The Quest for a Title: The Kansas City Royals

trumange · 04-30-2014, 09:40 PM

For the Kansas City Royals organization, the clock is ticking. The team has not made the playoffs since 1985. They have decided to not renew the contract of General Manager Dayton Moore. In his seven years, they did not reach the postseason. The replacement, 28-year old Truman Devitt. Devitt is a Princeton graduate who has spent the past five years working in the Oakland Athletics organization, helping Billy Beane scrap together a playoff team with a limited budget. The Royals believe he can lead their squad to the playoffs for the first time in over 25 years. Only time will tell if the decision is a good one.

trumange · 04-30-2014, 09:46 PM

First off, I have decided to make a DH in both the AL in the NL because I think it helps to keep stats on an even playing field.

Next, I have set the trading difficulty to hard and the preference is neutral, while the frequency is low. The evaluation settings will be 45% ratings, 35% current year's stats, 15% previous year's stats, and 5% 2 years ago stats.

I will be using values 20-80 for ratings.

Finally I just made the awards their actual names such as Gold Glove, Cy Young, MVP, etc.

That's all the info for now, I will get the dynasty started soon.

trumange · 04-30-2014, 10:37 PM

Early Friday morning, March 21st, I report for my first day of duty in Kansas City. Here is an outlook of the roster.

Catchers:

Salvador Perez: An all-star last year and he is only 23. He should be one of our cornerstones for many years to come. He is signed long-term through 2019 for only $21 million.

Brett Hayes: A solid back-up off the bench who has some experience. Don't expect to see much of Hayes but he will fill in when he needs to.

First Basemen:

Eric Hosmer: A guy who is a solid player, but we expect him to become much better. Signed cheaply for this year at a modest $3.6 million. He should be our everyday 1B.

Billy Butler: The face of our franchise for the past few years and is paid accordingly. He will be our starting DH, making $8 million this year, and has a team option for $12.5 million next year.

Second Basemen:

Omar Infante: Not a big fan of Infante and would rather have him as a utility player, but he fills in and does his job. Also not a fan of his contract which will pay him $28 million over four years and has a team option for $10 million in a fifth year. Expect him to start at 2B this year and stay, but may not be the starter all year.

Third Basemen:

Mike Moustakas: Moustakas was expected to be a star when he came up and has not fulfilled that role, but he has been solid. He is young and cheap and I like him. He will start the season as our starting 3B.

Danny Valencia: Valencia is the kind of guy who can be really good for a stretch and then just go cold for the rest of the season. He is a great pure hitter, but sometimes cannot stay consistent. I really like him as a back-up 3B to a young guy like Moose.

Shortstops:

Alcides Escobar: Escobar was a guy who was expected to be a perennial all-star and never fit that role. However, he has been an above average shortstop and we want at least 145 games out of him from the lead-off spot. I am also a huge fan of his contract which is a cheap $6 million over two years, and has team options for $11.5 million over the next two years.

Pedro Ciriaco: I love Ciriaco. He can play almost every position, has speed, and can hit. He will be our back-up 2B and SS and will occasionally play OF and pinch-run.

Outfielders:

Alex Gordon: Gordon is our highest paid position player, and he deserves it. He's hit 57 HR's and driven in 240 runs over the past three years. He will play a lot this year as our starting LF. He will make $22.5 million over the next two years and has a team option for a third at $12.5 million.

Lorenzo Cain: Cain is a guy who could make a run at the lead-off role and possibly push Escobar to the two-hole. Cain has great speed and can steal bases. He is cheap and should hit arbitration next year unless we re-sign him.

Norichika Aoki: Aoki is our oldest position player and should be an everyday player. I don't love Aoki and he could be moved. However, he is cheap as this is his last year and is only making $1.5 million.

Justin Maxwell: I favor Maxwell over Aoki and will discuss that with Ned Yost. Maxwell has speed and some pop and makes for a great fourth outfielder if he doesn't start. Maxwell is 30 and only making $1.325 million.

*As a side note, I offered a minor league contract to 23 year-old CF Janelfry Zorrilla. He is a guy who our scouts think could become a solid player.

trumange · 05-01-2014, 06:41 PM

I'm very excited about our team this year. Most of the excitement comes from the lineup. Right now, I'm not confident in our staff. Let's go through it.

Starting Pitchers:

James Shields: Shields is our ace and is paid accordingly. However, I don't see Shields as a #1 starter. I see him more as a strong #2. I don't like his $12.5 million for this year and am ecstatic that his contract is up. He will stay through the season as our #1, but probably won't be back next year.

Yordano Ventura: I love Ventura. I think he could be the next star in the league. He is locked up long term at a very cheap contract because he is only 22. He will open as our #2 starter.

Bruce Chen: Chen is old, his stuff is not good, and I don't like him. I really want to trade him but might be unable to because I don't think anyone wants him either. He is making $3.25 million this year and has a team option for $5.5 million next year which we will definitely not be picking up.

Danny Duffy: Duffy is just not built to be a starter. Yet he is our #4. Things need to be changed.

Jason Vargas: I actually like Vargas. However, he is making a guaranteed $32 million over the next four years. If we can trade Chen and Duffy, I really like Vargas as a #3 starter, unless we get a better pitcher.

Relievers:

Greg Holland: Holland is one of the best closers in the game making a modest $4.675 this year. I love having a guy who can lock up the 9th.

Kelvin Herrera: Herrera is another guy I really like because he is cheap and has good stuff. He is cheap at about minimum. He will be our guy in the 8th inning.

Tim Collins: Collins is a quality lefty out of the pen. He will pitch the 7th and occasionally work the 8th. He is cheap at about $1.4 million this year.

Aaron Crow: Another guy I like who can fill in wherever. He is making $1.5 million this year, and should stay.

Wade Davis: I don't like Davis. It's that simple. He could make $29 million over four years as a MR. I will shop him around immediately.

Francisley Bueno: A decent lefty in the pen, who is making $500 thousand this year, so he should stay.

Jeremy Guthrie: Guthrie is hogging a lot of our budget room as he is making $20 million over the next two years. I will shop him but there probably won't be any takers.

I will look for a better #3 starter or even an ace. I really need to improve the staff or else it could be a long season.

Next I will go through our top 10 prospects.

trumange · 05-01-2014, 06:56 PM

1. SP Kyle Zimmer: Zimmer has four plus pitches and a great change-up. He is unfortunately out for the next month with an arthritic elbow, but should be back by late April. He is 22 and will start the year at AA, and likely move up to AAA by June, then hopefully could make the MLB roster by September.

2. SP Yordano Ventura: We have already discussed Ventura, no need to go over it twice.

3: SP Miguel Almonte: Almonte has three solid pitches, and his curveball could become a plus-plus pitch as he progresses through AA then AAA. He is only 20, so we will take our time with him.

4. SS Raul Mondesi: Mondesi probably has the most potential besides Ventura out of anyone in our system. Hopefully he pans out because I really like him. He will start in AA and we will take our time slowly due to Mondesi's young age of 18.

