Royals 2011 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread - Page 349

**alnorth** · 05:57 PM

2011 Slogan: "Major League Moments"

A better, more accurate 2011 Slogan: "Cheap tickets and free sh**"
(from jbwm89)

Back by popular demand, this is the 2011 version of the Royals Repository Thread. Get ready for another year of really bad baseball as we patiently wait for one of the greatest farm systems in modern MLB history to send mega-hyped prospects up to Omaha and beyond.

Everything goes here except Gameday threads and really big news. If a giant story breaks, the Royals achieve some awesome milestone, or we sign/lose a highly significant player/coach/mascot/whatever, then it might also deserve its own thread. This being Chiefs Planet, please do not clutter the board with new threads about trivial Royals news or you will only annoy those who come here for just Chiefs football. If you aren't sure and its not a Gameday thread, it goes here.

What sort of stuff often goes here? SPchief explained it well, so I'll just copy that:

Quote:

If you locate something of interest.. ANYTHING.. deals on apparel, best ways in/out of the stadium, giveaways, great stories from this season or from seasons gone by, rumors, trades, anything.... feel free to post it here.

Three7s · 11-05-2011, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

I'd move Cabrera before I'd deal Cain. Cain is younger, a better defensive player, and projects to at least equal Cabrera offensively.

With more speed. He'd be the leadoff hitter we haven't had since Damon.

**DeezNutz** · 11-05-2011, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Three7s

With more speed. He'd be the leadoff hitter we haven't had since Damon.

No reason to move Gordon out of the leadoff spot. Fits him perfectly.

KChiefs1 · 11-05-2011, 01:51 PM

I'm willing to trade anyone for an equal value starting pitcher.

58kcfan89 · 11-05-2011, 01:53 PM

I seem to remember Cain hitting 2-hole in AAA, anyway. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought I heard a lot of people saying that through the season.

Sure-Oz · 11-05-2011, 04:23 PM

@BillShanksBillShanks

Braves aren't getting Wil Myers, but they really like Lorenzo Cain. They did last year when he was with MILW. Don't think KC wants Jurrjens.

**DeezNutz** · 11-05-2011, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

@BillShanksBillShanks

Braves aren't getting Wil Myers, but they really like Lorenzo Cain. They did last year when he was with MILW. Don't think KC wants Jurrjens.

Myers has the potential to be a superstar, and, as alnorth stated, trading Cain is more weighty than many are giving credit. Dude is, at least, the equivalent of Melky.

Nightfyre · 11-05-2011, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Myers has the potential to be a superstar, and, as alnorth stated, trading Cain is more weighty than many are giving credit. Dude is, at least, the equivalent of Melky.

However, if Melky proves servicable, we do have Starling in the wings as a stronger 5-tool prospect than Cain. That makes Cain more disposable.

**alnorth** · 11-05-2011, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

However, if Melky proves servicable, we do have Starling in the wings as a stronger 5-tool prospect than Cain. That makes Cain more disposable.

not to downplay Bubba, but Cain is OPS'ing over 850 in AAA, so he has cleared the minor leagues. He may yet fail in the highest level, but he's now a solid backup if Cabrera is traded, gets hurt, or falls apart. Starling could fail in the minor leagues, and if he does not, he'll still be unavailable for 2012-13, when we ought to be competitive.

**DeezNutz** · 11-05-2011, 06:28 PM

Many were (rightfully) calling for Cain to be our opening day CF ahead of Melky. Dude has shown plenty of potential.

Wilson8 · 11-05-2011, 11:35 PM

Seattle prospects lead West to Rising Stars win

Royals farmhands also contribute in AFL showcase

By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com | 11/06/11 12:50 AM ET

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The game could not been more appropriately named.

It definitely lived up to its billing.

Several of the top prospects in the game shone bright Saturday as the West Division powered past the East Division, 11-2, in the sixth annual Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game at Surprise Stadium.

It was a night of hits, misses, strikes and surprises.

And stars, of course.

The highly anticipated showdown on the mound between the West's Gerrit Cole (Pittsburgh), the first overall pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, and the East's Danny Hultzen (Seattle), the second overall pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, was overshadowed by the West's offensive onslaught, led by Seattle shortstop prospect Nick Franklin.

Franklin, selected in the first round in 2009 by Seattle, finished 4-for-5 with a home run on a memorable night in Arizona. Franklin's four hits, two doubles, four RBIs and three extra-base hits all set new Rising Stars Game records. His team finished with 16 hits in the game.

"It was really fun," Franklin said. "We had some fans and were enjoying the experience beforehand. We went out there to have a good time and started to put some runs on the board. We started having some fun in the dugout, and it carried over."

