I didn't think they'd do it. I thought the Royals could very well end up with a rental from the Reds this year, I just thought it'd be Mike Leake. Behold for the first time in my life, the Royals are going all in. I love the move, it shows the fans the front office is aware that the window for the first Royals division and World Series Championship in 30 years is as open as it is ever going to be. The Royals had to give up fan favorite and 1st round draft pick from 2014 Brandon Finnegan, Omaha Storm Chasers pitcher and AAA All-Star John Lamb, and rising pitcher Cody Reed. This trade makes tons of sense for both teams. The Reds get to unload Cueto and actually get some pieces that could contribute in the future, two of which in the probable near future. Would anyone be surprised to see Lamb and Finnegan playing regularly in Cincinnati if the Reds move Leake and possibly Chapman? This move is just as good for Lamb and Finnegan as it is for the Royals. No longer will Finnegan get jerked between starter and reliever and switching uniforms almost weekly. Lamb can see an opportunity open up quite soon to be the 4th or 5th starter for a Major League team. Reed is having a great season, and has gotten some accolades for his performance, but he is still a work in progress and probably wouldn't be in a Reds uniform before September of 2016 at the earliest.
Enough about those guys, they don't play for the Royals anymore, they have gone the way of Johnny Giavotella. I'll remember them when they are inexplicably producing on a good team in the Majors. Seriously though, how has Giavotella become the starting 2nd basemen on the AL West's best team? ANYWAY.... The Royals finally have a legit ace to head their staff into the stretch run. Royals fans are absolutely giddy for a guy that's going to make 11 starts and then depart for a $200M contract. The excitement is deserved, it's completely new territory. We all know adding a major piece around the trade deadline doesn't always lead to glory (Oakland 2014) but at least the Royals are putting their best foot forward and why not? Dayton Moore is on a roll, the James Shields trade actually ended up working out, the Royals made the World Series. Shields himself stunk in the post-season, but the point of getting him was partially to win those games down the stretch during a race. Which he did brilliantly last year. The 1-0 win in Yankee Stadium in early September is the game that still stands out to me as one of the games that got KC to the playoffs. His next start vs Detroit he won 3-0, they don't win the Wild Card without James. So Moore knows the importance of having that guy on the mound that you don't have to worry about being overwhelmed by the moment. He also knows the situation the Royals are currently facing. Alex Gordon is a free agent after 2015, Hosmer, Moustakas, Davis are close behind in 2016. This is a team that has all the belief that they can win the World Series so now it's time to provide the team with the necessary tools. Cueto is the first and most important piece to be added to that toolbox.
I could go on and on about the impact of Cueto and what this all means, but Rany Jazayerli covers it perfectly for Grantland. I actually wanted to shift focus to my thoughts of what will we see as this progresses towards the trade deadline Friday afternoon. The Angels were no doubt going to be adding, They were in need of a corner OF because they shipped Josh Hamilton off for peanuts. I was just surprised that ended up being Shane Victorino. Maybe they are thinking they need a guy who can hit lead off. They've been rolling with Johnny Giavotella at that spot and he's not exactly your prototypical lead off hitter. Maybe the price for Jay Bruce and Carlos Gomez was just too high for the Angels to go get one of them. Even then, I'd think Gerardo Parra would have been a solid fit. Maybe there are more moves to be made from the Angels. They are a team that is a legit contender with the best player on the planet. They will be active this week.
I think Toronto is going to add at least one pitcher. They just flipped Reyes for Tulo because apparently they didn't have enough right-handed power bats. Their problem isn't scoring, it's stopping other teams from scoring. I fully expect the Blue Jays to add a Jeff Samardzija or a Yovanni Gallardo type of pitcher here before Friday. You don't trade for Tulowitzki and think that's going to get you the wild card. The Blue Jays also need bullpen help, Papelbon could be a target. They could be the most active team leading into the deadline. Thanks to the Royals the Blue Jays now have the longest post-season drought in baseball, they are desperate to end that streak.
