A farewell.

As my final post here I was hoping that the Royals would give me a weekend of joy to write about. Sadly they provided us with a disastrous weekend instead. The Cardinals came in and out hit us, out pitched us, and outplayed us.

• Jonathan Sanchez must go now. He has no control and when he pitches this team seems destined to lose no matter what. Coming in we were all hoping for the guy who would get into trouble but his ability to strike guys at nearly 10 per 9 innings. Unfortunately they got a guy who walks 7 per 9 and only strikes out 6 per 9. Dayton Moore can't keep trotting him on the field hoping he changes. He needs to have the guts to admit that missed on the trade and cut his losses. Sadly they may not happen  for awhile.
• Wil Myers needs to be here now. I keep saying it, but I'm beginning to think we won't see him for a month or so, if that's true Dayton Moore is making a huge mistake. 
• The Bullpen has been great, but its starting to look like those guys are tiring. If we don't fix the starting pitching they may fade quite a bit in the second half which is unfortunate. 

Not a lot to say because truthfully this weekend hurt deeply. However look forward to me writing posts now for pinetarpress.com. Until then Let's Go Royals.

What A Weekend

There is something about the St. Louis Cardinals that I really hate. Partly its because their fans call themselves "the best fans in baseball", a little because they have had success where the Royals have not, and mostly because my crazy psycho ex-girlfriend was a Cardinals fan. Because of all that this weekend was oh sweet as the Royals took 2 out of 3 from the hated red birds in three very entertaining games.

• Vin Mazzaro has been everything we hoped for when we traded for him. With a 3-1 record and a 2.57 E.R.A, he has given the Royals rotation a much needed boost. I'm not ready to say that Mazzaro is as good as these early stats, but I am ready to say that he gets the rest of the season to show that he is. 
• The Royals are only 5 games back as they head to Houston. Another couple series wins and suddenly they might be real players in this division. If they do get into this division and become buyers, they should be looking at trading for a pitcher who they think they can sign a deal to in the offseason. Don't get rid of prospects unless it gets us a piece for the future. 
• Wil Myers went 4-5 yesterday in Omaha. His only out was an 11-pitch fly out. Seriously there is no reason for him to not be in uniform for the Royals tonight. He is an immediate upgrade over Jarrod Dyson, Mitch Maier, and Jeff Francoeur. He would add a needed pop to this lineup as well as give Ned more options off the bench in these NL games. Sadly the Royals will continue to wait for some unexplained reason.
• Salvador Perez will be back next week and that is probably the best news the Royals have gotten all year. Humberto Quintero has been awful. He has bad defense, bead offense, and makes racist gestures on tv. The dude needs to go as soon as Perez is healthy and back. 
• Luis Mendoza has given us back-to-back good starts, and is surprisingly a very valuable piece for this team. However that value is in the bullpen, and not as a starter. He is great for 5 innings, but after that teams, especially AL teams, really start to hit him. As a long reliever/ spot starter he is in his best position to succeed.
  

With a winnable series in Houston followed by a visit from the hated Cardinals, the Royals are in position to make some noise. Until next time Let's Go Royals. 

Perfect time for a sweep

Last weekend the Royals hit there low point of the season. They had just lost 4 in a row and sat just half a game out of last place. The offense was inept while the pitching was good, but not good enough. Then the Brewers came into town while the offense remained for the most part inept, the Royals got enough offense to go with the fantastic pitching and one three games all in dramatic fashion. Now the Royals go on the road against the Cardinals and Astros with a chance to really get back in the division.

