The Royals have finally showed their hand at what will resemble the complete bullpen product come Opening Day.

In a very competitive battle for the final bullpen role, right-hander J.C. Gutierrez was tabbed as the final piece to manager Ned Yost‘s pantry of relievers.

Feb 21, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher J.C. Gutierrez (27) poses for a picture during photo day at the Royals Spring Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Gutierrez captured the spot over two other remaining candidates in big-league camp: righties Louis Coleman and Dan Wheeler.

Prior to the move, Yost and the Royals sent the organization’s No. 11 prospect, Donnie Joseph, back to the minors after having an electrifying spring tour, striking out 14 batters over ten innings of work and holding opposing hitters to a .083 batting average.

While some were hoping Joseph would grab the final spot, it’s apparent Yost and the Royals were looking for a right-handed pitcher to round out the bullpen.

Over the course of spring training, Gutierrez compiled 12 innings of work with 10 strikeouts, but also posted a 4.50 ERA and a .308 opponent batting average.

As for the other candidates who saw their spring training tour come to an end with the big-league team, Coleman posted 12.1 innings and eight strikeouts with a 1.46 ERA, while Wheeler tossed 11 innings of work, 14 strikeouts and a 0.82 ERA.

The numbers drastically differ between the three right-handed pitchers, but, obviously from a small pool of work and opportunities, Yost must have seen something in Gutierrez that will translate into regular season.

With the final trimming done to the pitching the staff the bullpen will look something like this:

RHP Luke Hochevar

RHP J.C. Gutierrez

RHP Aaron Crow

RHP Kelvin Herrera

RHP Greg Holland

LHP Tim Collins

LHP Bruce Chen

It should also be noted that once lefty Danny Duffy returns from the disabled list, a spot should either open up for him in the bullpen or rotation with either Chen or righty Luis Mendoza being shuffled out of the picture.

On top of the pitching cuts, minor league catcher Max Ramirez was sent down to the minor league camp, leaving the back-up catcher position up to either Brett Hayes or George Kottaras.

Ramirez hit .318 with 2 home runs and 14 RBIs in big-league camp.

Finally, the back-up infielders have also been selected with Irving Falu being sent down to triple-A Omaha. Falu concluded his spring training by hitting .217 in 23 at-bats. Falu also spent some time away from camp as he played for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.

Utility player Elliot Johnson, who was final player in the big offseason acquisition for James Shields and Wade Davis, and veteran infielder Miguel Tejada rounded out the infielders selected for the Opening Day roster.

Johnson batted .286 with eight RBIs, while Tejada hit .367 in 30 at-bats.

Post Author: Royals: Fansided KingsOfKauffman.

When Spring Training began Luis Mendoza wasn’t the favorite to win the final spot in the rotation, but for the second straight year, he did just that. Last year the various members of the Pop Tart Guild argued that Mendoza’s SO/BB numbers would prevent him from being successful in that role. Anybody who thinks the PTG were wrong didn’t pay real close attention to the season’s first month. His second turn in the rotation went much better as he outperformed both Luke Hochevar and Bruce Chen. For that reason one would expect the fifth spot would have been his to lose but that doesn’t appear to have been the case. Yost mentioned more than once that Mendoza would be a perfect fit for the long relief role.

Chen bombed in Spring Training, though, leaving Yost no choice but to name Mendoza a starter. If Yost made that decision based on Spring stats then he made the right move for the wrong reason, because really, it wasn’t that tough a decision when you think about it.

• Mendoza is almost six years younger than Chen. Yes, Chen has a more established track record but the older a player gets the less reliable his track record becomes. I read once that careers don’t take the field. I don’t believe that’s true of players in their prime, but of those on the down slope of their career, it’s absolutely spot on.
• Chen is in the final of year his contract while Mendoza can still help future Royals’ teams. Mendoza shouldn’t be penalized because Dayton Moore mistakenly gave Chen a two year after the 2011 season. He makes the Royals better now, and if he can perform as well as he did last year, that’s one less question mark going forward.

