I didn't expect contention, but it's fair to say I didn't expect this. The 2012 edition of the Royals has played uninspired ball since the break and seems content to sputter to yet another 90 loss season. The Twins are a mild streak away from lapping Kansas City and leaving them in the ditch known as fifth place. It's a familiar ditch.
I alluded to 2009 in my previous post, and sadly that's the state I'm sinking toward. Especially after Wednesday's craptacular exhibition of fundamental fail. Last year's edition was interesting because there was this pipeline of youth that was supposed to be about setting us up for the future. Today, we see where that pipeline gets us without the arms to back them up.
Man, this stinks.
So I'm at this usual place I've found myself in too many late July's and early August's... What will I do to keep my interest the last two months?
-- Wil Myers needs to get promoted. I understand we've beaten the Francoeur Horse to death, but he's now evolved into this generation's Bip Roberts... He's not part of the solution in any way, shape or form. Get rid of him.
-- I would like to see Johnny Giavotella. Really? We're closing the book on a 24 year old infielder after around 200 plate appearances? The Royals, with The Process, should understand the patent insanity of jumping to a conclusion like this. Get him up from Omaha and play him every day from now until the end of the season. At the same time, pick a spot for him in the batting order and leave him alone. Is this too much to ask? Just let the kid know that every day for the next two months, he will be at second base and hitting eighth. Or whatever.
-- I will root for Billy Butler to break the Royals single season home run record. It's not that I'm embarrassed by the insanely low total of 36 home runs as our franchise record. It's that sometimes a milestone kind of helps you pass the time. Butler has 20 bombs, so he is just 16 away. Eight in each of the next two months. Doesn't seem like a huge feat. Except that Butler has never launched more than six home runs in a calendar month in his career. Wow. Seems low. And it suddenly makes him an unlikely candidate to break the record this season. His power surges have been short lived.
-- Sal Perez. Damn, I missed that guy. Any game he's behind the plate, I'm dialed in.
-- A trade... Any trade will do. Broxton needs to go. This idea that the Royals are holding out for a major league ready starting pitcher is a bit on the loco side, I'm afraid. Dayton packaged Kyle Farnsworth and Rick Ankiel for Tim Collins and Gregor Blanco. And at the time, Farns was a similar pitcher to Broxton. The Sanchez for Guthrie deal wasn't an indicator of the market... It was a swap of dead weight. I don't know what the Royals are thinking here. Maybe a flashback to Octavio Dotel for Kyle Davies.
Speaking of a trade involving Broxton, ideally GMDM finds a team so desperate for relief they'll take Francoeur off his hands. I blogger can dream.