2020 Royals Official Offseason/Season Repository

[Al Bundy]

Players start reporting Feb 12th.
New Ownership.
Spring training games begin Feb 20th against the Rangers.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by OKchiefs

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]

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]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

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]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

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]

I still think we should have explored trading Dozier.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Mecca

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]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

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]

We’d like to highlight this one of Lorenzo Cain... pic.twitter.com/eML1CxZ8Q9

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) February 19, 2020

[WhawhaWhat]

This is a long article in The Athletic from Andy McCullough about the cheating scandal but the first several paragraphs are from Dayton Moore.

Would your GM know if your team was cheating? Let’s ask him

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.

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]

Originally Posted by Mecca

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]

Didn't Kennedy already play for the Dodgers tho?

[Halfcan]

Originally Posted by DeepSouth

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]

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]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Didn't Kennedy already play for the Dodgers tho?

Yankees, D'Backs and Padres.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by OKchiefs

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.