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Royal Ingenuity
— Where Pine Tar and Powder Blue are Revered

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

My Opening Day lineup

Well, I’m 100 percent certain that this lineup will look stupid by early May, but following the Sisco/Gload deal, here would be my generic (L/R-handed pitchers ignored) Opening Day lineup, assuming no further trades/signings:

LINEUP
1—CF David DeJesus—Bats L
2—2B Mark Grudzielanek—Bats R
3—RF Mark Teahen—Bats L
4—DH Mike Sweeney—Bats R
5—1B Ryan Shealy—Bats R
6—LF Emil Brown—Bats R (Free Justin Huber!—Bats R)
7—3B Alex Gordon—Bats L
8—C Jason LaRue—Bats R / John Buck—Bats R (No idea here)
9—SS Angel Berroa—Bats R

P—Gil Meche

A little too righty-heavy, and for this reason alone perhaps flip Brown and Gordon. Ideally, Grudzielanek would be further down the lineup, but I think Buddy Bell maintains that he is the ideal number two man.

BENCH
C—LaRue/Buck
IF—Esteban German
IF/OF—Ross Gload
OF—Reggie Sanders (Shane Costa?)
OF—Joey Gathright

Jeff Keppinger wasn’t included. I figure the Gload deal ended his participation.

REST OF ROTATION
1—Meche—RHP
2—Odalis Perez—LHP
3—Brian Bannister—RHP
4—Jorge de la Rosa—LHP
5—Luke Hudson—RHP (Zack Greinke—RHP?)

ROYAL ROOST (I’m setting a new trend here which will find its way to mainstream Royals fan use, FYI)
Long relief:
de la Rosa when Greinke gets back
Joakim Soria

Middle relief:
Todd Wellemeyer / John Bale
Joel Peralta
Jimmy Gobble

THE HAMMER:
Octavio Dotel

I’m not very sure on the Roost at all. Any input is good input here.

What’s your lineup look like?

Garth has been one-uped by Brian Bannister Posted: December 20, 2006 at 03:27 PM | 21 comment(s)
  Related News: Kansas City

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   1. davoarid Posted: December 20, 2006 at 07:07 PM (#2266041)
Where's "All-Star" Mark Redman? Did they get rid of him?
   2. Garth has been one-uped by Brian Bannister Posted: December 20, 2006 at 09:04 PM (#2266112)
Unless he's been signed somewhere, he's still an FA, but the Royals have shown very little interest in him at this point.
   3. Vrhovnik Posted: December 20, 2006 at 09:08 PM (#2266114)
How do you think the signing of Riske affects your calculations? Bannister to AAA? I agree with your prognosis. I would love to see Huber in the lineup.
   4. RB in NYC (Now with an Australian Itinerary!) Posted: December 20, 2006 at 09:14 PM (#2266116)
9—SS Angel Berroa—Bats R Stands in the right handed batters' box while making outs
Fixed that. Besides Berroa, that isn't a half bad line-up, but then line-up wasn't half bad last year either: 12th in the AL in runs, but less than 15 out of ninth. The issue was pitching, and while it seems like that rotation will be better almost by default I don't know if it stands to be better by enough to drag the Royals out of the cellar or under ninety losses
   5. Garth has been one-uped by Brian Bannister Posted: December 20, 2006 at 09:26 PM (#2266120)
How do you think the signing of Riske affects your calculations?

I think Wellemeyer/Bale are now in deep trouble for making the 25-man roster.

Other potential send-downs: Bannister, de la Rosa, or Hudson if he even begins to falter -- basically, whoever is the odd man out of the rotation/long relief when Greinke gets called up to KC (or if he starts at KC).
   6. Zach Posted: December 20, 2006 at 09:31 PM (#2266122)
Royals sign relief pitcher David Riske to one year deal with team option. Maybe he's the setup man?
   7. Vrhovnik Posted: December 20, 2006 at 09:37 PM (#2266124)
I think Bale is safe, because he is a lefty. Wellemeyer could be the odd man out; maybe he can try to start at Omaha.
   8. Vrhovnik Posted: December 20, 2006 at 09:38 PM (#2266125)
KC also signed Brandon Duckworth and Zach Day to minor league contracts and invited them to spring training.
   9. Garth has been one-uped by Brian Bannister Posted: December 20, 2006 at 09:45 PM (#2266127)
I think Bale is safe, because he is a lefty.

You and your calm, rational logic.