5. 3B Hunter Dozier: Dozier has the potential to become a solid everyday player in the big leagues. He will start in A and will quickly be moved up to AA if he performs well.

Thankfully, we have some young arms waiting in the wings to solve our problems at the big league level.

Soon, the season will start.

trumange · 05-01-2014, 07:13 PM

We have found our coveted third starter. 30 year-old starter Marco Estrada has been acquired. We sent over four players to Milwaukee. OF Jarrod Dyson was the centerpiece of the deal, who was in AAA and was never going to get serious playing time in the big leagues. We also sent over SP Danny Duffy who was our previous #4 starter, who I never really liked. The last two we sent over were aging veteran reliever Brett Tomko and 26 year-old minor league reliever Donnie Joseph, neither of which we had plans for. I really like the acquisition, and Estrada seems to be a good fit.

trumange · 05-01-2014, 07:31 PM

Devastating news was brought to our attention today. Alcides Escobar has torn his latissimus dorsi muscle and will miss five months. This is a huge blow and will affect our approach to the season. We have called up SS Christian Colon to take his place.

In an effort to soften the blow, we have approached the Minnesota Twins about middle infielder Brian Dozier. We have submitted an offer and are awaiting the answer, which should come within the next few days.

trumange · 05-01-2014, 08:05 PM

Earlier today, we pulled off a deal to get our everyday shortstop. We acquired 2B/SS Brian Dozier from the Minnesota Twins for five players, only one of which was on our active roster. We sent SS Christian Colon who was recently called up. We also sent four prospects, the most notable of which being 20 year-old SS Humberto Arteaga. The other three were not as notable, they were OF Elier Hernandez, OF Terrance Gore, and SP Christian Binford. I am ecstatic with this trade and I really think Dozier could make a serious impact for our team this year. He will start at SS and Infante will start at 2B.

trumange · 05-01-2014, 08:20 PM

Rotation:

1. RHP James Shields
2. RHP Yordano Ventura
3. RHP Marco Estrada
4. LHP Jason Vargas
5. LHP Bruce Chen

CL RHP Greg Holland
SU RHP Kelvin Herrera
SU LHP Tim Collins
MR RHP Aaron Crow
MR RHP Wade Davis
MR LHP Francisley Bueno
MR RHP Jeremy Guthrie

Starting Lineup vs. RHP

RF Norichika Aoki LHB
SS Brian Dozier RHB
LF Alex Gordon LHB
DH Billy Butler RHB
1B Eric Hosmer LHB
C Salvador Perez RHB
3B Mike Moustakas LHB
2B Omar Infante RHB
CF Lorenzo Cain RHB

Starting Lineup vs. LHP

CF Lorenzo Cain RHB
SS Brian Dozier RHB
LF Alex Gordon LHB
DH Billy Butler RHB
C Salvador Perez RHB
CF Justin Maxwell RHB
1B Eric Hosmer LHB
3B Danny Valencia RHB
2B Omar Infante RHB

Today is Opening Day. Here we go.

trumange · 05-03-2014, 07:10 AM

We were victorious on Opening Day, winning 6-4 due to a solid start from James Shields who went 7 innings, giving up 4 runs. We eventually managed to take 2 of 3 from the Tigers thanks to a great start from Marco Estrada. He went 6 strong innings, giving up only a run. So far, Billy Butler is leading us with a .500 average along with 1 HR and 5 RBI. Our next opponent will be the White Sox.

We took 2 out of 3 from the White Sox to improve to 4-2. Strong starting pitching got it done, and the relievers did their job. Next up are the Tampa Bay Rays.

We stand atop the AL Central with a 7-2 record after a 3-game sweep of the Rays. Jason Vargas closed it out with 7 innings of shutout baseball, then handed it over to Aaron Crow, then to Greg Holland who picked up his third save with a 2-0 victory. In other news, MR Louis Coleman was eligible to be off the DL, so we activated him to the active roster and sent down Francisley Bueno to AAA. Next we face the Twins.

For the first time this season, we lost a series. The Twins took 2 of 3 from us at their home ballpark. The bright spot? Bruce Chen threw 7 innings, giving up only 2 runs. Louis Coleman and Aaron Crow threw two scoreless innings to win the series opener 8-2. Next up, the Astros.

After losing the series opener 4-1, we snapped our 3-game losing with a 7-6 win in 10 innings. Jason Vargas had his first poor start, but the bullpen picked him up and we squeaked out with a win. We lost our second straight series after a 2-1 loss to the 'Stros. Bruce Chen pitched 8 great innings, but to no avail. We are now 9-6 and 1/2 game back of first. Next we face the Twins again.

We won the opener with a 9-1 victory. James Shields pitched 8 innings, giving up only one run. Aaron Crow finished it. Lorenzo Cain was the star in the lineup, going 2-4 with 3 RBI. In the second game of the series, we threw a combined shutout. Yordano Ventura went 7 and Louis Coleman finished the last 2 innings as we won 5-0. As we went for the sweep, Marco Estrada did not pitch well. He gave up 8 runs over 5 innings, and we lost 9-6. Next, we face the Indians.

After an overall awful 4-game series, we are .500. We were swept by the Indians after poor pitching, poor hitting, and poor managing. Hopefully we can get by this by facing the Orioles.

We started the series very poorly, with a 9-5 loss. Marco Estrada gave up 9 runs over 5 innings, and we could never recover. We finally snapped our 6-game losing streak with a 9-4 win over the Orioles. The bats were alive and Vargas pitched well. We lost a heart breaker in the final game of the series. Bruce Chen gave up a grand slam in a 6-1 ballgame in which we were leading, then the bullpen couldn't slam the door. Next, the Blue Jays.

We are back to .500 with a 5-4 win over the Jays. Shields went 6.1, giving up 4 and the pen went the rest of the way, with Holland finishing it up with his fifth save. The second game, bad. We lost 12-3. Ventura went 5.1 giving up 8 runs, then Wade Davis got all of one out before giving up 4 runs. Hopefully we can finish up the series and month with a win. We ended the month in a disappointing way, with a 3-1 loss. We are 13-15, and things need to change.

Stats will come out in the next post.

trumange · 05-03-2014, 05:26 PM

Pitchers:

Starters:

James Shields: 40.1 IP, 3-2, 4.24 ERA
Yordano Ventura: 37 IP, 2.3, 4.86 ERA
Marco Estrada: 34.2 IP, 1-4, 6.75 ERA
Jason Vargas: 32 IP, 3-1, 5.34 ERA
Bruce Chen: 33.1 IP, 2-2, 3.24 ERA

Our starters, aside from Chen, have been awful. Marco Estrada has been dreadful. A 6.75 ERA is insane. Ventura has some April jitters from his first year, so I'm not going to worry about him. The starters need to improve if we are going to make the playoffs.