• Luis Mendoza's 6 innings of no-hit ball was quite possibly the best pitching performance we have seen so far from the pitching staff. His sinker was working and he really had the Brewers confused and hitting everything weakly. I truly expected the Brewers to light him up, so I was elated when he was shutting them down. I really don't expect Luis to stay in the rotation for long, but if somehow he can maintain it the Royals may have that Gem that Dayton Moore desired. 
• A thought that crossed my mind while Mendoza was doing his thing, could the Royals somehow get anything for him. I think a NL team could maybe find some value in Mendoza's flexibility. If Dayton can get anything for him he really should try.
• On Wednesday we saw something from Jonathan Sanchez, he actually struck some guys out. What has made Sanchez such a bad pitcher so far this year, was his inability to get the strikeout. He got 5 in his last start. If he can build upon that maybe he can turn this season around. 
• Eric Hosmer is almost back. He crushed a 450ft home run last night while taking several walks in the series. It looks like he may finally be seeing the ball better. If he can get hot this offense may truly wake up. 
• I'm not ready to say Hochevar has turned it around. I know he had a great start last night, but I really think he is destined to become a bullpen arm. However if he can pitch like last night consistently for 10+ starts, then maybe just maybe we might get something out of him in the future.
• Wil Myers needs to be here! I say it every time, but after another home run he really needs to be here to help this pedestrian offense.

If the Royal can take 2 from the Cardinals them suddenly they are real players in the central. I hate the Cardinals so much, so I really hope we sweep them. Until net time Let's Go Royals.

What...is...happening?

Think about this season with me for a second:

The Royals lose their closer, center fielder, catcher and fan-favorite young arm all in two months.

A 12-game (10 at home) losing streak ends all buzz about #OurTime before it really gets off the ground.

Eric Hosmer has the most unlucky streak among major league players (extremely low BABIP).

All that and the Royals were only 6 games back of .500 last week.  But then a golden opportunity is wasted by losing 5 of 6 to Minnesota and Pittsburgh.

If the Royals could've won 4 of 6 they'd be tied with Detroit.  And then there's a good chance that:

Wil Myers is called up.

Jake Odorizzi at least gets a look to come up.

The Royals are in the race, only back five games of Chicago.

This was THE most critical stage of the Royals' season, and they failed miserably.  The rotation is in shambles, the offense is inept, and there is really no reason to start the service clocks of prize prospects until it's Our Time in 2013.  This has just been a confusing, sad, embarrassing moment in Royals' history.

The Royals: Experts in futility and hope

Another series in the books, and another pathetic showing from the Kansas City Royals. This time to the Royals were beaten down by the offensively challenged Pirates. Now to be fair the Pirates are a decent team in a playoff race, but we should be able to win a game against their offense. Sadly the Royals could only muster 7 measly runs in losing all 3 games. The pitching was actually pretty good, but the offense we thought would be near the top is letting us down.

• The offensive struggles can be contributed to regression from Hosmer, Gordon, Franceur, and even Butler. Or the injuries the injuries to Lorenzo Cain and Salvador Perez. Whatever the reason the Royals need to shake things up a little to get out of this offensive funk.
• The most obvious move is to get Wil Myers in KC. I can't believe I'm still having to say this. What more does the guy have to do to get the call up? He is killing AAA pitching and looks prepared to become a force in this lineup. It's not like Franceur, Dyson, Maier, or even Gordon are playing at such a high level that he wouldn't see the field. You can let him play all the outfield positions giving every one a day off or two, it doesn't matter, just get him in the majors now. 
• Another Shake-up would be to fire Ned Yost. I am definitely not a fan of Mr. Yost, in fact I kinda think he is an idiot. Still his over-managing consistently gets in the way of the offense having any chance to break out. Sure the players still have to perform, but if they had new leadership maybe they would be put in a better position to succeed. 
• We get a visit from a old friend on Tuesday, as Zack Greinke returns to the K as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. From a fans perspective it would be really cool if the Royals called up Jake Odorrizi for this start. Odorizzi as you recall was a piece in the Grienke trade, and if he got his major league debut  against Greinke that would be must see TV.
• From a baseball side I actually like the idea of Odorizzi making a spot start. He doesn't have to stay in the majors if they don't want. Because starting anyone over Mendoza is a huge improvement

While this weekend was bad there is a lot of good still going on in the organization. Many of the prospects had big games, and there is a future. It is just really hard to see right now. Hopefully next time I will be talking about how we beat Greinke, until then Let's Go Royals!

