A Royal Answer: Royals 2B Johnny Giavotella

In November of 2009, the Royals made a trade that was supposed to buy them some depth in the infield. Mark Teahen, who had played both at 3B and in the OF for the Royals, was traded for Chris Getz and Josh Fields. Fields was a reclamation project of sorts, as he was once a top prospect for the White Sox who failed in replacing Joe Crede. But as history shows, he was only in the organization for one year before he became a free agent.

The Mark Teahen/2B experiment was tried, and Luis Hernandez, Willie Bloomquist, Tug Hulett, and Ryan Freel all shared time backing up at multiple positions. The position these players have in common is that they played 2B

With Gordon being injured and Jose Guillen going down later in July, Teahen went back to playing 3B. That opened a place for a utility player Alberto Callaspo. Callaspo played in 74 games for the Royals in 2008 Callaspo saw significant playing time after Teahen was pushed off of the position. Though Callaspo hit .300 with 73 RBI’s, his defense was…well awful. His dWAR (Defensive Wins Above Replacement) was an -1.5.

Needless to say, the Royals wanted to improve their defense up the middle and move Callaspo off of 2B.  Chris Getz was presumably the hole filler at 2^nd base.

After posting an .302 BA with 11 HR and 24 2B’s in AAA, Getz was promoted and though he only posted a .261/.324/.287 line (BA, OBP, and Slugging %), Getz did have 25 SB and posted 1.5 WAR with his oWAR (Offensive Wins Above Replacement) being 1.2. Just incase you were wondering, his dWAR was 0.3 that year.

The feeling about Getz was that Getz would be an automatic defensive upgrade at 2B while having some upside as a base stealer. That did not happen as Getz hit a lousy .237 in only 248 PA’s. On top of that, he didn’t even crack ten extra base-hits (only 9 2B’s). As for Getz’s defense, dWAR says that Getz was -0.3 in 2010.

Getz slightly improved in 2011, hitting .255 in 429 PA’s. Though he had 21 SB’s, Getz only produced another 9 extra-base hits (6 2B’s, 3 3B’s). Getz was at least better than average on defense according to his dWAR of 0.3.

Getz’s ability, or should I say inability, to hold the fort down at 2B in 2011 led to Johnny Giavotella’s call up. Giavotella made it really easy for GMDM to call him up. He was raking in Triple A, hitting .338 with a .390 OBP, 34 2B’s and 72 RBI. His OPS was .871.  Two years of raking in the minors (.322/.395/.855 in AA in 2010) earned Giavotella his first crack at the majors at 23 years old.

 

Unfortunately, that didn’t translate into instant success. Giavotella hit .247 in his rookie campaign with a .273 OBP. His defense was a below average -0.6 according to dWAR.

That being said, he actually proved to be an instant power upgrade over Getz. He had 15 extra base-hits in just 187 PA’s. Just to do the math for you just about one out of every 12 (11.8 to be exact) at bats for Giavotella was an extra base-hit. Compare that to Getz’s rate of one out of every 42 at bats.

Clearly from an offensive standpoint, Giavotella is an upgrade at 2B and not as big of a drop off defensively. It’s also clear that the Royals want him to start at 2B next year. So obviously that puts Chris Getz as a backup to the infield.

That was before the Royals signed Yuniesky Betancourt to come be a backup infielder. I can imagine what Getz would be thinking after the signing: “They really brought this guy back?!?! At least I can play third…right? I mean I have experience at third so I can back up Moose at 3B.”

Forget that idea. The Royals signed Kevin Kouzmanoff this past weekend to a minor league deal as an insurance policy at 3B. If anything happens with Moustakas early on (injury, Kila Ka’aihue syndrome, etc….) then Kouzmanoff most likely will be the guy.

Unfortunately for Getz he’ll probably be optioned to AAA for this year. Fortunately for the Royals this means Johnny Giavotella gets his chance everyday to play.

And he should. The former 2^nd round pick has proved in the minors that he can be a threat at the minor league level. He helps usher in the youth movement that Dayton Moore as longed talked about.

Which leads us to one of the first moves that Dayton made this off-season when the Royals traded away Melky Cabrera, who led the Royals with 102 runs or just above 7% of the Royals total 730 runs. Alex Gordon is second on that list at 101, followed by Jeff Francoeur at 77.

I liked the Cabrera trade and am excited for what Jonathan Sanchez will do next year, but the hole that Cabrera is leaving is a big one. Insert Johnny Giavotella.

Presumably, Giavotella seems like the best fit for hitting in the 2 hole. He hit 6^th and 7^th the most last year where he hit a combined .205 in the 6^th and 7^th spot in the line up.