April 15, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Luis Mendoza (39) delivers a pitch against the Cleveland Indians during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Mendoza still has to prove the 3.83 ERA he put up over his final 20 starts wasn’t a fluke. I think even something in the 4.00-4.25 neighborhood would be acceptable. In years past, a guy coming off a 97 ERA+ would start the season opener. Now, he barely makes the rotation. If that’s not a sign of an improved rotation then I don’t know what is.

Post Author: Royals: Fansided KingsOfKauffman.

February 21, 2013; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays outfleder WIl Myers (60) poses for a picture during photo day at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Remember Wil Myers? Of course you do. For some of you, it’s still an open wound. You’re still heartbroken. He’s like that old girlfriend/boyfriend you always wonder about (is he the one that got away?). And with all the spring training battles coming to an end, it’s easy to let your mind wander and wonder again.

KC fans loved him. Some still aren’t sold on “the trade.” And…I guess with good reason, to a degree. He was the best Royals prospect. He’s still highly rated by Baseball America and just about every other prospect ranking website/magazine guru out there. If you Google Wil Myers, you’ll see links that contain phrases like “No. 1 fantasy prospect” or “Wil Myers tops fantasy baseball 2013 rookies.” You’ll see (off to the right of your screen) a heading that says “People also search for,” which is followed by the names Jake Odorizzi, James Shields, Wade Davis, and Mike Montgomery.

So yes…Myers is still a name that KC fans think about and the Royals are still somewhat connected to their former future star. But should we care? Isn’t it time to move on? This isn’t a movie…we aren’t Martin Blank, going back to our ten-year high school reunion to rekindle something with Debi Newberry (Grosse Point Blank reference if you are too lame to get it). Wil Myers is gone for good. There is no future. No reunion. No rekindling.

March 6, 2013; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher James Shields (33) throws in the first inning during a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Lucky for Royals fans, though, we did get something nice in return to help us move on. Shields is the ace of a revamped pitching rotation, while Davis gets his shot at starting again now that he’s out of Tampa. Both are key figures in the Royals attempt to compete in 2013. Both are important to KC’s hopeful return to relevance.

We can argue and ask “what if” all day long. What if Myers was in right field instead of Jeff Francoeur? What if Myers becomes a perennial All-Star? What would our lineup be like with Myers hitting .290 with 30 home runs? Well…what if? What if he did in fact do all that for the Royals, but the rotation still featured underwhelming pitchers like Luke Hochevar, Bruce Chen, and (insert name of just about any pitcher from the last decade not named Zack Greinke here). What if we had kept Myers and kept this franchise on the same course? That’s the scenario that bothers me. Not “What if Myers is a stud?” but “What if this team never went for it?”

It’s time to move on. Let’s not worry about Wil anymore. That ship has sailed. Let’s concentrate on the guys we still have, and the guys we’ve brought on board this offseason. There is a lot to like about the current roster. If you believe in WAR (and I do), Fangraphs had Alex Gordon as the sixth most valuable position player in the American League last season. Billy Butler was an All-Star (a REAL All-Star) and won the Silver Slugger. Of course there is a lot to like about guys like Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez, Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer, and Lorenzo Cain. And I’ve already mentioned the revamped pitching rotation.

And the river of prospects hasn’t exactly dried up. We’ve still got Kyle Zimmer, Yordano Ventura, Bubba Starling, Adalberto Mondesi, and so on. I’ve wondered for a while now, “why can’t we win now AND build for the future simultaneously?” Well, it appears that’s exactly what’s happening in Kansas City.

So get over it. Breaking up is hard to do? Nah. It’s not like we just traded Jermaine Dye for Neifi Perez. If you love something set it free, right? Well, let’s “Free Willy” and be happy to have guys like James Shields suiting up in Royal Blue this year. This trade is already a “win” in my opinion. What Myers does in the future won’t sway my thinking…it won’t become a bigger win, nor will it turn into a loss. It was a perfectly fine trade that helped both teams. I don’t care if Myers fails or succeeds. If he does hit .290 with 30 homers, more power to him. If he doesn’t become an All-Star, well…that’s fine, too. It doesn’t matter to me anymore. You have to give something to get something, right? That’s what this trade was – two teams giving value for value. Now let’s focus on the Royals and let the Rays fans worry about Wil.