Major Announcements and Wil Myer

The Royals opened the day by saying they had a Major Announcement to make. Twitter was a buzz with everything from Wil Myers promotion, to Luke Hochevar being Dfa'd. It was obviously the signing of first round pick Kyle Zimmer. The fact that he is signed 3 days after being drafted is huge for the team. As said Zimmer should be a quick mover in the system, getting him signed means right now we can hope to see him in a Royals uniform by early 2014.

• Royals saved 500k on the signing of Zimmer which they used to ensure they got 3rd round pick Colin Rodgers signed. Getting these picks signed and playing is huge for this team going forward.
• Bubba Starling will finally be assigned to Burlington. It will be nice to see him play in a game. I have high hopes for him in the future, but it will take a while before we see him in a Royals uniform. 
• Salvador Perez had his first rehab start tonight in Omaha. That is probably the best thing I've heard all year. When Perez went down, it was the largest blow to this teams success. Having him return healthy will not only make this offense, but also the pitching staff. 
• Speaking of the offense, the Royals offense has really sucked lately. I think this offense can be really good when healthy, but right now with Hosmer and Gordon struggling, Jarod Dyson and Quintero in the everyday lineup, and Yuni making want to pull my hair out, this offense will be mediocre at best. 
• An answer that will solve the Royals offense is, CALL WIL MYERS UP. Right now nobody is showing power like Myers in the minors. If he could be put into the bottom part of this lineup initially, suddenly this lineup will have some power that it needs.
  
  Interleague play  resumes tomorrow and hopefully the Royals can get back to owning the national league. Until next time Lets Go Royals.

Draft and Bunts

Last night the MLB draft overshadowed the Royals game. With their first pick the Royals selected Kyle Zimmer out of San Francisco. Truthfully I haven't really seen him pitch, but I have done a lot of research on him. From what I can gather he will be a quick mover that can strikeout guys. I liked him going into draft day, and love that the Royals grabbed him.

• A lot of people were mad that the Royals didn't grab Mark Appel who had fallen and was available. While I think Appel could turn out to be a really good pitcher, he reminds me too much of Luke Hochevar. Dealing with one Hochevar is enough for this lifetime.
• In the actual baseball game last night, Ned Yost proved yet again he is clueless. In the 4th inning the Royals were trailing the twins 4-1. After a couple hits and a couple errors from the twins, the game was tied at 4. Runners were on at 1st and 3rd and no out with Alcides Escobar at the plate.  What does Ned do? He bunts giving a free out to a struggling pitcher who then strikes out the bottom two in the Royals order. Killing not only that inning, but really the Royals for the rest of the game. Ned has to go, I have said it before and I will continue to say it.
• Also last night Will Smith got his 3rd start. I am a believer in him, but after last night he should go back down to AAA for the rest of the season. He still needs a little time learning how to consistently get guys out. 
• That being said I am very glad the Royals called him up and let him pitch. This experience can only make him better. I wish they would now do the same with guys like Mike Montgomery and Ryan Verdugo. Letting those guys see what its like to consistently get Major Leaguers out will help them contribute on this competing team in the future.

The Royals need to take the next two games from the twins, so until next time. Lets Go Royals.

My Return: Royal Notes

I haven’t written in since the season started, not because I didn’t have anything to write, but more because I struggled with why I write.  I would go back forth of being too optimistic to downright cynical. I have settled in the recent weeks; however, realizing the Royals are not going to compete and therefore should be moving forward on finding out who fits this team in the soon to be competing years.

