Hosmer Promoted to KC
Just announced by Ned Yost. Kila Kaaihue will be demoted back to AAA.
I'm sure there will be criticism of the move due to Kila not getting a "full" chance, but he has been killing the Royals this year.
I'm a little surprised they didn't wait until June 1 to avoid Super Two status, but I guess it's not really that much money in the long run.
Assuming Hosmer stays up all season, any guesses on his batting line?
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Wow.
We literally posted this in the exact same minute. Yours is more rational, but lacks the loud noises and pyrotechnics of mine.
That said: .289/.855 19 HR. He is not an easy out at any level, and will continue walking and spraying singles all over, then go on a little power tear in August and September.
by OctaShields on May 5, 2011 6:02 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I dont know
There will be a little adjustment period, 19 HR is a hit higher then I expect. I could see 12-15, with a fair number of doubles though.
It seemed high to me when I first wrote it
but keep in mind that Buster Posey had 18 last year in 406 AB. Some guys take a while to adjust and some guys just crush everything in their orbit until pitchers get tape on them.
I cannot believe it
Kila all those years doesn’t even get his true shot
ITs not like the Royals are gonna win teh AL Central this year
what the hell i disagree with this move …..thats why Im a Twins fan ;-)
"Well Played Mauer"
Big fan of Juerys Familia and his repitoire
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on May 5, 2011 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions
stupid K.C.
dumb dumb dumb
if they’re gonna do this with a lot fo their talent they might just find a way to screw it up…
"Well Played Mauer"
Big fan of Juerys Familia and his repitoire
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on May 5, 2011 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions
the point is to win baseball games
It is obvious that Hosmer will help KC win more baseball games than Kila will.
Kila = Still not that good.
Flawed hitter with some patience and power. 1B/DH only.
He got his shot.
The Pirates should definitely pick him up
Then they can start a AAAA affiliate where everyone plays first base and Clement, Bowker and Kila can live forever, happily.
He got his shot?
"Some field has fences, and sometime, the field cant hold a player, but most of the time, a field cant hold Domingo"
http://www.domingobeisbol.com/
by hero66 on May 5, 2011 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kaaihki01.shtml
326 PA, sub .700 OPS.
Sorry, but the reality is that a 27 year old 1B without a pedigree is not going to get much more time than that to make it, especially when a top ten prospect is crushing it right behind him.
by deezle on May 5, 2011 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I'm not arguing that he should play over Hosmer
But saying he “got his shot” is ludicrous. Using that logic, Ryan Ludwick, Nelson Cruz, and Carlos Pena should have been done in MLB before their breakout years.
"Some field has fences, and sometime, the field cant hold a player, but most of the time, a field cant hold Domingo"
http://www.domingobeisbol.com/
by hero66 on May 5, 2011 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
What is a "fair" shot by someone like Kaaihue?
And for every Cruz or Pena, there are countless guys that didn’t suddenly learn to hit MLB pitching in their late 20’s.
Opportunities in life aren’t always perfect, and the onus is on the individual to make the most of them. Kila wasn’t given a week – he had over 300 plate appearances, and he stunk.
Who knows, maybe he will make it somewhere else, but I can’t see a rational argument for why the Royals should continue trotting him out there when he is not performing up to even mild expectations.
by deezle on May 5, 2011 7:43 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Because they need a placeholder
Until the time when it makes more sense to call up their top prospect when they’re in the midst of a season in which they have legitimate aspirations to compete? Not the off-season after trading away Zach Greinke?
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 6, 2011 2:08 AM EDT up reply actions
How does a sub .700 OPS = "placeholding"
Kaaihue has been a liability up to this point, and Hosmer was toying with AAA pitching. They had kept him down long enough to gain another year of service time already (obviously he wasn’t going to stay in AAA until May of 2012 to gain an additional year).
It seems easy to forget to some internet baseball fans that the main point is to win baseball games. Playing Hosmer instead of Kila helps KC win more games.
I don't know about "toying with AAA pitching"
Though he was hitting plenty of singles, I can’t say that a first baseman with 8 XBHs in 26 games doesn’t have anything to work on at the AAA level.