Opening Day is just around the corner, and there is some real enthusiasm surrounding this team. Maybe when September rolls around and the scoreboard commands us to “Make Some Noise” there will be some actual excitement behind the screams. Maybe there will actually be something on the line for the first time in a very long time. If this team gets on the right track in 2013, Myers will be a footnote in Royals history. The next generation of fans will ask, “Wil who?”

Post Author: Royals: Fansided KingsOfKauffman.

There’s finally some resolution coming in regards to the Royals roster. The second base and fifth starter jobs have been determined and the only two battles left are the final bullpen spot and backup catcher.

The hardest decisions have been made, as I think most would be okay with either Brett Hayes or George Kottaras backing up Salvador Perez, and there are four capable arms vying for the last bullpen spot and the fifth, J.C. Gutierrez, looked pretty good in Monday night’s win over the Dodgers.

So what else is new in the world of the Cactus League Champion Kansas City Royals? (They clinched the title on Tuesday)

- Sports Illustrated released six covers for their Major League Baseball preview and James Shields is featured on the cover that will hit the midwest.

Your 5th of 6 @mlb Preview Covers… Big games await James Shields and the revamped @royals: bit.ly/11Htnu9 twitter.com/SInow/status/3…

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 26, 2013

- Opening Day is in less than a week, and the Royals home opener is in less than two, but the Royals groundscrew wasn’t taking any chances. The weather has been crazy over the last month, with 70 degree days followed by a week of snow. So with Kauffman Stadium covered in snow, they decided to take to the field with shovels. I don’t think the faux fire on the screen really helps them feel any warmer, though…

#Royals grounds crew gets a little help from the video board guys as they work hard to prep for April 8. #toasty twitter.com/Royals/status/…

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) March 26, 2013

- A study called the Brand Keys Sports Fan Loyalty Index dropped the Royals from 28th in fan loyalty last year to 29th this year. The study looks at various factors, including the excitement on the field, how well a team plays, how fans connect with the team and players and the tradition of the team.

Also, of course, they factor in attendance, merchandising, broadcast reach and the business side of things as well as the emotional. The Royals are behind it as a smaller market. The top five teams over each of the past six years list teams you’d expect – the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies – year after year, with brief mentions of teams regarded as being in smaller markets like Cleveland and Oakland. To me, it seems like the rankings tie closely to market size and record.

I can’t deny my own bias, though. I’ve been a Royals fan since I even knew what baseball was. I grew up in Western Kansas before the Colorado Rockies existed. The Royals were the only game in town. I didn’t even get WGN back home, so the Cubs and White Sox were out of the running. I’m not sure how much of the study accounts for scenarios like mine, where I’ve been exactly the kind of loyal fan they’re hoping to identify. Seriously, anyone who can still follow this team rabidly (and if you’re reading this blog, that includes you I’d guess) after such a long record of poor play has to be considered loyal.

I couldn’t assume that the Royals would be high up on the list though, but of the fans that do stick around, they’re definitely loyal. Perhaps it’s just semantics and “fanhood” or “following” term than loyalty.

- The Royals cut four minor leaguers, according to Bob Dutton. The four – all pitchers – are Michael Giovenco, Jose Jimenez, Leondy Perez and Elisaul Pimentel. The most recognizable of those is Pimentel, who was part of the 2010 Scott Podsednik trade, coming over from the Dodgers with Luke May. Pimentel was last seen in Wilmington after struggling in Double A.

- Finally, a sad news item. Carlos Fortuna was a prospect in the Royals system out of the Dominican Republic. He last pitched in 2009, but put pitching on hold to battle liver and lung cancer. He passed away on Sunday, a week before his 23rd birthday.

I can’t put any better words on the situation than what Dick Kaegel has already collected from former teammates of Fortuna’s – take a moment to read their stories here.

Post Author: Royals: Fansided KingsOfKauffman.