Though the sample size is very small, he did hit better in the 2 hole last year. In 5 games (22 PA) batting 2^nd, Giavotella hit .286 with 5 extra base and a .985 OPS. Small sample size, but he seemed comfortable in that part of the lineup.

I also can’t think of who would fit better there with the lineup the Royals currently have. Cain seems more of an leadoff hitter, but with Gordon their he will probably hit 8^th or 9^th. Salvador Perez mainly hit 7^th or 8^th, and I don’t see him getting much higher than 7^th. Your 3-6 hitters are Hosmer, Billy Butler, Francoeur, and Moustakas. Alcides Escobar’s bat still is only average at best, so he’ll either be 8^th or 9^th.

The Royals traded away Cabrera with the expectation that Giavotella can slide right in and put up numbers .

If you’ve read anything I’ve written before, then you’ll know that I believe (and still believe) that the biggest need the Royals have is front of the rotation pitching. I still believe that the Royals need to add the likes of a Roy Oswalt or Edwin Jackson in order to contend for the AL Central crown.

Though that may be the biggest need the biggest question may come from an offensive standpoint. If the Royals are going to be as good or better offensively next year, then Johnny Giavotella has to be a quality hitter in the 2 hole.

The Royals have been looking for a quality 2B ever since Mark Grudzielanek got hurt in the 2008 season. Since Grudzielanek they have had 11 different players play 2B.  Giavotella is the 12^th.

The answer and player the Royals are looking for may be Johnny Giavotella. And if the Royals are to succeed next year, then they will need him to be the answer to their woe’s at 2B.

A Royal Need: Roy Oswalt

A couple of days ago, I wrote about the real need that the Royals still had (and no not Yuniesky Betancourt who was signed today to a one year deal). The glaring need I wrote about was that the Royals still needed to address their pitching and obtain an front of the line starter.

The two names I suggested were Roy Oswalt and Joe Saunders. Come to find out today (according to Jerry Crasnick) that Roy Oswalt has soften his demands. Oswalt is now asking for a one year deal instead of a multi-year deal.

A lot of concern has been shown to Oswalts health. Teams were weary of giving him a multi-year deal because of it, and it appears that Oswalt wants to prove that he is healthy.

The signs of him not being himself last year are there. Oswalts fastball velocity was in the 88-90 MPH range, down from his usual 94 MPH. Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz was quoted as say Oswalt’s fastball “has no life.”

That wasn’t the only sign. Oswalt couldn’t seem to get ahead of hitters all season, with only 24% of all his at bats going to 0-2 counts. That’s the lowest for him since 2008, where he only had 27% of his at bats go to 0-2. His career average is at 30%.

That may be due to the fact that people were getting the best of Roy. Hitters hit .280 against him last year, by far the worst number he’s put up. Oswalt also posted his highest OBP and OPS of his career - .325 and .736 respectively.  It’s not just an inflated stat either. In 2010 Oswalt pitched 211.2 innings and gave up 162 hits. In only 139 innings last year Oswalt gave up 153 hits.

That brings us back to his fastball, which he used to help strike out a number of hitters. He posted the worse K/9 rate of his career in 2011, only striking out 6 hitters per 9 innings. The year before he had an 8.2 K/9. Though he couldn’t strike them out, he didn’t put them on either.

Which in the end may show that he can still be himself. Clearly Oswalt wasn’t the same last year, but he did show signs of being able to come back to form. He had a better time striking out hitters in the second half last year posting a 6.8 K/9 in the second half. Compared to a 5.3 first half, Oswalt adjusted better during the second half.

Oswalt also posted his best BAA(batting average against) of the season in September. Players only hit .242 against Oswalt in his final 6 games. He had 31 of his 93 K’s in that stretch. He also cut down on the base runners during September as Oswalt posted an 1.171 WHIP.

What should also be noted about Oswalt’s 2011 September is that he went 7 innings in 4 of his 6 starts. In each of those starts, he at least went 6 innings, and into the 7^th in 5 of those 6 starts. It’s not a full season, but it does show that he retained some of his health.

Anybody who gives Oswalt a contract is betting on him being the Oswalt of September and not of May-August. His track record is one of an Ace, a Cy Young calibar pitcher capable of leading any pitching staff.

This is where the Royals come into play. Dayton Moore has shown patience in the starting pitching market since signing Gil Meche in 2007. The majority of Royals starters that Dayton Moore has acquired other thane Meche have been by signing low-tier free agents, via trades, or from within.

While there is nothing wrong with that way of acquiring pitchers, it shouldn’t be the only way. You should always be trying to improve your big league ball-club. I get that a big part of that is by developing players in your system, but there are times when you have to go out and get proven talent. Insert Oswalt.