Relievers:

Greg Holland: 6 IP, 0.00 ERA, 5 SV
Kelvin Herrera: 5 IP, 10.80 ERA
Tim Collins: 9.1 IP, 6.75 ERA
Aaron Crow: 17.2 IP, 1.53 ERA, 1 SV
Louis Coleman: 8.2 IP, 3.12 ERA, 1 SV
Jeremy Guthrie: 9.1 IP, 3.86 ERA
Wade Davis: 8 IP, 6.75 ERA

Our relievers have actually been pretty good. Holland is lights out in the 9th, Crow has developed into our set-up man, and Coleman has been very good. I know Herrera and Collins can turn it around, so I am confident with the pen.

Hitters:

Salvador Perez: 91 AB, .198/.250/.330 2 HR 10 RBI
Brett Hayes: 15 AB, .267/.313/.467 1 HR 1 RBI
Eric Hosmer: 93 AB, .237/.343/.344 2 HR 16 RBI
Billy Butler: 106 AB, .377/.424/.651 5 HR 25 RBI
Omar Infante: 91 AB, .374/.394/.440 0 HR 7 RBI
Brian Dozier: 103 AB, .175/.225/.369 5 HR 16 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco: 24 AB, .083/.115/.083 0 HR 2 RBI
Mike Moustakas: 82 AB, .305/.352/.463 3 HR 6 RBI
Alex Gordon: 107 AB, .262/.333/.318 1 HR 5 RBI
Lorenzo Cain: 87 AB, .253/.287/.414 3 HR 14 RBI
Justin Maxwell: 46 AB, .130/.184/.217 1 HR 3 RBI
Norichika Aoki: 77 AB, .364/.419/.519 1 HR 13 RBI

Our lineup has been solid. Billy Butler has been insane. I really like what I'm seeing out of Aoki from the lead-off spot. I expected him and Maxwell to be even in AB but Aoki has been so much better, and he will stay there. Not much to tweak in our order, but I would really like to pick up a utility infielder because Ciriaco has not done the job.

We need our pitchers to improve in May, but other than that we did well. We lost some tough ones, and we started really well at 8-4, so clearly we can win.

trumange · 05-04-2014, 07:13 PM

We did not start May with the best game. A 7 run 7th inning ended our chances, and we ended up losing 11-1. Another loss in game 2 after a 3 run eighth by the Tigers off of Aaron Crow. We lost 5-3, and we need to win at least a game in our first series of May. In the third and final game of the series, we picked up a huge 4-3 win. Greg Holland picked up his 6th save of the year. Next we travel to San Diego to face the Padres.

Yordano Ventura opened up the series with a fantastic performance. He went all 9 innings, giving up only 1 run, as we won 2-1. The second game however, we were not so lucky and got shut out 6-0. And another series in the books, another series lost. We lost 7-1 in game 3, after another poor start by Jason Vargas. It's time to look for pitching replacements through the trade market as we travel to Seattle to face the Mariners.

*A trade has been offered to the San Diego Padres in an effort to add SP Andrew Cashner to the rotation for Jason Vargas and prospects. We'll see what happens in the next few days.

We continued our losing ways in the opener against the Mariners, in a 4-2 loss. The second game brought a heartbreaking loss, a 3-2 game. We have now dropped to 15-21, losing 17 of our last 24. We desperately need a win. We didn't get the win we needed, after a 5-2 loss. This is getting very frustrating. We've got one more against the M's before heading back home to face the Rockies. Finally! A 6-2 win hopefully sets us on track to win some games. Now let's keep going and win the series against the Rockies.

*The Padres wanted too much for Cashner, so we abandoned those talks.

The first game ended up in a 9-1 loss. Jason Vargas has to go. The second game ended in another loss, 5-3 and this ended a quick two game series. Next up are the Orioles.

Bruce Chen opened up the series with an awful outing. We lost 8-3, as Chen gave up all 8 runs. We've dropped to 16-25, and I am really frustrated. I am going on the trade market. We finally picked up a win in the second game of the series. Ventura came up with a huge start, going 6 shutout innings. The pen finished it up as we won 4-0. Unfortunate news came after the game as Alex Gordon learned that he will be out for 2-3 weeks. He was placed on the 15-day DL and we recalled OF Gorkys Hernandez from AAA. After the third game, it was clear about one thing. Marco Estrada sucks. It's mid-May and he has a 6.21 ERA. We lost 12-3. We split the series against the Orioles after a huge start from Vargas. He went 7, giving up 1 run. We held on the win 5-1. Next we face the White Sox.

*We have promoted OF Alexis Rivera to AA after he was hitting .304 in A.

We opened the series against the White Sox with another win. Shields pitched 6.2 strong innings, and our bullpen held on as Holland picked up his 7th save. We won 2-1. Another game, another one-run win. Chen pitched 6 strong and again our pen held the win. Holland picked up his 8th save as we won 3-2. A sweep! We won our third straight one-run game, this time 9-8. Herrera picked up the save. Next we face the Angels.

Marco Estrada continued his awful season, giving up 7 runs in 3.1 innings. We lost 7-3. The second game ended in a heart-breaker. Greg Holland gave up a walk-off HBP to lose the game 2-1. In the final game of the series we shut out the Angels. Jeremy Guthrie started for Vargas and he pitched great, going 5. He will be our starter from now on. Crow pitched 2, Coleman pitched the 8th and Holland redeemed himself with a save in the 9th. Next we face the Astros.

Yordano did not pitch well in the opener, as he gave up 6 ER in 4 innings. We lost 8-3. In the second game, we just couldn't get the bats alive as we lost 4-1. Finally, Marco Estrada comes up with a solid start, and we can't get the bats alive, as we lost 4-0. Now we head to Toronto to face the Blue Jays.

*A trade is in the works for a big bat, we'll see what happens.

We were shut out for the second straight day as we lost 3-0. Wow. We lost 13-12 after a horrid start from Jeremy Guthrie. We were up 10-0 after 2 innings and we couldn't seal it. Another quality start and another loss, this time 3-2. This is really frustrating. We have one more game to at least get a win from this 4-game set, and end the month right. Finally, a win as we shut out the Jays. Chen threw 6.1 shutout innings and we won 2-0 with Brian Dozier's 2-run homer in the ninth. We are 23-34 at the end of May, in 4th place 12 1/2 games back.

Another side note, Alex Gordon is finally back. We have waived and DFA'd Wade Davis.
Stats will come out in the next post.

trumange · 05-05-2014, 07:31 AM

First Round Selection:

P Cobi Johnson: Johnson is a guy who has huge potential. He's 18, and has the potential to have 3 plus pitches, a fastball, a curveball, and a changeup. His change is the best pitch. We will likely be selecting pitchers for the next few rounds.

Second Round Selection:

P Cameron Varga: Varga has good potential as well, and has 4 pitches. I like that about him, and they are all good. One thing to keep aware of is his control. He walks a lot of batters, but he will get better.

