http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/188242-p2.htmlBeefed-up bullpen: It’s not a fluke. The Royals possess a coterie of strike-throwing relievers capable of shortening games. The emergence of Zack Greinke and Joakim Soria should allow the unit to compensate if veteran closer Octavio Dotel departs in a trade.
Resurgent attack: The offense already shows signs of perking up, batting .289 in its last 28 games. That roughly coincides with rookie third baseman Alex Gordon’s upswing and the return of outfielder Joey Gathright from the minors. Right fielder Mark Teahen leads the club in RBIs but figures to show greater power over the remaining 2 1/2 months. Tony Peña Jr.’s offense has been an unexpected bonus.
Brighter future:
It would require a 24-50 collapse over the remaining 74 games for the Royals to lose 100 games for a fourth straight season. That seems unlikely — even with a tough 13-game stretch that opens the season’s second half.
The bottom-line goal should be 70 victories.1 Improved rotation: All-Star Gil Meche, even ignoring a 2-5 record in his last 10 starts, has leveled out since compiling a 1.91 ERA in his first nine starts. A return to his early domination would be nice. Rookie Brian Bannister needs to validate his impressive June with a strong second half. The emergence of a reliable third starter could turn the unit into a strength.
2 Impact trade(s): General manager Dayton Moore already has a solid record in a short span and could really make an impact if he plugs a major hole by leveraging Dotel’s value in a relief-starved market. Finding buyers for outfielders Emil Brown and Reggie Sanders would be a bonus.
3 Moustakas signs: The Royals took a gamble by spending the second overall pick in last month’s draft on a Scott Boras client without having an agreement in place. Prep shortstop Matt Moustakas is, by all accounts, an impact prospect — but only if he signs before the new Aug. 15 deadline.
