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.