Kansas City might be pretty dangerous in a few years...

[DaTank]

They just signed Eric Hosmer (#3 overall pick in 2008 draft) and Tim Melville (went in the 4th round; had first round talent - dropped due to money issues)

 

We can potentially be looking at a lineup like this in 2011:

 

C - Miguel Olivo

DH - Billy Butler (As Hawk says: "This kid's gonna be a great hitter some day.")

1B - Eric Hosmer (#3 overall pick in 2008 draft)

2B - Mike Aviles (I can see him sliding over to 2B to make room for Mike Moustakas; looking pretty damn good this year, though I hate his batting stance)

SS - Mike Moustakas (#2 overall pick in 2007 draft)

3B - Alex Gordon (#2 overall pick in 2005 draft; very high ceiling)

LF - Mark Teahen

CF - Mitch Maier (#30 overall pick in 2003 draft; high ceiling;)

RF - David DeJesus

 

Some notable pitchers:

 

P - Luke Hochevar (#1 overall pick in 2006 draft; VERY high ceiling)

P - Joakim Soria (All-Star this year)

P - Zack Greinke (#6 overall pick in 2002 draft; high ceiling; only 24 years old)

P - Tim Melville (High ceiling; first round draft talent; dropped because of money)

 

Notable pitcher - Brian Bannister (already 27 years old but has solid potential)

 

Of course this would be the line-up if everybody on that list pans out (which I doubt). If the majority of them do pan out, I would be very, very afraid of a lineup like this.

Edited August 16, 2008 by jenks45monster

[whitesoxbrian]

His name is "Tim Tim"?

[DaTank]

Lol, no. My mistake. Now edited.

[witesoxfan]

they look decent. I'll believe it when I see it though, because the exact same thing could be said for the White Sox, Twins, or any other team in the AL Central.

[BearSox]

I remember reading something where Moustakas will likely have to be moved from SS.

[Metz]

I remember reading something where Moustakas will likely have to be moved from SS.

 

yeah 2B is calling his name

[caulfield12]

They just signed Eric Hosmer (#3 overall pick in 2008 draft) and Tim Melville (went in the 4th round; had first round talent - dropped due to money issues)

 

We can potentially be looking at a lineup like this in 2011:

 

C - Miguel Olivo

DH - Billy Butler (As Hawk says: "This kid's gonna be a great hitter some day.")

1B - Eric Hosmer (#3 overall pick in 2008 draft)

2B - Mike Aviles (I can see him sliding over to 2B to make room for Mike Moustakas; looking pretty damn good this year, though I hate his batting stance)

SS - Mike Moustakas (#2 overall pick in 2007 draft)

3B - Alex Gordon (#2 overall pick in 2005 draft; very high ceiling)

LF - Mark Teahen

CF - Mitch Maier (#30 overall pick in 2003 draft; high ceiling;)

RF - David DeJesus

 

Some notable pitchers:

 

P - Luke Hochevar (#1 overall pick in 2006 draft; VERY high ceiling)

P - Joakim Soria (All-Star this year)

P - Zack Greinke (#6 overall pick in 2002 draft; high ceiling; only 24 years old)

P - Tim Melville (High ceiling; first round draft talent; dropped because of money)

 

Notable pitcher - Brian Bannister (already 27 years old but has solid potential)

 

Of course this would be the line-up if everybody on that list pans out (which I doubt). If the majority of them do pan out, I would be very, very afraid of a lineup like this.

 

 

I don't think Teahen, DeJesus and Olivo are in their long-term plans at all. Teahen is basically Casey Blake-Lite (he looked much better a couple of seasons ago, and was hitting more doubles and homers)...and DeJesus is a very good player who's not a superstar and doesn't hit for enough power or steal enough bases to make $10 million plus per year, but he will be too expensive for the Royals soon, and he doesn't have much of an arm for CF, nor hit for enough power for the corners.

 

We'll just have to wait and see...you'd think, like the Rays, that eventually those high draft picks would lead to some success at the major league level.

 

I think Aviles will need to prove himself every season...as a player signed for only $1000, he has the body of a catcher and a very low OBP. Lots of people in KC got excited about Berroa (he beat Matsui for ROY) and nothing came of his career.

 

In KC, there was a lot of hope in early 2003...and that was a mirage. Then they also had a team with Beltran, Dye, Sweeney and had to break it up and sell off the pieces. David Glass surprised a lot of people by signing Meche for the money that they did, and it did give them a measure of respectability around the league that they were willing to compete for some of the best FA talent.

 

If you look at the Royals' record of first round draft picks since around 1990, it has been even worse than the White Sox. That's the main reason the franchise has been struggling for the last 15 years or so.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/alltime/draft?team=kan

 

Just look at their list from around 1988.

 

Joe Vitiello 1991 7th pick

Jeff Granger 1993 5th pick

Dan Reichert 1997 7th pick (he had a really nasty slider, but his build was so slight, he broke down)

Jeff Austin 1998 4th pick

Kyle Sndyer 1999 7th pick

Mike Stodolka 2000 4th pick

Colt Griffin 2001 9th pick (he was kind of one of those "The Rookie" legends, he hit 100 MPH on a tryout radar gun but never came close)

Chris Lubanski 2003 5th pick

 

That's not counting Hugh Walker, Jim Pittsley (very tall dude), Matt Smith, Juan Lebron, Dee Brown and Matt Burch...another list of first rounders who had no or minimal impact on the Royals.

