The Royals

[Cartierfor3]

Cleveland? I spent a week there one night 

Classic! 

[mocat]

Did you guys see how close the AL East vs NL Central race is? Wow

[mocat]

Also AJ that is great stuff and I will use in the future

[mocat]

Guthrie is fabulous

[Cartierfor3]

mocat: how hard will you party if we make the playoffs next year?

[mocat]

I'd party super hard

[mocat]

What about you cf3

[steve dave]

Hard party for me guys. Thanks for asking.

[Cartierfor3]

What about you cf3

Party real hard.

Hard party for me guys. Thanks for asking.

My bad SD. I'll mark you down for 1 hard party.

[kim carnes]

mocat: how hard will you party if we make the playoffs next year?

i told my co-worker two weeks ago that kc would riot if we made the playoffs.  its a big deal.

[Cartierfor3]

mocat: how hard will you party if we make the playoffs next year?

i told my co-worker two weeks ago that kc would riot if we made the playoffs.  its a big deal.

I'm more of a hard party guy than a riot type, just my person preference.

[kim carnes]

mocat: how hard will you party if we make the playoffs next year?

i told my co-worker two weeks ago that kc would riot if we made the playoffs.  its a big deal.

I'm more of a hard party guy than a riot type, just my person preference.

ok.  buts its a big rough ridin' deal.  i want it.

[mocat]

It would not take much convincing for me to riot

[steve dave]

a hard party is a friendly riot. just really going hard but everyone is pals. that's for me guys.

[bones129]

Riot hard.

[Tobias]

i'd DD the armored vehicle for you bros

[Kat Kid]

He'll get better than 60M over 4 years. One of the top pitchers in a thin market.

you're probably right.  the royals shouldn't participate in that.

If we're actually trying to make the playoffs we should.

No.  The Royals should sign an OF or a 2b.  The pitching will almost surely be worse, but the offense needs to take a major step forward.  The price on Santana will be too high a price.  I made a liste below of a number of free agents that I would rather have based upon the price. 

For $60 million over 5 yrs the Royals could improve dramatically.  Choose your own adventure below and compare it to Ervin Santana.

Offense:
Sign Carlos Beltran- 2 yr x12m = $24 million
Sign Omar Infante-  3 yr x$4m = $12 million

AND sign at least one starter:

$$$-all in moves
Ubaldo Jiminez - 3 years $35 million (might get priced out of this one)
Hiroki Kuroda - 1 year $20 million (an all-in move to prevent him re-signing w/ Yanks, retiring or going to Japan)
Jason Vargas - 3 years $33 million (lefty, young, reliable, least upside)

$$- tweeners
A.J. Burnett - 2 yr $20 million
Bronson Arroyo - 2 yr $25 million

$-lotto tickets
Jon Garland - $1 million
Edinson Volquez - 1 yr = $6 million or 3 yr x $5 million = $15 million
Josh Johnson - 1 yr x $9 million

rotation:

Shields
Ventura
Kuroda/Jason Vargas/Edinson Volquez/Jiminez/Arroyo/Burnett/Garland/Josh Johnson
Guthrie
Duffy/Smith

Lineup:

1. Gordon LF
2. Infante 2b
3. Butler DH
4. Beltran RF
5. Hosmer 1b
6. Perez C
7. Cain CF
8. Moustakas 3b
9. Escobar SS

[WillieWatanabe]

LOL @ hawk's call of this last night.

http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=31001059&topic_id=vtp_must_c&team_id=118

[j-dub]

i want to resign beltran so hard. i would probably cry guys. and the best part is, his 45th game of the season would ensure that he played more games in Royals blue than in any other uni. and for some reason, that's kind of really important to me.

[TownieCat]

 

i want to resign beltran so hard. i would probably cry guys. and the best part is, his 45th game of the season would ensure that he played more games in Royals blue than in any other uni. and for some reason, that's kind of really important to me.

This would be a heart move, not a head move. He turns 37 in April...is he really worth $12-$15M/year?

[j-dub]

he OPS'ed 128 and 129 the past 2 years. alex OPS'ed 123 last year and 104 this year.

yeah. he's worth it.

[Dr Rick Daris]

he'll probably end up somewhere dh'ing for the next five years and kill the royals everytime he plays them.

[sys]

he's worth it if you can get him for 1 or 2 years.  just don't get sucked into a long-term contract.

[Dugout DickStone]

Pence appears to be off the mkt.

[Panjandrum]

he's worth it if you can get him for 1 or 2 years.  just don't get sucked into a long-term contract.

I'm very on board with this.  I'd go out to three years, but admittedly, I'm happy to spend someone else's money.