2007 Royals could be quite competitive

gene · 12-31-2006, 10:56 AM

I'm becoming quite enthusiastic about the coming Royals season. The pitching should be much improved, (whether or not Moore can add another good starter) and I also think that LaRue and Gordon will make very significant contributions.

Several of the "pencilled in" starting pitchers would have to take their game up a notch, or return to past effectiveness, for the current group of starters to keep the Royals in the race for long but it seems that Moore knows this and will do his best to add someone to the mix.

JMUplayer · 01-22-2007, 11:57 AM

Cironnu · 01-23-2007, 11:45 AM

This is the best Royals team we've seen in quite a while, and it's easily the most excited I've been about the Royals in a few years. The Allard Baird Nightmare era is officially over, and Dayton Moore has put the Royals back on the right track more quickly than even the biggest optimists would've predicted. He's COMPLETELY rebuilt the pitching staff, top to bottom, and he has a lot of good young hitting talent available now, and over the next few seasons.

We still have a long way to go before we're TRULY competitive, but I think our days of 100 loss seasons are finally over. I expect the Royals to be a much better team this year, but 81 wins would still be quite a stretch. A nice, quiet 76-86 season would be a good mark to shoot for, though, while we wait for the young talent to develop further. Hochevar, Greinke, Lumsden, Gordon, Butler...there are some guys on this team who could take HUGE leaps forward this season, and put us into a very good position for 2008.

In Dayton We Trust.

Cironnu · 03-28-2007, 10:40 PM

It's been two months since I put up that last post, and a lot has changed. Mostly, our already marginal looking rotation is looking even worse. Meche and Greinke look fine, and Perez is.....OK, but after that it's horrible. Bannister had a terrible spring, DeLaRosa has absolutely no control over his pitches at all, and Hudson will start the season on the DL. Ouch. This is why I have a hard time predicting us to have more than maybe 70 wins. Unless we get lucky somehow, our rotation is still well below average. I'm just praying we can at least rely on Meche and Greinke.

How does "Greinke and Meche and pray like heck?" sound? Doesn't QUITE rhyme, but it's the best I can come up with right now.

85royal · 03-29-2007, 11:24 AM

The scary part is we have zero depth. Bannister may recover from a disaster spring ala Hudson a year ago. Hudson himself may be back by the end of April. But beyone Meche and Greinke are nothing but question marks.

JMUplayer · 03-29-2007, 10:08 PM

72 Wins is my prediction.... i do think the offense is a HELLUVA lot better than before.... why they didn't trade BERROA to the blue jays i'll never know

Cironnu · 04-01-2007, 10:47 AM

The offense will certainly be better, IMO, and it's true that a good offense can carry a marginal pitching staff through most of the year, but I really worry that our pitching staff may not even qualify as marginal. I just hope Meche and Greinke are reliable all year, Odalis is at least decent, and someone like Hudson gets healthy and does well enough in the fourth spot. Every team struggles with the fifth spot, but if our struggles run all the way up to the #3 starter...it could be another long season.

85royal · 04-01-2007, 01:04 PM

IF - - - Perez can stay healthy through June and post good numbers, and
IF ----- Lumnsden or Hochevar is ready to step into the rotation at that time,

then the Royals MIGHT be able to package Perez with an extra outfielder and get a top flight SS prospect without losing a beat in the rotation.

IF Elarton does well in Omaha on his rehab assignment, and
IF Sanders is mashing the first half of the season,

then the Royals MIGHT be able to package the two to get a legitimate pitching prospect currently toiling in the low minors.

IF Sweeney is raking in June, the Royals might be able to get legitimate prospects at the trade deadline.

Until then, we have a servicable offense with a less than mediocre pitching staff, many of whom (Perez, Peralta, Elarton, Riske, etc.) are on the back end of their careers and not likely to be in KC next year.