 

We missed big-time with Borchard, but he wasn't even a Top 10 pick)...he was #12 I think. Although with the money they gave him, he was the equivalent of Porcello last year with the Tigers.

 

 

 

[Kyyle23]

I think we should give up now, and forfeit everything from this point forward.

[Marky Mark]

Any team with David DeJesus (biblical pronunciation, not hispanic) is a dangerous team to begin with.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

Save this thread, half those players will have been traded for younger players or left for free agency.

 

 

 

KC has the money, their owner is a cheap bastard.

[WilliamTell]

It's easy to say this now since KC is routinely terrible, but if there was on team other than the Sox that I'd want to win the division, it'd be KC. For the most part I like their team, since they're bad.

[witesoxfan]

It's easy to say this now since KC is routinely terrible, but if there was on team other than the Sox that I'd want to win the division, it'd be KC. For the most part I like their team, since they're bad.

 

They're dirty as hell too...I would like nothing more than to see them finish in 4th or 5th place for the next 10 years.

[knightni]

They've been saying that for a few years with KC.

 

 

[DBAHO]

They've been saying that for a few years with KC.

At least they're in a much better position now before when Dayton Moore wasn't there as a GM.

 

He's done a pretty good job so far.

[caulfield12]

At least they're in a much better position now before when Dayton Moore wasn't there as a GM.

 

He's done a pretty good job so far.

 

 

Umm...well, it remains to be seen. They're paying a lot of money for Moustakas to be a 2B instead of a SS/3B.

 

Signing Guillen and Olivo were just stop-gaps. He hasn't really "won" any big trades yet, unless you consider Ross Gload over Sisco. I think anything would have been better than Alard Baird.

 

I'm not sure how much we can credit him with Greinke's resurgence. A lot depends on how Gordn, Hochevar, Moustakas and this year's draft turns out. Overall, I think he's done a pretty good job, but they have to do better than finish 4th to show progress, 3rd at least.

 

Probably the only surprising thing the Royals have done was/is sign Meche...or that Royals' ownership was able to convince him to come to KC.

 

They kept Aviles buried for a long time in their organization and only gave him a $1000 signing bonus for a 7th rounder (like Danks), although that wasn't Moore's fault, it had more to do with the Glass family.

 

They also have to decide what to do with Teahen and DeJesus. Neither one of them hits with enough power to play corner OF spots, although DDJ is a nice little player to have on your team. Teahen has regressed this year, seemingly. Butler has to hit for at least 18-20 homers a season to justify his playing time, because he really clogs the basespaths.

 

Obviously, Soria has been a huge find. That's the first time they've had a consistent closer in a decade. Getting Bannister for Burgos looks like a very solid decision as well.

 

 

 

[greg775]

I don't know about the Royals. I'm still not convinced. They have some pitching in the minors I guess and Greinke is damn good.

Aside from Soria do they have any stars in the making?

Butler and Gordon ... jury still out.

Like somebody said they've been saying a long time KC will be improved.

The bottom line is the owner is a joke and allegedly Moore is an up coming GM with some ability.

We shall see. I wouldn't bet on them excelling like the Rays next year.

[Steve9347]

By the time these hitters get to where they need to be, they'll want money and then they'll be moved. That's the vicious cycle of the KC Royals.

[caulfield12]

I don't know about the Royals. I'm still not convinced. They have some pitching in the minors I guess and Greinke is damn good.

Aside from Soria do they have any stars in the making?

Butler and Gordon ... jury still out.

Like somebody said they've been saying a long time KC will be improved.

The bottom line is the owner is a joke and allegedly Moore is an up coming GM with some ability.

We shall see. I wouldn't bet on them excelling like the Rays next year.

 

 

Hochevar, Gordon, Moustakas and this year's first round draft pick are all expected to be big-time, impact players. Then they have Greinke and Soria. Those six players are really the key to the future of the franchise....they have finally transitioned from the Mike Sweeney Era into the closest thing to a true youth movement in KC for the past 5-6 years.

 

For the immediate future, they have some pieces like Meche, DeJesus, Teahen and Bannister that have value and could be traded for even better players, if Moore and his Braves-trained staff can identify the right prospects.

[scenario]

You'd think in 20+ years of high draft choices they might be able to field a decent team once in a while.

[greg775]

Hochevar and Gordon have a shot, but they aren't looking like superstars just yet. This is Gordon's second full season.

[witesoxfan]

what's so exciting about Hochevar? He was the 1st overall pick, sure, but he hasn't put up anything resembling dominant numbers in the minors, and everything I've read has said that he hasn't lived up to anything near his #1 pick. I haven't seen him pitch, so I can't comment fully, but I've seen people projecting him as much more of a #3-4 starter rather than a #1 or #2.

 

I guess at this point I'm just not seeing it in the numbers nor reports, but perhaps he'll do something incredible.

[caulfield12]

He reminds me in many ways of Buchholz from the Red Sox.

 

Lots of potential, very good stuff (93-94 MPH), a very good frame for a pitcher...but something's just not quite clicking yet. On-the-job-training so far for him, just like Zach Greinke. To tell the truth, I was quite surprised to see Zach make it back from the brink with his social anxiety disorder. It really looked like his baseball career might be over before it started.

[greg775]

Zach deserves credit for battling back. I think he's on pretty heavy medication. Hope he continues to do well. Seems like a nice kid.

[Kyyle23]

You'd think in 20+ years of high draft choices they might be able to field a decent team once in a while.

 

The Tigers took about that long before they decided to put it all together