If I ran the Royals, I definitely would have given Kila more of a chance while I encouraged Hosmer to swing for some power at AAA. Maybe the Royals have their minds made up about Kila, though.
That might be a concern
if you ignored the power he displayed last year in High A and Double A, and the effusive praise of 70+ power from scouting reports.
Royals have had a very good team batting average
and my guess their hitting coach had something to do with that. What Hosmer is doing now seems to fit that strategy. Like you I would prefer to see him try and hit for power in certain situations.
Also, I wouldn’t mind seeing how he does when he gets into a slump in AAA. It’s a little more difficult getting out of slumps in MLB.
considering the stadium they play in
attempting to hit for average instead of power is a prudent approach for certain players.
totally agreed for some players
and if they were also getting good OBP then great. And if the players that could hit for power were encouraged …
It just seems like average at the cost of all else.
the players they've had are kind of shitty. not sure i'd expect a re-building team to have complete offensive players like that.
to a point I agree
but many of those players they went out and aquired. KC deserves a lot of kudos for what is happening at the minor league level.
I just fear their MLB level trades, talent evaluation, player development, etc.
they've got a pretty good story they tell about all that stuff.
we’ll see. i’m not a royals fan so i don’t really care if they mess this up.
I'm not sure what your definition of placeholding is
But the actual definition of placeholding involves an understanding of the inferiority of the player who is doing the placeholding.
His BABIP was .500, and as mentioned above, he didn’t exactly put on a power display of epic proportions in a very power-friendly league.
It seems easy to forget to some executives that the main point is to sustain a contending team for as long of a period as possible. Keeping Hosmer in Triple-A to develop and possibly save some extra coin helps KC develop a more sustainable period of success.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 7, 2011 2:12 AM EDT up reply actions
+1
The Royals are right to go to Hosmer, but Kila still hasn’t really been given a chance. That having been said, the balance does weigh against him right now.
His 300 PA’s are kind of scattered, so I’ll take the OPS with a grain of salt. I’m inclined to say that a team which can afford to give playing time to youngsters should give Kila 200-300 consecutive PA’s before he’s officially Quad-A fodder. I doubt that will happen anytime soon, though.
You just made a different point
It’s not like they forced Kila to retire, he’s just not going to get another shot with the Royals in the near future. Ludwick, Cruz and Pena all failed for their first team, just like Kila did with the Royals. Some other team will swing a deal for him or pick him up when he gets DFA’d and if he can force his way into playing time after a change of scenery, then he can do exactly what those guys (and Brian Giles) were able to do with their careers. This has nothing to do with the Royals sending him down and everything to do with where he goes from here.
Agreed
People need to understand that the guy was in the minors at 27 for a reason. His swing is easily exposed by MLB pitchers (See Dan Johnson for another example of a AAAA player).
Big Sexy
Follow KBR and Dewey on Twitter! @KBRandDewey
by King Billy Royal on May 5, 2011 8:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Adjustment
Your hypothesis looks more and more the case with each poor PA Kila has, but I’d be inclined to be very, very lenient with a player whose track record is so gaudy in AAA. 300PA (particularly a scattered 300) does not a significant sample make, but 500 (particularly with a significant amount of it coming consecutively?)
I support Kila for some other team with a hole at first (but who? I actually cannot think of anybody who fits the bill.) in much the same way I support Brandon Wood getting a shot with the Pirates. Give him one good long look if you’re not going anywhere this season and he’s not blocking anybody. The reward is worth the risk.
I agree it is worth the risk
However, I can’t blame the Royals for wanting to get a better player in their lineup. I have never been high on Kila and always found him overrated in these parts. I said this about him back in February:
Kila is completely overrated and will be exposed as a mediocre hitter in the majors
So far I appear to be right. I don’t mind teams giving guys like Kila and Wood shots, but I don’t think we should blame their former clubs from moving on.
Big Sexy
Follow KBR and Dewey on Twitter! @KBRandDewey
by King Billy Royal on May 5, 2011 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions
HOSMER FOR ROY!!!!!!
