The Royals in July

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Escobar, Yost ejected late in Royals' loss

With two out and the Royals trailing, 7-1, the Royals had runners at first and second. Escobar hit a ground ball deep into the hole at short that was fielded by Brian Dozier, who threw to second for the forceout. Despite appearing to have arrived before the ball, Chris Getz was called out at second and the inning was over.
Replays showed that Dozier wasn't on the bag when Getz arrived at the base. Both Getz and Yost had conversations with second-base umpire D.J. Reyburn following the play

Guthrie sputters in debut as Royals fall to Twins

Guthrie allowed five runs on four hits over five innings in his Kansas City debut on Sunday, as a four-run third sent the Royals on their way to a 7-5 loss to the Twins in the rubber game at Kauffman Stadium.

He still lasted 3 times longer than Sancez and gave up fewer runs...

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I really don't understand Yost. Why would you sacrifice bunt in the top of the 1st inning with one of your best hitters? He gives away way too many outs.

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And with a one run lead, he tried to do it with him again! In the third inning! It's not like it's Getz he's asking to do this....

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Soria on track in recovery from Tommy John

Soria, who underwent the elbow ligament reconstruction on April 3, is doing his rehabilitation work at the Royals' facility in Surprise, Ariz. He can begin throwing about October, and could possibly be ready to pitch a year from the surgery. The Royals are being extra cautious because this is Soria's second such surgery.

The Royals also face a decision on Soria's contract for 2013. The club holds an option on him for $8 million.

I say the club picks up the option and hope he comes out pitching well and looking good. Then trade him. If it doesn't work out, I'd still say it's worth the risk.

Smith handles Halos after Cain's early homer

ANAHEIM -- It took Lorenzo Cain a long time to get back. But it didn't take him any time at all to get going.

Cain continued his hot hitting, and his two-run homer jump-started the Royals toward a 4-1 victory over the Angels with 35,051 fans enjoying the 73-degree Tuesday evening, if not the result, at the Big A. Rookie left-hander Will Smith pitched seven innings of two-hit efficiency to get his second win.

Since coming off the disabled list after being out three months with leg injuries, Cain is 16-for-41 (.390) with three home runs.

I hope Smith is feeling like he belongs. He could be a very nice end of the rotation arm. Cain is finally showing why we traded Melky. Too bad the injuries set him back so long. KC would at least be a .500 team I think if it weren't for the injuries to Cain, Perez, Duffy and Paulino.

[SubGod22]

Royals Trade Deadline Options

I’m not sure if it’s because of the team I follow or because I just like wheeling and dealing, but I love the trade deadline. It’s just a fascinating time of year when you see teams assess their needs and go out and try to make themselves better. Not every team succeeds in that and not every team is trying to gain success in this particular season. Often, a trade is made with not even next year in mind but the season after. You look at a team like the Astros (who I’m not looking forward to being in the American League) and see what they’re doing and you know that they’ve basically thrown in the towel for 2013 even, which is probably the smart thing for them to do.

As recently as about a month ago, there was a very real debate among both the Royals and their fans about whether or not the Royals should be buyers or sellers. I never thought they should be buyers, but it was fun that the discussion was even being had and that it wasn’t completely ludicrous of them to be considering taking on players to make a run. Of course, losing got in the way of that and the Royals are most definitely not buyers this season. I’m skeptical that they’ll even be sellers, but they absolutely should be as there are veteran players making a fair amount of money who could be moved and their replacements might even make the team better this season. There’s not a ton the Royals have to offer. If they had more, they’d probably be a lot better, but that’s a story for another day. We’ve talked a lot about who the Royals should go after on the trade market, but I think a lack of attention has been paid to who the Royals should be dangling and almost more importantly what they should expect to get in return. I wrote a post a few weeks ago about the trade value of various players, but a lot of those guys won’t be mentioned here. That was more on the buying front. These are the guys they should be selling, warts and all.

I would love to see everyone on the list traded. I think a couple of them could be paired up, and maybe even a B level MiLB guy to get a good arm. Others just need to go, even if we don't get an A level prospect in return. They're simply not a part of the future, or shouldn't be.

[SubGod22]

What To Do The Rest Of The Way

Well, have you stopped watching? Have you stopped paying attention? Or, like me, do you continue to torture yourself with optimism and search like Sherlock Holmes for any bit of good news. Basically, the same thing we’ve all been doing for as long as we can remember. With Chiefs training camp about to start, the Summer Olympics in London, and the pitter-patter of College Football, odds are that the amount of people paying attention to our Major League Baseball team is going to fall drastically.

