Alberto Callaspo is too good at hitting not to be in the Royals lineup, but he's too bad at fielding to play 2B. Callaspo is arguably the worst fielder on the team. That would be fine if the Royals had a bunch of gold glovers at other positions. But they obviously don't. So how do you make him playable in 2010? The Royals would have to have a better fielding shortstop than Yuniesky "Can't Find a Better Man" Betancourt. You'd have to find a really good defensive CF. Those two things might make Callaspo and the Royals a tolerable defensive team. Yet, even with Callaspo's bat, the Royals offense is still going to suck in 2010 without major changes.
I say trade him in the off-season. He might be worth something.
Yuni's going to play no matter what. If it looks like Aviles might make a healthy and productive comeback at some point next season, he could play 2B. So we still need a CF who can really play the position and hit...somebody like Coco Crisp in his un-hurt prime. Pena could be the full-time catcher and Kila could be in a DH platoon with Guillen, who will probably come off the disabled list some day while he's still under contract with the Royals.
Anyway, the offense is going to suck again in 2010. Even if Butler and (hopefully) Gordon blossom, the lineup is still going to suck. And so, probably, is the defense. Also: the team will still be slow.
Which is why they should trade Dejesus (or move him back to CF) and somehow get an OF who can really mash. (Good luck with that, Dayton!)
If they fix the bullpen, maybe the 2010 team will play better than the 2009 team. But DM has screwed up the roster and there's really not much hope in sight. Again.
Somebody tell me how to fix this team. If you're DM, what do you do? Given financial constraints and roster realities, what moves need to be made to make the Royals competitive in 2009? It's going to take a lot of creativity. And a miracle.
P.S.
Dayton loves him/He don't want to see him this way/He needs him/That's why he'll be back again/Yuniesky Betancourt! Yuniesky Bentancourt! Yuniesky Betan coooo ooo ort!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
This team is bad, but far from broken.
Step 1-trade Callaspo. I enjoy watching the guy hit more than anyone, but the duo of slowness and no-D make him more of a liability on this team. And we have replacements in Bloomquist for now, Bianchi(who i've seen and looks good at NWA) and Aviles next season.
Step 2-fix our 'pen. This sounds easy and guess what, it will be. This is Dayton's time to shine-doing what he does best-picking potential diamonds out of other teams' DFA trashcan. With the trade deadline frenzy passing and teams who traded forced to make roster moves for their newly acquired hope, there will be plenty to choose from. Couple that with Farnsworth(I know, but he's better than most of the guys in the pen) coming off the DL, a call-up for Rosa and Hayes, and now you've got guys in the pen who can get it done. And Juan Cruz will get back on track.
Step 3-bat Gordon second in the order. Aside from the fact he needs to hit higher in the order for obvious reasons, he has the best plate discipline on the team (which isn't saying much if you watch these guys day in and day out) but the guy with the best OBP for the moment needs to hit in front of Billy Butler.
Step 4-don't get stupid. Listen, the Royals have been a Royal disappointment, but there is something to work with here. Greinke, Meche, Bannister, and Hochevar make a fantastic pitching combination. If Davies figures it out, it's just icing on the cake. When in the last 2 decades have we had that kind of talent in the rotation? NEVER. And it's there for 2 more years after this. Our young arms audition for spots in the pen along with Dayton's DFA hunting will fix the pen. Butler, Gordon, Teahen and DeJesus will work. If Aviles and Bianchi show they are ready, then Betancourt and Callaspo are expendible. If not, Betancourt and Callaspo can hold the fort down. If Anderson blossoms, Dayton found another DFA gem, if not, no loss. We use the money saved by buying out Coco and get a MLB capable CF. With Pena getting his shot at catcher here at the end of the season, he wins it and will be a true upgrade at catcher.
We now have a team that can play .500 ball at the least next year.
I hope you're right! Thanks for the dose of constructive optimism.
Don't you think that Pena needs to improve quite a bit defensively before he gets a starting job at catcher? I know he hits well, but he really needs to be better defensively first.
Yeah, when was the last time we had a guy who could play his position well and hit. Beltran? Maybe Grudz (at least he hit OK).
Post a Comment