Lance Berkman= Awesome, CJ Wilson= Jack@$$
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They can't wait. Not if they want to be a real baseball team for the first time in a long time.
4.5 back of Cleveland, significant leads on Minnesota and Chicago. Royals just made the first big move of the year in that division (depending if you count Grady Sizemore as a
“move”)
If they keep creepin up, how long before Moose, Lamb, Montgomery, or Duffy?
@casetines
What if they're in position to be buyers?
Do they deal from their minor league depth to make a run in 2011, or stick to their guns and go down without a fight? I bet that scenario has Dayton Moore shaking in his pantaloons, even though it would mean the team has continued their success.
no.
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Promotion order - just my prediction
Duffy might be up in the next month…Moose needs to prove something in AAA before he makes the trip south, so not sure of his ETA, but I would think that Sept. 1 would be reasonable unless he’s injured. Monty & lams are harder to predict – I’ll say August for Monty and Sept. 1 for Lamb.
Duffy – June 2011
Monty – Aug 2011
Lamb & Moose – Sept 2011
Lamb velo down again last start
He’s not off to a great start, but he also had a lat strain? (I think – it was something like that).
My rough guess as well
Duffy up first, in June, Monty when he improves his control, and August is a good guess, and Moustakas last. Not sure Lamb gets the call this year.
Aviles and WB
Are going to keep Moose down longer then anything else. Unlike Hosmer the Royals are actually getting decent production from 3b
It is an interesting discussion
Will KC really want to bring up all these guys this year? Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, but it is not ideal to have Hosmer, Moustakas, Montgomery, and Duffy all hit FA the same year.
Guy is a Machine
How long before the deal is announced buying him out
"We're gonna do this f*ucking thing over again cuz I just f*cked it up.....oh, we're live, I didn't know that" Bert Blyleven
by smoooooth on May 5, 2011 6:39 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Re
That is one of the reasons I love this.
a) I don’t think super-two status will be in the next CBA.
b) I think in order for this team to remain competitive they MUST buy out as many FA years of Hosmer and Myers as possible. I’d bet he gets a Braun/Tulo Extension this time next season.
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by JD Sussman on May 5, 2011 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
RE
Boras does what is best for his client. If Hosmer wants to stay in KC and the Royals are willing to offer him the best deal for him and his family, Boras will make that happen.
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Eh
Not really. Boras is a bit boorish about his client always moving towards the absolute biggest, best offer – much in the way the MLBPA likes to see it go. Yes, Boras will theoretically do what his client tells him to do, but make no mistake – hiring Scott Boras is really about looking to get paid, and that’s what most players are looking to do.
I don’t begrudge any player for taking the money, and it’s the rational choice. But, let’s be realistic: sometimes players leave markets they REALLY like in pursuit of bigger dollars (CC loved Milwaukee, por ejemplo.)
Um, Yes.
hiring Scott Boras is really about looking to get paid, and that’s what most players are looking to do.
Correct. Hosmer made the decision to higher Boras, right? It is then logical to assume that given Boras’s track record that Hosmer cares most about money…
I don’t begrudge any player for taking the money, and it’s the rational choice.
Right. And again, that’s Hosmer’s choice.
But, let’s be realistic: sometimes players leave markets they REALLY like in pursuit of bigger dollars (CC loved Milwaukee, por ejemplo.)
No disagreement here, Guy. Absolutely. But this is all, as you’ve said, is the PLAYER’S CHOICE.
If Hosmer wants to stay in KC and the Royals are willing to offer him the best deal for him and his family, Boras will make that happen.
I started off by saying if Hosmer wants… His career is his choice. If the above quote is what he wants that is exactly what he’ll get. However, I can agree that hiring Boras indicates that isn’t what he wants. But, that also isn’t what I said.
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Fair Enough
I suppose I misinterpreted you, and you’re right insofar as Hosmer made his intent known when he chose Boras as an agent. However, but I do wonder how Boras would react to the following situation if it were to develop down the road…
Hosmer: I sure do like KC, and even though I’m now an unrestricted free agent at 26 years old, I’d like to stay here on a 10 year, 100 million dollar contract! 100 million bucks! With the team that gave me a chance!