Luke Hochevar had another … well Hochevarian outing. He couldn’t get through 5 innings while giving up 6 runs.  Hochevar should not start another game for the Royals. Seriously I don’t care who is starting in his place. I still think Hochevar can still be valuable to this team as a reliever. Hochevar needs to be someone with a quick leash and just go out there and throw strikes. I think if he is moved to a reliever he could do something similar to what Aaron Crow has done. If one top pick can be a reliever then why not two.
On Aaron Crow, I really think the Royals are wasting him this season by not at least attempting to try him as a starter. If the Idea is actually to compete next year then we need to see if he can be one now, not later. The bullpen is a strength and it will be fine if you send Crow down to work as a starter.
Felipe Paulino is truly the bright spot in this rotation. I mean seriously even when he doesn’t have great command he is able to limit damage and make sure games don’t get out of hand. Something Hochevar, Sanchez, Mendoza, and all the other starters should take notes on. He is officially the Royals Ace for this season.
It’s time to bring up Mike Montgomery. I know he has struggled at AAA at times, but at this point the isn’t going to suddenly fix his problems. Call him up to face big league hitters, and let him truly find out what he has. It will do nothing but good for him. Look at Will Smith right now, you could tell in his second start that he was putting things together. Even if he goes back down now, at least he got some experience that can only help him in the long run.
The Royals need to cut ties with their baggage. If they can find trade partners for Yuni, Getz, Quintero, Dyson then they need to move these guys. There is real youth and talent and these guys are not what you want on this team going forward. Let Gio, Falu, Perez, Myers, and Cain get the important at bats in this season.
And finally its time to see Wil Myers in KC. I will continue to beat this drum, but Myers is a rare talent that you make room for and sit back and enjoy the ride. I don’t care if he plays CF, RF, LF, 3B,1B,DH. He needs to be in this lineup by the end of this month.

Hopefully I will continue these notes, but knowing me I will be lazy. Until next time. Let’s Go Royals.

So, I made a Mock Draft....

I know this isn't a blog post about the Royals, but in a way, it kind of is.  The Royals have shattered my hopes and dreams this first two weeks, so I'm focused on the draft.  I did a mock draft for fun, wanted to post it somewhere, so here it is.  It'll be funny to see how far off I am.

"Thursday-Sunday is #OurTime." - Draft Prospects

1. Colts – Kellen Moore, Just Kidding

1. QB Andrew Luck, Stanford Undoubtedly the best player available in this draft.  Unique blend of physical tools and mental capacity for the most important position in football.

2. Redskins – QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor Cam Newton made me look like an idiot last year.  I thought he had Akili Smith and Jamarcus Russel written all over him, and he wound up carrying my fantasy team.  Less worried about athletic, spread quarterbacks now.  Plus, I loved RG3 in college.  He’s more boom or bust than Luck, but he has a chance to be elite.

3. Vikings – LT Matt Kalil, USC All these smoke screens recently.  Good night.  If Morris Clairborne or Justin Blackmon is the pick here, I’d be stunned.  Kalil fills both need and best player available.

4. Browns – RB Trent Richardson ‘Bama Cleveland has already come out and said they need someone to help score points.  I had a gut feel it might be DB Morris Clairborne up to that point.

5. Buccaneers – DB Morris Clairborne, LSU This makes all the sense in the world.   Aqib Talib is on the way out, Ronde Barber is done, and former-LSU DB coach Ron Cooper is in Tampa now.  This pick I would put money on.

6. Rams – WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State I think there’s big discrepancy between picks 3-6 and picks 7-15.  Justin Blackmon is both the best player available and a position of drastic need for St. Louis.

7. Jaguars – WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame I thought here that Melvin Ingram made the most sense.  However, here’s a surprise pick, typical of Jacksonville, with Floyd going here.  He’s flown back up the draft board around where he was right after last year’s draft.

8. Dolphins – LB Luke Kuechly, BC I know, I know, I know.  I’m crazy. No Tannehill? I just have a feeling that we’re going to see him fall past Miami.  Mike Sherman, Tannehill’s old coach, is the new OC in Miami.  The Dolphins have whiffed on every QB they’ve pursued this year.  The stars line up for him to be taking his talents to South Beach.  But why didn’t Tannehill thrive in Sherman’s system last year? If Matt Barkley or Landry Jones came out, Tannehill would look more like this year’s Colin Kaepernick than Jake Locker.  Also, I’m really high on Luke Kuechly.  He has a chance to be a perennial All-Pro.  I think he’s a perfect complement to the Dolphin’s pass rush, and should be able to play every down in the multiple front defense Joe Philbin plans on using.

9. Panthers – DT Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State Very good, athletic interior player.  Fills a definite need in the middle of the field for Carolina.  