When the Royals put out their lineup for Tuesday’s spring training game against the Seattle Mariners, scheduled starter Bruce Chen was swapped out for Sugar Ray Marimon, but left available in the bullpen.

Feb 21, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Luis Mendoza (39) poses for a picture during photo day at the Royals Spring Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Speculation started about a potential trade (as teams like the Mets are being hit by injuries and could use some arms to help fill in), but finally, VP of Media and Broadcasting Mike Swanson tweeted that Chen would be the team’s long reliever and Luis Mendoza would be the Royals fifth starter to open the year. The move was later confirmed by the official team Twitter account.

Camp opened up with Chen, Luke  Hochevar and Mendoza fighting for the fifth starter spot. Hochevar was sent to the bullpen last week but it still seemed like the Royals favored Chen – and his $4.5 million salary – over Mendoza. After a strong winter ball season, Mendoza had a 0.82 ERA in 11 spring innings and had walked just two batters with the Royals. Chen, by contrast, had surrendered 12 earned runs in 13.2 innings and gave up seven homers. Arizona isn’t the best environment for him as a fly ball pitcher, and perhaps, like last year, he was working on a few things, but the performance was so stark that the Royals made the call to go with Mendoza.

Chen to the bullpen could impact other decisions. While he isn’t a specialist against lefties, it may compel the Royals to stick with a right-hander when choosing their last relief pitcher, meaning Louis Coleman, J.C. Gutierrez, or Dan Wheeler (on a minor league deal) could win that job. That would shut out Donnie Joseph and Francisley Bueno. Both lefties have thrown well this spring, but both have options.

Post Author: Royals: Fansided KingsOfKauffman.

Much of the Royals offseason and spring training has been spent digging into the changes in the starting rotation or discussing the importance of Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas or lamenting the loss of Wil Myers. The focus is on the big names like Hosmer, Moustakas, Myers, James Shields and Jeff Francoeur.

Then there are the battles for open spots. Second base keeps coming up as Johnny Giavotella and Chris Getz do their dance once again, and the backup catcher and last bullpen spots are up for grabs as well. Most projected lineups have the second baseman – whether it be Getz or Giavotella – batting last and the backup catcher and last guy in the bullpen aren’t make or break decisions.

What gets overlooked are the players in the middle. The ones that aren’t absolutely vital but are comfortably established in their role. The expectations aren’t high but they’re expected to still perform well. Aaron Crow is one example, perhaps Luis Mendoza, too. But to me, Lorenzo Cain has gone unheralded during spring training.

Mar 18, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain (6) singles during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

What’s come up in discussion is his injury history, and it has to. He’s missed enough time at various levels of professional baseball that it can’t be ignored or dismissed as a concern. But lost in that discussion is the opportunity the Royals have in a strong season from Cain. Consider this: in 2012, despite missing three and a half months, Cain still accumulated 1.9 bWAR and 1.7 fWAR. Both counts placed him sixth among non-pitchers in WAR in only 61 games. You can’t make such a simple projection, but just say you double his counting stats and pretend like he played 122 games and Cain “hits” .266/.316/.419 with 14 homers, 20 stolen bases, and 62 RBI. Not bad.

That sort of line could be his floor over the next few seasons. He hits enough line drives to maintain a decent average, has enough power to hit the ball out, and his speed allows him to cause problems on the basepaths. His swing can get long so he may be more streaky than the Royals would like, and I’d prefer he take a walk more often so his on base percentage wasn’t so dependent on his bat, but there’s room to improve on his baseline. With good health and perhaps a slight adjustment, he may be able to speed up his bat and make more contact.

He’s showing this spring (and the typical spring training disclaimer applies) that he’s at least willing to take a walk. In 61 games last season, he walked 15 times. He’s walked eight times in 17 games this spring. That’s much better, especially since spring is a more free-swinging time. His OppQual from Baseball-Reference is around 9.0, suggesting that he’s facing players closer to the big leagues. On Wednesday, Cain homered, his first of the spring. He has a .474/.565/.684 line in 46 plate appearances. Even with a small sample size, that’s a good stretch of ridiculous production from a center fielder.