Boras/MLBPA: You do realize the Yankees are prepared to offer you a 7 year, 160M contract?
Hosmer: It’s KC for me! Just like Tim Wakefield brought back the reserve clause in Boston, or Cliff Lee walked away from total contract value to go back to Philly!
MLBPA: Gah. Fine.
Boras: ??? [Agreed, probably does the K. Begrudgingly.]
Would be interesting.
His intent certainly seems clear. Though, he did higher Boras out of HS when money was unquestionably most important. Now, he has been with the organization for a while and priorities change as you get older and you’ve already banked a few million.
I’d assume if he had not signed by then, he wouldn’t be keen on staying. But, Boras is going to do whatever Hosmer tells him to do, or he’ll lose him as a client. That simple.
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hire*
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Boras
Has signed guys for below value before. They just dont get the press his market breaking deals do. If Hosmer opts to give the Royals a hometown discount Boras will happily do it and trumpet it as “the biggest contract the royals have given” or some such
besides, I doubt he sees FA in his 20s.
It's kind of a chicken-egg situation
Yes, Scott Boras generally will try to put the dollar sign first in negotiations. But then again, that reputation is why a lot of clients choose him as their agent. So are they hardballing for tons of money because that’s Boras’s MO, or do the players know they’re going to want to go that route and therefore hire Boras?
It’s kind of a chicken-egg situation
No it isn’t.
Yes, Scott Boras generally will try to put the dollar sign first in negotiations.
Boras does what his clients tell him to do. Yes, most of his clients – like most people on the planet – are looking for the most money.
But then again, that reputation is why a lot of clients choose him as their agent.
Right, because Boras can get them what they want. They don’t chose Boras so Boras can get them what he wants.
So are they hardballing for tons of money because that’s Boras’s MO, or do the players know they’re going to want to go that route and therefore hire Boras?
The answer should be obvious.
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Why are you arguing with me?
Can you turn off your bullheadedness for a second? I didn’t say anything that you’re actually not agreeing with in slightly different presentation nor did I say anything confrontational regarding your comment, so I’m not sure why you tried to FJM my comment.
I was basically agreeing with your above statement and just framing it in a different way, given the fact that a lot of people try to villainize the work Boras does. I say it’s a chicken-egg situation because it’s impossible to say whether Boras has had success getting tons of money for his clients because his clients tend to be guys who want to make a ton of money or because he’s nasty with his negotiation tactics and can use them to pull top dollar.
It’s really just a theoretical exercise that you can agree with or disagree with without there being a real objectively correct answer. I wasn’t trying to be groundbreaking, just talking about a different way to think about Boras and his clients than most people seem to take. So, you’re right, the answer is obvious. It’s a bit surprising that you feel the need to use absolute “no it isn’t” and try to refute in this situation, but I guess some people can’t turn it off. I don’t pay much attention to the prospect analysis pissing matches that go on around here, but when I do I’m always amazed at how many times one person tells another that the’re WRONG, or they’re an idiot for having this guy in front of that guy. It’s a predictive field. You can rarely be wrong when having a conversation about a prospect’s future, you can only really be arguing something that is less likely or, at worst, improbable.
So take a deep breath, man. People can respond to your comments without calling your manhood into question. Sometimes, if you take a second to think about it, you’ll find that their ideas aren’t so different than yours, and you won’t have to argue at all.
No FJM
Just easier to respond that way…
I say it’s a chicken-egg situation because it’s impossible to say whether Boras has had success getting tons of money for his clients because his clients tend to be guys who want to make a ton of money or because he’s nasty with his negotiation tactics and can use them to pull top dollar.
I just can’t agree with that, even a little. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be a dick, and if I came off that way, sorry. An agent represents the player’s interests. Period. Or else he doesn’t have client.
I’m not gonna response to the rest of it. I didn’t call you stupid or an “idiot”. I don’t even think I was being rude, just to the point. Also, I don’t think there are many pissing matches about prospects, but rather about the process in which people make this opinions. As I’ve said numerous times, no one will be right about any of these players for a long time.