What's happening with Detroit? I think they are going to move some pieces. They can't pitch at all, they have David Price and 4 bad pitchers as a starting rotation right now. It's gotten to the point where every time Shane Greene trots out there you're just waiting until the inevitable blow up inning. It might not be the 1st inning, or the 2nd, but you know it's coming eventually. If you're the Tigers you have to get something back for David Price. He was the contingency plan for Max Scherzer leaving, and he's still an elite pitcher. The problem is Justin Verlander is 28M a year replacement level player. Who could have seen this coming, a workhorse pitcher with a ton of innings on his arm gets past 30 years old then falls apart. Does that sound familiar CC Sabathia?
Speaking of the Yankees, they are pulling away in the AL East. On paper they really shouldn't be good, but A-Rod has "injected" some life back into his game. Ellsbury, Gardner, and Mark Texiera are healthy. The Yankees also boast what is widely considered the second best bullpen in baseball behind the Royals. What they really lack is starting pitching. Tanaka's elbow is hanging on by a thread, and has been for almost a year. He will eventually need Tommy John surgery, and everyone knows that (think Luke Hochevar Royals fans), The Yankees aren't a team that's been ballyhooed in many trade rumors, but I expect them to add at least a starting pitcher. I wouldn't be surprised if they made a serious run at David Price. Mike Leake, Samardzija, and Gallardo are all options as well, but I'd think they'd like to make a big splash as they continue to grow their lead in the East.
The Dodgers are going to do something, because the Dodgers are basically what the Yankees were 10 years ago. They don't care about spending that luxury tax, they are going to make a big run at Hamels. Especially with the fact that Zack Greinke will opt out at the end of this season. They can just move the money Greinke would pass on to Hamels' remaining on his contract. The Dodgers could go Kershaw, Greinke, Hamels in a playoff series. That doesn't automatically lead to wins, but it does put your team in a pretty good position. The Dodgers have like 6 outfielders on their team and have some pieces to move, and really must move some pieces to stop the logjam. Also just to allow for more of a "set" lineup. Don Mattingly is like Ned Yost of 5 years ago, with just way more talent, he cannot decide on a lineup and seems to be just picking names out of a hat at times.
It'll be interesting to see what the Cubs do, you know Theo Epstein is going to try to make a big splash as his rebuilding effort seems to be a year ahead of schedule and why wait?
I feel like one team that won't do much is the Washington Nationals. With Rendon, Werth, and Zimmerman coming back from injury it's finally the team they envisioned having from the start of the year. Their starting rotation is the best in baseball, they have been preparing for this run since last winter when they signed Max Scherzer, when healthy this team doesn't have many holes. If Ian Desmond continues his recent hot hitting and gets back to being the player he's been the past 3 years. They might be the favorites in October.
Finally, I'll finish where I started the Royals. I think there might be another move coming. They are in the massive race for Ben Zobrist. Ned Yost loves the utility man, Zobrist can fill in for Alex Gordon while he is out, then can move about the field to fill in for Omar Infante and Alex Rios mostly, but also could provide off days at virtually any other position as well. The problem is, it seems like everyone wants Zobrist, including the Yankees. Billy Beane is creating a bidding war and I am not sure it's one the Royals will win. I still like the Gerardo Parra idea, but really the Royals are playing just fine without Gordon, and bringing in someone who is strictly an OF without the versatility of a Zobrist might not be in the team's best interest. I have already been surprised by the Royals aggressive approach so I wouldn't bet against them making another big move.
Either way, this year's trade deadline already promises to bring more excitement, and in a lot ways already has, in comparison to the 2014 deadline where Oakland's moves were the only to move the needle. These next three and a half days should be fun, like T.O. once said, "get yer popcorn ready."