March 6, 2013; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain (6) reacts after a double in the fifth inning during a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Even if Cain’s biggest contribution comes from his defense, a close-to-average season at the plate is going to give him the opportunity to be a valuable part of the team. He has great range and good instincts and a good arm, especially in center. With good health, he’ll be an asset up the middle. If he can develop as a hitter and be even better, he’ll stand out. Cain models his game after Torii Hunter, and Royals television broadcasts have gone so far as to show both batters in a split screen to display the similarities between the two. The Royals may not be able to ask for Hunter’s 2001-2012 average line of .278/.337/.475 and 24 homers from Cain, but that might be his ceiling and Cain will add more stolen bases as well.

That works out to a lot of value for the Royals. Cain is entering his peak years (he turns 27 two weeks into the season) so the time is now for his contribution. He has to stay healthy, but if he does, he could be a 3-4 WAR player at a premium defensive position. He could be enough of an offensive producer to capably fill in in right field should Jeff Francoeur falter and other options aren’t explored. Amid all the prospect follow up and starting rotation breakdowns, there’s Lorenzo Cain right under everyone’s nose.

Already this spring, Cain’s dealt with a hand injury that caused him to miss early games, but he hasn’t had any setbacks or new injuries. Yet. If that continues to be the case, Cain could be a pleasant breakout player in the Royals lineup.

Post Author: Royals: Fansided KingsOfKauffman.

It’s no secret Jeff Francoeur has had his struggles at the plate.  Last season he hit a dismal .235 and drove in 49 runs primarily from the 5th spot in the order.  I can’t be the only who thinks we still need to search for answers in right field if this team seriously wants to contend.  It’s hard to have many holes in your lineup and still try and win a division.  It seems the Royals also share the same sentiment as well and could be actively trying to add some depth to their outfield.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Royals are looking for another outfield option who can start in place of Jeff Francoeur when the Royals face a tough right-handed pitcher.  Rosenthal also mentions, if that outfielder can also play centerfield and be a backup option to Lorenzo Cain, then it makes it that much better of a move.

If no in house players will suffice, then there are some outfielders who could possibly fill the void of finding a left handed bat to face those tough righties.  MLB Trade Rumors put together a list of players without options who have less than five years of service time.  These players must clear waivers if their respective teams want to assign them to the minor leagues.

I wouldn’t mind if the Royals took a look at these left handed bats who could start in place of Frenchy when the team faces a dominant righty.  We all know Frenchy has his struggles against righties, so it could really be beneficial for the team to look at some options if they don’t like anybody in house.  Obviously, I’m thinking out loud and there is a very small percentage any of these players wind up in Kansas City, but I think it, at least, deserves some thought.

August 22, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Matt Joyce (20) hits a single in the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Joyce is an intriguing name for me.  The former All-Star has had his struggles recently, but as a platoon option he could be of some service.  Against righties in 2012, he hit 33 of his 38 extra base hits and his average was 39 points higher.  Another left handed option could be Julio Borbon, who has never really panned out the way Texas would have liked.  The former Tennessee Volunteer teammate of Luke Hochevar, could just need a new home for his major league career to flourish.  Borbon is more of a speedster and right field isn’t the most conventional place for a left handed thrower, so he could end up in centerfield some games and Lorenzo Cain could then move to right.

Another interesting guy who is out of options, is Pirates outfielder Travis Snider.  Originally with the Blue Jays, Snider has had an up and down career to this point.  This talented youngster, could still be a superstar someday, and if he were to become available I would hope the Royals would at least glance in his direction.  There is still a lot of pop in his bat, and in the right situation he could be another option if they wanted to look at adding some more depth to the outfield.  The last name I want to drop is Mike Carp.  Carp finally got a decent amount of playing time in 2011 and hit 12 home runs in 79 games.  This left handed bat could be fun to watch in place of Frenchy when a tough arm like King Felix or Justin Verlander are on the mound.