Third Round Selection:

P Brad Depperman: Depperman is a guy who is already developed with his pitches. He has a solid fastball, with a plus curve and a plus changeup. He has great movement, which I really like about him.

Fourth Round Selection:

INF Luke Dykstra: Dykstra can play 2B, 3B, SS, and a little LF. He has great gap power, and can hit some homers. I really like him as a 4th round pick.

Fifth Round Selection:

OF Taylor Maxey: Maxey is an incredible defender with great speed. He can play all 3 outfield positions, and play them well. I see Maxey to be a lead-off hitter someday.

I decided to just say my first five selections, as those are the important ones.

trumange · 05-05-2014, 08:29 PM

We have made a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks to pick up 1B Paul Goldschmidt. Here's how the deal looked.

D-Backs Send:

1B Paul Goldschmidt (.240 9 HR 37 RBI) 7 years $45 million

Royals Send:

1B Eric Hosmer (.225 6 HR 29 RBI) 1 year $3.6 million (Arb.)
3B Danny Valencia (63 AB .300 4 HR 12 RBI) 1 year $500 thousand (Arb.)
Minor League OF Jorge Bonifacio
29 year-old Minor League P P.J. Walters
Minor League P Francisley Bueno

I love this deal for us. We acquire a huge bat for the middle of our lineup, and give up a scuffling 1B, our back-up 3B, a solid prospect, and two guys going nowhere. Hosmer still has great potential, and Valencia can battle for a starting job, but I felt we had to make a move to get us back in position for a playoff push.

*As a side note, I have decided to abandon posting recaps of every series, and post whenever something big happens. Every month, I will still post stats and standings.

trumange · 05-05-2014, 08:33 PM

OF Norichika Aoki has suffered a strained hamstring and will be out for 5 weeks. We have promoted OF Carlos Peguero from AAA.

trumange · 05-05-2014, 08:59 PM

Pitchers:

*Stats are for whole season

James Shields: 83 IP, 4-5 3.69 ERA
Yordano Ventura: 82.1 IP, 5-6 4.70 ERA
Marco Estrada 77.1 IP, 3-8 5.82 ERA
Bruce Chen: 77 IP, 3-4 3.74 ERA
Jason Vargas: 58 IP, 4-4 6.05 ERA
Jeremy Guthrie: 40.1 IP, 2-0 4.24 ERA
Kelvin Herrera: 14 IP, 7.07 ERA 2 SV
Wade Davis: 18.1 IP, 6.38 ERA (In AAA Now)
Louis Coleman: 24.1 IP, 1.85 ERA
Tim Collins: 19.2 IP, 3.66 ERA
Aaron Crow: 42.2 IP, 1.48 ERA
Greg Holland: 19.2 IP, 0.95 ERA 13 SV

Hitters:

Salvador Perez: 197 AB, .234/.282/.381 5 HR 19 RBI
Brett Hayes: 39 AB, .256/.310/.410 2 HR 6 RBI
Billy Butler: 240 AB/ .321/.380/.500 7 HR 35 RBI
Omar Infante: 194 AB, .299/.322/.381 1 HR 14 RBI
Brian Dozier: 223 AB, .188/.240/.350 7 HR 23 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco: 56 AB, .143/.155/.214 0 HR 6 RBI
Mike Moustakas: 172 AB, .267/.306/.424 6 HR 16 RBI
Alex Gordon: 165 AB, .255/.326/.309 1 HR 7 RBI
Lorenzo Cain: 181 AB, .254/.315/.409 6 HR 26 RBI
Justin Maxwell: 140 AB, .157/.224/.286 3 HR 10 RBI
Gorkys Hernandez: 41 AB, .293/.326/.341 0 HR 3 RBI
Norichika Aoki: 167 AB, .299/.362/.407 2 HR 18 RBI

Overall, we need to be better. Our hitters have to be better. We need more production with runners in scoring position. As for our pitchers, our relievers have been very good. Our starters have been better, especially Shields. So, right now we are 28-35 and we can only go up.

trumange · 05-05-2014, 09:23 PM

Earlier today, I saw a gaping hole at our back-up third baseman spot, after dealing Danny Valencia. So here's the deal I made.

Astros Send:

1B/3B Juan Francisco (.266 12 HR 38 RBI) 1 year $500 thousand (Arb.)

Royals Send:

Minor League 3B Cheslor Cuthbert
Minor League P Sean Manaea

A simple trade where we acquire a needed bat, and they pick up some players with solid potential.

trumange · 05-06-2014, 07:20 AM

As of July 1, we stand at 38-45, which is good for 4th place in the AL Central. We are 8 1/2 games back of the Tigers for 1st place. Now here are the stats.

Pitchers:

*Stats are for whole season

James Shields: 113 IP, 6-6 3.74 ERA
Yordano Ventura: 115.1 IP. 7-9 4.06 ERA
Marco Estrada: 98 IP, 4-10 5.69 ERA
Bruce Chen: 95.1 IP, 5-5 3.49 ERA
Jason Vargas: 70 IP, 5-4 5.14 ERA
Jeremy Guthrie: 55 IP, 2-2 5.89 ERA
Tim Collins: 27 IP, 3.67 ERA
Kelvin Herrera: 20 IP, 5.40 ERA
Louis Coleman: 38.2 IP, 3.49 ERA
Aaron Crow: 48 IP, 2.25 ERA
Greg Holland: 26.1 IP, 0.68 ERA 16 SV

Hitters:

*Stats are for whole season

Salvador Perez: 250 AB, .248/.294/.376 5 HR 22 RBI
Brett Hayes: 56 AB, .286/.344/.464 3 HR 10 RBI
Paul Goldschmidt: 69 AB, .232/.349/.435 3 HR 10 RBI (With us)
Billy Butler: 314 AB, .283/.337/.427 7 HR 40 RBI
Omar Infante: 245 AB, .294/.320/.388 3 HR 18 RBI
Brian Dozier: 288 AB, .212/.271/.385 10 HR 31 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco: 68 AB, .162/.171/.221 0 HR 7 RBI
Mike Moustakas: 224 AB, .259/.304/.415 7 HR 20 RBI
Juan Francisco: 23 AB, .348/.400/.435 0 HR 3 RBI (With us)
Alex Gordon: 236 AB, .242/.297/.322 3 HR 13 RBI
Lorenzo Cain: 237 AB, .245/.309/.367 6 HR 34 RBI
Justin Maxwell: 209 AB, .182/.237/.292 4 HR 17 RBI
Gorkys Hernandez: 52 AB, .269/.309/.327 0 HR 3 RBI
Carlos Peguero: 8 AB, .125/.364/.125 0 HR 2 RBI
Norichika Aoki: 167 AB, .299/.362/.407 2 HR 18 RBI

I really like what I'm seeing out of Perez and Dozier. They are hitting now. Goldschmidt may not have the average, but jeez he gets on base. Francisco is showing good signs in his first at bats with us. And overall, a solid month.