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An agent represents the player’s interests. Period. Or else he doesn’t have client.
I still don’t see how this leads you to disagree with what I said.
There are both chickens and eggs. Chickens lay eggs. Eggs hatch and new chickens emerge. Chickens are necessary for there to be eggs, and eggs are necessary for their to be chickens.
Scott Boras negotiates well and gets a lot of money for his clients. His clients choose him because they have an interest in getting a lot of money. Boras’ negotiation skills are necessary to get a lot of money for his clients. His clients interests in getting a lot of money are necessary for him to be able to negotiate to get a bunch of money.
Wow, something I said as a kind of quick thought, throwaway line has now been analyzed ad naseum. God bless the internet.
RE
Whatever, in the end it was a throw away line and doesn’t matter. Sorry for belaboring my point.
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Unbelievable
"Well Played Mauer"
Big fan of Juerys Familia and his repitoire
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on May 5, 2011 6:59 PM EDT reply actions
You keep using that word
I do not think it means what you think it means.
by OctaShields on May 5, 2011 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
remember its like May 2nd
If Hosmer strikes gold, K.C. was possibly right to do this, if he does not
theres a little thing called service time, shipping him back to AAA, dropping to 4th or 5th in the AL central Anyway and possibly dampering YOUR FUTURE STUD 1B confidence if he doesn’t do much in show is worth it?
yeah Ok octashields
"Well Played Mauer"
Big fan of Juerys Familia and his repitoire
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on May 5, 2011 9:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks for the tip
I hadn’t seen the movie. I was just quoting it randomly.
But seriously, I know. But they are pretty tight synonyms, and the misuse was similar enough that I couldn’t help myself.
I want to here a Royals Fan opinion on this.....
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to early IMO
what the hell are they thinking?
"Well Played Mauer"
Big fan of Juerys Familia and his repitoire
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on May 5, 2011 9:11 PM EDT reply actions
whats next Myers and Lamb to AAA
Duffy and Moustakas to the Show my the end of May?
this team is suppose to win in 2012 or 2013 its not there year.
"Well Played Mauer"
Big fan of Juerys Familia and his repitoire
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on May 5, 2011 9:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Hosmer has had nothing but resounding success at the plate the last year and a half
I’m less worried about ruining his confidence than I am about challenging the guy. Might not even be bad for him if he struggles a little at this point. He needs to play in a league where he can’t hit .400+ & slug 600+ and right now the only league around like that might be the Major Leagues American League.
Once his .500 BABIP started to regress at Triple-A,
It wouldn’t have been quite a cake-walk. I think watching his numbers steadily deflate for a couple of months could have served the same purpose, if that’s really the intent here.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 6, 2011 2:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Obviously he's not going to hit >.500 on BIP over the long term
Just as obviously as no one expects him to hit >.400 AVG overall on the year.
Saying he’s been lucky on balls in play misses the point – he’s been WRECKING the ball. This isn’t necessarily a luck issue that will correct itself. This was 26 games – and its very possible he’s just hitting that well. Having a .500+ BABIP over 26 games isn’t always because of luck.
Yeah, he's wrecking the ball all over the place with that .143 ISO in the PCL
But honestly, me drawing a conclusion with that ISO is silly because it’s such a small sample, just as it’s silly for anybody to draw conclusions based on his “absurd numbers” because, again, the sample is so freaking small and the BABIP screams fluke. I completely disagree with your last sentence… I think it pretty much always is because of luck. It’s not like he had some SABR-breaking LD-Rate or something silly. It was 18.1% (StatCorner). He’s hit a ton of ground balls. They’ve just found holes on a shockingly consistent basis that is the result of a small sample.
My basic thought is this – if you weren’t in love enough with Hosmer at the start of the year to put him on the roster, what about a 26-game sample at Triple-A (his first exposure to the level) with a .500 BABIP and slightly over half GB-Rate makes him suddenly a guy you have to promote? Why not give him half of a season at least at Triple-A, let some of his rates normalize, and be able to draw some legitimate conclusions about the whether or not the kid has conquered Triple-A? KC shouldn’t be in a rush with its current big-league roster construction.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 7, 2011 2:22 AM EDT up reply actions
sounds like he is james loney when loney was real good...
a 300 hitter with moderate power.. and good walks.. and real good defense..
