Comments on: End of 2011 Checklist

By: Ted

Ted — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:57:05 +0000

I like the writeup over at The Sweetspot. Personally, I like the idea of creating a special player acquisition fund for potential budget busters like Pujols. I would chip in $100 a year for 10 years to sign him; get 300,000 more like me and we can sign Pujols without dipping into the existing player salary budget. Or maybe teams should offer players like him partial ownership. I don’t know, there has to be some creative way to sign a Pujols-type player (once in a generation, maybe even once in a lifetime). Getting 300,000 fans to chip in isn’t realistic. There has to be something. I really don’t want Pujols to end up playing for the Cubs or Halos or really any team not in Missouri. Sure, I like seeing the Cards squirm, and, yes, I feel that they unnecessarily limited themselves with the silly Holliday contract, but I feel for their fans. Living in MN, I could feel the tension during Mauer’s extension talks. His contract might be hampering the team a bit, but watching him walk would have killed the fans, and it certainly would have affected ticket and other merchandise sales. Sorry for the ramble…

By: Peter

Peter — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 20:31:51 +0000

If Alex isn’t hitting in the 300 PAs, Melky goes to left and we work on Cain getting his 100+ games in.

By: steve

steve — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 17:25:37 +0000

I agree this is the highest and best purpose of 2011, it is so important to make the best choices with what you have, and Datyon and Yost have wasted way too many ABs already in that regard. Every AB and every pitch and every glove chance need to go to the ones we need to learn the most about. Not only is this about waiting patiently for the hoped for stars to arrive and get started, it is just as importantly about finding out who the best keepers are everywhere else. Brayan, Aviles, Kila, Gordon, Davies, Getz, Francoeur, Melky, young relievers – whom of these can be the best contributors to our possible championship team down the road – which to keep, which to trade, which to just let go – that is a crucially important task for Dayton and Yost. And their track record so far is mostly horrible – wasting time on Jason Kendall, who not by any stretch of the imagination is any part of our future and should not be alllowed to play even one more minute in a Royals uniform, as well as many other wasted mistakes keeping out Kila and others. Dayton and Yost waking up to this and doing their very best to figure this out, is Jobn #1 this year. Let’s hold them accountable for it in the blogsphere.

By: Big Lee

Big Lee — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:43:32 +0000

Clark, I so agree with the premise of this post. KK and catching should have been resolved before 2011, but Royals have been so stubborn to distribute ABs in a meaningful way. How many ABs have been thrown away (bad mixed metaphor) on guys whose future was already certain? Find out what you have in some of your younger guys.

By: Bob Long

Bob Long — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 04:19:00 +0000

Ted…Actually, I like your thinking….it’s just a couple years off. At some point, some of the talent in the system will have to be traded for major league talent. It’s just a bit early at this point IMO.

By: Ted

Ted — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 02:48:48 +0000

Jason: You’re right, if we wouldn’t compete by 2012 with Greinke, then there is no reason to expect that we would compete by then with Liriano. I guess I was thinking he could be extended…but if he just leaves after two seasons, the trade would be wasted on us.

By: Andrew J Overton

Andrew J Overton — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:06:50 +0000

Ben, I believe that Gordon would be blocking the opportunities of others. If he doesn’t perform as an above average ballplayer through the first 300 plate appearances, I say give Lough or one of the other kids a chance. I don’t understand the Gordon fetish in Royal land.

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:35:33 +0000

” Should the Royals attempt to trade for Liriano? ” Your right… We should also trade Moustakas and Hosmer to the Rangers for a few years of Michael Young. Man, if we only had Liriano and Young we’d be set.

By: Abh

Abh — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:14:35 +0000

Any of you fellas planning a trip to Surprise for some in-person reporting? It’s not news unless you can stand in front of it.

By: % (In the UK)

% (In the UK) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:59:55 +0000

Good article Clarke

Only point i will make is that there’s no need to rush to get another catcher,Cody Clarke is well worth a decent look!

I actualy think he’s better than May from what i’ve seen & i’ve watched a lot of O-Royals (Storm Chasers) & Isotopes matches when theyve both been behind the respective plates!