Well, I have some ideas that might help the Royals retain some of their audience in 2012. This is what they should do the rest of the way:

1) Scrap the Rotation.

He actually has some pretty good ideas. I'd definitely like to see more starts from Mendoza, Smith, Teaford, Verdugo, Adcock and Odorizzi. Give these guys a shot without them being worried about going back to Omaha if they have a bad game. Let them learn and develop some and see if these guys are really potential pieces of the rotation. Better to do it now, since the season is over, than wait until spring or next season. Do it now.

I also wouldn't mind seeing a couple of bullpen arms like Hottovy or Sisk get some action in KC. Lord knows some of the current arms in the pen need a break.

I like the term YuniGetz. Call Gio back up and let him go the rest of the way. Lets see if he can figure out MLB pitching and be an everyday player here. AAA is doing nothing for him. And even if you can't trade Frenchy, Myers needs to be up. I know teams don't like sitting players making money like Frenchy, but he brings up a good point that he'd be a great mentor for Myers. And Myers would be an upgrade at the plate and perhaps in RF.

The lineup he presents is pretty solid. Gordon, Escobar, Cain, Butler, Hosmer, Moustakas, Perez, Myers, Gio. You get that lineup some starting pitching and I like our chances in the Central.

I'm not opposed to idea 5. Maybe not as often as he recommends, but I like it. I also like idea number 6.

And I love idea 9. Lets do it!

[SubGod22]

Friday Notes

Maybe it’s a sign of getting older or maybe it’s just that this season has been more disappointing and thus I’m tired of it sooner, but these west coast road trips are not as much fun as I remembered. I used to love the west coast games because you could get so much done and still catch the game later that night, but now they’re just exhausting. It certainly hasn’t helped that the Royals played pretty poorly in Anaheim, though their worst game was actually a day game. In general, this season has taken quite a wrong turn and it was a wrong turn taken quickly. I’ll get into it, but it’s not all that bad. I’m going to try to stay positive in this edition of Notes because we all know the problems with this team. Let’s get to it.

• I think maybe the brightest spot offensively for the Royals since the break is Lorenzo Cain, who entering last night’s game was hitting .364/.392/.636 with three doubles, three homers and 13 RBI in 13 games. I think it’s safe to say that he won’t be keeping that up throughout the whole season, but I’m seeing the same hitter I saw in Arizona this year. There was one at bat in particular, and I may have brought this up in the podcast last week, when the Royals were in Peoria and he hit a ball off the center field wall. I may have imagined this, but the wall gave a little bit because the ball was hit so hard. Cain’s swing is a little bit long, so he’ll probably be prone to some slumps when he gets out of whack a little bit, but he makes such solid contact that I’ve become a believer.

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Deadline Worries, Royals Delusions, and Tunnel Vision

With less than a week before the (non-waiver) trade deadline, the Royals have pieces to move.

They’ve made it apparent that Jeff Francoeur, Yuniesky Betancourt, Jose Mijares and Jonathan Broxton are the key names available.

Now it’s a matter of turning those names into something of value. That’s the goal, right? Trade the veterans for other players, usually younger, and continue loading up during this rebuilding stretch.

But here’s where I’m worried. The Royals as an organization have shown that they can scout players and identify solid draft picks. They’ve loaded the farm system with talent and potential. They aren’t always good at evaluating the problems with players they currently have on the roster and I think it’s going to cloud their minds during the deadline.

[SubGod22]

Royals Today: Trade Deadline Edition.

I’ll be frank with you: I’ve pretty much checked out of 2012. Not in a temper tantrum sort of way, but just in the sense that there’s no joy in continuing to keep tabs on the Royals in what might be their most disappointing season of the century. Yeah, 2009 was disappointing after their 18-11 start, but based on my expectations before the season, it wasn’t nearly that disappointing. It’s just sad that the Royals found a way to waste the most valuable season by a pitcher since Pedro Martinez was in his prime.

But this year? I legitimately thought on Opening Day that they were a .500 team. Instead, they’re on pace to lose 95 games, and gaining steam – they’ve lost 19 of their last 25 games. And it’s not just that they’re a bad team – it’s that they’re so uninteresting to watch.

I don’t know how that’s possible. Last August and September, after the Royals promoted Johnny Giavotella and Salvador Perez to the majors, they were as fun to watch as they’ve been since at least 2003. Most days they fielded a lineup in which Jeff Francoeur, at age 27, was the OLDEST player in the lineup. And they were winning – they were 15-10 in September.

They finished sixth in the league in runs scored, with the youngest offense in baseball. The prospect of watching them take a step forward as one of the best young lineups in the game was, itself, reason enough to watch the Royals this year.