05-01-2014, 06:56 PM	#5
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	The Top Prospects 1. SP Kyle Zimmer: Zimmer has four plus pitches and a great change-up. He is unfortunately out for the next month with an arthritic elbow, but should be back by late April. He is 22 and will start the year at AA, and likely move up to AAA by June, then hopefully could make the MLB roster by September. 2. SP Yordano Ventura: We have already discussed Ventura, no need to go over it twice. 3: SP Miguel Almonte: Almonte has three solid pitches, and his curveball could become a plus-plus pitch as he progresses through AA then AAA. He is only 20, so we will take our time with him. 4. SS Raul Mondesi: Mondesi probably has the most potential besides Ventura out of anyone in our system. Hopefully he pans out because I really like him. He will start in AA and we will take our time slowly due to Mondesi's young age of 18. 5. 3B Hunter Dozier: Dozier has the potential to become a solid everyday player in the big leagues. He will start in A and will quickly be moved up to AA if he performs well. Thankfully, we have some young arms waiting in the wings to solve our problems at the big league level. Soon, the season will start.

05-01-2014, 07:13 PM	#6
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	A Trade is Made We have found our coveted third starter. 30 year-old starter Marco Estrada has been acquired. We sent over four players to Milwaukee. OF Jarrod Dyson was the centerpiece of the deal, who was in AAA and was never going to get serious playing time in the big leagues. We also sent over SP Danny Duffy who was our previous #4 starter, who I never really liked. The last two we sent over were aging veteran reliever Brett Tomko and 26 year-old minor league reliever Donnie Joseph, neither of which we had plans for. I really like the acquisition, and Estrada seems to be a good fit.

05-01-2014, 07:31 PM	#7
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	The Injury Bug Strikes Devastating news was brought to our attention today. Alcides Escobar has torn his latissimus dorsi muscle and will miss five months. This is a huge blow and will affect our approach to the season. We have called up SS Christian Colon to take his place. In an effort to soften the blow, we have approached the Minnesota Twins about middle infielder Brian Dozier. We have submitted an offer and are awaiting the answer, which should come within the next few days. Last edited by trumange; 05-01-2014 at 07:48 PM.

05-01-2014, 08:05 PM	#8
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	The Second Trade of the Season Earlier today, we pulled off a deal to get our everyday shortstop. We acquired 2B/SS Brian Dozier from the Minnesota Twins for five players, only one of which was on our active roster. We sent SS Christian Colon who was recently called up. We also sent four prospects, the most notable of which being 20 year-old SS Humberto Arteaga. The other three were not as notable, they were OF Elier Hernandez, OF Terrance Gore, and SP Christian Binford. I am ecstatic with this trade and I really think Dozier could make a serious impact for our team this year. He will start at SS and Infante will start at 2B.

05-01-2014, 08:20 PM	#9
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	Opening Day Lineups and Rotation Rotation: 1. RHP James Shields 2. RHP Yordano Ventura 3. RHP Marco Estrada 4. LHP Jason Vargas 5. LHP Bruce Chen CL RHP Greg Holland SU RHP Kelvin Herrera SU LHP Tim Collins MR RHP Aaron Crow MR RHP Wade Davis MR LHP Francisley Bueno MR RHP Jeremy Guthrie Starting Lineup vs. RHP RF Norichika Aoki LHB SS Brian Dozier RHB LF Alex Gordon LHB DH Billy Butler RHB 1B Eric Hosmer LHB C Salvador Perez RHB 3B Mike Moustakas LHB 2B Omar Infante RHB CF Lorenzo Cain RHB Starting Lineup vs. LHP CF Lorenzo Cain RHB SS Brian Dozier RHB LF Alex Gordon LHB DH Billy Butler RHB C Salvador Perez RHB CF Justin Maxwell RHB 1B Eric Hosmer LHB 3B Danny Valencia RHB 2B Omar Infante RHB Today is Opening Day. Here we go.

04-30-2014, 09:40 PM	#1
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	The Quest for a Title: The Kansas City Royals For the Kansas City Royals organization, the clock is ticking. The team has not made the playoffs since 1985. They have decided to not renew the contract of General Manager Dayton Moore. In his seven years, they did not reach the postseason. The replacement, 28-year old Truman Devitt. Devitt is a Princeton graduate who has spent the past five years working in the Oakland Athletics organization, helping Billy Beane scrap together a playoff team with a limited budget. The Royals believe he can lead their squad to the playoffs for the first time in over 25 years. Only time will tell if the decision is a good one.

04-30-2014, 09:46 PM	#2
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	Scouting and Trading Information First off, I have decided to make a DH in both the AL in the NL because I think it helps to keep stats on an even playing field. Next, I have set the trading difficulty to hard and the preference is neutral, while the frequency is low. The evaluation settings will be 45% ratings, 35% current year's stats, 15% previous year's stats, and 5% 2 years ago stats. I will be using values 20-80 for ratings. Finally I just made the awards their actual names such as Gold Glove, Cy Young, MVP, etc. That's all the info for now, I will get the dynasty started soon. Last edited by trumange; 04-30-2014 at 09:57 PM.

04-30-2014, 10:37 PM	#3
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	First Orders of Business Early Friday morning, March 21st, I report for my first day of duty in Kansas City. Here is an outlook of the roster. Catchers: Salvador Perez: An all-star last year and he is only 23. He should be one of our cornerstones for many years to come. He is signed long-term through 2019 for only $21 million. Brett Hayes: A solid back-up off the bench who has some experience. Don't expect to see much of Hayes but he will fill in when he needs to. First Basemen: Eric Hosmer: A guy who is a solid player, but we expect him to become much better. Signed cheaply for this year at a modest $3.6 million. He should be our everyday 1B. Billy Butler: The face of our franchise for the past few years and is paid accordingly. He will be our starting DH, making $8 million this year, and has a team option for $12.5 million next year. Second Basemen: Omar Infante: Not a big fan of Infante and would rather have him as a utility player, but he fills in and does his job. Also not a fan of his contract which will pay him $28 million over four years and has a team option for $10 million in a fifth year. Expect him to start at 2B this year and stay, but may not be the starter all year. Third Basemen: Mike Moustakas: Moustakas was expected to be a star when he came up and has not fulfilled that role, but he has been solid. He is young and cheap and I like him. He will start the season as our starting 3B. Danny Valencia: Valencia is the kind of guy who can be really good for a stretch and then just go cold for the rest of the season. He is a great pure hitter, but sometimes cannot stay consistent. I really like him as a back-up 3B to a young guy like Moose. Shortstops: Alcides Escobar: Escobar was a guy who was expected to be a perennial all-star and never fit that role. However, he has been an above average shortstop and we want at least 145 games out of him from the lead-off spot. I am also a huge fan of his contract which is a cheap $6 million over two years, and has team options for $11.5 million over the next two years. Pedro Ciriaco: I love Ciriaco. He can play almost every position, has speed, and can hit. He will be our back-up 2B and SS and will occasionally play OF and pinch-run. Outfielders: Alex Gordon: Gordon is our highest paid position player, and he deserves it. He's hit 57 HR's and driven in 240 runs over the past three years. He will play a lot this year as our starting LF. He will make $22.5 million over the next two years and has a team option for a third at $12.5 million. Lorenzo Cain: Cain is a guy who could make a run at the lead-off role and possibly push Escobar to the two-hole. Cain has great speed and can steal bases. He is cheap and should hit arbitration next year unless we re-sign him. Norichika Aoki: Aoki is our oldest position player and should be an everyday player. I don't love Aoki and he could be moved. However, he is cheap as this is his last year and is only making $1.5 million. Justin Maxwell: I favor Maxwell over Aoki and will discuss that with Ned Yost. Maxwell has speed and some pop and makes for a great fourth outfielder if he doesn't start. Maxwell is 30 and only making $1.325 million. *As a side note, I offered a minor league contract to 23 year-old CF Janelfry Zorrilla. He is a guy who our scouts think could become a solid player.