But again...
It’s a 26-game sample. Let’s not draw conclusions about the guy – he was awesome last year. There’s a chance he comes up and does really well, but it’s just hard to know if he really developed as much as he could have at Triple-A.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 7, 2011 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions
"this team is suppose to win in 2012 or 2013 its not there year."
Well, the team was supposed to start competing in 2012 or 2013 – but if they’ve got the chance to jump that a little bit by bringing up a player who is really deserving (and I believe Hosmer is) then why not do it. He can always be sent back down, if he struggles – a la Brandon Belt. I’m also of the belief that Super-Two status will not be included in the next CBA, and even so, it’s not a big deterrent IMO.
Yes, it’s not likely that the Royals even finish above .500 this year, but you may as well see what these guys have got as they are ready. Maybe help fill the seats a bit more, build some momentum for 2012. My biggest fear for KC is that a big group of them all show up at the same time, get unrealistic expectations placed on them, and half of them flop. Finding out little by little what KC has in its prospect crop is better for all involved, IMO.
I think Duffy is in KC around mid-June, given his current pace, but not Moose, even if he begins to light it up beginning today. I do not want to see Duffy put in the bullpen, though – start him or leave him in AAA to season.
I said this upthread
If anyone is watching trends recently, more and more players are getting their arb/FA years bought out with long term deals.
I still find it amazing
That this team went from trading Zach Greinke last off-season to speeding up the timetable of their best prospect in a matter of a few months. Seems like the club can’t make up its mind, and that’s never a good thing when the future’s at stake.
Should’ve stuck with Kila through the crap IMO and waited for 2012 contention hopes.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 6, 2011 2:30 AM EDT reply actions
Zack*
Mix those up all the time…
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 6, 2011 2:31 AM EDT up reply actions
"Speeding up the timetable"
When did you expect Hosmer to get promoted? Summer 2012?
Ever since he was drafted, Hosmer has been regarded as a polished hitter that could fly through the minors, and wasn’t necessarily a level by level guy.
I don’t see what has really changed. KC is promoting their top prospect because he is not challenged by AAA pitching, and they waited long enough to get an extra year of service. Unless he got hurt of fell on his face, he was not staying in AAA until May 2012.
July 2011 sounds about right
Give him a legitimate sample in Triple-A.
I don’t get where this idea that Hosmer completely and utterly conquered Triple-A is coming from. None of the numbers back that up once you get past the BABIP and underlying rates.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 7, 2011 2:24 AM EDT up reply actions
or maybe they're adjusting to circumstances.
and greinke said he wanted out. when a player says that, really isn’t any use keeping him around.
Adjusting to the circumstances
Of a Hochevar/Chen/Francis/Davies/O’Sullivan rotation? Anybody think Francoeur is gonna hit 40 home runs (his current per 150 game pace)? Or that Melky Cabrera will be above-league-average in wRC+ for the first time in his career? Or that Wilson Betemit will BABIP .415 all year?
Or are they adjusting to the circumstances of Hosmer’s luck-riddled start in a small sample? If they were going to be so easily suckered by a sample this small, they should have just stuck him on the roster as soon as they had him locked in for an extra year of service time.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 7, 2011 2:32 AM EDT up reply actions
I chuckled.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 7, 2011 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions
always wait until next year to win, huh.
if he sucks, they can always send him back to AAA. i know, utterly shocking.
That's exactly what I'm saying
Aside from, y’know, that 2012-2018 is a legitimate window for this team and that 2011 is a year to let the kids get their development time in the minors.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 7, 2011 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions
And what if he's better than Kila
But below expectations? Send him down, you’re at danger of a grievance & Super Two still happens, so there’s incentive to keep him up. But what if he needs the development time at Triple-A? What if they’re costing him that now?
