The best part of the Royals season will be Opening Day- then the last game, because it will be football season.
There are plenty of reasons to watch.
Mondesi, Merrifield, Dozier, and Soler make the lineup interesting.
Duffy and Keller are fun starts to watch.
And we’ll probably see Lee and Singer this year. First of the next crop of talent coming up.
Deberg_1990
02-19-2020 04:57 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
(Post 14803504)
There are plenty of reasons to watch.
Mondesi, Merrifield, Dozier, and Soler make the lineup interesting.
Duffy and Keller are fun starts to watch.
And we’ll probably see Lee and Singer this year. First of the next crop of talent coming up.
Duffy finally puts it all together in year 10?
Mecca
02-19-2020 05:09 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deberg_1990
(Post 14803510)
Duffy finally puts it all together in year 10?
That'd be great so they can move him for something.
Halfcan
02-19-2020 05:17 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
(Post 14803504)
There are plenty of reasons to watch.
Mondesi, Merrifield, Dozier, and Soler make the lineup interesting.
Duffy and Keller are fun starts to watch.
And we’ll probably see Lee and Singer this year. First of the next crop of talent coming up.
:thumb:
It would be great if they are at least competitive this year.
BWillie
02-19-2020 05:21 PM
My friend says that Aldaberto Mondesi is better than Lindor and had a chance at winning the MVP last year. I told him that is an incredible leap of faith. Can he figure it out this year?
We know he is a major leaguer, and a good one. But with what we saw at the end of 2017 it appeared he could trend toward a superstar at some point of his career. Can that still be his trajectory?
duncan_idaho
02-19-2020 06:05 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by BWillie
(Post 14803544)
My friend says that Aldaberto Mondesi is better than Lindor and had a chance at winning the MVP last year. I told him that is an incredible leap of faith. Can he figure it out this year?
We know he is a major leaguer, and a good one. But with what we saw at the end of 2017 it appeared he could trend toward a superstar at some point of his career. Can that still be his trajectory?
Your friend is kinda crazy. If everything clicked for Mondesi, he might go .280/.330/.550 with 25 HR and 50 SB.
If you pair that with his strong defense, you’d have an incredibly valuable player... but still someone on par with Lindor in overall skill.
Titty Meat
02-19-2020 06:37 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prison Bitch
(Post 14802906)
Fangraphs “Depth Charts” says 71 and Prospectus says 67.8 as per their 2/11 release. So the dude who said Vegas called 59 wins lied.
Is that counting for Duffys inevitable trip to the 60 day DL?
dlphg9
02-19-2020 09:00 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
(Post 14803173)
Duncan's Top Prospects for 2020
Well, here it is. I'll switch into baseball mode, reluctantly, after the high of the Chiefs getting to the mountain top.
The Royals farm system is slowly building back up to the state it needs to be in. Good drafts in 2018 and 2019 (some might say a GREAT draft in 2018) have the system loading up. With a strong 2020 draft (more on that in a bit) and solid progression from current crop of farmhands, KC is primed to be back in top 10s-ville (rather than the mid-range current ranking) by this time next year.
Let's get to it.
Top 5
Spoiler!
1. Bobby Witt, Jr. RHH SS Witt has been talked about a ton in these Royals threads since mid-2018. You know the story by now: He's a toolshed, with legitimate 5-tool ability. His hit tool is the biggest question, and he has shown some positive signs in that regard (the changes he made between his junior and senior years of HS, for example). At his best, he's Trevor Story (.270/30/80/100) with more speed. That's a gold glove level SS with 30-HR power who's a true 30-30 threat every year. This season is huge for him - he had disappointing numbers in his pro debut but strong peripherals and batted ball stats. He's the most important player in this system.
Where does he end 2020? I'm going to get aggressive and say KC challenges him late with an assignment to High A Wilmington.
2. Kris Bubic, LHP This is an aggressive ranking from me for Bubic, but I keep coming back to how advanced he is and the fact he led the minors in strikeouts shouldn't be overlooked. Coming from the left side with great deception and a dynamite changeup that induces a ton of whiffs, he also improved his fastball velocity last year thanks to diving into analytics, and showed a workable curveball. If he continues to sit 93-94, the combo of secondaries makes him my top guy of the big 4.
Where does he end 2020? AAA Omaha, ready to compete for a major league rotation spot in 2021 (it would be Kansas City if it wasn't silly to start his clock this year)
3. Daniel Lynch, LHP I've seen Lynch in the third slot in most lists. There's a ton to like from him - a 6-5 lefty who sits in the mid-90s and has a wipeout slider and developing changeup sounds an awful lot like Sean Manaea (who, anyone was around in 2015 can attest, I constantly splooged about). Of the "Big 4," Lynch has the best combination of pure, raw stuff. If the changeup doesn't come along a bit more, he does risk becoming Andrew Miller.
Where does he end 2020? AAA Omaha, ready to compete for a major league rotation spot in 2021 (it would be Kansas City if it wasn't silly to start his clock this year)
4. Jackson Kowar, RHP Kowar currently has a profile that I typically don't love: RHP whose best secondary is a changeup. Kowar has a plus fastball, plus-plus change. But that profile is hard to make hold up at the major league level without an at least average big-league breaking ball. With his size, arm angle, and general delivery, I'd love to see him ditch the curveball (which is very inconsistent) and work on a cutter and a slider. I see a lot of Michael Wacha in Kowar... whether he picks up a better feel for spin than Wacha will determine if he is more than a back-end starter.