It is a risk/reward situation, but I consider this a medium risk/high reward in Oswalt’s case. It isn’t like he didn’t come back and had a year ending injury last year. He came back and started 15 games in August and September. In August and September Oswalt posted an 3.61 ERA with an 6.8 K/9 rate. Much improved on the 5.13 K/9 rate he posted from April to June.

I think that he simply just needed some time off to heal and that this off-season has proven that. In other words, he is well worth the risk. I personally thought that he would get an 2 year deal around $20 million on the open market, but now I can see him getting an $9 million, one year deal with incentives on performance this year.

If that is the case, then there should be no way that the Royals are outbid in the Oswalt auction. I’m not saying that the Royals should give him the most money no matter what. Any team offering over $13 million for Oswalt this off-season is way overpaying. That said, the Royals have no reason that the can’t and shouldn’t go after Roy Oswalt.

The Royals have financial flexibility, especially since Gil Meche didn’t collect the final $12 million of his contract. There is money that you had already spent allocated on pitching that you got to keep. Not to mention that a one year deal on Oswalt would be great for both him and the Royals. Oswalt gets to rebuild value for a free agent class next year which is already looking strong with the likes of Matt Cain, Cole Hamels, and Zach Greinke just to name a few. The Royals then get a veteran starter who is proven and capable of leading an staff who (if things don’t work out) can either be traded or let go at the end of the year.

Lets not forget either that this team had the cheapest payroll in baseball last year. With the All-Star game coming, there should be some extra cash coming in as well.

As the General Manager of the Kansas City Royals, it is Dayton Moore’s job to put the best team on the field that he possibly can. That doesn’t mean going out and spending all the money in the world, but that does mean taking a look at players who will help you get over the hump and truly contend for the playoffs. I would truly wonder what the mindset of the front office is if the Royals don’t go after what seems to be a perfect fit in Oswalt and make him a serious offer.

If the Royals are serious about contending this year, then they will take a long hard look at Roy Oswalt. If the Royals do land Oswalt, then its safe to that the Royals have begun step 2 of “the process” – contending for the playoffs and World Series. 

Analyzing the Royals Off-Season….so far

Welcome back! It’s been a long while since I’ve been around here and posting my thoughts on the Royals. Truth be told, its been an extremely busy year for me. But I am ready to saddle it up again and begin to write about the team I love again.

This off-season may seem quiet so far. The Royals haven’t been on a spending spree like the Marlins or given out lucrative contracts as the Angels have, but they have made some intriguing moves so far. Let’s recap some of the Royals’ off-season moves so far:

11/07/11 – Kansas City acquires LHP Jonathan Sanchez and RHP Ryan Verdugo for OF Melky Cabrera

11/11/11 – Kansas City signs 16 year old Venezuelan LHP Alejandro Viloria

11/15/11 – Kansas City signs LHP Tommy Hottovy (30 year old minor league journeyman; has been in the Red Sox’s system his whole career)

11/23/11 – Kansas City re-signs LHP Bruce Chen to a 2 year, $9 million deal.

11/29/11 – The Royals agree to terms with RHP Jonathan Broxton on a 1 year, $4 million deal.

11/30/11 – Former second round pick SS Jeff Bianchi designated for assignment (The Cubs have since claimed him off waivers)

12/08/11 – IF Yamacio Navarro is traded to the Pirates for RHP Brooks Pounders (2nd round pick in 2009 draft, 21 years old) and IF Diego Goris (3 years in Pirates System playing in Dominican Summer League).

12/13/11 – Kansas City agrees to minor league deals with RHP Juan Guiterrez, C Max Ramirez, and OF Greg Golson.

There are a couple of other minor league signings here and there, such as the claiming and releasing of Aaron Laffey. That being said, the primary goal of this off-season was to improve our starting pitching. The everyday lineup is set for the foreseeable future (assuming Cain gets his shot at CF) and you have an army arms in the bullpen now that you’ve added Broxton into the mix.

Though the bullpen is stocked well, the Royals are still looking for a situational left-handed reliever to help out Tim Collins (currently the only LHP in the bullpen). They are also looking for a utility IF.

Though I agree that those are needs for the Royals, I still have to believe that the main goal of upgrading your starting pitching has not been accomplished. In retrospect to the end of last year, you have only added one starter, that being Sanchez. Though I love the trade and think that he is a improvement over Jeff Francis, Jonathan Sanchez is in the end taking Francis’ spot from last year. And by resigning Chen you are looking at a very similar rotation to the end of last year. Lets take a quick look at a potential rotation for next year.