Hultzen did his part, and there's no doubt that the front office in Seattle is feeling content right about now. The left-hander struck out the side on 14 pitches in the first inning and did not allow a hit in his two innings pitched. His lone blemish was a one-out walk to Washington's Bryce Harper in the second inning.

"It was a real honor to get selected for this," Hultzen said. "It was exciting. There was a big crowd and a lot of fans. I felt good out there."

How much did Hultzen enjoy the game? Well, he spent several minutes after the game signing autographs and greeting fans.

Thirty minutes later, he was still smiling.

The Royals also had a hand in the resounding victory. Wil Myers played right field and went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs, and Christian Colon was 1-for-2 with two runs scored. Jeremy Jeffress struck out all three batters he faced, including Harper.

Cole did not fare as well. He pitched only two-thirds of the first inning before he was replaced by Steve Ames (Dodgers). In all, Cole was charged with five runs on four hits. He threw 29 pitches and only 16 of them were strikes.

Cole was still able to walk away from Surprise Stadium feeling optimistic.

"I'm going to go back and look at it, but they seem to hit us all pretty well," Cole said with a smile. "It was a fun atmosphere. Even though I didn't pitch well, I was still able to enjoy that part of it. I was excited, but it didn't go as planned. You move on."

Including Hultzen and Cole, the game featured 17 first-round picks. The top two outfield prospects in the game, Harper and Mike Trout (Angels) finished 0-for-2 and 1-for-3, respectively, for the East Division.

Overall, Brian Dozer, the eight-round pick for the Twins in 2009, paced the East squad by going 1-for-2 with a home run. Junior Lake, signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in 2007, and Tim Wheeler, Colorado's first-round pick in 2009, were the only other East players with a hit.

By contrast, the West had four players with at least two hits. After the five-run first inning, the West tacked on another run in the second inning and scored four more runs in the third. The game was out of reach when it scored its final run in the fifth for an 11-2 lead.

The hits kept coming, it seemed, and so did the pitchers. In all, the teams combined to use 19 pitchers, who combined to strike out 18 batters.

"Our starter set the tone and the rest of the guys followed him," said West pitching coach Derrick Lewis, who coaches in the Atlanta system. "He was pounding down in the zone and it became contagious. The same way hitting can become contagious is the same way pitching can be contagious. We were just sending them out there and they were getting the job done."

Lewis is only partly correct in his assessment. In the end, the showdown between Cole and Hultzen was not much of a showdown at all.

"I didn't think of it like that," Hultzen said. "It was a little different being in a game like this where you only pitch a couple of innings. I'm sure people talked about it, but I didn't take it like that. Our offense played really well and that's what I was thinking."

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

eazyb81 · 11-06-2011, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

@BillShanksBillShanks

Braves aren't getting Wil Myers, but they really like Lorenzo Cain. They did last year when he was with MILW. Don't think KC wants Jurrjens.

Good.

I'm not completely against trading Myers, but trading him for Jurrjens would be awful.

Jurrjens isn't very good and will probably get hit hard in the AL. If Moore wants to trade with Atlanta, focus on Beachy, Minor, or Teheran.

eazyb81 · 11-06-2011, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Myers has the potential to be a superstar, and, as alnorth stated, trading Cain is more weighty than many are giving credit. Dude is, at least, the equivalent of Melky.

I like Cain's upside but your last sentence is an exaggeration. Like him or not, Cabrera's 4.2 WAR last year was pretty special and I don't think you can assume Cain would come in and immediately give you equal production. Cain is only one year younger than Cabrera, so it's not like he has a ton of upside and Cabrera is in decline.

**DeezNutz** · 11-06-2011, 09:04 AM

You're right that I probably took that too far, but let's not forget that Melky had a career year last season. I would expect him to normalize a bit, and his '10 was pretty brutal. Thus, I'm not really sure who is the "real" Melky at this point.

Hey, if it's the '11 version, that will be unbelievable. Poor defender, but his bat more than made up for the shortcoming.

**Saul Good** · 11-06-2011, 09:21 AM

Not a bad problem to have. I would really like to deal one of them, though. Cain is getting old for a prospect.

Infidel Goat · 11-06-2011, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eazyb81

I like Cain's upside but your last sentence is an exaggeration. Like him or not, Cabrera's 4.2 WAR last year was pretty special and I don't think you can assume Cain would come in and immediately give you equal production. Cain is only one year younger than Cabrera, so it's not like he has a ton of upside and Cabrera is in decline.

If I am given the option of trading either Cain or Cabrera for Player A (some pitcher we want), I'd prefer to trade Cabrera. I don't expect that Cain's offensive numbers will match Cabrera's last season, but I do expect his defense will minimize (or perhaps) exheed that differential.

More importantly, however, we control Cain for a longer period of time.