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Monday, May 4, 2015
A Month of Baseball, A Season's Worth of Ejections
The Royals defense of the their AL Championship has started as well as anyone could have imagined. Winners of their first 7 games had everyone writing articles that could be summed up best by
The Royals have since gone 9-9, and we all realize this rotation isn't going to be confused for a top unit in baseball in any shape. However, the Royals defense and bullpen are still among the best in baseball and continues to make a pretty average starting five look better than they should, and is a huge reason the Royals are off to this start.
The season started with a sweep of the White Sox at home, and that's where the season of tension started. There was a multitude of bean balls in that series. It started with Jeff Samarzdija going all Shark on us and hitting Lo Cain on purpose (probably) because he was getting shelled. The next two games had a lot of hit batters and stare downs, but nothing really came of it. Then Oakland came to town 10 days later and Kansas City now has their new most hated player since AJ Pierzynski left Chicago, and it's a tattooed Canadian who has yet to reach his lofty promise as a Major League player.. BRETT LAWRIE!
The entire Lawrie deal has been over-analyzed, but I am going to throw in my two cents anyway. The slide was bad, I appreciate a guy playing hard, and I keep hearing all the "There was no way they were turning two" stuff, and as a fan it's easy to say that, but in the moment a player most likely isn't processing that. The slide was a bit excessive and retaliation was well deserved. So when Ventura buried a pitch into Lawrie the next day and he put his head down and headed to 1st that should have been it.
But, that's just not how Yordano is rolling in 2015. First he had that whole thing with Mike Trout where he took exception to the best hitter in baseball hitting a liner in the same area code of the mound. That was not a good look for Ventura, but I think he could have really redeemed himself if he just plunked Lawrie and acted like nothing had happened and walked off the field. Instead he walks towards Lawrie, who is not even acknowledging him and staring him down. In this video Salvador Perez is basically saying "Dude what are you doing?" Then just when we thought, ok that's gotta be it, he quick pitches Adam Eaton in his next start in Chicago, then swears at him after Eaton got all mad because he was about to be replaced by JB Shuck in the starting lineup, and we had an old fashioned brew-ha-ha, which wasn't the Royals fault at all. The problem with Ventura is that he's basically Scrappy Doo, he doesn't care, he'll fight everyone and I guess that makes Salvador Perez Scooby Doo? Ventura was handed down a 7 game (1 start) suspension, maybe he should spend that time drinking water so he doesn't leave a 3rd game due to of cramping.
Let me get back to the A's situation. The whole thing should have ended after Lawrie was hit on Saturday, but Kazmir had to hit Cain in the leg on Sunday, and this apparently got Kelvin Herrera into a murderous rampage. He missed Lawrie twice with 100 mph fastballs, the 2nd pitch going behind his back. Even I thought that was a little much. What I find crazy is the pure vitriol Royals fans have for Lawrie, he is such a hot button among Royals fans that he has the most- bleeding heart save the trees, and kittens, and love each other - types wishing a horrible fate upon him. I don't blame Lawrie for being pissed. He took one upper 90s pitch already, now you got a guy throwing 100 above the letters behind you. I would have to run to the locker-room and change my pants before finishing that game. There were ample opportunities to end this saga and no one did, so I fully expect a Royal to get hit in June. Maybe it will be Alex Gordon, and he'll just write it off as a normal at bat.
Other than that whole fiasco the season has started off better than anyone could have imagined. After splitting this weekend series with Detroit, KC is at 16-9. The offense has slowed a little bit from the torrid start they were on, but there are a lot of positives. The team is leading the Majors in AVG at .296, which is 18 points North of Detroit. The have the least amount of strikeouts in the league (not surprisingly) and they even have 19 HRs way ahead of the pace that resulted in 95 whole HRs last year. Mike Moustakas apparently read my spring training blog and took my advice on trying to hit the ball to the opposite field (yeah I know he didn't but let me have this). He hasn't quite eliminated the shift against him, because Detroit is stubborn, but he is no longer pulling outside pitches into weak ground outs. His BABIP is going way up as a result and just looks more confident at the plate, and makes it next to impossible for Ned Yost to sit him regardless of pitcher. Lorenzo Cain has become a producer in the middle of the lineup, Sal Perez is absolutely crushing lefties, and still isn't getting any time off, which isn't surprising as KC is definitely in win now mode. Eric Hosmer is quietly off to the best start of his career and Alex Gordon has begun to hit in the last couple of weeks. Kendrys Morales has been an RBI machine as of late in the middle of that Royals order from either side of the plate.