Where does he end 2020? AAA Omaha, ready to compete for a major league rotation spot in 2021 (it would be Kansas City if it wasn't silly to start his clock this year)
5. Brady Singer, RHP Singer's profile is a lot like Kowar's. Big righty, good makeup, good fastball (with better command), ultimate fate determined by progression of his secondaries. Unlike Kowar, Singer doesn't have the dynamite putway pitch. His slider - which is a slower, more vertical-breaking slider than the tight snapper Daniel Lynch features - is inconsistent but a nice weapon when he has it. With his arm angle, throwing a consistent changeup will probably always be an issue for Singer. I've been banging the drum for a while now for Singer to try a splitter. He needs a weapon against lefties to induce some swing-and-miss (wouldn't hurt against righties, either). This is an area where I hope KC can be a little more creative and avoid round-pegging this square-hole guy (This front office/development staff has in the past locked in too much on fastball-curve-change arsenals - though the past few years have shown them moving off this).
Where does he end 2020? Kansas City. The Royals give Singer a September call-up. He may have a rough go in Omaha if the trampoline ball is still in play there (having that ball in those hitting environments makes it really hard for pitchers to post good "traditional" numbers), but he'll do well enough and progress enough for KC to bring him to the Show.
6-10
Spoiler!
6. Khalil Lee, LHH OF I love the potential of Khalil Lee. He's a very traditional Royals outfielder in that he has a full toolbox that includes a strong arm and great speed. He's a very non-traditional Royals outfielder in that he takes a lot of pitches, has good plate discipline, and tends to draw walks (if anything, he sometimes is TOO patient). Lee has good raw power (55) but he hasn't displayed much of it in games for the past 2 seasons. If he taps into it again, KC could be looking at a real star player. If he doesn't, best case is probably a very David DeJesus-like LF ... but with plus speed and 30+ SB a year.
Where does he end 2020? Kansas City, playing LF or RF on a daily basis in September.
7. Kyle Isbel, LHH OF Isbel's offensive profile is interesting. He has hit a ton as a pro and often has looked like a steal in the 3rd round of the 2018 draft. He injured his hand and missed some time last season, and his numbers nose-dived after his return. Did he come back too soon? It looks very possible. Isbel also has a very David DeJesus-like profile. There's still some potential he could play 2B, which would make his offensive contributions (potential .280/.330/.450 with 20 SB) a lot more special.
Where does he end 2020? AA Northwest Arkansas. Isbel will start and stick at NWA as the Naturals make a playoff push.
8. Erick Pena, LHH OF Ohhhhh, baby. You want high-upside Latin America talent to dream on? Hear you go. Pena has an enormous ceiling. Early chatter is that he's fast and skilled enough to stick in CF - even for the Royals and their spacious ballpark. That's a big, big statement. As for the bat, it's way too early to KNOW anything, but he has a compact, smooth swing with good loft and great control. It's said he controls the strike zone well and can use all fields. Best-case scenario is this is a guy in top 50 lists by this time next year, with the likelihood of ascending to the top 25 and elite prospect ranks as he approaches the majors.
Where does he end 2020? As a 2019 Latin America signing, it's hard to see him advancing much beyond Idaho Falls this year. But... if he hits and they think he can handle it from a makeup perspective (likely), KC will be more aggressive with him. So I'll be aggressive and say he ends up in Single A Burlington.
9. Yefri del Rosario, RHP del Rosario missed all of 2019 but was last seen dominating hitters much older than him in 2018. I think he picks up where he left off. The stuff may not be there to be more than a back-end starter, but he's got enough stuff, enough command, and enough moxie to have a pretty high floor (for me).
Where does he end 2020? High-A Wilmington. He'll start the year in Lexington, but will have enough success to jump to High-A.
10. Austin Cox, LHP Cox doesn't get much attention, but he's also from the class of 2018. He has the best fastball-curve combination of any Royals lefty in the minors, and he has a real penchant for strikeouts. If the commmand improvements he showed off in 2019 stick, this could be a mid-rotation starter in the majors with a K/IP.
Where does he end 2020? AA Northwest Arkanas, anchoring the rotation in the playoff run.
11-20
Spoiler!
11. Carlos Hernandez, RHP 2019 looks like a bit of a lost season for Hernandez if you just look at his final stat line. But he did perform at a high level in Lexington after shaking off the rust at rookie ball (and getting hit around). When healthy, Hernandez is a big, physical righthander with a classic pitcher build. He has a fastball-slider combo that can dominate.
Where does he end 2020? AA Northwest Arkansas. I expect KC to move Hernandez as quickly as it can to make up for 2019's delay in his progression.
12. M.J. Melendez, LHH C Welp.2019 sucked, huh? Melendez came into the 2019 season muscled up like crazy, and i wonder if it cost him some flexibility in his swing, as his already-present k issues spiraled out of control. He still has the tools - raw power, athleticism and great arm behind the plate, great makeup, good receiver and pitch-caller - to be a plus starting catcher. Early reports on him are a completely reworked swing (and more flexible, slimmer, dynamic body). He's going to catch and throw well enough to make a big-league roster. He can be a solid starter if the swing changes improve his contact rate and cut his k rate - but that needs to show up right away.