All that being said, I understand that other teams will probably feel the same way, and that they'll ask for Cain in return for whomever Player A might be. If we have to trade Cain, I'd like to see us offer Cabrera a three year contract to let some of our other CF prospects grow...

11-05-2011, 01:51 PM	#5223
KChiefs1 I’m a Mahomo! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Mid-Missouri Casino cash: $6771021	I'm willing to trade anyone for an equal value starting pitcher. __________________
Posts: 54,038

11-05-2011, 01:53 PM	#5224
58kcfan89 Veteran Join Date: Mar 2009 Casino cash: $10003187	I seem to remember Cain hitting 2-hole in AAA, anyway. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought I heard a lot of people saying that through the season.
Posts: 2,252

11-05-2011, 11:35 PM	#5230
Wilson8 Veteran Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $3587557	Seattle prospects lead West to Rising Stars win Royals farmhands also contribute in AFL showcase By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com \| 11/06/11 12:50 AM ET SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The game could not been more appropriately named. It definitely lived up to its billing. Several of the top prospects in the game shone bright Saturday as the West Division powered past the East Division, 11-2, in the sixth annual Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game at Surprise Stadium. It was a night of hits, misses, strikes and surprises. And stars, of course. The highly anticipated showdown on the mound between the West's Gerrit Cole (Pittsburgh), the first overall pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, and the East's Danny Hultzen (Seattle), the second overall pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, was overshadowed by the West's offensive onslaught, led by Seattle shortstop prospect Nick Franklin. Franklin, selected in the first round in 2009 by Seattle, finished 4-for-5 with a home run on a memorable night in Arizona. Franklin's four hits, two doubles, four RBIs and three extra-base hits all set new Rising Stars Game records. His team finished with 16 hits in the game. "It was really fun," Franklin said. "We had some fans and were enjoying the experience beforehand. We went out there to have a good time and started to put some runs on the board. We started having some fun in the dugout, and it carried over." Hultzen did his part, and there's no doubt that the front office in Seattle is feeling content right about now. The left-hander struck out the side on 14 pitches in the first inning and did not allow a hit in his two innings pitched. His lone blemish was a one-out walk to Washington's Bryce Harper in the second inning. "It was a real honor to get selected for this," Hultzen said. "It was exciting. There was a big crowd and a lot of fans. I felt good out there." How much did Hultzen enjoy the game? Well, he spent several minutes after the game signing autographs and greeting fans. Thirty minutes later, he was still smiling. The Royals also had a hand in the resounding victory. Wil Myers played right field and went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs, and Christian Colon was 1-for-2 with two runs scored. Jeremy Jeffress struck out all three batters he faced, including Harper. Cole did not fare as well. He pitched only two-thirds of the first inning before he was replaced by Steve Ames (Dodgers). In all, Cole was charged with five runs on four hits. He threw 29 pitches and only 16 of them were strikes. Cole was still able to walk away from Surprise Stadium feeling optimistic. "I'm going to go back and look at it, but they seem to hit us all pretty well," Cole said with a smile. "It was a fun atmosphere. Even though I didn't pitch well, I was still able to enjoy that part of it. I was excited, but it didn't go as planned. You move on." Including Hultzen and Cole, the game featured 17 first-round picks. The top two outfield prospects in the game, Harper and Mike Trout (Angels) finished 0-for-2 and 1-for-3, respectively, for the East Division. Overall, Brian Dozer, the eight-round pick for the Twins in 2009, paced the East squad by going 1-for-2 with a home run. Junior Lake, signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in 2007, and Tim Wheeler, Colorado's first-round pick in 2009, were the only other East players with a hit. By contrast, the West had four players with at least two hits. After the five-run first inning, the West tacked on another run in the second inning and scored four more runs in the third. The game was out of reach when it scored its final run in the fifth for an 11-2 lead. The hits kept coming, it seemed, and so did the pitchers. In all, the teams combined to use 19 pitchers, who combined to strike out 18 batters. "Our starter set the tone and the rest of the guys followed him," said West pitching coach Derrick Lewis, who coaches in the Atlanta system. "He was pounding down in the zone and it became contagious. The same way hitting can become contagious is the same way pitching can be contagious. We were just sending them out there and they were getting the job done." Lewis is only partly correct in his assessment. In the end, the showdown between Cole and Hultzen was not much of a showdown at all. "I didn't think of it like that," Hultzen said. "It was a little different being in a game like this where you only pitch a couple of innings. I'm sure people talked about it, but I didn't take it like that. Our offense played really well and that's what I was thinking." http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb
Posts: 3,920

11-06-2011, 09:21 AM	#5234
Saul Good Quit your bullshit Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Bored of winning Casino cash: $10052799	Not a bad problem to have. I would really like to deal one of them, though. Cain is getting old for a prospect. __________________ Today is not a good day to be a pussy.
Posts: 41,870