tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post6149875775094493872..comments2023-11-02T08:28:08.286-05:00Comments on Rany on the Royals: C'mon.Ranyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713226276377020284noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-18671998225560087212014-02-25T14:21:38.409-06:002014-02-25T14:21:38.409-06:00I've got the Royals penciled in at 89 wins. C...I've got the Royals penciled in at 89 wins. Chen is emblematic of the team's excellent pitching depth but overall mediocrity in the rotation. Unfortunately, they'll need to upgrade the talent somewhere along the way (given the Royals financial MO means dumping/flipping existing contracts instead of taking on additional payroll and good luck getting value for Wade Davis) if they wantAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-27824353563982718232014-02-22T11:35:54.227-06:002014-02-22T11:35:54.227-06:00Yes aces are rare and you're just dragging out...Yes aces are rare and you're just dragging out an argument that Rany has already answered. I am not in the baseball insider club, but I have seen enough baseball to know shields is not in a conversation about aces.Louie IIIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02005169968384529230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-90702339663435763042014-02-04T09:45:59.206-06:002014-02-04T09:45:59.206-06:00Rany, not to carry this point on longer than it sh...Rany, not to carry this point on longer than it should be carried on, but I did some googling, and there doesn't appear to be any consensus on the definition on a #1--at least not that anyone has written. Plenty of talk on what it means to be an "ace," and a lot of that is on Baseball Prospectus. If you are using the terms interchangeably, that's OK. I just tend to make a Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17564872751328400937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-24599055796133928582014-02-03T19:00:48.896-06:002014-02-03T19:00:48.896-06:00Recently James Shields has hinted he would like to...Recently James Shields has hinted he would like to resign with the Royals. I have said since the Myers trade, the one thing that would make it a little less painful is if the Royals would actually sign Shields to an extension. With the $18 million going in the bank this year, that money could help pay for a 4 or 5 year extension and we would have an anchor to our staff for years. <br />I was royalsfan67https://www.blogger.com/profile/00026068034673261518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-6443371720767615282014-02-03T15:02:31.553-06:002014-02-03T15:02:31.553-06:00My current estimate of the payroll at $89 million ...My current estimate of the payroll at $89 million assumes a salary of $4.9 million for Holland, which is the estimate that MLB Trade Rumors has made for him. So that number might fluctuate by a few hundred thousand, but not a few million. I should have made that clearer, thanks for asking.Ranyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09713226276377020284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-83620545902501600522014-02-03T12:53:31.724-06:002014-02-03T12:53:31.724-06:00I don't want to get into the "#1 vs. #2&q...I don't want to get into the "#1 vs. #2" argument, guys, except to say that the accepted use of the term "#1" within baseball is NOT to use it for a Top 30 starter, i.e. the best starter on all 30 teams, but for a Top-15 starter at least, i.e. an *above-average* best starter. Some insiders are even more picky about using the term #1. I personally think that the consensus Ranyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09713226276377020284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-75739772123334019312014-02-03T12:40:45.989-06:002014-02-03T12:40:45.989-06:00Yes, Doug, Rany continues to go the extra (unneces...Yes, Doug, Rany continues to go the extra (unnecessary) step in his argument against The Trade to say that James Shields, who has more WAR over the last three seasons than all but 10 pitchers, is not a top-tier starter. <br />There is no empirical evidence to support that Shields is "merely" a #2. <br />There is also no reason to say that he is "very good" but not "among Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03508586814218064763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-23670413252334549782014-02-03T12:06:36.051-06:002014-02-03T12:06:36.051-06:00Bryan, I hear you. I tend to make a distinction b...Bryan, I hear you. I tend to make a distinction between "ace" and "#1." There are only a select few whom I would consider "aces" in the game today. But to call a guy a "#2" is to suggest that he should not be the #1 starter on an average MLB team. Every team has a "#1" guy. Few have "aces." Some teams start a guy in teh #1 slot whoAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17564872751328400937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-80897863034205024512014-02-03T10:28:34.200-06:002014-02-03T10:28:34.200-06:00Putting a proper roster together has never been a ...Putting a proper roster together has never been a GMDM long suit. Most of his problems usually stem from jumping too quick. The signing if Vargas was ludicrous. It looked like the deal was for too much over a too long a period. Now it looks horrendous.<br /><br />If they thought Bonifacio was going to be a burden in the clubhouse then I get it. If it was just to save a few bucks then another dumbkcghosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06362423366736243156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-87769568586886561472014-02-03T09:36:51.969-06:002014-02-03T09:36:51.969-06:00Doug,