The thing that is most impressive is the Royals almost seemingly defiant attitude about losing. It's as if they are still in playoff mode thus far this season, never saying die and fighting to win every game, it was on display just yesterday as they were getting "perfect gamed" by Sanchez and were down 6-0, still had a legit shot to tie the game in the 9th inning. As a Royals fan, this is something I can't recall witnessing in Aprils of the past. The 2015 Royals are playing like a team with something to prove. The previous two seasons the team had disappointing 1st halves, but played with their hair on fire in the 2nd half to finish with winning records. This new attitude of "protecting our pennant" is going to do wonders in the 2nd half of 2015 if they get to July 10+ games over .500. The Royals are flashing the middle finger at all the preseason prognosticators and even the opposing teams, or in Yordano's case, just directly yelling "Fuck you" to everyone.
Friday, February 20, 2015
Royals Spring Training 2015: It's Something to Talk About
February is the worst month of the year, the Super Bowl never has my favorite team in it, so it's basically just a day for me to eat too much and get depressed, mostly due to the commercials about kids dying. It's always the worst weather of the year for those of us in the Midwest. College basketball in February is pretty dull, it's like the calm before the March Madness storm that we all love. Even though we know if your favorite team is not Kentucky, Virginia, Duke, or Wisconsin you're just hoping for a good showing in the NCAA tourney, or you're praying to beat office pool aficionado "Chad" in your work place bracket challenge. Binge watching TV shows on Netflix only gets you so far. Seriously, how many times can Hank Moody make the same mistake in "Californication" before his friends and family just give up on him? Unless you're getting hired to be an NFL scout, you shouldn't be watching the combine. The one February constant that brings hope and the promise of warmth, hot dogs, nine dollar domestics, and girls in sundresses is the beginning of spring training!
The Kansas City Royals have officially reported to Surprise, Arizona to start the 2015 season. Usually the beginning of spring training for us Royals fans is full of false hope, at least it had been for the previous 29 seasons. This year the Royals enter the spring as the reigning AL Champions, and now possess a fan-base expecting, yes expecting, a return to the post-season. Spring training is a six week process to get everyone ready for a six month marathon, to find answers to the questions that remain after free agency, to give younger prospects shots to shine against everyday players, and to build team chemistry. Here are a few things I am keeping an eye on this spring.
Bullpen
The Kansas City Royals rode their bullpen to the World Series. Greg Holland and Wade Davis put up historically great seasons. Kelvin Herrera is a fire-throwing 7th inning guy, the acquisition of Jason Frasor late last season proved to be important as well. Even a guy who pitched in the College World Series in June of 2014, Brandon Finnegan, played a major role as a strong lefty out of the pen down the stretch run.
This season Ned Yost has the core of the bullpen back, Holland, Davis, Herrera, and Frasor are ready to re-claim their roles from 2014. Rule 5 flame-thrower Jandel Gustave is slotted for a bullpen spot as well as the Royals hope to strike gold in the same way they did with Joakim Soria. Luke Hochevar is working his way back from Tommy John surgery 11 months ago. He's throwing off the mound and hopes to be ready by opening day. Hochevar was one of the best 8th inning guys in 2013 when he posted a 1.92 ERA, 82 Ks, and an opponent average of .169 in 70 1/3 innings. Hochevar, even if ready by opening day, would probably not pitch in back to back games for at least the early part of the season. Even in a limited role, Hochevar is a massive addition to an already dominant bullpen.