10. Bills – DE Quinton Coples, UNC I know there are some red-flags on Coples, but he is an extremely talented player worth the risk.  Adding him to Marcel Dareus and Mario Williams would form a scary front.  Normally you don’t want too much of a premium cost on your team’s cap, but when Tom Brady is playing against you twice a year, you need to find ways to stop him.

11. TRADE: Browns trade 22^nd and 37^th picks to Kansas City for this pick and a 4^th. Browns – QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M I’m not sold on him, but this is the perfect position to take him. Under the new CBA, the first ten pick’s 5^th year of their contract is essentially an average of the top 10 contracts at their position.  That changes team’s mindset to trade into top ten.  If Tannehill goes past Miami, this a perfect place for someone to draft Tannehill.  The Chiefs value picks and drafted their Rookie of the Year, OLB Justin Houston, with a selection they acquired from Cleveland in a swap last year.  Tannehill makes sense for the Browns.  They have 13 selections in this year’s draft and a need for a QB.

12. Seahawks – OG David Decastro, Stanford Decastro has been hyped as the best guard prospect in a long time.  I’ve heard/read from articles and radio shows his floor is multiple Pro Bowls and his ceiling is Hall of Famer.  It’s not quite a positional value, but neither was Earl Thomas a few years ago and look how that turned out.  Matt Flynn would appreciate the help.  So would Marshawn Lynch.

13. Cardinals – OT Riley Reiff, Iowa This is a need for Arizona, and arguably the best player left on the board.  He’s very athletic for his size and could play both tackle and guard at the next level.

14. Cowboys – S Mark Barron, ‘Bama There has been buzz about Barron to the Cowboys for some time.  Jerry Jones isn’t shy about his picks or plans either.  Last year, it was a certainty that Tyron Smith was headed to Dallas.  I expect the same for Mark Barron.

15. Eagles – DT Michael Brockers, LSU His versatility is the key with this pick.  He can play interior in both an even and odd front.  He’s a solid athlete, and should free up some space for the wide-nine techniques that Philly uses in their pass rush.

16. Jets –OLB Nick Perry, USC Talented pass rusher that could bolster the Jets’ front.  Tested well, and should be able to step in from day one and make an impact

17. Bengals – CB Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina I am so tempted to put Melvin Ingram here.  But I went with his teammate, Stephon Gilmore.  Don’t be surprised if he’s off the board earlier, but I see him winding up in Cincinatti.

18. Chargers – OLB Courtney Upshaw, ‘Bama Talented, athletic linebacker that could start immediately for San Diego.  He’s a stud and should make an impact as a rookie.

19. Bears- CB Dre Kirpatrick, ‘Bama Some red flags have been waived (pun intended) with drug charges being dropped.  Physical, athletic corner that could do well in the Bears’ Tampa 2 system.

20. Titans – DE Melvin Ingram, South Carolina This pick, to me, would be a steal if he’s still on the board. I think Melvin Ingram is an outstanding football player, with good pass rush skills and playmaking ability.  Titans will be giddy if he’s on the board at 20.

21. Bengals – WR Kendal Wright, Baylor Cincinatti needs to go receiver with an early pick.  They lost Jerome Simpson, and they need to maintain or improve the weapons surrounding Andy Dalton.  They have a salty defense as it is as well.  Wright would be a good complement to AJ Green, and I think he’s the third best receiver.

22.Chiefs – NT Dontari Poe, Memphis This isn’t me being optimistic that my favorite team will draft him.  I’m not even convinced or necessarily want the Chiefs will take Poe here.  However, the Chiefs brought in potential first round prospects Michael Brocker, Poe, Chandler Jones, and Ryan Tannehill for visits.  All of Pioli’s first round picks have come in for visits in previous years.  I thought about Chandler “Bones’ Bro” Jones, but Poe makes more sense.  I’m not sold on Poe.  He’s the ultimate boom or bust.  However, I think he would still step in right away and start at nose for the Chiefs and be better than anyone they have on the roster or in free agency.  He could be this team’s Vince Wilfork or he could turn out to be a miserable pick.

23. Lions – CB Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama It’s almost a certainty the Lions go corner.  Here’s the next best one.  Would fit into the new attitude of the Lions’ defense with all of his character concerns.