Where does he end 2020? AA Northwest Arkansas. Melendez is part of the "core wave" the Royals are prepping and will be kept with the same core of guys who won the Single-A title last year. The NWA ballpark typically plays well for lefthanded power, so if he really HAS fixed some of his issues, Melendez could be due for a major bounceback with the bat.
13. Brady McConnell, RHH SS/3B/CF You want to talk about tools? McConnell has them. That's very classic Dayton Moore farm target. What's interesting about McConnell is that the Royals zagged a bit in snagging him. As a draft eligible sophomore coming off so-so college production at Florida, McConnell was a divisive prospect. By drafting him high and paying him accordingly, KC ensured he would jump to the majors. With his raw power and speed, McConnell could have catapaulted into the top 15 picks with a strong junior campaign. It's a boom-bust swing, but it's a creative approach to adding high-upside talent to the system. It gives KC more upside than you'd typically find from a guy drafted where McConnell was. Creative is good. More of that, please.
Where does he end 2020? Playing CF for A Lexington.
14. Yohanse Morel, RHP Morel has some of the best stuff in the Royals system. He's still far away, he missed time with injury in 2019, and his performance wasn't great when he was on the mound (so he lands in the second ten prospects of a mid-tier system). He'll be just 20 this year and will get a second crack at Lexington. At 6-0, there's not much projection left in him, but simple refinement of his command and control could spell a solid back-end rotation guy.
Where does he end 2020? In Lexington. He'll likely be ready for the push to High-A Wilmington, but KC keeps him in Lexington for a playoff push
15. Vinnie Pasquantino, LHH 1B Now here is a fun find. Vinnie P is a classic 1B - big, powerful, lumbering. A round 11 pick in 2019 out of Old Dominion, Pasquatino raked in his pro debut, to the tune of a .592 SLG. He also paired that with good plate discipline (27:40 K:BB, 16.7% K rate). The Royals might have found a real gem here (they also might have drafted a college guy who was too experienced for his rookie-ball competition). He's a 1B-only guy all the way, and that's a tough profile to make it with, but this year should give a good indication of whether he's legitimate or just a college guy whose experience carried him.
Where does he end 2020? Batting cleanup for Single A Lexington.
16. Darryl Collins, LHH OF Spreek je Nederlands? Collins, an international signing out of The Netherlands, was impressive in his pro debut. (22:30 K:BB, 14.8% K rate). The bat is going to carry him, but early results give reason to hope he can be more Max Kepler than Marten Gasparini (at least hitting the ball. He isn't going to run or defend as well as Kepler - not the same type of athlete).
Where does he end 2020? Collins will start the season on the complex and make his debut at short-season A (Burlington). He'll continue to rake.
17. Zach Haake, RHP Haake was also part of that nice 2018 draft class. The righty has filthy stuff - good fastball and slider - but likely is headed for the pen due to the guys around him and some injury concerns. Maxing out for the pen, Haake would project as a high 90s guy with a wipeout slider. Yes, please, yes.
Where does he end 2020? Haake will make it to Wilmington - how he does there will determine if he stays in the rotation moving forward.
18. Evan Steele and Daniel Tillo, LHPs I threw these two together because they're from the same draft class and have similar outlooks: Bullpen lefties (but really good ones). Steele has the size and stuff to be a really good starter (seriously, he is right there with Lynch and Hernandez and Morel in terms of raw stuff) but has major health concerns that probably relegate him to the pen. Tillo has a nasty power sinker and became a lockdown guy after moving to the pen last year. With Haake, these two may form the backbone of the next Royals playoff bullpen.
Where does he end 2020? Steele has to prove he can stay healthy and won't make it past Wilmington. I think Tillo ends up in KC in September, pitching middle innings.
20. Seuly Matias, RHH OF I'm stopping here, not because I'm out of interesting guys, but because it all becomes so wishy-washy after this point. Speaking of wishy-washy, read the rest of this recap. Matias has so much natural ability, you can believe he'll eventually put things together and become a low average thumper who plays a good RF and is a quality starter. His raw power is exceptional. But then there are the strikeout issues. He has so many strikeout issues, you can't believe he'll eventually put things together. 2018 and 2019 were big seasons for him developmentally - he really needed to cut those K rates to continue progressing - and he failed those developmental goals. There's time left, but not a lot...
Where does he end 2020? on the injured list. Did I mention he gets hurt all the time, too, in addition to striking out all the time?
2020 Draft Thoughts
The Royals again have a strong draft pool to work with in 2020, with 4 picks in the top 77 (4, 32, 41, 77) and will have the money to be creative and aggressive. At 4th overall, KC is probably out of range for the top college bat, Spencer Torkelson (Arizona State 1B/OF) who basically is Andrew Vaughn - but with better raw power and the ability to 'play' LF. This draft is deep in college arms (Emerson Hancock, Asa Lacy, Garrett Crochet), but there will be intriguing college bats (Vandy SS Austin Martin, UCLA CF Garrett Mitchell) available, too.