In my honest opinion, I think we have the best option in our own backyard.  I’m not the only one who thinks that as my fellow writer, Tony Botts,  wrote a great article on why David Lough deserves a shot to start in right.  I’m just hoping the Royals at least try to address the issue and don’t end up settling and it costing us a chance to compete for the division this year.

Post Author: Royals: Fansided KingsOfKauffman.

After signing Cheslor Cuthbert in 2009 Baseball America put him as the 17th ranked Royals’ prospect at a time when the farm system was very strong.  He debuted as a 17 year old and showed some power in rookie ball in 2010 and moved up to #15 in the system, and followed that with a decent year in Kane County A ball in 2011 to move up to #5.  Only part of his ascension was due to all of the promotions of those ahead of him in prior seasons.  Last year Cuthbert had a rough year in Wilmington as a 19 year old that moved him back to #20 in a farm system that is no longer quite as strong, but I would encourage fans to ignore last year’s results for this young third baseman.  The coming year is much more important, and Royals fans who care about the minors should be watching Cuthbert closely in 2013.

If you follow the Royals’ minor league system at all, there is one theme.  Wilmington is a tough place to hit.  Being a position player in the system and getting a promotion to high A ball is the equivalent of the Royals Brass telling you that they would like to see how you handle failure.  It is a pitchers park of nearly epic proportions.  Cuthbert’s 2012 line of .240/.296/.322 is definitely scary, and maybe completely meaningless as well.  I went back and looked for Royals in Wilmington going back to 1994 to see who hit well there.  Plenty of players, including Johnny Damon, Mike Sweeney, and even Ken Harvey had nice seasons for the Blue Rocks, but there is a consistent similarity among them all, and that is that they were all in their early 20s.  Only one player under age 20 had a significant amount of playing time in Wilmington and had good hitting numbers.  Wil Myershad a nice half season in is age 19 season.

Cheslor Cuthbert via Jen Nevius

The best parallel for Cheslor is Carlos Beltran.  Beltran was actually a year older at each stop, but had a similar path of decent rookie ball year and a pretty good line between low A and A ball.  Then he arrived in Wilmington and struggled to a line of .229/.311/.363 as a 20 year old.  The following year he repeated his time at high A, and did much better, getting a promotion to AA where his numbers exploded.  That is the hope for someone like Cuthbert in 2013.  Getting a chance to age and repeat could lead to similar growth as a player.  Not only that, but the fact that he is following a similar path at a younger age means that the ceiling for him may be very high.

Digging into last season there were some good signs.  Away from his home park, Cuthbert’s average was similar, but his OBP was 20 points higher and his slugging was 60 points higher.  Also, after three really awful months, his OBP in the last two months (a little over 100 PAs) of the season were .343 and .364 with the usual small sample size caveats.  Everyone is loving up Adalberto Mondesi this spring, and for good reason, but don’t forget about Cheslor Cuthbert.  It would not at all be surprising to me if next year he was in AA and/or AAA and creating questions about how to handle the log jam at third base.

Post Author: Royals: Fansided KingsOfKauffman.

Barely five days ago, Luke Hochevar got demoted to the bullpen. Whether he and his “bloated for a reliever” contract stick with the Royals this season has become less irrelevant to me at this point because at the very least, he’s not in the rotation. I know that if he ends up sticking with the Royals and comes out of the pen at more than 4 million dollars this year, it’s going to be a huge waste of money, but you take the positives when you get ‘em.

That being said, at the time of the demotion, there were essentially four candidates elligible for the 5th spot in the rotation. Bruce Chen, Luis Mendoza, Will Smith, and Yordano Ventura are all getting a good look. Granted, most individuals think it would be a long shot for Ventura to jump the other three to get the spot. I think the same goes for Will Smith, though he’s looked good in limited time this spring. That means that the two frontrunners for the position were and are Chen and Mendoza.

And Chen may have very well played himself out of those talks on Saturday.

After a debacle of a 1st inning where Bruce gave up 3 home runs, including one to ex-Royal David Dejesus, Chen ended up throwing 92 pitches, giving up 7 runs and 5 home runs. In fact, Chen has given up 7 home runs and 12 earned runs in 13.2 innings.

