According to Dayton Moore’s “Process”, the Kansas City Royals were going to have their prospects up in 2011 and 2012, have them learn how to be major league players, and try to contend for 2013. Well, a strange thing happened along the way, as the Royals had one of the better offenses in baseball in 2011. While the starting rotation needs to show dramatic improvement for the Royals to contend for a playoff spot this season, maybe it’s not as far away as once thought. In fact, the Royals have become a trendy sleeper pick for several outlets, especially since the second Wild Card has been added.
For the Royals to take the next step, they need one or two of their starters to dramatically improve. Luke Hochevar is the de facto number one starter, but he is far from an ace. In fact, the Royals not only do not have a true number one starter, but they also do not have a pitcher that could be a number two starter on a good team either. Hochevar did show signs of improvement in the second half of last year, however; as his K/9 went from 4.38 to just under 9. If he can keep that improvement in 2012, then he may just be ready. Jonathan Sanchez was acquired from the San Francisco Giants for Melky Cabrera’s career year. Sanchez strikes out a lot of hitters, but walks a lot as well. He also has some health concerns. If he could improve his control, then he could be another solid starter, but at 29, he is what he is at this point. Bruce Chen has gone from journeyman bust to a Panamanian-Korean version of Jamie Moyer. While he is not going to make a lot of people miss, he has been surprisingly effective. Felipe Paulino was picked up after being released by the Colorado Rockies, and immediately become a fairly good starter. Ignore his won-loss record and total and aggrigate ERA – he has a lot of upside and may end up being the Royals best starter this year. The fifth spot in the rotation will be taken by either Aaron Crow or Danny Duffy. Crow has two solid pitches, and desperately needs a third pitch to be an effective starter. However, his fastball-slider combo were great out of the bullpen, where he was an All-Star last year. That would leave Duffy, who looked like a younger version of Jonathan Sanchez.
The bullpen, however, is a strength for the Royals. Joakim Soria had an off year last year, partially due to injury and partially due to experimenting with a cutter in the first half. Once he scrapped the cutter, he went back to looking like the Soria of years past. Jonathan Broxton was picked up on a one year deal as a safety net if Soria either gets hurt again, or is traded. Little Timmy Collins is the primary lefty reliever, and wore down last year from overuse. Greg Holland was the Royals best reliever last year, and may end up being the closer of the future if Crow can stick in the rotation.
In the outfield, the Royals have Alex Gordon in left, Lorenzo Cain in center, and Jeff Francoeur in right. Gordon finally tapped into his limitless potential, becoming a Gold Glove outfielder and a legitimate offensive threat. Cain’s defense and speed made Melky Cabrera expendable, and he may end up taking the leadoff spot from Gordon. Francoeur had a surprisingly good season, as he finished with 20 home runs, and over 20 stolen bases. He is another solid defensive player, and furthers the Royals desire to be a run prevention team. Mitch Maier is the fourth outfielder, and can play all three positions.
Last year, the Royals had the youngest infield in baseball by the end of the year. Third baseman Mike Moustakas struggled initially in the majors, but began to hit as the season progressed. This was well in line with his minor league track record, where he needed 150 to 200 at bats to get acclimated to the talent level, then began to hit. Look for Moustakas to have a good year in 2012. Shortstop Alcides Escobar is a great defensive player, but provides little to nothing offensively. Despite that, he is extremely valuable, given his ability to take away hits and runs. Johnny Giavotella is expected to be the Opening Day second baseman, and will be better than what the Royals had there last season by default. His presence banishes Chris Getz either to the bench or to AAA. Eric Hosmer will also get a full season at first base, and is looking to build off of an impressive rookie season. Hosmer has also added an element of speed to his game over the last couple of seasons. Yuniesky Betancourt returns as a theoretical utility infielder, even though he couldn’t catch the ball if it was placed directly in front of him, and may actually be the worst player in baseball. But, it would not be the Royals if they did not make at least one head scratching move per offseason.
Salvador Perez turned a solid 148 at bat debut into a five year extension, and is locked up as the catcher of the present and future. While he swings at literally everything, he also has a surprisingly good contact rate. He is also a solid defensive catcher with a plus arm, so the Royals may have a steal with their investment. Brayan Pena is the backup catcher, and is essentially a body that can give Perez the occassional day off. Billy Butler is entrenched at the designated hitter spot, and while he may never hit a lot of home runs, is a lock for 40+ doubles and a solid batting average. All in all, the offense was good last year, and may be even better this year.
For the Royals to have a chance this year, they need their run prevention plan to work as well as they can possibly dream of. A step forward by either Hochevar or Paulino will help, but they are more likely to contend in 2013 than in 2012.
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