not have winning Royals for the _____th consecutive year. But platooning two developing players so that they avoid their weakness at the ML level means you end up with two crippled kids with one club foot each.

LoCain is regarded widely as the better prospect, has hit in his small ML doses, and had a pretty damn admirable attitude and performance despite being dropped to AAA at his age. If he can handle that, I’m willing to bet he’ll handle his slumps, bumps, and lumps at the ML level.

by dubPeacock on Feb 4, 2012 4:59 PM EST reply actions  

Why do we even need a CF?

just put gordon and frenchy in the outfield, sit back and relax

by Chiefshero on Feb 4, 2012 11:36 PM EST reply actions  

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