Broxton Trade Rumors Are Gaining Steam

On Sunday, the trade market for relief pitchers shifted a bit as the Padres signed Huston Street to an extension, effectively taking him out of trade discussions. Brandon League of the Mariners, was also said to be involved in a deal that was close, though by the end of the day, nothing was finalized and the team interested in him hadn’t been reported.

That puts Jonathan Broxton in the crosshairs for some teams.

Jim Bowden reported that the Giants had interest in Broxton and past reports indicated that they may have had scouts in Omaha to look at potential add-ons.

Another team has surfaced as well. The Rangers are looking at Broxton as well, according to Jon Heyman. Broxton would serve as a setup man for Joe Nathan if a trade were finalized.

[ShockerFever]

Last place in the Central; last place in the AL. BUT, there's always hope for next year thanks to a great, developing minor league system!

It's too bad the Royals can't play the Yanks more often so we can get more than 1 person posting here in a 10 day stretch.

[SubGod22]

Butler named American League Player of the Week

This award is getting to be old hat for Billy Butler. Kansas City's designated hitter was named the American League Player of the Week on Monday, the fourth time in his career that he's earned that recognition. Butler, 26 years old, batted .458 (11-for-24) in seven games last week.

Butler, who was last named the Player of the Week on August 1 of last season, thrived away from home last week. He notched three doubles, one home run, five walks and six RBIs. Butler ranked first among AL players in on-base percentage (.552) and hits, and second in batting average and doubles.

All of Butler's offense came on the road last week and much of his success came in the middle of the week. Butler homered off All-Star Jered Weaver on Wednesday, and he doubled twice and walked in Thursday's loss to Seattle. Butler's two doubles were Kansas City's only hits on Thursday.

Cain on hot streak since return from injury

KANSAS CITY -- Lorenzo Cain was the Royals' everyday center fielder coming out of Spring Training. He appeared in the team's first five games this season. And then he hit a wall. Literally.

While making a stellar play in an April 10 game in Oakland, Cain hit the outfield wall and injured his left groin. Just three days away from making his debut at his new home ballpark of Kauffman Stadium, Cain would be forced to wait. Little did Cain know that wait would last three months.

But Cain's long wait shouldn't come as too much a surprise. He's always been a late starter. Now 26 years old, Cain didn't start playing baseball until his sophomore year of high school.

Water Cooler Talk: The Royals (Broxton) And Rangers

Talks are heating up and the water cooler gossip is coming strong!

I love talking about the Rangers prospects because (as most of you know) it is the organization in baseball I respect the most….and they have a better art collection than Pinault

I began tweeting at 8 pm last night:

@Greg_Schaum Pitchers from the Rangers that makes the most sense is Justin Grimm…others Scheppers, Buckel, Boscan, and former MU P Nick Tepesch

Some good info.

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Royals Deal Broxton To Reds

No word yet on who we're getting. Some speculation of at least a promising AA pitcher.

[SubGod22]

It looks like J.C. Sulbaran is the player received for Broxton. Sulbaran is a former 30th round pick of the Reds who actually went to high school with first baseman Eric Hosmer. He’s currently in AA and has a 7-7 record with a 4.04 ERA in 19 starts. He’s pitched 104.2 innings, giving up 101 hits, struck out 111 and walked 54. The pitch I love about him is his changeup which is already a little above average. He has good stuff but struggles with command. he might end up being a bullpen guy, but definitely has the upside to be a middle of the rotation starter.
The other pitcher in the deal is Donnie Joseph, a left-handed reliever who has made it to AAA this season. He has a 2.86 ERA in 22 innings with 22 strikeouts and 9 walks. In AA this season, he had a 0.89 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 13 walks in 30.1 innings. Joseph gets his share of strikeouts, and while walks haven’t been a problem, they may eventually be. In AA, he allowed just 13 hits in his 30.1 innings, but has allowed a hit per inning so far this season in AAA.

Nothing major and no sure fire starter. Sounds like Subaran could be a back end of the rotation guy potentially. Joseph sounds like another solid bullpen guy they can trade or use if they trade one of the current guys.

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Following the twitter updates over at PTP and it sounds as if Joseph could pitch in the pen right now and help give Collins some relief. The PTP guys seem to think this was a great trade. Getting rid of Broxton was the big thing. Too bad they didn't move YuniGetz or Frenchy.

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Appears that Greg Holland has been named the new closer for KC. I like it. No word yet on who will replace Broxton on the roster. I'm pulling for Joseph to get that call.