Locks in the Rotation:

Jonathan Sanchez (4-7, 4.26 ERA in 101.1 IP, 9.1 K/9, 1.441 WHIP)

Luke Hochevar (11-11, 4.68 ERA in 198 IP, 5.8 K/9, 1.283 WHIP)

Bruce Chen (12-8, 3.77 ERA in 155 IP, 5.6 K/9, 1.303 WHIP)

Probables:

Danny Duffy (4-8, 5.64 ERA in 105.1 IP, 7.4 K/9, 1.614 WHIP)

Felipe Paulino (4-6, 4.11 ERA in 124.2 IP, 8.6 K/9, 1.372 WHIP)

Possibly in the mix:

Luis Mendoza (1.23 ERA in 14.2 MLB IP; 12-5, 2.18 ERA in 144.1 IP in AAA)

Aaron Crow (4-4, 2.76 ERA in 62 IP, 9.4 K/9, 1.387 WHIP)

It’s not bad…..but it’s not great either. At this point, its above average and I have this fear that GMDM believes that his rotation issues are settled by just bringing back Chen and acquiring Sanchez. Though the Royals have been the subject of rumors with pitchers (such as Gio Gonzalez), it seems that we’re more than likely going to have to be content with what we have…again.

Which is a shame for me because although I do believe that our rotation is only above average at best right now I also believe that this rotation has potential to become better than an above average rotation. I also believe that the way you get there is by getting a veteran pitcher with experience leading a staff and pitching in the playoffs.

I believe that the Royals (without hindering the “process”) can and should go out and get another starting pitcher on the market on a one or two year deal. Though some of the bigger names are off the market right now, there are still two names that I would be willing to personally drive up to Kansas City to get them signed:

1)   Roy Oswalt – 9-10, 3.69 ERA in 139 IP, 6 K/9, 1.338 WHIP with Philadelphia
I know that he’s coming off an injury plagued year with his back acting up, but I believe that if he’s fully healthy, your are getting an player who still has #1 starter potential. From 2001-2008, he won at least 14 games each year and he would’ve won at least 14 in 2010 had he not pitched half of the year for an terrible Astros team (finished 2010 13-13 with an 2.76 ERA and a 8.4 K/9). From 2004-2010, Oswalt averaged at least 215 innings a season while averaging an 3.48 K/BB ratio. But the thing he would bring the Royals more is a pitcher who has been the leader of multiple pitching staffs in the past. I think the reward far outweighs the risk for Oswalt.

2)    Joe Saunders – 12-13, 3.69 ERA in 212 IP, 4.6 K/9, 1.307 WHIP with Arizona
He’s started opening day for the Angels, been successful in the American League, and after being traded to one of the worst teams in the National League he helped lead them to the postseason. He’s also only 30 years old. Saunders isn’t flashy, but he’s a guys with 4 different pitches and is very efficient. According the ESPN’s Inside Edge, Saunders threw 3 or less pitches 68% last year while only 19% of his plate appearances went to 3 ball counts. He would be a good compliment to Sanchez, Hochevar, and Chen at the front of a rotation as he would provide stability and a pitcher with experience in leading a young pitching staff (and team) to the playoffs.

I wouldn’t hesitate to sign Oswalt to an 2-year deal for somewhere in the range of $18-$20 million or Saunders to a one or two year deal (1 year, $9 million/2 years $17.5 or $18 million). Both of these pitchers would be beneficial signings that not only will help your ball club now, but they either would give you good trade chips down the road if needed. 

I might add that the Royals do indeed have plenty of money to spend on one of these two or any other starter they might want to add. The Royals were last in spending last year as the Royals’ payroll was only $35,712,400 last year, or around $6.2 million less than the Tampa Bay Rays. In total (according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts) the Royals’ total payroll ended up being $38,176,000. You can take a look at the spreadsheet yourself here. That payroll includes the $11 million saved last year when Gil Meche retired and decided not to collect the payment of the last year of his contract.

Basically, the Royals have a lot of financial freedom right now. I realize that big reason why we have a small payroll is because the young guys are starting to break through. Translate that to inexpensive players. We do need flexibility to keep these guys like Hosmer, Perez, Gordon, etc..I get that. But at some point you have to take risk to improve your big league ball club. The Broxton signing is a perfect example of that. If he’s healthy, that is a steal and adds flexibility to the team. You can trade him if your out of at the trade deadline, or you can move Soria and put Broxton in the closers role.

I commend GMDM for sticking to the process, and in all honesty, I truly believe the process will be successful. But now is the time to go out and get a guy that can help your team win now while at the same time keeping the prospects in your system. Take a chance this off-season GMDM and improve your team.

