Eric Hosmer (a/k/a the Royals equivalent of Casey Kotchman—compare their stats
this year) was called up last year after 118 AAA plate appearances. After
playing well in 2011 the Hos has regressed to a way below average player. Many
assert that his performance is due to a slump or bad luck or a combination of
both, but in any event he is obviously not playing well and 40% of the season is
already gone. At the time he was called up Eric was 21 years of age and a month
later Mike Moustakas was called up at the age of 22 after 486 AAA plate
appearances. After a slow start Moose finished strong and has played relatively
well this year.

I would suspect Dayton will give Wil Myers some more seasoning in AAA,
especially in light of the Hosmer performance this year. He will probably lean
towards something more in line with the way he handled Moose, i.e., give him
more seasoning at AAA and call him up some time next year at the age of 22
assuming he continues to play well in Omaha. Lorenzo Cain will be up with the
club in the next few weeks to man center. It is doubtful Frenchy will be traded
based on the mutual affection/attraction between Dayton and the Frenchman and
the fact that Frenchy is not exactly the most marketable type of player for a
contender. Like it or not, Frenchy is viewed as a team leader and clubhouse
presence so that will also likely factor into the equation not to trade him.

Since Myers is not on the 40 man roster there is no real pressure to add him to
the roster at this point with Cain coming back to the club in the next few
weeks. Keeping Wil in the minors will insure at least two years of separation
between his arbitration year and the arbitration year of Moose and Hos which
saves a lot of payroll in the long term.

Absent an unexpected trade or unforeseen injuries to a couple of outfielders,
Myers spends the year in Omaha.