 | Mark Schremmer is a major contributor to KPREPS.com, a website dedicated to covering Kansas high school football. A Pittsburg native and Pittsburg State University graduate, he is assistant news editor at The Topeka Capital-Journal and has covered sports in Kansas since 2000. |
Sports
2013-03-25 15:57:01
Kansas City Royals Q&A
Baseball season is here. I can already smell the hot dogs and hear the umpire say, “play ball.”
For Kansas City Royals fans, this is a time for hope that the team will start a winning tradition.
With that said, I will take this time to address some of the most pressing questions regarding the 2013 Kansas City Royals season.
Q: How much will the additions of James Shields, Wade Davis and Ervin Santana improve the Royals’ starting rotation?
A: The positive thing is that there is nowhere to go but up. Kansas City’s 2012 rotation of Bruce Chen, Luke Hochevar, Jonathan Sanchez and others was one of the worst in major league baseball. Since the Royals didn’t hit terribly well either, poor starts often meant the game was over after a few innings.
There’s no doubt the rotation should be improved. However, the Royals aren’t exactly the 1998 Atlanta Braves of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz either.
Shields should be Kansas City’s best opening day starter since Zack Greinke and second best since Bret Saberhagen. However, we have to keep in perspective the fact that last year Shields was the second or third best pitcher on a Tampa Bay Rays team that didn’t make the playoffs. Playing on a team with a lineup far superior to the Royals over the past four years, Shields has a record of only 55-49 during that span.
So, yes, Shields should be an improvement. But let’s remember that the Royals didn’t trade for Bob Gibson either. The hope is that he will eat innings and give the Royals a realistic chance to win. He should do that.
Davis didn’t make Tampa Bay’s rotation last year. However, he did pitch well with a 3-0 record and 2.43 ERA in 54 relief appearances. There are plenty of things to like about the 6-foot-5 and 27-year-old Davis. But, again, you probably shouldn’t get overly excited when a pitcher who lost his rotation spot on a team that didn’t make the playoffs is considered an improvement to your rotation. Concerns about his shoulder don’t help matters.
Santana is a name, but he struggled considerably last year with the Angels. He was 9-13 with a 5.16 ERA over 30 starts last season. The hope is that he can return to all-star form when he was 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA in 2008. We’ll see.
Jeremy Guthrie could be the most important piece of this rotation. Guthrie appeared to find new life when he joined the Royals midseason last year. After joining the Royals, Guthrie was 5-3 with a 3.16 ERA over 14 starts. The Royals need him to repeat that performance in 2013.
The realistic goal of this rotation should be to give the Royals the opportunity to win. But if the Royals are to take the next step and make the playoffs, it will need to be because they have great position players and good pitching – not the other way around.
Q: Will Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas become stars in 2013?
A: Royals fans certainly hope so. And if this team is going to become a winner, they will have to do so. Since there was so much attention on how poor the starting pitching was last year, the struggles of Hosmer and Moustakas were downplayed a little.
The expectations were that both players would be instants stars who could hit for average and power. While those expectations probably weren’t fair to begin with, neither player came close to those hopes.
Hosmer followed his solid rookie season by hitting .232 with 14 home runs. He often looked lost at the plate, and his swing appeared long.
Moustakas showed flashes, but he finished the season with a .242 batting average and 20 home runs. While he displayed some pop in his bat, he didn’t provide enough power to make up for such a low batting average and on-base percentage (.296).
The good news is that both were above average in the field, and they are still very young.
But if the Royals are going to make the playoffs, Hosmer and Moustakas must emerge as dangerous hitters.
Q: What should the Royals do with Jeff Francoeur?
A: Since the Royals signed Francoeur to a two-year deal before last season, the team’s only real option is to hold on to him for at least the first few months.
The hope is that the Royals will get the “Frenchy” that hit .285 with 20 homers in 2011 instead of the one who hit .235 with 16 homers in 2012.
But how the Royals are doing at the trade deadline will have just as much to do with decisions regarding Francouer’s future in Kansas City.
If the Royals are in contention at the deadline and Francouer is playing well, Kansas City will hold on to him through the rest of the season. If the Royals aren’t in contention and Francouer is playing well, he will be dealt to a team in the hunt.
If the Royals are in contention despite the poor play of Francouer, they must dump him and be buyers at the deadline. If Frenchy plays like he did last year and Kansas City isn’t within striking distance, it really won’t matter.
