Experimenting with the idea

I have been busy for the past few weeks only able to see box scores and read recaps from the Royals  games. That being said I have done my best keeping up with the struggling hometown team. The losses continue to pile up and the topic has quickly changed from this year to next year. The question arises: Can we compete next year? The simple answer is no because with the lack of starting pitching on the team. There is Danny Duffy as the only "legitimate" future starter on the team and a bunch of questions after that. There is some hope in the minors but that doesn't give us a guarantee. What should the Royals front office do? Well the best solution is get more depth and the best way to do that.... Trades. The Royals do have some pieces that other teams might find valuable, but few of them will garner top of the line starting pitching. What I propose is we put Billy Butler on the market. This is not a disrespect to Butler in the slightest,  but a compliment that he is the best hitter and therefore the best piece to potentially reel in a top starting pitcher. There are several teams looking for a consistent hitting DH/1B and a package deal can most likely be put together. Can the Royals win without Butler? Of course they can, with hitters like Clint Robinson, Johnny Giavotella, David Lough, and even Mike Aviles there are bats in the minors that can come up and hit in the DH spot. Another option would be if Wilson Betemit is not traded he can play more DH. The Royals have options with hitters, but with the majors worst starting pitching something needs to be done or competing will not happen.

The Bottom Line:
Billy Butler is an elite talent; however on this team he is at this time he is not the focal point. The question becomes would you rather have Billy in 2012 or a better Starting Rotation? If you want to compete the answer is not that hard to figure out.

Holland

What a difference a year make. Last year when Greg Holland was called up to pitch for the Royals, up came a guy  who struggled to get guys out consistently. In 18.2 innings of work last year he gave up 23 hits and 15 runs. He had a solid strikeout numbers and didn't struggle with walking people, but it seemed he struggled with confidence. Well so far this year he looks completely different he made slight tweaks to his game and above all seemed to gain confidence more and more with each scoreless inning he threw. Recently that confidence has led him into becoming more and more of a strikeout pitcher. In his last four appearances he has recorded 10 strikeouts in 6.0 innings compared to 6 strikeouts in his previous 6.2 innings. Now eventually he will have a bad outing and his ERA will not remain at 0.00, but if he continues to look the way he does it only strengthens our bullpen and adds flexibility to a pitching staff that needs as much help as it can get at times.

The Bottom Line:
Greg Holland gives the Royals not only flexibility in their bullpen, but also in experimenting with the idea of Aaron Crow as a starter or the potential trading of Joakim Soria.

The Time is Now

On most days a Royals win and more importantly a win with solid pitching would be a easy thing to talk about, and probably that’s what would have been written here today. That all changed when I flipped open my phone and saw a text message saying “Moustakas called up”.  That got me thinking and to a full realization that the long awaited “process” is now here. Obviously guys like Eric Hosmer, Danny Duffy, Aaron Crow, and others have already graced the field with their presence, and there are others still to come. Still now that Moustakas is here the future is now, and that means that an improving team better start being seen on the field.
It may be a little shortsighted of me to say its time to win, but in many ways it is time to win. Other than Mike Montgomery are top of the line prospects in AAA have all been called up. These are the guys that Dayton Moore, Ned Yost, and the Royals faithful are all counting on to lead us to prosperity like the Rays have done recently. I don’t expect this team to go from cellar dweller to champion over night, especially with the distinct lack of starting pitching at the moment, but they should be more competitive in the near future.

Bottom Line:
This is not the final piece but this is the time that makes or breaks Dayton Moore’s career as the GM of the Kansas City Royals.

Welcome to My World

When preparing to embark into the ambitious world of sports Internet blogging, I tried to determine what would be a good attention grabbing topic. After much deliberation I determined on a simple introduction to me. I have been born and raised in the Midwest, so obviously from that I have a childhood love of the local Kansas City area teams. I'm a die hard Kansas Jayhawk and Kansas City Chief fan, but where I get my most enjoyment is watching and lamenting over the Kansas City Royals.
Because of my Love for the Boys in Blue, I have developed a feeling "that all teams I root for will fail". In the short 23 years of my life there has been little to dissuade this feeling. Other than Mario's miracle in 08 none of the teams I find myself rooting have come away with anything but broken hearts and tears. Still I continue to remain a crazy, devoted, suffering fan and will for the foreseeable future. Still despite all that I persevere on and dream of a future in which I can witness world series, super bowls, and national championships. A future that I will continue to comment and discuss here.

Bottom Line:
This is just the beginning so look out.