It's regarded as a pretty strong draft right now, so it's a good year to have picks and add premium upside to a system on the rise. The big target for me would be impact bats. KC's minor league system has good pitching depth. You always take the best guy on your board, but looking at KC's system, I'd take a bat over a similarly ranked pitcher this year (unless Hancock is there. If he is, they can't let him slip).
I love Bubic. I've been in love with him for awhile now and it's nice to see him ranked so highly. Lots of places have him ranked behind Singer, Lynch, Kowar. I also think Singer is ranked too high in most things I read, so this looks great to me. Bubic has absolutely dominated every single class he's been in and like you said above he lead the minors in Ks.
Prison Bitch
02-19-2020 09:27 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mecca
(Post 14803209)
Until I see it I think Brady Singer ends up as a closer because without a true secondary pitch he's going to struggle to start..
Where does this come from? What’s the analytical proof? Has there been a study on it? Lots of guys start and do well with 1-2 pitches.
Shields: curve/change. FB for show, always had negative value
Yordano: FB/curve. FB severe negative value 2016. CB was his high value pitch
Volquez: curve/slider. FB negative most years
Ian: FB. That’s it. High value pitch, all others negative
DuffMan: FB/curve. Slider change negative value
I mean outside guys like Sabes, Cone, Appier, none of our stattters has 3 high value pitches
Our lineup actually has the potential to be pretty impressive this year.
But our rotation and bullpen? Yikes.
We were 26th in runs scored last year. I simply don't see where the improvement is supposed to come from for basically the same group to be "impressive".
DeepSouth
02-20-2020 09:35 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by OKchiefs
(Post 14804761)
We were 26th in runs scored last year. I simply don't see where the improvement is supposed to come from for basically the same group to be "impressive".
Last year the bottom four hitters for the Royals were pretty much outs. This is what will be different;
Lucas Duda / Frank Schwindel with O'Hearn / McBroom
Chris Owings with Nicky Lopez
Billy Hamilton with Maikel Franco
Martin Maldonado with Salvador Perez
Obviously, it's NOT the same group.
Mecca
02-20-2020 09:36 AM
To be fair, Ryan O'Hearn hit less than 200 last year, he sucks too.
duncan_idaho
02-20-2020 09:38 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by OKchiefs
(Post 14804712)
Based on what premise? Because you surely can't believe we hit well enough to be competitive.
Oh, there's the makings of a respectable offense here.
Merrifield
Mondesi
Dozier
Soler
Perez
Gordon
isn't bad at all. If Mondesi stays healthy, that could be a pretty dynamic grouping. Personally, I'd flop Merrifield and Mondesi and let Whit see more fastballs.
They need more from 1B, CF, and 2B (Nicky Lopez) offensively to be a legitimately good lineup, but 2/3 of the setup isn't bad.
They should be talking to the Dodgers about Joc Pederson. He would be a better option in CF than Merrifield, is still only 27, and swings left. If the Dodgers were ready to send him out for Luis Rengifio, the price tag on him isn't that high.
If they were willing to send $10 million with it, I'd bet they could get Pederson and may even a lower-level lotto ticket prospect from the Dodgers for Ian Kennedy.
^ This is the type of creative thing Mecca is asking for. I'd be all over it.
Pederson is a free agent after this season, but so is Kennedy. I'd consider Pederson a more tradeable commodity than Kennedy, generally.
If that were to happen:
Mondesi - SS
Merrifield - RF
Dozier - 3B
Pederson - CF
Soler - DH (know this is weird, but it stacks 3 good OBP guys right in front of him, all of whom can run)
Perez - C
Gordon - LF
O'Hearn/McBroom - 1B
Lopez - 2B
That's actually a pretty good lineup. You'd sit Pederson against lefties, and Perez probably gets some time at 1B instead of McBroom, especially against lefties.
Mecca
02-20-2020 09:40 AM
The Pederson thing makes to much sense so I wouldn't expect it. I think Moore is a bit to old school and to attached to players he picked to really shake it up.
DeepSouth
02-20-2020 09:41 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mecca
(Post 14804774)
To be fair, Ryan O'Hearn hit less than 200 last year, he sucks too.
You are correct. That's why McBroom could be at 1st. I think players will have a shorter leash this year. With the controversy following Matheny, they'll want the team to improve over last year. Matheny cannot stand the scrutiny that Ned has gotten for the last two 100 loss seasons.
Chiefspants
02-20-2020 09:42 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by OKchiefs
(Post 14804761)
We were 26th in runs scored last year. I simply don't see where the improvement is supposed to come from for basically the same group to be "impressive".
We'll see. I think a core group of Whit/Soler/Dozier/Mondi/Perez/Gordo could be fun if they stay healthy for a full year. If O'Hearn has a bounce-back or if Franco has a turnaround year in a new setting that lineup suddenly becomes dangerous.
Mecca
02-20-2020 09:43 AM
I don't have much excitement for baseball.......they hired a manager I can't stand and then proceeded to let creative moves that would have been savvy pass them by.
duncan_idaho
02-20-2020 09:48 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chiefspants
(Post 14804787)
We'll see. I think a core group of Whit/Soler/Dozier/Mondi/Perez/Gordo could be fun if they stay healthy for a full year. If O'Hearn has a bounce-back or if Franco has a turnaround year in a new setting that lineup suddenly becomes dangerous.
