Flanagan: Don’t look past the 2011 Royals so quickly

Not while Jarrod Dyson is going to be worth…486 (TFR) Total ####### Runs for the season!

Many Royals observers seem eager to look toward the 2012 season when the first big wave of general manager Dayton Moore’s draftees should find their way to the bigs.

But has everyone forgotten there’s a 2011?

“We certainly haven’t thrown away 2011,” Moore said. “It’s always going to be our goal to put on the field a team that can contend for the division title.”

...The Royals also are intrigued by the possibility of Jarrod Dyson patrolling center field next season. Manager Ned Yost already has labeled Dyson as a guy who can save his team two runs a game with his incredible speed in the outfield. Dyson, if he can improve his bunting and his on-base percentage, also could be a major weapon at the top of the order.

“When he gets on base,” second baseman Mike Aviles said, “that’s almost automatically a run because he’ll either steal second, force a wild throw, or cause the pitchers to get so distracted that the guys behind him in the order get some fat pitches to hit.”