05-01-2014, 06:41 PM	#4
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	The Staff I'm very excited about our team this year. Most of the excitement comes from the lineup. Right now, I'm not confident in our staff. Let's go through it. Starting Pitchers: James Shields: Shields is our ace and is paid accordingly. However, I don't see Shields as a #1 starter. I see him more as a strong #2. I don't like his $12.5 million for this year and am ecstatic that his contract is up. He will stay through the season as our #1, but probably won't be back next year. Yordano Ventura: I love Ventura. I think he could be the next star in the league. He is locked up long term at a very cheap contract because he is only 22. He will open as our #2 starter. Bruce Chen: Chen is old, his stuff is not good, and I don't like him. I really want to trade him but might be unable to because I don't think anyone wants him either. He is making $3.25 million this year and has a team option for $5.5 million next year which we will definitely not be picking up. Danny Duffy: Duffy is just not built to be a starter. Yet he is our #4. Things need to be changed. Jason Vargas: I actually like Vargas. However, he is making a guaranteed $32 million over the next four years. If we can trade Chen and Duffy, I really like Vargas as a #3 starter, unless we get a better pitcher. Relievers: Greg Holland: Holland is one of the best closers in the game making a modest $4.675 this year. I love having a guy who can lock up the 9th. Kelvin Herrera: Herrera is another guy I really like because he is cheap and has good stuff. He is cheap at about minimum. He will be our guy in the 8th inning. Tim Collins: Collins is a quality lefty out of the pen. He will pitch the 7th and occasionally work the 8th. He is cheap at about $1.4 million this year. Aaron Crow: Another guy I like who can fill in wherever. He is making $1.5 million this year, and should stay. Wade Davis: I don't like Davis. It's that simple. He could make $29 million over four years as a MR. I will shop him around immediately. Francisley Bueno: A decent lefty in the pen, who is making $500 thousand this year, so he should stay. Jeremy Guthrie: Guthrie is hogging a lot of our budget room as he is making $20 million over the next two years. I will shop him but there probably won't be any takers. I will look for a better #3 starter or even an ace. I really need to improve the staff or else it could be a long season. Next I will go through our top 10 prospects.

05-03-2014, 07:10 AM	#10
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	We were victorious on Opening Day, winning 6-4 due to a solid start from James Shields who went 7 innings, giving up 4 runs. We eventually managed to take 2 of 3 from the Tigers thanks to a great start from Marco Estrada. He went 6 strong innings, giving up only a run. So far, Billy Butler is leading us with a .500 average along with 1 HR and 5 RBI. Our next opponent will be the White Sox. We took 2 out of 3 from the White Sox to improve to 4-2. Strong starting pitching got it done, and the relievers did their job. Next up are the Tampa Bay Rays. We stand atop the AL Central with a 7-2 record after a 3-game sweep of the Rays. Jason Vargas closed it out with 7 innings of shutout baseball, then handed it over to Aaron Crow, then to Greg Holland who picked up his third save with a 2-0 victory. In other news, MR Louis Coleman was eligible to be off the DL, so we activated him to the active roster and sent down Francisley Bueno to AAA. Next we face the Twins. For the first time this season, we lost a series. The Twins took 2 of 3 from us at their home ballpark. The bright spot? Bruce Chen threw 7 innings, giving up only 2 runs. Louis Coleman and Aaron Crow threw two scoreless innings to win the series opener 8-2. Next up, the Astros. After losing the series opener 4-1, we snapped our 3-game losing with a 7-6 win in 10 innings. Jason Vargas had his first poor start, but the bullpen picked him up and we squeaked out with a win. We lost our second straight series after a 2-1 loss to the 'Stros. Bruce Chen pitched 8 great innings, but to no avail. We are now 9-6 and 1/2 game back of first. Next we face the Twins again. We won the opener with a 9-1 victory. James Shields pitched 8 innings, giving up only one run. Aaron Crow finished it. Lorenzo Cain was the star in the lineup, going 2-4 with 3 RBI. In the second game of the series, we threw a combined shutout. Yordano Ventura went 7 and Louis Coleman finished the last 2 innings as we won 5-0. As we went for the sweep, Marco Estrada did not pitch well. He gave up 8 runs over 5 innings, and we lost 9-6. Next, we face the Indians. After an overall awful 4-game series, we are .500. We were swept by the Indians after poor pitching, poor hitting, and poor managing. Hopefully we can get by this by facing the Orioles. We started the series very poorly, with a 9-5 loss. Marco Estrada gave up 9 runs over 5 innings, and we could never recover. We finally snapped our 6-game losing streak with a 9-4 win over the Orioles. The bats were alive and Vargas pitched well. We lost a heart breaker in the final game of the series. Bruce Chen gave up a grand slam in a 6-1 ballgame in which we were leading, then the bullpen couldn't slam the door. Next, the Blue Jays. We are back to .500 with a 5-4 win over the Jays. Shields went 6.1, giving up 4 and the pen went the rest of the way, with Holland finishing it up with his fifth save. The second game, bad. We lost 12-3. Ventura went 5.1 giving up 8 runs, then Wade Davis got all of one out before giving up 4 runs. Hopefully we can finish up the series and month with a win. We ended the month in a disappointing way, with a 3-1 loss. We are 13-15, and things need to change. Stats will come out in the next post.