24. Steelers – ILB Dont’a Hightower, ‘Bama He’s a good football player with a nose for the ball.  Physically imposing inside backer that should do well in that defense.

25. Broncos – DT Jerel Worthy, MSU Best player available that should help the Denver front.  I don’t see them going receiver but rather take whoever they have highest on their board.

26. Texans – WR Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech Adding another receiver to this team would make this team all the more scary.  Outside of Andre Johnson, their receiving core is not that great.  Hill can learn from Johnson and add even more vertical dimension to the offense.  He’s raw, but he’s got a lot of potential.

27. Patriots – OLB Chandler Jones, Syracuse Bolstering the pass rush should be one of the top priorities for New England.  Just happens that one of the best player’s available is there in Jones.

28. Packers – OLB Shea McLellin, Boise State Very comparable to Brooks Reed last year.  He tested better than anticipated at the combine.  He’s talented and is noted as a hard worker.  Good fit for Green Bay’s front seven.

29. Ravens – C Peter Konz, Wisconsin A slight reach, but he’s a very good interior lineman.  Will start right away for Baltimore.

30. 49ers – TE Coby Fleener, Stanford I’m big on multiple TE’s right now.  How scary would Vernon Davis and Fleener be for NFC teams?  Adding weapons for Alex Smith is never a bad idea either.

31. Patriots – OLB Whitney Mercilus Top pass rushing backers in the first round for one team?  Why not? Belichick has done crazier on draft day.  It’s that big of a need.

32. Giants – OG/OT Cordy Glenn, Georgia The offensive line wasn’t great for New York last year.  Cordy Glenn is versatile and talented.  I could see o-line at this pick.

Injuries

So its been a while since I posted anything, so I figured I'd break my silence. Today the Royals got some bad news. Salvador Perez, the young studly catcher, hurt his knee and will be out a minimum of 3-4 weeks. If you are like me the moment you heard that news, the panic button was hit. Well after a little while I have calmed down and no longer feel this is the end of the world.
Injuries happen. That is a fact in all professional sports. The Royals were lucky last year and faced no major injuries at all to the team, so most likely there will be an injury or two throughout this season. What matters is how the Royals respond.
Dayton Moore should not make a rush move and try and grab a catcher to replace Perez while he is out. He needs to continue with the process and let guys in the minors play until Perez gets back. If someone else goes down keep trusting in the minor league system. Save the prospects to potentially make a deadline trade or off-season trade. The sky isn't falling yet and the Royals can still make noise this season.

The Billy Butler Question

Late last week the Mariners and Yankees made a trade. A simple trade, a young high potential starting pitcher for a young DH. In the Pineda for Montero trade you saw something that isn't seen very often in any sport. A potential star traded for a potential star. The Yankees got the starter they were looking for while the Mariners got a potential .300 avg 30 HR guy.
Side Note: I'm not high on Pineda to the Yankees. Too many fly balls for Yankee stadium but that's a different story.
As the trade dust settled, a new question was asked. Could the same trade have been made by the Royals for Billy Butler? The short answer is probably not without also including a couple prospects. And that's simply because Billy Butler's value is not great. Last Year I advocated for a mid-season trade of Butler in the hopes of upgrading the pitching staff, but backed off of it when I realized that the type of pitcher Butler would bring back is already on the roster. Billy Butler could easily bring you a back of the rotation guy and not much else.
That is why for this team keeping Butler is still best.

Aaron Crow: The Unknown

Royals set-up man Aaron Crow is a bit of a mystery. Mainly because we don't know if he can be a legitimate major league starter. He showed throughout last season that he could be a more than capable bullpen arm, but with the depth the Royals have in the bullpen, he is more valuable if somehow he can turn into the front-line starter he was drafted to be. Unfortunately so far in his professional he has struggled to get guys out.  However, if he can translate the success he had in the bullpen last year, then the Royals can be a serious competitor in the central.
He averaged close to a strikeout per inning last year and kept a solid ERA all season even with an injury. All that got him to the All-Star game as rookie. Even if he can't be a starter then most likely he can continue to be a solid bullpen arm for the future.
Still the Royals have given Crow a valuable season in which he got to face big league hitters and get many of those hitters out. Now if he can do that consistently in Spring Training then he will have a spot in this rotation. Most likely he will struggle though at times and start the season in Omaha and wait for an opportunity to rejoin the big league club. He has a chance to make a huge impact over the next few years on this team. Whether that is as starter or in the bullpen that is unknown.

