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Kansas City Royals Pitching Roster Tree In 2014 – World Series Edition: Shields Pivotal Despite Playoff Struggles
How All Of The 2014 Royals Pitchers Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
While James Shields has not had a banner postseason – however it is important to remember his influence on culture change in the Royals clubhouse for this successful franchise turnaround.
The trade that brought the RHP, also brought in Wade Davis, who may be the most important pitcher on the squad other than Greg Holland this campaign.
Dayton Moore has done a fantastic job of assembling this franchise’s roster over the last 5 – 7 years. It came on the heels of a quarter century of futility yes, but the future definitely looks bright.
As we have said before, teams residing in either league’s Central Division have a fair chance of competing in a season every year.
The highest payroll team is the Detroit Tigers, but they are not in the stratosphere of the Dodgers, Yankees, Rangers, Angels and Phillies, were there is a 2nd team in the division who can go buck wild in contracts.
The Nationals and Giants are able to spend in the $150 MIL range to join Philly and the Dodgers. In the AL West, Texas and the Angels can mirror each other, whereas the Red Sox and Yankees own the AL East payroll leaders.
St. Louis is the highest NL Central club, and are always near the fringe of the top 10 for dollars spent annually only.
The Tigers are the only franchise spending big cash in the AL Central, although the White Sox have delved into higher salaries in previous seasons – when they drew well following the 2005 World Series. They have since scaled back.
The Royals should be able to field a nice team for the next 2 – 3 years, and it shouldn’t break the bank for the ownership.
Detroit has aging and hefty contract problems coming up, and KC has more depth for the 1 – 25 Roster, when it comes to withstanding injuries
For the foreseeable few seasons ahead, you will bank on the emergence of Yordano Ventura and Danny Duffy to continue their development as aces, and the Relief Core is the still the strongest asset of the equation. Read the rest of this entry
How All Of The Royals Were Acquired – 2014 Roster Tree: They Could Also Use An Injection Via Trade
The Royals rode a 11 game winning streak to 1st place in the AL Central in June of this year. What is more impressive is that they smashed the Tigers in the 1st 3 games of that 4 game series – before relenting the last game of the series, however a brutal stretch of play happened after that, culminating in a 9 – 18 record post the streak, and has them wallowing near the .500 mark. This squad could fall out contention fast if the offense can’t turn it around. Today, we will examine how the Royals received all of their offense.
How All Of The Royals Hitters Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The time to sit around and watch this club struggle is no more.
The Kansas City Royals must take decisive action either way to avoid future years of bashing from their already tepid fanbase.
The problem for years has been the offense – and especially since James Shields and Wade Davis came to town in a deal that saw massive prospect OF Wil Myers go back the other way.
It was an aggressive move and bold outlook for the 2013 and 2014 years, but Dayton Moore and David Glass have underestimated just how much power you need in the lineup on a daily basis.
This roster of batters is comprised mostly of their homegrown talent, or speedy light hitting talent they have acquired by trades.
Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain were both picked up in the 2010 trade of Zack Greinke tot the Brewers. A deal that also saw the club pick up Jake Odorizzi, who was packaged in the deal for Shields and Davis. Read the rest of this entry
The Philadelphia Phillies Players In All Organizational Affiliates, Prospects + Depth Charts (MLB + MiLB) Fall 2013
The club was one of the premiere franchises from 2007 – 2011, with 5 straight NL East Titles, 2 World Series Appearances, and taking home the big prize in 2008. The ‘Phightins’ have been battling old age, the injury bug, plus the management not knowing whether to pull the plug on the core talent of this squad – or to give it one more go at it. Charlie Manuel was finally the fall guy last month when he was let go from his managerial duties. Ryne Sandberg has the team playing better. Will it be enough for the organization to back him beyond this season? Or maybe the franchise restocks for another kick at the can in 2014? Here is the players they currently possess in the system.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @mlbreports and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB) – visit his website here Follow @prosportsroster
The Phillies have posted winning records since 2001. While the year may be getting away from them in 2013, there are some extremely encouraging signs for the future.’
Ben Revere was excelling at his position at CF and at the plate before he went down with a season ending injury.
The emergence of Domonic Brown in the 1st half, and 1B/OF Darin Ruf, have given the team a cost conscious alternative to combat huge salaries like Cliff Lee and Ryan Howard, that combine to be over $50 in the next 3 years, the latter, has been injured the most of the last 2 seasons.
You add high priced Veterans like Jimmy Rollins, and $22.5 MIL a year Cole Hamels, and you are talking about a lofty payroll for the next several years.
However, the team also extended franchise face Chase Utley, for 2 YRs/$25 – 30 MIL – that should see him possibly retire a Phillie.
The club has played much better since Ryne Sandberg assumed the helm as manager.
The team also has traded several veterans away in the last few years, to accrue Minor League Talent back in return. Among the departed have been Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino and Michael Young.
The question going forward is to what this team will do with Roy Halladay and Carlos Ruiz. Somehow, I think that Ruben Amaro JR, will find a way to re-sign these two guys for a limited years, and possibly incentive laden contracts this coming winter.
Whatever the case, it should be an interesting ride in Philly the next few years.
For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the Phillies Organization click here.
For the 3 Part Historical Series I did on the Phillies organization, click here.
Chase Utley Highlights
Remember When: An A To Z On How Far The Nats Have Come In Washington
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Follow @mlbreportsThursday, Mar. 07/2013
Fromer #1 Nats pitcher Livan Hernandez leads the 2005-2012 version of the franchise in Wins and Innings Pitched. The 2005 team started out competing for the NL East with an 81-81 record before falling down the stetch. The next 5 years in wins went (71, 73, 59, 59 and 69) respectively. After 80 wins in 2011 – they set a franchise win mark in 2012 at 98 victories. They are one of the favorites to win the World Series in 2013. Only the Nationals and Mariners teams have never appeared in the World Series as an organization. Hernandez in his prime might be the #5 starter on the 2013 club.
By David Huzzard (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @davidhuzzard
Remember when Buster Olney went on Baseball Tonight and predicted the 2007 Nationals would just be historically bad, but they would be lucky if they could win 42 games. Or remember when columns like this one from Jeff Passan were the norm with catchy little puns like, “National Disaster.” At times it is hard to even remember the bi-gone days when Jason Simontacchi, Mike Bacsik, and Micah Bowie were key figures in the Nats rotation.
What makes it even harder to hold on to those memories of the bad Nats are columns like this about how the Nats could be historically good. In the terms of history five years is nothing. The build up of World War I started with the Bosnian Crisis in 1908 and didn’t officially start until Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914. The build up to historic events is a mention in a paragraph on the actual history itself. Those five years from 2007 until 2013 are throw away lines in the book that will be written if the Nats can manage to be historically good.
Wil Nieves used to have the Nationals Defining Moment…. Who?
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