05-03-2014, 05:26 PM	#11
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	April Stats Pitchers: Starters: James Shields: 40.1 IP, 3-2, 4.24 ERA Yordano Ventura: 37 IP, 2.3, 4.86 ERA Marco Estrada: 34.2 IP, 1-4, 6.75 ERA Jason Vargas: 32 IP, 3-1, 5.34 ERA Bruce Chen: 33.1 IP, 2-2, 3.24 ERA Our starters, aside from Chen, have been awful. Marco Estrada has been dreadful. A 6.75 ERA is insane. Ventura has some April jitters from his first year, so I'm not going to worry about him. The starters need to improve if we are going to make the playoffs. Relievers: Greg Holland: 6 IP, 0.00 ERA, 5 SV Kelvin Herrera: 5 IP, 10.80 ERA Tim Collins: 9.1 IP, 6.75 ERA Aaron Crow: 17.2 IP, 1.53 ERA, 1 SV Louis Coleman: 8.2 IP, 3.12 ERA, 1 SV Jeremy Guthrie: 9.1 IP, 3.86 ERA Wade Davis: 8 IP, 6.75 ERA Our relievers have actually been pretty good. Holland is lights out in the 9th, Crow has developed into our set-up man, and Coleman has been very good. I know Herrera and Collins can turn it around, so I am confident with the pen. Hitters: Salvador Perez: 91 AB, .198/.250/.330 2 HR 10 RBI Brett Hayes: 15 AB, .267/.313/.467 1 HR 1 RBI Eric Hosmer: 93 AB, .237/.343/.344 2 HR 16 RBI Billy Butler: 106 AB, .377/.424/.651 5 HR 25 RBI Omar Infante: 91 AB, .374/.394/.440 0 HR 7 RBI Brian Dozier: 103 AB, .175/.225/.369 5 HR 16 RBI Pedro Ciriaco: 24 AB, .083/.115/.083 0 HR 2 RBI Mike Moustakas: 82 AB, .305/.352/.463 3 HR 6 RBI Alex Gordon: 107 AB, .262/.333/.318 1 HR 5 RBI Lorenzo Cain: 87 AB, .253/.287/.414 3 HR 14 RBI Justin Maxwell: 46 AB, .130/.184/.217 1 HR 3 RBI Norichika Aoki: 77 AB, .364/.419/.519 1 HR 13 RBI Our lineup has been solid. Billy Butler has been insane. I really like what I'm seeing out of Aoki from the lead-off spot. I expected him and Maxwell to be even in AB but Aoki has been so much better, and he will stay there. Not much to tweak in our order, but I would really like to pick up a utility infielder because Ciriaco has not done the job. We need our pitchers to improve in May, but other than that we did well. We lost some tough ones, and we started really well at 8-4, so clearly we can win.

05-04-2014, 07:13 PM	#12
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	A Rough Month We did not start May with the best game. A 7 run 7th inning ended our chances, and we ended up losing 11-1. Another loss in game 2 after a 3 run eighth by the Tigers off of Aaron Crow. We lost 5-3, and we need to win at least a game in our first series of May. In the third and final game of the series, we picked up a huge 4-3 win. Greg Holland picked up his 6th save of the year. Next we travel to San Diego to face the Padres. Yordano Ventura opened up the series with a fantastic performance. He went all 9 innings, giving up only 1 run, as we won 2-1. The second game however, we were not so lucky and got shut out 6-0. And another series in the books, another series lost. We lost 7-1 in game 3, after another poor start by Jason Vargas. It's time to look for pitching replacements through the trade market as we travel to Seattle to face the Mariners. A trade has been offered to the San Diego Padres in an effort to add SP Andrew Cashner to the rotation for Jason Vargas and prospects. We'll see what happens in the next few days. We continued our losing ways in the opener against the Mariners, in a 4-2 loss. The second game brought a heartbreaking loss, a 3-2 game. We have now dropped to 15-21, losing 17 of our last 24. We desperately need a win. We didn't get the win we needed, after a 5-2 loss. This is getting very frustrating. We've got one more against the M's before heading back home to face the Rockies. Finally! A 6-2 win hopefully sets us on track to win some games. Now let's keep going and win the series against the Rockies. The Padres wanted too much for Cashner, so we abandoned those talks. The first game ended up in a 9-1 loss. Jason Vargas has to go. The second game ended in another loss, 5-3 and this ended a quick two game series. Next up are the Orioles. Bruce Chen opened up the series with an awful outing. We lost 8-3, as Chen gave up all 8 runs. We've dropped to 16-25, and I am really frustrated. I am going on the trade market. We finally picked up a win in the second game of the series. Ventura came up with a huge start, going 6 shutout innings. The pen finished it up as we won 4-0. Unfortunate news came after the game as Alex Gordon learned that he will be out for 2-3 weeks. He was placed on the 15-day DL and we recalled OF Gorkys Hernandez from AAA. After the third game, it was clear about one thing. Marco Estrada sucks. It's mid-May and he has a 6.21 ERA. We lost 12-3. We split the series against the Orioles after a huge start from Vargas. He went 7, giving up 1 run. We held on the win 5-1. Next we face the White Sox. We have promoted OF Alexis Rivera to AA after he was hitting .304 in A. We opened the series against the White Sox with another win. Shields pitched 6.2 strong innings, and our bullpen held on as Holland picked up his 7th save. We won 2-1. Another game, another one-run win. Chen pitched 6 strong and again our pen held the win. Holland picked up his 8th save as we won 3-2. A sweep! We won our third straight one-run game, this time 9-8. Herrera picked up the save. Next we face the Angels. Marco Estrada continued his awful season, giving up 7 runs in 3.1 innings. We lost 7-3. The second game ended in a heart-breaker. Greg Holland gave up a walk-off HBP to lose the game 2-1. In the final game of the series we shut out the Angels. Jeremy Guthrie started for Vargas and he pitched great, going 5. He will be our starter from now on. Crow pitched 2, Coleman pitched the 8th and Holland redeemed himself with a save in the 9th. Next we face the Astros. Yordano did not pitch well in the opener, as he gave up 6 ER in 4 innings. We lost 8-3. In the second game, we just couldn't get the bats alive as we lost 4-1. Finally, Marco Estrada comes up with a solid start, and we can't get the bats alive, as we lost 4-0. Now we head to Toronto to face the Blue Jays. A trade is in the works for a big bat, we'll see what happens. We were shut out for the second straight day as we lost 3-0. Wow. We lost 13-12 after a horrid start from Jeremy Guthrie. We were up 10-0 after 2 innings and we couldn't seal it. Another quality start and another loss, this time 3-2. This is really frustrating. We have one more game to at least get a win from this 4-game set, and end the month right. Finally, a win as we shut out the Jays. Chen threw 6.1 shutout innings and we won 2-0 with Brian Dozier's 2-run homer in the ninth. We are 23-34 at the end of May, in 4th place 12 1/2 games back. Another side note, Alex Gordon is finally back. We have waived and DFA'd Wade Davis. Stats will come out in the next post. Last edited by trumange; 05-04-2014 at 07:17 PM.