The team put him at Triple-A to start the season. That’s clearly where they thought he belonged one month ago. Basically my entire point is that one month shouldn’t have changed that. I haven’t really seen you make a counterargument to that.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 7, 2011 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions
john sickels already made the counterargument for me on the front page of this site.
and starting him in the minors a month ago, as you already pointed out, served the purpose of another year of team control.
by larry on May 7, 2011 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
So he was ready for the big leagues after 50 games above A-ball
But they stuck him at Triple-A just to keep the extra year of service time? And this was the plan all along? Not sure if I agree with that either.
But if that was their plan, then it’s just a difference of opinion/aggressiveness in prospect promotion. I could accept that as a justification, even if I don’t agree with it.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 7, 2011 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
did you really not expect him to be promoted this season, and fairly early in the season at that?
so maybe they bumped him up a month or two because kila sucked and they found themselves in second place in may. perfectly defensible way to run a franchise. maybe as you suggest it’s aggressive. but you can be more aggressive with elite prospects.
Late June/Early July seemed right to me
When they got a firm sample to let them know that he was above Triple-A pitching. If he wasn’t obviously above Triple-A pitching, why move him up? Yeah, I expected him to see the bigs this season, but that’s because I expected him to leave no doubt about his standing amongst the Triple-A ranks after two-and-a-half to three months of action there. I find it impossible to come to that same conclusion after just one month of action there.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 7, 2011 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions
that's why we have scouts.
they don’t need sample sizes because they see the games. in any event, if you were just looking for confirmation of what you already expected, it isn’t necessarily a great reason to leave him in AAA when you think he’s a better player than what’s on the major league team.
That and, of course, further development.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 8, 2011 2:05 AM EDT up reply actions
"It comes down to this," explained one team vice president, "If the kid is talented, despite not being fully developed, is he still better than a more experienced player? If you’re on a losing team and a kid isn’t on the 40-man roster, I don’t see the benefit. But if you are winning and contending, and the answer is yes, you have to go with the kid."
Another assistant general manager agreed. "The reality is that from April to October, we exist in a very imperfect world. Players get hurt, players under-perform, and any number of things can and do go wrong with the big-league team. If we believe that a player in Triple-A, or even Double-A, can help us win right now, even if it may not be the absolute best thing for his career, we have a responsibility to make that happen."
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=13646
This is where we simply share different opinions
You think it’s reasonable to try to compete now. I think that the current roster construction makes that impossible, no matter how many top prospects they call up to fill voids.
I mean this sincerely: it’s been nice debating this with you. But at the end of the day, we simply disagree on this issue. :-)
Cheers.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 8, 2011 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions
likewise.
.500ish takes the central this year. some people (and projection systems) thought that before the season. unless you think the indians are super awesome, it’s probably even more likely now that .500ish does it. if you thought, like most, the royals were a 70 win team before the season, even if you think they haven’t improved, their season to date puts them at about 74 wins. they may well be better than that. a competitive season, even if they do end up 5 games out, would be a huge shot in the arm for a moribund franchise. hosmer, being a good contact, good plate discipline, good defender, is exactly the sort of prospect who can handle the transition to the majors, even if he isn’t fully “developed”. and i’d certainly argue he makes them at least a win better than kila et al.
As much as I harp on KC free agent signings
Don’t you realize They can’t sign anyone unless they are decent? Having a winning record is almost mandatory for them to compete this offseason in free agent signings.
Everyone was ready for him to come up in June though?
What difference would a month really make? Especially since he didn’t look like he was slowing down and Kila wasn’t looking to improve.
everyone's just looking out for david glass' net worth.
i know i don’t want his grandkids to suffer from malnutrition because grampa had to pay hosmer a few million bucks.
It makes for a more legitimate Triple-A sample
So we could really see how he fared against Triple-A pitching.
http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/
by Dan Strittmatter on May 7, 2011 2:33 AM EDT up reply actions
i think people are getting confused
playing to win in 2012 doesn’t mean waiting til 2012 to promote all your prospects. do you really think theyll all come up as rookies and contribute right away? it makes all the sense in the world to me to try to integrate these pieces one at a time.
by TheBigOne on May 6, 2011 10:10 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

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