I didn't consider handedness. This especially hurts the case for Wellemeyer and/or (of that starting/long-relief trio) Bannister or Hudson. But really I just can't see Moore sending Bannister or Hudson down, as they're a new acquisition or had solid performance last year, respectively. If I had to guess, I'd say Wellemeyer's in trouble.
   10. Alex Gordon's #1 Fan Posted: December 20, 2006 at 11:04 PM (#2266151)
Royals sign relief pitcher David Riske to one year deal with team option. Maybe he's the setup man?

Wow, really good signing IMO. I thought for sure he'd get a 2 or 3 year deal from someone.
   11. Alex Gordon's #1 Fan Posted: December 20, 2006 at 11:05 PM (#2266152)
Bale is safe. They didn't pay $4 million for him to pitch in Omaha. JDLR is the odd man out I would guess.
   12. MSI Posted: December 21, 2006 at 01:12 AM (#2266211)
Hey thats not a bad looking team! I see a few teams going way down, A's included and maybe the Twins (without Liriano and that anemic offence). Other than that, the AL will be cut-throat.
   13. Zach Posted: December 21, 2006 at 02:09 AM (#2266232)
I think I could get to like that team. The glaring weakness is that there's no utility man who can play shortstop. It'll be interesting to see if German keeps hitting this year: Gload can fill spots (1B, OF, DH) that covered half of his appearances last year, while second and third bases will have established starters. If he keeps hitting, he or Grudzielanek might have to be traded.

If the right offer came around, I'd trade Brown. Sanders may have to get playing time to resolve whether he has any trade value or not.
   14. kcshankd Posted: December 21, 2006 at 09:59 AM (#2266296)
On these new, No Trips to the Taco Stand Royals, there is no way Berroa or Greinke are on the Opening Day roster. Greinke goes to AAA, Berroa goes away. I wish Gordon would stay in Omaha until Aug so he's not a SuperTwo but I guess that is not in the cards.

Emil Brown gets dealt for something. Sweeney breaks down May 9th, Sanders follows May 22nd.

After 22 May:

CF DeJesus
2B Grudz
RF Teahen
1B Shealy
DH Gload
3B Gordon
LF Costa
C LaBuck
SS Blanco

LaBuck
German
Gathright
??
??

1 Meche
2 Perez
3 Hudson
4 Bannister
5 Wellemeyer

Cl Dotel
Riske
Peralta
Bale
Soria
de la Rosa/Gobble

Overall, better, 78 wins is in reach!
   15. Joe C isn't Posted: December 21, 2006 at 10:09 AM (#2266301)
Overall, better, 78 wins is in reach!

Maybe in the NL Central. Not in that division, though.
   16. Joe C isn't Posted: December 21, 2006 at 10:14 AM (#2266303)
Sorry, don't mean to be a wet blanket, but the Royals do have it pretty tough for the next couple of years. But having 4 teams capable of winning 90 games limits their short term prospects.
   17. AROM Posted: December 21, 2006 at 10:32 AM (#2266316)
My opening day middle infield:

SS Grudz
2B German

Grudz is a much better 2B than he is at shortstop, but Berroa is so bad that this probably does not hurt the defense.
   18. Alex Gordon's #1 Fan Posted: December 21, 2006 at 10:36 AM (#2266323)
I'd actually like to see Gordon hitting second with Grudz hitting down in the lineup, although I really doubt it happens. Gordon is a lefty, he gets a lot more at bats, he walks quite a bit, and he would have good protection in the lineup.

I think the Royals will be one of the most improved teams in the AL - and still will finish dead last in the Central by a good 15 games.
   19. Garth has been one-uped by Brian Bannister Posted: December 21, 2006 at 01:36 PM (#2266504)
Grudz is a much better 2B than he is at shortstop, but Berroa is so bad that this probably does not hurt the defense.

I'm certain it wouldn't hurt the defense but it ain't never gonna happen, unfortunately.

I'd actually like to see Gordon hitting second[...]

Sure you would, just like I'd like to see Sears hitting second. You biased so-and-so.

;)
   20. Dandy Little Glove Man Posted: December 21, 2006 at 02:11 PM (#2266543)
Is there any way they can keep German on the bench after what he did last year? I didn't imagine his .326/.422/.459 line in half a season's worth of PAs, did I?
   21. Alex Gordon's #1 Fan Posted: December 21, 2006 at 04:22 PM (#2266639)
I'd like to see Grudz moved at the trade deadline, but with that 2008 option, I don't know if that'll happen now. German really can't play any other position well.
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