I don't think Rany is saying that at all...Doug,<br />I don't think Rany is saying that at all. For many, especially in the scouting community, the term ace or #1 starter only applies to a handful of pitchers in baseball, maybe as few as 5 or as many as a dozen. Saying that Shields is a "good #2" implies that he is still probably a top 20starter in baseball, but not an ace like Kershaw or Felix or Sale or Verlander.Loganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00561935992092485025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-50900537122565386562014-02-02T23:24:29.483-06:002014-02-02T23:24:29.483-06:00I agree Bryan: The loss of what looked like an am...I agree Bryan: The loss of what looked like an amazing bench angers me. Reasons are (mostly) unimportant; this team is not a juggernaut, this team needs to maximize value wherever possible (all teams do, of course, but for a bubble playoff contender it is of the essence), lopping off chunks of an impressive bench and replacing it with questionable talent is appalling. But of course DM's twmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09435570180342463224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-36182353234044212322014-02-02T12:04:49.439-06:002014-02-02T12:04:49.439-06:00Sorry to take up so much space Rany, but thank you...Sorry to take up so much space Rany, but thank you for the forum. Your writing is as good as ever. I wish there was more of it, but I understand why there is not, and I hope your family enjoys the additional time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-35349555264758514062014-02-02T12:01:13.307-06:002014-02-02T12:01:13.307-06:00He won't accept it. Tough. Aren't there ...He won't accept it. Tough. Aren't there people in place to lead the men on the team and to explain their role and to let them know that there is a greater common goal. Can't someone lead these guys? Why are they afraid of a clubhouse lawyer? Kottaras and Bonifacio can't be so bad that they aren't allowed to be a part of our precious little team. Are the young guys so Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-45321986934799868812014-02-02T12:00:45.470-06:002014-02-02T12:00:45.470-06:00And then they let go of Kottaras. At the time, Du...And then they let go of Kottaras. At the time, Dutton reported it was because of money. I don't think it was ever about money and I don't think Dutton ever did either. Apparently they don't like Kottaras' attitude or something. <br /><br />Isn't it time to accept a guy who isn't the perfect fit attitude wise because he may have the talent to make your team better?<br /Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-16959796025065672552014-02-02T12:00:03.306-06:002014-02-02T12:00:03.306-06:00Dutton tweeted that the decisions on both Kottaras...Dutton tweeted that the decisions on both Kottaras and Bonifacio were questionable.<br /><br />Since Dutton's tweets are never off the cuff, I think there is a lot to his comment.<br /><br />The Royals were set up to have the best bench in the game. No small feat. This is very commendable and something DMGM should take great pride in. <br /><br />I actually got caught up in the notion thatAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-63475258032071223132014-02-02T11:13:46.082-06:002014-02-02T11:13:46.082-06:00We know, we know. You hate the Myers trade. But ...We know, we know. You hate the Myers trade. But by what definition is Shields a "good #2?" Are you saying that there are 30 MLB pitchers better than Shields right now? Or is your definition of a #1 starter narrower than the actually number of #1 starting spots in the majors?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17564872751328400937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-70464962306481925652014-02-01T20:57:35.518-06:002014-02-01T20:57:35.518-06:00Actually, some parks do surrender more singles tha...Actually, some parks do surrender more singles than others do. Parks where the backdrop behind the mound makes it easy for a batter to pick up the ball tend to allow more hits (including singles), and so do parks with a smaller than normal foul territory, where hitters don't lose at-bats to foulouts. Parks that are above-average in their outfield dimensions also allow an above-average number Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00025084603769153259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3129904004334636055.post-12423267867742508272014-02-01T19:12:48.687-06:002014-02-01T19:12:48.687-06:00You lost me when you said the K is a bad place to ...You lost me when you said the K is a bad place to give up singles. I think the dimensions of all parks are similar ENOUGH that singles are evenly distibuted amongst parks. To be fair, not doubles or triples - those are definitely susceptible to ball park factors.Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01067031724370488116noreply@blogger.com