Here is where things get interesting, the Royals have a decision to make with Finnegan, do they continue to develop him out of the pen, or start stretching him out as a starter? I fully expect Finnegan to start the season in the minors as a starter, you don't use first-round draft picks on middle relief. Tim Collins had a hiccup in 2014, but has shown he is capable of being an effective left-handed reliever. I expect him to take the seventh spot in the bullpen to start the season.
A lot has been made of the Royals possibly going with an eight man bullpen, this could change if Hochevar starts the season in Omaha, but the idea itself makes sense in terms of the restrictions Hochevar will most likely have as well as the Royals willingness, or lack thereof, to throw Gustave in high-leverage situations. Who will emerge as that hypothetical 8th man? I think it comes down to Mike Mariot and Louis Coleman, and I think Coleman wins the spot. In 2013 Coleman had good numbers for KC out of the pen: 32 Ks, opponents hit .186, and only 6 walks in 29 2/3rd innings. Last season in 34 innings Coleman posted only 24 Ks, opponents his .291, and he walked 18. Mariot made his Major League debut last year and allowed opponents to hit .298 while walking 12 in only 25 innings. Coleman is more deceptive pitcher and the KC coaching staff knows he can be successful. I feel he'll get the first shot at filling the eighth spot in the rotation, if KC goes in that direction.
Duffy and Ventura
The five starting pitchers for KC isn't going to be question. If the Royals avoid injury, and I admit is a huge 'if", the starters will be Ventura, Duffy, Volquez, Vargas, and Guthrie, in no particular order... though I like my order. This spring training I will be watching to see if Duffy 100% healthy, he left a game in Yankee stadium after 1 pitch in August, was slow to come back, and was pretty much non-existent in the playoffs. Is that shoulder 100%, after all of the Kyle Zimmer shoulder issues that lasted throughout the summer and fall of 2014, I'd hate to see Duffy have the same fate. There is good reason for concern with Duffy, he has had Tommy John and he's never thrown even 150 innings in one season. Getting him ready for a full-season is paramount to Kansas City's success in 2015. One positive skill that Duffy has honed is he became a pitcher last year, and not just a thrower, He posted his lowest K per 9 ever, but also his lowest walks per 9. Duffy has learned to let KC's great defense do the work for him, while at the same time, lowered the amount of stressful pitches he had to throw. For KC to make it back to the playoffs, Duffy is going to have to be a mainstay in rotation, no one wants to see anymore Aaron Brooks or (gasp!) Joe Blanton.
Ventura is a guy that everyone in baseball got to see shine in the World Series. Ventura threw 183 regular-season innings last year, the most in his career, and added 25 innings in the post-season. For someone who had never approached 140 innings in calendar year that is impressive. This spring will be Ventura's first chance to show he can be the ace. He's already the early favorite to start Opening Day for the Royals, but is he ready to be THAT guy? He's only 23 with one full season under his belt, Royals fans hope he his up for the task, mainly because who else is capable? I worry too about Ventura's longevity, he's awfully small and seemingly puts his entire being into each pitch. Maybe, I just worry too much.
Mike Moustakas
I am just really excited about spring because I know Moustakas will put up ridiculous numbers. He loves March in Arizona. The last 2 springs he's hitting a combined .409 with 9 HRs, 34 RBIs, 16 BB, and slugging over .700. Then it just all comes to a screeching halt when when April rolls around. This article is about spring training though, so I hope he puts up those ridiculous numbers again. Maybe this spring though, he will get some of his hits to the opposite field, just a thought.