Off-Season Effort

I must start on a sad note. As many of you heard, David DeJesus was traded away to Oakland this week for Vin Mazzaro and Justin Marks. While a lot of people will wonder who the winner/loser of this deal is, I think we'll have to wait and see. Dayton is usually hit or miss on these things. He hit on Brian Bannister, trading an inconsistent Ambiorix Burgos (who only pitched 23 innings after being traded) to the Mets for him. Dayton won that trade, as he got a consistent starter in return (though he may be gone to, as he is now a free agent). But he's also missed, missing on Mike Jacobs (now in the Blue Jays AAA) while giving up a good reliever in Leo Nunez (3.76 ERA in 133.2 IP). This trade will be important, but never the less it does give the Royals pitching more depth for when the explosion of talent hits in 2012. But here we are, once again seeing how how being a small market team kills us. DeJesus was never and probably won't ever be great or amazing, but he is a very solid and good player. More importantly, it's a leader in the clubhouse that's going to be missed. Which makes me think about the 2009 off-season.

Remember back to 2009. That was the year that the Royals were supposed to be one of the "surprise" teams to make some noise in the AL, with even some picking them to win the division. Man have times have changed, and so has our roster. Take a look what Opening Day Lineup for that year:

1) CF: Coco Crisp

2) LF: David DeJesus

3) 2B: Mark Teahen

4) RF: Jose Guillen

5) 1B: Mike Jacobs

6) DH: Billy Butler

7) 3B: Alex Gordon

8) C: Miguel Olivo

9) SS: Mike Aviles

      P: Gil Meche

The team that was supposed to bring back hope and prosperity to the Royals. Good defense with promising pitching expected to take the next step (Greinke did with a Cy Young to show for it), and Trey's "small ball" philosophy was supposed to take affect. I can still remember watching Mike Jacobs aim consistently at the party porch. Sadly, Mike Jacobs is now Royal-less (and in the Blue Jays minor leagues/free agent) as are many of the players that started Opening Day 2009. In fact, if we were to start our season tomorrow, the 2011 Royals opening day lineup would maybe look something like this:

1) CF: Gregor Blanco (.348 OBP with 10 SB in 85 Games with KC last year)

2)   C: Jason Kendall (.256 AVG, but only 45 K's, can move runners over)

3) 2B: Mike Aviles (Hit .304 last year, but primarily hit singles, 27 of 129 hits were extra base-hits)

4) DH: Billy Butler (Still managed to hit 45 doubles and .318 in a weak lineup)

5) 3B: Wilson Betemit (Hit .297 last year on a minor league deal, but only .253 in September/October)

6) LF: Alex Gordon (Will be on his last chance after hitting only .215 last year, looked comfortable at OF though)

7) 1B: Kila Ka'aihue (Hit .274 with 6 HR's and 18 RBI's in September/October. Possibly some playing time coming?)

8) SS: Yuniesky Betancourt (Had 16 HR's with 78 RBI's last year. He'll have a job if he continues that)

9) RF: Mitch Maier (Hit .263 last year in 373 AB's playing Center....oh and those 2 innings at 1B in Texas).

    SP: Zack Greinke (Still the Ace with a down year, posting an 4.17 ERA)

See, the one thing that David DeJesus could bring to this team that no-body else on this team could bring is leadership. He's been here on bad teams since 2004, going out everyday and doing his job and doing it well. Now there are veteran's on this team who can provide leadership and have been around the block, such as an Jason Kendall. Other than Kendall, there isn't a true leader on this team, or someone who can hit .318.

Which brings me to the rumors of Jeff Francoeur possibly becoming a Royal. If we had some legitimate power sources, I could understand bringing in a guy like Francoeur. But you don't. So with that said, there are other options that GMDM needs to look at before considering a reunion with another former Atlanta Brave:

• Adam Dunn 1B/OF/DH (.260 AVG, .360 OBP, 36 Doubles, 38 HR's, 103 RBI's with Washington): Now I know he's a top free agent and is looking for a pretty lucrative contract, but lets consider all things:
  - You were paying Jose Guillen a $13 million salary (Dunn made $12 million last year, $8 million the year before that). Why not allocate that money (with a little more length with it) to a guy who has proven he can provide offense
  - Speaking of offense and though he strikes out a lot (199 K's last year) he does hit at the plate
      - At least 38 HR's per year his past 6 years
      - At least 100 RBI's 6 out of his last 7 years (92 RBI's in the one year he didn't)
  - Though he strikes out, he does get on base (Career .381 OBP.)
  