05-05-2014, 07:31 AM	#13
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	First Year Player Draft First Round Selection: P Cobi Johnson: Johnson is a guy who has huge potential. He's 18, and has the potential to have 3 plus pitches, a fastball, a curveball, and a changeup. His change is the best pitch. We will likely be selecting pitchers for the next few rounds. Second Round Selection: P Cameron Varga: Varga has good potential as well, and has 4 pitches. I like that about him, and they are all good. One thing to keep aware of is his control. He walks a lot of batters, but he will get better. Third Round Selection: P Brad Depperman: Depperman is a guy who is already developed with his pitches. He has a solid fastball, with a plus curve and a plus changeup. He has great movement, which I really like about him. Fourth Round Selection: INF Luke Dykstra: Dykstra can play 2B, 3B, SS, and a little LF. He has great gap power, and can hit some homers. I really like him as a 4th round pick. Fifth Round Selection: OF Taylor Maxey: Maxey is an incredible defender with great speed. He can play all 3 outfield positions, and play them well. I see Maxey to be a lead-off hitter someday. I decided to just say my first five selections, as those are the important ones.

05-05-2014, 08:29 PM	#14
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	Blockbuster Deal We have made a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks to pick up 1B Paul Goldschmidt. Here's how the deal looked. D-Backs Send: 1B Paul Goldschmidt (.240 9 HR 37 RBI) 7 years $45 million Royals Send: 1B Eric Hosmer (.225 6 HR 29 RBI) 1 year $3.6 million (Arb.) 3B Danny Valencia (63 AB .300 4 HR 12 RBI) 1 year $500 thousand (Arb.) Minor League OF Jorge Bonifacio 29 year-old Minor League P P.J. Walters Minor League P Francisley Bueno I love this deal for us. We acquire a huge bat for the middle of our lineup, and give up a scuffling 1B, our back-up 3B, a solid prospect, and two guys going nowhere. Hosmer still has great potential, and Valencia can battle for a starting job, but I felt we had to make a move to get us back in position for a playoff push. *As a side note, I have decided to abandon posting recaps of every series, and post whenever something big happens. Every month, I will still post stats and standings.

05-05-2014, 08:33 PM	#15
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	Injury Bug Strikes OF Norichika Aoki has suffered a strained hamstring and will be out for 5 weeks. We have promoted OF Carlos Peguero from AAA.

05-05-2014, 08:59 PM	#16
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	May Stats Pitchers: *Stats are for whole season James Shields: 83 IP, 4-5 3.69 ERA Yordano Ventura: 82.1 IP, 5-6 4.70 ERA Marco Estrada 77.1 IP, 3-8 5.82 ERA Bruce Chen: 77 IP, 3-4 3.74 ERA Jason Vargas: 58 IP, 4-4 6.05 ERA Jeremy Guthrie: 40.1 IP, 2-0 4.24 ERA Kelvin Herrera: 14 IP, 7.07 ERA 2 SV Wade Davis: 18.1 IP, 6.38 ERA (In AAA Now) Louis Coleman: 24.1 IP, 1.85 ERA Tim Collins: 19.2 IP, 3.66 ERA Aaron Crow: 42.2 IP, 1.48 ERA Greg Holland: 19.2 IP, 0.95 ERA 13 SV Hitters: Salvador Perez: 197 AB, .234/.282/.381 5 HR 19 RBI Brett Hayes: 39 AB, .256/.310/.410 2 HR 6 RBI Billy Butler: 240 AB/ .321/.380/.500 7 HR 35 RBI Omar Infante: 194 AB, .299/.322/.381 1 HR 14 RBI Brian Dozier: 223 AB, .188/.240/.350 7 HR 23 RBI Pedro Ciriaco: 56 AB, .143/.155/.214 0 HR 6 RBI Mike Moustakas: 172 AB, .267/.306/.424 6 HR 16 RBI Alex Gordon: 165 AB, .255/.326/.309 1 HR 7 RBI Lorenzo Cain: 181 AB, .254/.315/.409 6 HR 26 RBI Justin Maxwell: 140 AB, .157/.224/.286 3 HR 10 RBI Gorkys Hernandez: 41 AB, .293/.326/.341 0 HR 3 RBI Norichika Aoki: 167 AB, .299/.362/.407 2 HR 18 RBI Overall, we need to be better. Our hitters have to be better. We need more production with runners in scoring position. As for our pitchers, our relievers have been very good. Our starters have been better, especially Shields. So, right now we are 28-35 and we can only go up.

05-05-2014, 09:23 PM	#17
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	Small Trade Earlier today, I saw a gaping hole at our back-up third baseman spot, after dealing Danny Valencia. So here's the deal I made. Astros Send: 1B/3B Juan Francisco (.266 12 HR 38 RBI) 1 year $500 thousand (Arb.) Royals Send: Minor League 3B Cheslor Cuthbert Minor League P Sean Manaea A simple trade where we acquire a needed bat, and they pick up some players with solid potential.

05-06-2014, 07:20 AM	#18
trumange Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 95	June Stats As of July 1, we stand at 38-45, which is good for 4th place in the AL Central. We are 8 1/2 games back of the Tigers for 1st place. Now here are the stats. Pitchers: Stats are for whole season James Shields: 113 IP, 6-6 3.74 ERA Yordano Ventura: 115.1 IP. 7-9 4.06 ERA Marco Estrada: 98 IP, 4-10 5.69 ERA Bruce Chen: 95.1 IP, 5-5 3.49 ERA Jason Vargas: 70 IP, 5-4 5.14 ERA Jeremy Guthrie: 55 IP, 2-2 5.89 ERA Tim Collins: 27 IP, 3.67 ERA Kelvin Herrera: 20 IP, 5.40 ERA Louis Coleman: 38.2 IP, 3.49 ERA Aaron Crow: 48 IP, 2.25 ERA Greg Holland: 26.1 IP, 0.68 ERA 16 SV Hitters: Stats are for whole season Salvador Perez: 250 AB, .248/.294/.376 5 HR 22 RBI Brett Hayes: 56 AB, .286/.344/.464 3 HR 10 RBI Paul Goldschmidt: 69 AB, .232/.349/.435 3 HR 10 RBI (With us) Billy Butler: 314 AB, .283/.337/.427 7 HR 40 RBI Omar Infante: 245 AB, .294/.320/.388 3 HR 18 RBI Brian Dozier: 288 AB, .212/.271/.385 10 HR 31 RBI Pedro Ciriaco: 68 AB, .162/.171/.221 0 HR 7 RBI Mike Moustakas: 224 AB, .259/.304/.415 7 HR 20 RBI Juan Francisco: 23 AB, .348/.400/.435 0 HR 3 RBI (With us) Alex Gordon: 236 AB, .242/.297/.322 3 HR 13 RBI Lorenzo Cain: 237 AB, .245/.309/.367 6 HR 34 RBI Justin Maxwell: 209 AB, .182/.237/.292 4 HR 17 RBI Gorkys Hernandez: 52 AB, .269/.309/.327 0 HR 3 RBI Carlos Peguero: 8 AB, .125/.364/.125 0 HR 2 RBI Norichika Aoki: 167 AB, .299/.362/.407 2 HR 18 RBI I really like what I'm seeing out of Perez and Dozier. They are hitting now. Goldschmidt may not have the average, but jeez he gets on base. Francisco is showing good signs in his first at bats with us. And overall, a solid month.