I keep forgetting about Maikel Franco. And that Dozier is the everyday RF now.
dallaschiefsfan
02-20-2020 09:52 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
(Post 14804776)
Oh, there's the makings of a respectable offense here.
Merrifield
Mondesi
Dozier
Soler
Perez
Gordon
isn't bad at all. If Mondesi stays healthy, that could be a pretty dynamic grouping. Personally, I'd flop Merrifield and Mondesi and let Whit see more fastballs.
They need more from 1B, CF, and 2B (Nicky Lopez) offensively to be a legitimately good lineup, but 2/3 of the setup isn't bad.
They should be talking to the Dodgers about Joc Pederson. He would be a better option in CF than Merrifield, is still only 27, and swings left. If the Dodgers were ready to send him out for Luis Rengifio, the price tag on him isn't that high.
If they were willing to send $10 million with it, I'd bet they could get Pederson and may even a lower-level lotto ticket prospect from the Dodgers for Ian Kennedy.
^ This is the type of creative thing Mecca is asking for. I'd be all over it.
Pederson is a free agent after this season, but so is Kennedy. I'd consider Pederson a more tradeable commodity than Kennedy, generally.
If that were to happen:
Mondesi - SS
Merrifield - RF
Dozier - 3B
Pederson - CF
Soler - DH (know this is weird, but it stacks 3 good OBP guys right in front of him, all of whom can run)
Perez - C
Gordon - LF
O'Hearn/McBroom - 1B
Lopez - 2B
That's actually a pretty good lineup. You'd sit Pederson against lefties, and Perez probably gets some time at 1B instead of McBroom, especially against lefties.
If Franco finds his bat, you probably put Dozier at 1B in that scenario and extend the lineup. I'd love to have Pederson, even if for a year.
Mecca
02-20-2020 09:55 AM
I still think we should have explored trading Dozier.
duncan_idaho
02-20-2020 09:58 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mecca
(Post 14804810)
I still think we should have explored trading Dozier.
Explored it, yes. Not sure what the return would have been - you've cited some reasons it would be smart to be cautious with him and look at moving him now. Other teams would likely cite those things as reasons to send a lesser return.
I'm not sure you get a prospect in the top 10 of any systems that are comparable or better than the Royals' system in return.
Mecca
02-20-2020 10:03 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
(Post 14804816)
Explored it, yes. Not sure what the return would have been - you've cited some reasons it would be smart to be cautious with him and look at moving him now. Other teams would likely cite those things as reasons to send a lesser return.
I'm not sure you get a prospect in the top 10 of any systems that are comparable or better than the Royals' system in return.
I understand what you're saying but considering how many teams that are in the 3rd baseman market you could have probably managed something.
WhawhaWhat
02-20-2020 10:07 AM
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We’d like to highlight this one of Lorenzo Cain... <a href="https://t.co/eML1CxZ8Q9">pic.twitter.com/eML1CxZ8Q9</a></p>— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brewers/status/1230188390592565248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
WhawhaWhat
02-20-2020 11:39 AM
This is a long article in The Athletic from Andy McCullough about the cheating scandal but the first several paragraphs are from Dayton Moore.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — In the spring of 2018, Royals general manager Dayton Moore delivered an edict to his players and staffers during his introductory address. Five months earlier, commissioner Rob Manfred had fined the Red Sox for using Apple Watches to relay the opposing team’s signs into the dugout. As Moore outlined his goals for the year, he mentioned the commissioner’s new restrictions on technology. The Royals would abide by them, Moore insisted.
I would rather lose 100 games, Moore told his organization, than break the rules.
Two years later, Moore chuckled as he recalled the meeting. “I wish I hadn’t said that,” Moore said. “Because we went on to lose (104) games.”
Moore told this story when asked a leading but pertinent question by The Athletic: If your team was cheating, would you know about it? The question arose from the findings of Manfred’s investigation into the Astros’ illegal sign-stealing system and general manager Jeff Luhnow’s insistence that he was unaware of the scheme. It might be unfair to ask the leaders of other baseball operations departments if they believed Luhnow’s story. But it felt reasonable to wonder if such an oversight might be possible in each man’s own organization.
“It’s hard until you put yourself in that situation,” Moore said. “I can’t say with 100 percent certainty that I would know.”
Also some good stuff from Brett Anderson who used to play for the A's.
Quote:
The video room at Oakland Coliseum resides a significant distance from the dugout, former Athletics pitcher Brett Anderson mentioned.
“I know the A’s weren’t cheating,” said Anderson, who signed with Milwaukee this winter. “Because, one, I don’t know if they could afford it. And to relay from ****ing 300 yards away in the video room? What were we going to do, get some vendor to throw some popcorn up in the air, or something? It’s too ****ing far to relay something.”
Anderson joked the only way for Oakland to communicate would be through the ballpark’s decaying infrastructure. “The lights go out, it’s a curveball,” Anderson said. “If there’s a sewage backup, it’s a fastball.”
duncan_idaho
02-20-2020 12:01 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mecca
(Post 14804824)
I understand what you're saying but considering how many teams that are in the 3rd baseman market you could have probably managed something.
How many contenders are in the market for a 3B, though? I don’t view the market as particularly “hot.”
The Twins were but were pretty locked in on Josh Donaldson, who is better than Dozier, and they were fine with spending to add him.