  
• Vladimir Guerrero DH/OF (.300 AVG, 29 HR, 115 RBI with
  Texas): Vlad held an revival last year, and I was really hoping that the Royals would have made a push at Vlad last year while he could of been signed for cheaper than he'll cost this year. Not only that, if Vlad were to put up a good first half for the Royals, then he could have been great trade bait. We'll thankfully the Royals have another chance again to sign Vlad. Yes he's 36 next year, but it's clear that he can still hit and can provide veteran leadership for the Royals that could pay dividends now and down the road, whether its via a trade involving him or him mentoring other players. The fact is this, he's not a long term answer, but he is someone that can provide good protection for Billy Butler in the middle of the order. Would you rather face Butler with Guerrero hitting behind him or with Betemit? I don't think paying him $11 millions would be overpaying Vlad for 2 years.

 There are plenty of others out there, such as an Aubrey Huff, Adam LaRoche, or Nick Johnson that would be better options than Francoeur. He was a talented player early on in Atlanta, but he hasn't been able to regain his stroke since leaving there. He only had 65 RBI's in 503 Plate Appearances last year with Texas and New York. I don't see any of those numbers getting better in Kansas City where there's a lineup that is similar to New York's. The Royals need Power, but not just power. They need power that can either have plate discipline (can get on base via walk's, work the count) or that can also hit for average (be a good contact hitter with 2 strikes, can hit the ball the other way.) Basically the opposite of an Jose Guillen or Mike Jacobs.

I don't expect the Royals to get either Dunn or Vlad, even if they tried. But what I want to see is Dayton try. Make an reasonable offer to one of them, show us that he's committed to improving our team now as well. We know that he's committed to the future, and he's made it clear the minors are the most important. I agree with Moore, that you need to develop from within to be a consistent contender. But at some point you need to address what is the reality, a poor lineup that needs a real tune-up for next year. Make an effort this off-season Dayton. That's all I ask this off-season. Not at an Rick Ankiel, but at a proven, legitimate middle of the order hitter.

Who is Luis Mendoza?

On April 2nd, we saw one of the final bullpen spots get handed out to a young pitcher who has little service time. Luis Mendoza, literally hours before the Royals and the Rangers were about to play the first of 2 final exhibition games in Arlington to close out Spring Training, packed up his things and walked to the visiting team's locker room, suiting up for the Royals that night.

Mendoza, who is out of options, had to make the Royals or be put through waivers before he could be sent to the minors. Basically, he was in Anthony Lerew's situation. Lerew cleared waivers and was sent to AA Northwest Arkansas.


So with the solution set, why did Dayton Moore make this move for Mendoza? Cause he has a arm and good stuff in his pitches. His fastball runs about 94 MPH (Mendoza hit that high Saturday against the Red Sox) and has some movement, as well as a sinker, which when located well induces a good amount ground balls.

With that said, Mendoza doesn't have any other pitch. He worked hard at Rangers camp this spring on adding a curveball to his arsenal, but it is still in development, meaning he lacks a true "out" pitch.

Here are Mendoza's career lines (as of 4/12):

Major's: 4-9 with an 8.38 ERA in 34 Games (14 Starts); 119 Hits, 31 BB, 43 K's, .332 BAA, and a 18.1 WHIP in 82.2 IP.

Minors: 49-51 with a 4.58 ERA in 167 Games (153 Starts); 936 Hits, 263 BB, 454 K's, and a  1.43 WHIP in 835 IP.

Mendoza, originally drafted by the Red Sox, was predominantly a starter in the minors, and was slated to make the Rangers rotation as the 5th starter in 2008. So, the question is raised again, why did Dayton Moore make this move to add Luis Mendoza to his bullpen?

Maybe there is something that Dayton and the rest of the front office sees in Mendoza, but based off the two outings he's had so far, he has potential, but potential that can be worked on in the minors. There are times that trades are made that you just need to trust that the management made the right decision, or a development trade (such as Kyle Davies for Octavio Dotel in 07). Then there are times where management needs to admit they simply made a mistake and were wrong (Mike Jacobs for Leo Nunez). This is one of those times.

Who knows. Maybe Mendoza comes out and becomes a good pitcher down the line. But the fact remains that when you are traded for straight up cash, chances are that you are not major league ready or worth a spot on the 25-man roster. Also, what does this say about the veteran pitchers that were signed in the off-season that were battling for bullpen jobs, such as Byan Bullington, Brad Thompson or Josh Rupe to name a few? There's Blake Wood and Anthony Lerew (as previously mentioned), as well as the Rule-5 pick Edgar Osuna or Carlos Rosa, who has shown signs of progressing to become a good bullpen pitcher (4.56 ERA with 80 K's in 71 IP in Triple A last year).

You make trades that improve your organization. With that view in mind, I could see how this trade makes sense in helping to improve depth within the organization at pitcher. However, from watching Luis Mendoza pitch this year so far, it's only a matter of time until he is put on waivers in hopes of sending him to the minors, as Mendoza needs to work on throwing to his spots, and more importantly, pitching 1st pitch strikes. Right now, he has only only in 18 AB's made 8 first pitch strikes (44%). Compare that to John Parrish who though has faced less batters (10) has made 7 first pitch strikes to those batters.