Salvador Perez
Perez had a terrible offensive 2nd half last year, mostly because his approach at the plate got worse as the season wore on. It could have been because he was getting 1 day off every two weeks, who knows? This spring, it would be great to see Perez take his time at the plate, get in hitter's counts, and attack balls actually inside the strike zone. The season ended with Perez swinging at pitches out of the strike zone, because he wanted to be the hero. It didn't help he had the game winning hit vs Oakland on a ball low and outside that he somehow pulled past Josh Donaldson at 3rd. Hopefully this off-season allow Sal some time to refine his hitting process. The Royals need Salvador to be a guy who can drive in 75 or more runs.
Alex Gordon
Alex just needs to get healthy this spring from wrist surgery. He's a veteran, the reps for him are more about timing than anything at this point of his career. Wrist and hand injuries are always scary for hitters, they often lead to decreased power numbers in many players, and the Royals don't have the luxury of having power in the first place. Just get healthy, that's all that matters.
The Royals are entering the spring of 2015 in a much different fashion than previous years. The roster doesn't have many spots up for grabs. This spring will be more about refining skills for many veterans and the younger players getting a trial run in hopes to be one of the first to be called on when KC needs a body during the summer. It may be -8 degrees this morning where I live, but at least spring has finally started somewhere. Royals fans everywhere are hoping today starts another eight and a half month journey to the World Series. After all isn't that half the fun of spring training, hope?
The Kansas City Royals have officially reported to Surprise, Arizona to start the 2015 season. Usually the beginning of spring training for us Royals fans is full of false hope, at least it had been for the previous 29 seasons. This year the Royals enter the spring as the reigning AL Champions, and now possess a fan-base expecting, yes expecting, a return to the post-season. Spring training is a six week process to get everyone ready for a six month marathon, to find answers to the questions that remain after free agency, to give younger prospects shots to shine against everyday players, and to build team chemistry. Here are a few things I am keeping an eye on this spring.
Bullpen
The Kansas City Royals rode their bullpen to the World Series. Greg Holland and Wade Davis put up historically great seasons. Kelvin Herrera is a fire-throwing 7th inning guy, the acquisition of Jason Frasor late last season proved to be important as well. Even a guy who pitched in the College World Series in June of 2014, Brandon Finnegan, played a major role as a strong lefty out of the pen down the stretch run.
This season Ned Yost has the core of the bullpen back, Holland, Davis, Herrera, and Frasor are ready to re-claim their roles from 2014. Rule 5 flame-thrower Jandel Gustave is slotted for a bullpen spot as well as the Royals hope to strike gold in the same way they did with Joakim Soria. Luke Hochevar is working his way back from Tommy John surgery 11 months ago. He's throwing off the mound and hopes to be ready by opening day. Hochevar was one of the best 8th inning guys in 2013 when he posted a 1.92 ERA, 82 Ks, and an opponent average of .169 in 70 1/3 innings. Hochevar, even if ready by opening day, would probably not pitch in back to back games for at least the early part of the season. Even in a limited role, Hochevar is a massive addition to an already dominant bullpen.
Here is where things get interesting, the Royals have a decision to make with Finnegan, do they continue to develop him out of the pen, or start stretching him out as a starter? I fully expect Finnegan to start the season in the minors as a starter, you don't use first-round draft picks on middle relief. Tim Collins had a hiccup in 2014, but has shown he is capable of being an effective left-handed reliever. I expect him to take the seventh spot in the bullpen to start the season.
A lot has been made of the Royals possibly going with an eight man bullpen, this could change if Hochevar starts the season in Omaha, but the idea itself makes sense in terms of the restrictions Hochevar will most likely have as well as the Royals willingness, or lack thereof, to throw Gustave in high-leverage situations. Who will emerge as that hypothetical 8th man? I think it comes down to Mike Mariot and Louis Coleman, and I think Coleman wins the spot. In 2013 Coleman had good numbers for KC out of the pen: 32 Ks, opponents hit .186, and only 6 walks in 29 2/3rd innings. Last season in 34 innings Coleman posted only 24 Ks, opponents his .291, and he walked 18. Mariot made his Major League debut last year and allowed opponents to hit .298 while walking 12 in only 25 innings. Coleman is more deceptive pitcher and the KC coaching staff knows he can be successful. I feel he'll get the first shot at filling the eighth spot in the rotation, if KC goes in that direction.