Now the caveat of spring training stats is exactly that….it’s spring training. But it’s not like Chen has a proven track record to look at over the last few season to give us assurance.

So why should he get the 5-spot instead of Luis Mendoza? Mendoza had a decent second half last year and (knock on wood) couldn’t be any worse than Chen.

It speaks to the difference in this year that we can have a discussion over whether Chen or Mendoza should be our 5th starter. In all honesty, I’m not TOO concerned about who’s taking the bump in that spot. (As long as it won’t be Hochevar)

So what do you think? Has Chen played his way out of a rotation spot? Or do you think his most recent outing won’t matter?

Post Author: Royals: Fansided KingsOfKauffman.

December 12, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore speaks during the press conference at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

About a week ago, I wrote a post vilifying the Royals for their flippant use of the term “competition”. I chastised them for using a rhetoric of lies while giving players like Luke Hochevar the chance to continually disappoint. I even had a very witty Ron Mexico joke in there.

The very next day, they pulled Hochevar from the rotation, and my post was DOA.

Go ahead and search the major Royals blogs (especially Kings of Kauffman, which his in my opinion the bestest blog ever!). You’ll find plenty of writing about Hochevar’s move to the bullpen so I’m not going to go there. I’ll just state that moving a guy who can’t pitch with runners on base into a position in which one primary function is to pitch well with guys on base is a little confusing. But here’s hoping he turns into Mariano Rivera.

Instead, I’m thinking about the shift in approach that this move signals … if it does in fact signal one … which I don’t think it does. Those same writings on Hochevar mention this potential shift, but I’m not so optimistic that a shift has necessarily occurred. In fact, I’m not sure that Hochevar being moved could even be evidence of a shift in approach.

Moving Hochevar is not an un-Royals move. It’s actually a very Royals move once viewed as a whole. Because you can’t look at this move in the moment; it must be looked at in its entirety. What have the Royals really done here? They drafted a guy number one overall, moved him quickly threw the minor leagues, pushed him to be their number one starter, and then stuck by him through one of the worst starting pitching careers in history. They stuck with him much, much longer than anyone in their right mind would have, and finally, when they were the last ones left to realize what he was, they made a move to salvage that product.

In what way is that un-Royals like? On different scales (over different periods of time) that’s the story with Jason Kendall and Mike Jacobs and Jose Lima and so many others that if we crowd sourced might fill multiple rosters. Go ahead, name the one’s I’ve left out for the sake of brevity in the comments section.

No, Hochevar is not the measure of a shift in approach or attitude or perspective. The Hochevar move is a team making a big mistake, realizing it way, way, way too late, and trying to salvage. The real test of whether or not a shift in approach has occurred might be in the two other fifth starter candidates: Luis Mendoza and Bruce Chen. Anyone with eyes knows that Mendoza is the better pitcher and deserves that job. Anyone who knows baseball a little, knows that Chen’s best years (the two roughly average years he had with Kansas City) are behind him. Choosing Mendoza over Chen might signal that the Royals have opened up more to bailing on their mistakes when they’re apparent, a small shift in attitude but an important one. It might signify that they no longer get oddly protective of certain players who can’t perform, as if those players are all David Glass’s favorite nephews.

Really, it will take a body of decisions to evaluate whether or not the Royals decision makers have evolved their thinking to fit a team that is seemingly in place to win now. Do they stick with Jeff Francoeur if he struggles mightily in the first month? Do they send Donnie Joseph to AAA even if he is the best option they have as the last member of their bullpen and their best LOOGY option? These are difficult decisions (ok, the first one isn’t) the answer to which changes depending on where a team is at in its progress. If a team is rebuilding, options and service time and protecting large numbers of players is more important. If a might contend, those things should matter less (that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t matter at all; it just means they should matter less).

The next month and a half will give us a clearer indication if the those pulling the strings at Kauffman Stadium have actually wised up or if it’s just business as its often shitty usual.

Post Author: Royals: Fansided KingsOfKauffman.