Tony Pena, ex-Royals manager (Getty)
You're the GM!
You are the General Manager of the Kansas City Royals.
The big news here in Eastern Kansas this morning is the surprise resignation of Tony Pena as Royals manager. The team is off to another awful start, and Tony "couldn't take it anymore." So let's assume you are Allard Baird. How do you turn this around?
Some points to consider:
**There is some actual talent on this club, notably on the pitching staff. Zack Greinke, Denny Bautista, Andrew Sisco, Ambiorix Burgos, Kyle Snyder, Runelvys Hernandez, Leo Nunez, there is the foundation of a good pitching staff here. New pitching coach Guy Hansen seems to be doing a decent job. The worst pitchers have been the veterans like Anderson and Lima, and none of them will be around when the team is ready to compete.
Time and experience will help here, but what other ways can the pitching situation be improved?
**The big problem this year has been incredibly dismal hitting, with everyone but Mike Sweeney performing under expectation. On the farm, Billy Butler and Justin Huber look like premium hitters, and Huber could be ready later this year. But where do they play given the clogging on the first base end of the defensive spectrum?
**Who do you hire as the new manager? Frank White seems the obvious candidate from within the organization, but perhaps a fresh face would help. Larry Bowa has been mentioned.
**Who do you put on the trade block? Will Jeremy Affeldt ever be healthy enough to pitch, or should you trade him?
**How much longer do you stick with Emil Brown? Would you slot Matt Diaz into the outfield somehow? How do you solve the need for another young power bat in the outfield?
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