Duffy and Ventura
The five starting pitchers for KC isn't going to be question. If the Royals avoid injury, and I admit is a huge 'if", the starters will be Ventura, Duffy, Volquez, Vargas, and Guthrie, in no particular order... though I like my order. This spring training I will be watching to see if Duffy 100% healthy, he left a game in Yankee stadium after 1 pitch in August, was slow to come back, and was pretty much non-existent in the playoffs. Is that shoulder 100%, after all of the Kyle Zimmer shoulder issues that lasted throughout the summer and fall of 2014, I'd hate to see Duffy have the same fate. There is good reason for concern with Duffy, he has had Tommy John and he's never thrown even 150 innings in one season. Getting him ready for a full-season is paramount to Kansas City's success in 2015. One positive skill that Duffy has honed is he became a pitcher last year, and not just a thrower, He posted his lowest K per 9 ever, but also his lowest walks per 9. Duffy has learned to let KC's great defense do the work for him, while at the same time, lowered the amount of stressful pitches he had to throw. For KC to make it back to the playoffs, Duffy is going to have to be a mainstay in rotation, no one wants to see anymore Aaron Brooks or (gasp!) Joe Blanton.
Ventura is a guy that everyone in baseball got to see shine in the World Series. Ventura threw 183 regular-season innings last year, the most in his career, and added 25 innings in the post-season. For someone who had never approached 140 innings in calendar year that is impressive. This spring will be Ventura's first chance to show he can be the ace. He's already the early favorite to start Opening Day for the Royals, but is he ready to be THAT guy? He's only 23 with one full season under his belt, Royals fans hope he his up for the task, mainly because who else is capable? I worry too about Ventura's longevity, he's awfully small and seemingly puts his entire being into each pitch. Maybe, I just worry too much.
Mike Moustakas
I am just really excited about spring because I know Moustakas will put up ridiculous numbers. He loves March in Arizona. The last 2 springs he's hitting a combined .409 with 9 HRs, 34 RBIs, 16 BB, and slugging over .700. Then it just all comes to a screeching halt when when April rolls around. This article is about spring training though, so I hope he puts up those ridiculous numbers again. Maybe this spring though, he will get some of his hits to the opposite field, just a thought.
Salvador Perez
Perez had a terrible offensive 2nd half last year, mostly because his approach at the plate got worse as the season wore on. It could have been because he was getting 1 day off every two weeks, who knows? This spring, it would be great to see Perez take his time at the plate, get in hitter's counts, and attack balls actually inside the strike zone. The season ended with Perez swinging at pitches out of the strike zone, because he wanted to be the hero. It didn't help he had the game winning hit vs Oakland on a ball low and outside that he somehow pulled past Josh Donaldson at 3rd. Hopefully this off-season allow Sal some time to refine his hitting process. The Royals need Salvador to be a guy who can drive in 75 or more runs.
Alex Gordon
Alex just needs to get healthy this spring from wrist surgery. He's a veteran, the reps for him are more about timing than anything at this point of his career. Wrist and hand injuries are always scary for hitters, they often lead to decreased power numbers in many players, and the Royals don't have the luxury of having power in the first place. Just get healthy, that's all that matters.
The Royals are entering the spring of 2015 in a much different fashion than previous years. The roster doesn't have many spots up for grabs. This spring will be more about refining skills for many veterans and the younger players getting a trial run in hopes to be one of the first to be called on when KC needs a body during the summer. It may be -8 degrees this morning where I live, but at least spring has finally started somewhere. Royals fans everywhere are hoping today starts another eight and a half month journey to the World Series. After all isn't that half the fun of spring training, hope?
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