Johnny Giavotella my man crush and key to Royals?

I will be honest Johnny Giavotella is my favorite Royal. When he got called up last year it was better then my birthday. Partly because it meant less Chris Getz and mostly because I love his power. The idea of no more Chris Getz and his .240 avg made me giddy like a little school girl, but once Giavotella got here and struggled. He showed brief hints of power but finished with a .247 avg and .273 OB. Now he will never be high in either of those since he doesn't walk and strikes out, but he can be a very important hitter for this team. When asked who has to improve offensively for the Royals to win, the easy answer is Eric Hosmer or Mike Moustakas. I feel that they will improve, but who has to improve is Giavotella. If Johnny can hit .280 avg and .300 OB with 15 HRs then I will guarantee the Royals are in the playoff hunt. He is the unknown on this offense with Lorenzo Cain, and if can step up and be that power either at the top or bottom of the order then the Royals have less to worry about come trading deadline and beyond. If he doesn't hit thought then expect to see Christian Colon in a Royals uniform sooner than later just for the reason that unfortunately Giavotella is not strong defensively.
This team can go far this year offensively and overall, Still for true success then Johnny Giavotella is a key. Also I just want to see him in a Royals uniform for a long time.

What if?

It would look like that Carlos Zambrano has been traded from the Cubs down to the Miami Marlins. In a very favorable deal for the marlins because they only gave up pitcher Chis Volstad and reportedly are eating over 15 mil of Big Z's contract. Good gutsy move by the Marlins because if Zambrano is on he can be a front line pitcher; however, if he isn't he can destroy a locker room. So this got me thinking there were Zambrano rumors to the Royals and after how little it took I'm somewhat in the boat of wishing that had happened instead.

So how could of the Royals pulled it off. Simply put the most similar guy to Volstad, in terms of stats. is Luke Hochaver. A move that most fans might actually have gone for if they traded him. Also a move that would make sense long term. It would mean the Royals would have moved on from Hochaver and focused on the future pitchers, and got a guy who might give them a couple great years on a competing team. It would have given this staff an identity it needed. Also no real negative side cuz if Zambrano went off the deep end like in 2010 then you cut him and Mike Montgomery or Jake Odorizzi would get their shot. 

Its all a what if, but it is something that keeps me dreaming of Dayton Moore pulling the trigger on a gutsy trade. That being said if the staff succeeds this season it will be a mute point. Still for me there will always be What If.

I'm back

After a serious stint with harsh reality, I've decided to come back to the better side of life. The side of life that is incredibly optimistic about the 2012 Kansas City Royals. There is something about this team that has me more excited than I've ever been as a Royals fan. Yes, I am always the optimist when it comes to the Royals, just to believe in something. Yet this season has a whole new... Awesome feel to it.  Even the headscratchingly annoying signing of Yuniesky Betancourt has not dampered my excitement for spring training and the season. Now saying that there is a big need on the Royals. Simply put the Royals need a big time pitcher to get them over the hump. I really don't see them signing an Edwin Jackson or Roy Oswalt no matter how much the fans would like it. So where does that leave them when the season begins?
They better off this year simply because Kyle Davies, Sean O Sullivan, and Vin Mazzaro are not part of the equation. That in itself is not quite enough, some one has to take their game to the next level. Most likely that will be either Danny Duffy or Felipe Paulino who both showed good stuff last season. However I think it will be someone who won't make the team out of spring training. I for other reason than sure optimism and pure Royal blue fandom, believe that in late May or June Mike Montgomery will come up and be here to stay. Something about his rough last season makes me believe that he will bounce back and in a dominant way. He needs from the bottom line that one the plentiful prospects has to turn out. Maybe that's me being a crazy fan, but in light of my recent life troubles I need to believe in something.