The Braves were pursuing a return for Donaldson but have other young cost-controlled options in Austin Riley.
The Indians have a young top prospect coming in Nolan Jones but might have been willing to deal. Still, not a great system and I’m not sure what they’re willing to flip out of it for Dozier.
Neither Houston nor Oakland are trading for him. Neither are the Angels.
The Nats might have been a fit, but that’s really about it in the NL.
That’s really a two team (Twins and Nats) market. Worth exploring, but it’s not the same type of missed opportunity as eating money to buy prospects.
Discuss Thrower
02-20-2020 12:05 PM
Didn't Kennedy already play for the Dodgers tho?
Halfcan
02-20-2020 12:22 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeepSouth
(Post 14804784)
You are correct. That's why McBroom could be at 1st. I think players will have a shorter leash this year. With the controversy following Matheny, they'll want the team to improve over last year. Matheny cannot stand the scrutiny that Ned has gotten for the last two 100 loss seasons.
I would definitely start McBroom when we are looking for a 3 game sweep.
OKchiefs
02-20-2020 12:40 PM
While I agree with the sentiment of not cheating, but Moore saying he'd rather lose 100 games than cheat says a lot about him IMO. I imagine he'd also rather lose 100 games than employ a player who may watch pornography.
WhawhaWhat
02-20-2020 01:56 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower
(Post 14805112)
Didn't Kennedy already play for the Dodgers tho?
Yankees, D'Backs and Padres.
Mecca
02-20-2020 01:57 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by OKchiefs
(Post 14805234)
While I agree with the sentiment of not cheating, but Moore saying he'd rather lose 100 games than cheat says a lot about him IMO. I imagine he'd also rather lose 100 games than employ a player who may watch pornography.
That's probably true...being holier than thou isn't always a good strategy.
WhawhaWhat
02-20-2020 01:58 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by OKchiefs
(Post 14805234)
While I agree with the sentiment of not cheating, but Moore saying he'd rather lose 100 games than cheat says a lot about him IMO. I imagine he'd also rather lose 100 games than employ a player who may watch pornography.
Even though I believe DM, there is no GM that is going to publicly say that they'd rather cheat than lose 100 games. Certainly not right now.
Discuss Thrower
02-20-2020 02:01 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat
(Post 14805430)
Even though I believe DM, there is no GM that is going to publicly say that they'd rather cheat than lose 100 games. Certainly not right now.
IMO, teams are now stupid if they don't cheat considering Manfred and the Players' Union aren't at all going to punish egregious behavior.
I remember the people on CP who thought Hosmer would be a superstar after the playoff run. Guess that held up well.
ChiefsCountry
02-20-2020 07:36 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
(Post 14804776)
Oh, there's the makings of a respectable offense here.
Merrifield
Mondesi
Dozier
Soler
Perez
Gordon
isn't bad at all. If Mondesi stays healthy, that could be a pretty dynamic grouping. Personally, I'd flop Merrifield and Mondesi and let Whit see more fastballs.
They need more from 1B, CF, and 2B (Nicky Lopez) offensively to be a legitimately good lineup, but 2/3 of the setup isn't bad.
They should be talking to the Dodgers about Joc Pederson. He would be a better option in CF than Merrifield, is still only 27, and swings left. If the Dodgers were ready to send him out for Luis Rengifio, the price tag on him isn't that high.
If they were willing to send $10 million with it, I'd bet they could get Pederson and may even a lower-level lotto ticket prospect from the Dodgers for Ian Kennedy.
^ This is the type of creative thing Mecca is asking for. I'd be all over it.
Pederson is a free agent after this season, but so is Kennedy. I'd consider Pederson a more tradeable commodity than Kennedy, generally.
If that were to happen:
Mondesi - SS
Merrifield - RF
Dozier - 3B
Pederson - CF
Soler - DH (know this is weird, but it stacks 3 good OBP guys right in front of him, all of whom can run)
Perez - C
Gordon - LF
O'Hearn/McBroom - 1B
Lopez - 2B
That's actually a pretty good lineup. You'd sit Pederson against lefties, and Perez probably gets some time at 1B instead of McBroom, especially against lefties.
I would love to get Joc Pederson but one big concern for the Royals would be his is a UFA after season ends. Guess you could flip him at the deadline though.
Pitt Gorilla
02-20-2020 10:07 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower
(Post 14805442)
IMO, teams are now stupid if they don't cheat considering Manfred and the Players' Union aren't at all going to punish egregious behavior.
Yeah, but they totally apologized. How did people not see/appreciate how much they apologized? IT'S THE MEDIA'S FAULT!!!!1
WhawhaWhat
02-21-2020 09:49 AM
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is a lineup.<br><br>It's for a baseball game we're playing today.<br><br>Salvy is in it.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AlwaysRoyal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AlwaysRoyal</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoyalsST?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoyalsST</a> <a href="https://t.co/w0QII3nOGV">pic.twitter.com/w0QII3nOGV</a></p>— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1230879557005144065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fansy the Famous Bard
02-21-2020 10:03 AM
Matt Reynolds going to be the org's new utility crush... yay. :rolleyes:
ChiTown
02-21-2020 10:05 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat
(Post 14806522)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is a lineup.<br><br>It's for a baseball game we're playing today.<br><br>Salvy is in it.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AlwaysRoyal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AlwaysRoyal</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoyalsST?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoyalsST</a> <a href="https://t.co/w0QII3nOGV">pic.twitter.com/w0QII3nOGV</a></p>— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1230879557005144065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Happy to see Salvy back in the lineup.
