'a long, long time' = two years

"I heard that stuff on the radio," Brett said, "that we've ruined our farm system. My response to that is it's not like baseball is doing away with the draft. The Royals will have a draft this June and another one next June and another one the June after that. And they've been pretty good at this.

That's a good point. The Royals will have a top ten pick this year, and are in a good position to have another top ten pick next year!

I'm somewhat shocked that the Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Royals endorses a move they made.

I'm somewhat shocked that an idiot endorses a move they made.

...“Of course, time will tell,” he said. “But, everything I have heard about Shields is that he’s a presence in that clubhouse. We need that, a guy who knows how to win and expects to win.

Everyone knows how to win. Score more runs than the other team. This is not exactly earth shattering, so I don't know why they needed to sacrifice Myers to get someone who knew this.

that the Royals intend to compete for a long, long time. And if we are competitive in the next couple of years and make the playoffs, that’s going to make guys like Hoz and Moose think about staying here a long time.

If you intend to compete for a long time you don't give up Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi, Mike Montgomery and Patrick Leonard so you can spend an extra $14M a year for Shields + Davis to upgrade your rotation.

Instead you offer $90M/5 years to Anibel Sanchez with the first two years at $14M, because Sanchez+Oddorizzi is better than Shields + Davis, and you get to upgrade your outfield with Myers as well as get whatever value Montgomery and Leonard provide down the road, or in other trades. That's a much more competitive team now, and much more competitive 2 years from now than the team Dayton Moore just assembled by gutting his farm.

Or offer EJax $24M/2 or $35M/3 and use money left over for other needs, and have a team that is as good short-term and much better long.

“I look at it this way: It’s like a chess match,” Brett said. “Maybe we had to give up a rook and a horse so we could get in position for checkmate. That’s how you play the game. You have to

You gave up your Queen and a Rook when you aren't close to a position to go for checkmate, and if you don't get there in the next two years, it's time to start a new game from scratch.

That's a good plan if Sanchez or Jackson would've signed with the Royals - but we don't if either was even the slightest bit interested in going to baseball purgatory.

That's a good plan if Sanchez or Jackson would've signed with the Royals - but we don't if either was even the slightest bit interested in going to baseball purgatory.

This is true but our clever pretend GM in #6 has made an attempt to get Mr. Sanchez's attention by offering him $10 M more than the Tigers which means $15 M more than was on the table about a week ago.

It doesn't always work but history suggests that offering a player $10 M more than any other team is an excellent way of convincing the player that you have a rock-solid plan to compete. And if, under those cirucmstances, you are not able to convince the player then there's a very good chance your young players and your new acquisitions don't believe it either.

Anyway, since God clearly hates sabermetrics (and loves the Yankees ... why does anybody worship this guy?) the Royals will win 97 games and Shields the CYA while Myers tests positive for roids and the Jays pull a Marlins.

That's a good plan if Sanchez or Jackson would've signed with the Royals - but we don't if either was even the slightest bit interested in going to baseball purgatory.

If now is the time, you pay up for the missing piece. Otherwise you keep Jake and Wil and build for 2014-15.

Any plan to compete now that involves trading away a young RF with an impact bat to keep Frenchy as your starter fails any test of rational thought.

It doesn't always work but history suggests that offering a player $10 M more than any other team is an excellent way of convincing the player that you have a rock-solid plan to compete.

I find this wildly funny for some reason.

“I look at it this way: It’s like a chess match,” Brett said. “Maybe we had to give up a rook and a horse...

Anyone calling a knight a "horse" should absolutely not use chess metaphors.

Any plan to compete now that involves trading away a young RF with an impact bat to keep Frenchy as your starter fails any test of rational thought.

I will bet you eleventy quillion dollars they think he's a real ballplayer.

Anyone calling a knight a "horse" should absolutely not use chess metaphors.

Horsey to pointy guy six!

Horsey to pointy guy six!

You sunk my battleship!

I will bet you eleventy quillion dollars they think he's a real ballplayer.

Do they still? After last year? Even non saber guys have to be going "ecch" looking at a corner outfielder with a .235 average who combined that with only 16 HR.

It sure looks like you are right though, or they wouldn't be so quick to trade Myers. 2 years ago Dayton Moore was called an idiot for getting Frenchy, and he was vindicated by a pretty good year. I think he's now anchored on Frenchy as one of "his guys" that critics got wrong and proves they are wrong on good ol Dayton himself, and its going to take a lot to break his bias to believe in Frenchy. This awful year didn't do it.

And I wasn't advocating dumping Frenchy, he's got to be a good candidate for a bounce-back, but they sure should have kept Myers in this mix and hoped Wil started his career so strong he would have kept Jeff on the bench. Obviously there is also the money owed JF, so if you have to pay him I wonder if he'd be a decent platoon partner at First or even in LF when you want to rest Gordon.

Everyone knows how to win.

Good point Ray. I would imagine that if somewhere on your business card the term "professional athlete" applies, I would imagine somewhere in one's past that winning was something you become really, really good at.

I think Moore thinks the September 2011 lineup is more indicative of what this lineup is than the entire 2012 season. Otherwise, he wouldn't be working on the rotation like they are only a couple of good starters away from serious contention.

He sees Francoeur in a similar way as Hosmer and Moustakas--that they are better than they showed last year. I'm sure he has a shorter leash on Francoeur, but I think he's got him in that bunch.

This whole offseason makes more sense if an errand boy accidentally brought him the 2011 stats when he asked for "last year's stats" when he was looking over the team and its needs.