12-31-2006, 10:56 AM	#1 (permalink)
gene New Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 2	2007 Royals could be quite competitive I'm becoming quite enthusiastic about the coming Royals season. The pitching should be much improved, (whether or not Moore can add another good starter) and I also think that LaRue and Gordon will make very significant contributions. Several of the "pencilled in" starting pitchers would have to take their game up a notch, or return to past effectiveness, for the current group of starters to keep the Royals in the race for long but it seems that Moore knows this and will do his best to add someone to the mix.

01-22-2007, 11:57 AM	#2 (permalink)
JMUplayer Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 204	Not

01-23-2007, 11:45 AM	#3 (permalink)
Cironnu Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 39	This is the best Royals team we've seen in quite a while, and it's easily the most excited I've been about the Royals in a few years. The Allard Baird Nightmare era is officially over, and Dayton Moore has put the Royals back on the right track more quickly than even the biggest optimists would've predicted. He's COMPLETELY rebuilt the pitching staff, top to bottom, and he has a lot of good young hitting talent available now, and over the next few seasons. We still have a long way to go before we're TRULY competitive, but I think our days of 100 loss seasons are finally over. I expect the Royals to be a much better team this year, but 81 wins would still be quite a stretch. A nice, quiet 76-86 season would be a good mark to shoot for, though, while we wait for the young talent to develop further. Hochevar, Greinke, Lumsden, Gordon, Butler...there are some guys on this team who could take HUGE leaps forward this season, and put us into a very good position for 2008. In Dayton We Trust. __________________ In Dayton We Trust.

03-28-2007, 10:40 PM	#4 (permalink)
Cironnu Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 39	Maybe Not. It's been two months since I put up that last post, and a lot has changed. Mostly, our already marginal looking rotation is looking even worse. Meche and Greinke look fine, and Perez is.....OK, but after that it's horrible. Bannister had a terrible spring, DeLaRosa has absolutely no control over his pitches at all, and Hudson will start the season on the DL. Ouch. This is why I have a hard time predicting us to have more than maybe 70 wins. Unless we get lucky somehow, our rotation is still well below average. I'm just praying we can at least rely on Meche and Greinke. How does "Greinke and Meche and pray like heck?" sound? Doesn't QUITE rhyme, but it's the best I can come up with right now. __________________ In Dayton We Trust.

03-29-2007, 11:24 AM	#5 (permalink)
85royal Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 22	Pitching The scary part is we have zero depth. Bannister may recover from a disaster spring ala Hudson a year ago. Hudson himself may be back by the end of April. But beyone Meche and Greinke are nothing but question marks.

03-29-2007, 10:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
JMUplayer Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 204	72 Wins is my prediction.... i do think the offense is a HELLUVA lot better than before.... why they didn't trade BERROA to the blue jays i'll never know

04-01-2007, 10:47 AM	#7 (permalink)
Cironnu Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 39	Yeah. The offense will certainly be better, IMO, and it's true that a good offense can carry a marginal pitching staff through most of the year, but I really worry that our pitching staff may not even qualify as marginal. I just hope Meche and Greinke are reliable all year, Odalis is at least decent, and someone like Hudson gets healthy and does well enough in the fourth spot. Every team struggles with the fifth spot, but if our struggles run all the way up to the #3 starter...it could be another long season. __________________ In Dayton We Trust.

04-01-2007, 01:04 PM	#8 (permalink)
85royal Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 22	Offense and Pitching IF - - - Perez can stay healthy through June and post good numbers, and IF ----- Lumnsden or Hochevar is ready to step into the rotation at that time, then the Royals MIGHT be able to package Perez with an extra outfielder and get a top flight SS prospect without losing a beat in the rotation. IF Elarton does well in Omaha on his rehab assignment, and IF Sanders is mashing the first half of the season, then the Royals MIGHT be able to package the two to get a legitimate pitching prospect currently toiling in the low minors. IF Sweeney is raking in June, the Royals might be able to get legitimate prospects at the trade deadline. Until then, we have a servicable offense with a less than mediocre pitching staff, many of whom (Perez, Peralta, Elarton, Riske, etc.) are on the back end of their careers and not likely to be in KC next year.