WhawhaWhat
02-21-2020 10:11 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChiTown
(Post 14806544)
Happy to see Salvy back in the lineup.
Happy to see a lineup back in general. Glad baseball season is here and I'm ready for talk about games, pitching, hitting, fielding, etc. instead of all the cheating stuff.
CaliforniaChief
02-21-2020 10:12 AM
Nice to see the Royals back in action, but I gotta admit I've got a pretty strong Chiefs hangover going right now. Gonna take some time for me to get back into baseball.
WhawhaWhat
02-21-2020 02:03 PM
Game is on Sirius so I assume it's on KC radio as well.
AndChiefs
02-21-2020 02:19 PM
Soler starting where he left off.
dlphg9
02-21-2020 02:51 PM
Spring baseball is so boring.
ChiTown
02-21-2020 02:53 PM
Trevor Rosenthal hitting 99 on the radar today. Nice......
BWillie
02-21-2020 03:30 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by dlphg9
(Post 14807120)
Spring baseball is so boring.
Agreed. Why is it 6-7 weeks long? 2 weeks. Just make it two weeks.
dlphg9
02-21-2020 03:34 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by BWillie
(Post 14807184)
Agreed. Why is it 6-7 weeks long? 2 weeks. Just make it two weeks.
I hate that 610 is the Royals station. I'd much rather listen to sports talk radio.
WhawhaWhat
02-21-2020 03:48 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by BWillie
(Post 14807184)
Agreed. Why is it 6-7 weeks long? 2 weeks. Just make it two weeks.
It's to stretch the pitchers out and to let them work on pitches to live hitters. I don't think the hitters really need it to be that long.
ChiefsCountry
02-21-2020 03:55 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by dlphg9
(Post 14807194)
I hate that 610 is the Royals station. I'd much rather listen to sports talk radio.
Royals spring training games > 610 hosts
zigbazah
02-21-2020 03:58 PM
just shorten the season a bit and push opening day back to mid april like it used to be.
Titty Meat
02-21-2020 04:10 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry
(Post 14807228)
Royals spring training games > 610 hosts
You also said KC was more of a baseball town than a football town.
Discuss Thrower
02-21-2020 04:11 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by zigbazah
(Post 14807236)
just shorten the season a bit and push opening day back to mid april like it used to be.
Make a good chunk of interleague games double headers that are complete after seven innings.
HemiEd
02-21-2020 04:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat
(Post 14804831)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We’d like to highlight this one of Lorenzo Cain... <a href="https://t.co/eML1CxZ8Q9">pic.twitter.com/eML1CxZ8Q9</a></p>— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brewers/status/1230188390592565248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Letting Cain go was the straw that broke the camels back for me. Hosmer didn't bother me but Cain did.
Prison Bitch
02-21-2020 04:44 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by HemiEd
(Post 14807283)
Letting Cain go was the straw that broke the camels back for me. Hosmer didn't bother me but Cain did.
There’s no way I give him 85m clams. He did earn about 40 in year 1 but he may not give them full value even after that great season.
Prison Bitch
02-21-2020 04:45 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChiTown
(Post 14807125)
Trevor Rosenthal hitting 99 on the radar today. Nice......
Always always liked him.
Discuss Thrower
02-21-2020 04:48 PM
#Blowsenthal
ChiefsCountry
02-21-2020 06:22 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by HemiEd
(Post 14807283)
Letting Cain go was the straw that broke the camels back for me. Hosmer didn't bother me but Cain did.
Cain was a smart decision by Moore. He was on the wrong side of 30 for a big money deal.
WhawhaWhat
02-21-2020 10:28 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by HemiEd
(Post 14807283)
Letting Cain go was the straw that broke the camels back for me. Hosmer didn't bother me but Cain did.
The Brewers have had 1 good year and 1 bad year out of that 5 year deal so far and they owe him $51 million over the next 3 season. We'll see if he bounces back this season but it's looking like DM dodged a bullet.
I hope he does turn it around though because I'm a big fan as well.
dlphg9
02-21-2020 10:40 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
(Post 14803645)
Your friend is kinda crazy. If everything clicked for Mondesi, he might go .280/.330/.550 with 25 HR and 50 SB.
If you pair that with his strong defense, you’d have an incredibly valuable player... but still someone on par with Lindor in overall skill.
There is 1 thing Mondesi needs to work on to really increase his game and that is take more walks.
BigCatDaddy
02-21-2020 10:49 PM
Cain is doing about as expected. Put up a solid year and then fell of a cliff.
WhawhaWhat
02-21-2020 10:56 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by dlphg9
(Post 14807691)
There is 1 thing Mondesi needs to work on to really increase his game and that is take more walks.
I liked this tweet from Mellinger today:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sal Perez walks in his first at bat in a year. Still rusty, obviously.</p>— Sam Mellinger (@mellinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/mellinger/status/1230949548719132672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Keith Law posted his top 100 on The Athletic. Good stuff on Lynch (his #13 prospect, ahead of Forrest Whitley and Casey Mize, among others. Only
Mackenzie Gore, Dustin May, and Nate Pearson ahead of him as pitchers.