Now obviously a good portion of the bullpen is in shambles right now. But when you look at the stats and contracts, it makes the most sense to bring up one of the veterans that were signed this off-season and send Mendoza down to work on control. Mendoza is still 26, so he still has time to become a quality reliever. But he will have a short-lived career at the major-league level if he isn't sent to the minors to work on location and control.

The Non-Tender Market for the Royals

By tomorrow at 11 PM central time, players who are non-tender candidates must be offered a contract by there team or they become a free agent. For those who don't understand how this works, a player is a non-tender candidate when they become arbitration eligible and his club determines he is not worth the salary he might command in arbitration. A player who is non-tendered becomes a free agent and may sign with any of the 30 Major League clubs, including his former team, at any price.

With that said, we could see plenty of quality players become free agents before Saturday night. The Royals have already cut two players who were non-tender candidates: 1B/DH Mike Jacobs and lefty reliever John Bale. Jacobs was a bust this year, hitting .228 with a OBP of .297 with 19 homers and 61 RBI in 478 plate appearances. Bale posted some of the worst stats of his career, posting a 5.72 ERA in 28.1 innings. Hitters also hit .296 off Bale, the second highest average of his career, as well as a .390 OBP. Expect C John Buck to join them on Saturday, a player who has continually not become the power hitter the Royals thought he would. Maybe a change of scenery would do him good.

Both of these players are gone, and by Saturday night, their will be plenty of others added to the free agent pool. The question for the Royals is their anybody worthy of going after if they are non-tendered? Here's a few that could fit in KC.

1. Kevin Correia, SP, San Diego Padres - Correia was a nice surprise for the Padres, posting a 3.91 ERA in 33 starts, pitching 198 innings with 142 K's. It was a nice bounce-back year for Correia, coming over as a free agent last year from the Giants on a minor league deal.

The Padres have already tried giving him a contract for next season, but Correia isn't excepting, meaning that unless the team trades him before tomorrow, he is expected to be non-tendered on Saturday. The Royals need to add depth to their pitching staff, an their is upside to the Royals going after Correia. He's 28 years old and has a little over 5 years of major league experience. He made $1.1 million this year, and though he'll get paid more than $1.1 million, the Royals should take a shot at getting a starter with experience that is fairly inexpensive.

Correia has a low 90's fastball, a good change-up and slider. Though none of his pitches are fearful to hitters, Correia has the makings of a good mid-to-low end starter, and should be on the Royals radar when he gets non-tendered Saturday..

2. Dioner Navarro, C, Tampa Bay Rays - Now we know that the Royals are on the Jason Kendall pursuit, but let's slow down a second. Navarro is coming off an down year, posting an .218 AVG with 8 HR and 32 RBI. The year before, The Rays went to the World Series, and Navarro hit .295 with an .349 OBP, 27 double's, and 54 RB as the primary catcher. In the 2008 postseason, he posted an .293 AVG.

Not only did he hit well that year, but he also posted an 3.90 ERA when he was behind the plate in 08 and a 4.18 ERA in 09. He threw out 38% of base runners in 08 and 27% in 09.

The Royals are looking for an catcher obviously, and since they aren't keeping John Buck or going to re-sign Miguel Olivo, they are need of a catcher, preferably one with major league experience.

Navarro is only 26 years old and has 5 years of service time under his belt. Wherever he is next year, I look for him to bounce back and have a good year, I would prefer the Royals to go after Navarro over a veteran like Kendall or Barajas.

UPDATE - They Royals have signed Jason Kendall to a two year deal....so kiss this idea goodbye.

3. John Maine, SP, NYM - If Maine was able to stay healthy, I don't think theirs a chance he would get non-tendered, and I still think that there's a good chance he would be back. But the Mets have been waiting on Maine to be the quality pitcher he's shown at times he can be. He's had arm issues over the past couple of years and posted a 4.43 ERA in 81.1 innings, starting 15 games and going 7-6. His best seasons were when Maine compiled a 21-15 record with a 3.75 ERA, 251 K's and holding hitters to a .223 AVG during the 2006-07 seasons.

Main will be 29 next year and has upside. If healthy, he has shown that he can be a quality starting pitcher in the major league level, but we will have to see how he comes back from injury. The Royals could use a pitcher like Maine to solidify it's rotation, and they may be able to get a good pitcher at a cheap price in Maine. I don't expect Maine to get more than $3 million at the most on the market, considering he is coming off of injury and made $2..6 million last year. We'll see what happens.