His write-up of Witt talks about a tendency to collapse his back leg to sell out for power, but Law likes his general approach. He typically is VERY hard on toolsy guy with shit approaches, so I was really encouraged by that. Slight mechanical adjustment could really sky rocket Witt forward.
OKchiefs
02-24-2020 12:53 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
(Post 14810608)
Keith Law posted his top 100 on The Athletic. Good stuff on Lynch (his #13 prospect, ahead of Forrest Whitley and Casey Mize, among others. Only
Mackenzie Gore, Dustin May, and Nate Pearson ahead of him as pitchers.
His write-up of Witt talks about a tendency to collapse his back leg to sell out for power, but Law likes his general approach. He typically is VERY hard on toolsy guy with shit approaches, so I was really encouraged by that. Slight mechanical adjustment could really sky rocket Witt forward.
Were any others on his top 100?
WhawhaWhat
02-24-2020 01:01 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by OKchiefs
(Post 14810826)
Were any others on his top 100?
No more Royals, just Lynch and Witt.
Molitoth
02-24-2020 01:15 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prison Bitch
(Post 14807326)
There’s no way I give him 85m clams. He did earn about 40 in year 1 but he may not give them full value even after that great season.
While I loved Cain, he also seemed to frequently have small nagging injuries that would keep him out of the lineup.
Chiefspants
02-24-2020 02:08 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Molitoth
(Post 14810859)
While I loved Cain, he also seemed to frequently have small nagging injuries that would keep him out of the lineup.
To add to that, he has (arthritis?) in his thumb that really impacted his performance at the plate last season. He grinded it out, though, I was stoked to see him finally take home the Gold.
I think that 2015 defense now has 18 gold gloves to their name. That was an all time D for sure.
SuperBowl4
02-24-2020 03:41 PM
Remember when the Royals were GREAT just a few years ago?
Prison Bitch
02-24-2020 08:25 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
(Post 14810608)
Keith Law posted his top 100 on The Athletic. Good stuff on Lynch (his #13 prospect, ahead of Forrest Whitley and Casey Mize, among others. Only
Mackenzie Gore, Dustin May, and Nate Pearson ahead of him as pitchers.
His write-up of Witt talks about a tendency to collapse his back leg to sell out for power, but Law likes his general approach. He typically is VERY hard on toolsy guy with shit approaches, so I was really encouraged by that. Slight mechanical adjustment could really sky rocket Witt forward.
If Law was correct Lynch would be our highest rated pitcher in 35 years of rankings. I read he reached 98 mph in Arizona.
Looking at the BBAmerica database which begins in 1981, we have only had 4 pitchers in the top 20 of the Top 100 annual prospect ranking. #14, #18, #19, #19. Two were in the same season.
Name them. (Kyle Zimmer 2012 just missed at #23)
duncan_idaho
02-24-2020 08:55 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prison Bitch
(Post 14811449)
If Law was correct Lynch would be our highest rated pitcher in 35 years of rankings. I read he reached 98 mph in Arizona.
Looking at the BBAmerica database which begins in 1981, we have only had 4 pitchers in the top 20 of the Top 100 annual prospect ranking. #14, #18, #19, #19. Two were in the same season.
Name them. (Kyle Zimmer 2012 just missed at #23)
Mike Montgomery
John Lamb
Mark Gubicza
Zack Greinke
Prison Bitch
02-24-2020 11:33 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
(Post 14811494)
Mike Montgomery
John Lamb
Mark Gubicza
Zack Greinke
Well, shit. He or Jeff Austin would have been my next guesses.
I think I remember that Gubicza was the highest touted member of the group that debuted in 84 and carried the teams in 85. That Saberhagen was the real star of the group was somewhat of a surprise, I think.
duncan_idaho
02-25-2020 05:11 AM
I was thinking about Daniel Lynch compared to Montgomery and Lamb the other day.
Size and fastball velocity are similar. Main difference is that Lynch’s second pitch is a VERY snappy slider. I think being a college guy also gives him a leg up on the other two.
Lamb is probably my biggest disappointment from that 2011 farm system. Before the injury, he was 94-95 with the fastball with a crazy-good changeup and supposedly a really good slider the team was trying to turn into a curveball.
Then he had TJ, did a shitty job of rehabbing after, lost 2 mph on his fastball, lost his feel for the changeup (and action, and separation from the fastball) and never really found a breaking ball again.
It’s just too bad. It doesn’t surprise me that only one of those 4 lefties has been - at times - a very good MLb starter. It does surprise me it wasn’t Lamb.
But TINSTAAPP always rules the day...
Prison Bitch
02-25-2020 07:55 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
(Post 14811759)
Well, shit. He or Jeff Austin would have been my next guesses.
I think I remember that Gubicza was the highest touted member of the group that debuted in 84 and carried the teams in 85. That Saberhagen was the real star of the group was somewhat of a surprise, I think.
In DM’s book “if these walls could talk” of whatever it was called, Bob Boone met Granger after he signed, being pick #5. He was told Granger had a slider like Steve Carlton whom Boone had once caught in Philly.
He did a bullpen session with him and said afterwards “More like Chris Haney” (a soft tossing journeyman we had at the time)