This is a short list, but there is some good options for the Royals to look at in the non-tender market to look at, especially before grabbing a Jason Kendall or a Mark Mulder.

Thanks to MLBtraderumors.com, Baseball-Reference.com, and ESPN.com for info.

Where do we ship you Jose Guillen?

I know that he's come out and said that he wants to play in Kansas City next year and claims he is healthy, but the fact of the matter is this: he is owed $12 million next year, he's 34, he's been bothered by injuries, and he's been a semi-cancer in the clubhouse. Every knows we are trying to trade him, mainly to get his contract off the books, and if I'm Dayton Moore I would be doing the same thing.

The fact is that if were going to trade Jose Guillen, were going to have to give a little up as well. As the old saying goes, "to get a little you have to get a little." So in a week were GM's are up way past their bedtimes making deals with free agents and other teams, I have a couple of ideas for how the Royals could unload Jose. They probably won't ever get discussed, but there just ideas.

1. Derek Lowe (ATL) for Jose Guillen and a minor league prospect (Tim Melville) - Now this deal wouldn't have KC really making cap room available, and I know Derek Lowe is 38, but this trade would give the Royals a solid top 3 of the rotation. Dayton is bud's with the trades, plus the Braves are looking for a OF power bat. This trade would force the Royals to go and sign or trade for an OF, preferably one with power. I've always liked Derek Lowe because he is a workhorse, and this trade would give depth to a pitching staff that desperately needs depth as well as experience. I put Tim Melville in this deal because I'm sure that the Braves would want some prospect in return with taking on Jose, and since the Royals have a lot of young pitching prospects, I could see them trading one of them (not necessarily Melville) in a deal like this, especially since the Braves would need to eat some money to make this deal work.

The Braves have also come out and stated that they aren't asking for a veteran bat for him and will eat money as well, which I'm sure the Royals would ask for, since he is owed $15 million over each of the next three years, and that would be one big reason that this deal more than likely could never happen.

2. Brendan Ryan and Kyle McClellan(STL) for Jose Guillen and Mike Aviles - I know others may still like Mike Aviles, but let's face the facts: the only role that he may have as far as playing time goes may be in Triple-A unless some gets hurt or stumbles. He's 29 years old and is already due to injury in a backup role. I'm not writing off Mike completely, but his best position is 2B and 3B, and that void is filled by 2 people right now in each position right now.

Seeing as St. Louis needs a 3B, Aviles may have a chance to make an run there. This trade could only happen also if the Red Birds don't sign Holliday or Bay, because they don't need a power bat as badly to protect Pujols if they get either one of those OF to come here. It would be a cheap return, a young IF with promise in Ryan, and good young reliever in McClellan, but this trade would give the Royals one much needed thing, that being money to spend.

3. Jeff Francoeur and Angel Pagan or John Maine,(NYM) for Jose Guillen and Alberto Callaspo - There have been rumors over the past couple of weeks of a Guillen for Luis Castillo swap, as well as a Guillen for Pagan swap, and this trade would be a good trade for both teams. For one, it would help out the Mets in giving them a solid hitting 2B in Callaspo, though you would be sacrificing defense by playing him. You also get a corner power bat that is a veteran bat to help balance that lineup out, especially with the losses of Gary Sheffield and Carlos Delgado. Jose could have chance to thrive in the 5 or 6 hole there in NY, as well as Callaspo who has proven he can hit in the 5, 6, and 7 hole by his stats last year.

Francoeur has been someone that Dayton Moore has wanted to get since the beginning of his tenure, as we even heard rumors of a Francoeur for Greinke swap (thank goodness that didn't happen), so I wouldn't see this as a surprise if we started hearing rumors involving those two in the coming months. The reason I put either Pagan or Maine in their is that the Royals need both pitching and OF help. Though I want him back, the Royals are ways apart in possibly re-signing Coco Crisp, and need an center fielder . Pagan could fill that role. Maine on the other hand would give the Royals a young starter looking to bounce back from injury. Remember, it was only about 3 years ago when the Royals got a quality young starter from the Mets for Ambiorix Burgos, that pitcher being Brain Bannister (a forgotten good move by Dayton).

One thing the Royals would have to do is eat some of Guillen's contract, but not all of it. This would most likely result in the Royals books being the same, as Francoeur and Pagan or Maine would add up to around Guillen's salary when you take in that the Royals may need to eat $6-8 million to make this work. The only other way that a trade like this works is if the Mets would want Castillo in this deal, to help contracts work.

Remember these are only ideas, but we'll most likely see Jose in RF next opening day. My hope is that we do ship Jose out of here and vamp up for the 2010 off-season, but I guess we should get ready for another season of Jose in right field. Get your Jose chants ready.