GO ROYALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bobbyhawks]

ESPN.com also indicated the other day that the Royals might be trying to move Coco Crisp (though this was just under the rumors section, so who knows).

I thought he was a free agent since we haven't picked up his option?  Pretty easy decision not to renew if you ask me.

[KCMax]

Yea, Crisp is a free agent. We're mildly interested in bringing him back at a much reduced rate but it sounds like other teams are much more interested. Which is why we're pursuing younger options like Pie and Gardner. But we're also supposedly linked to old man Scott Podsednik.

[phuqueue]

Ah, for some reason I thought he was a two year deal, and I definitely saw a blurb on ESPN (no longer have Insider, so I didn't click the link to read) about how the Royals were shopping him or something that indicated they actually expected to get something back for him.  May have misread it.

I'd rather bring back Crisp than go after Podsednik, frankly.  I wouldn't mind giving Pie a shot, though.  Young guy whose numbers have improved in each of his three seasons so far.  Same for Gardner.  Either one would be preferable to retaining Crisp.

[grovester]

2nd year was an option that we declined for 500k?

[KCMax]

2nd year was an option that we declined for 500k?

The option was to (a) pay him $8 million or (b) buy him out for $500k and let him be a free agent. They chose (b) which was the right choice. They are still free to sign him as a free agent. I imagine he'll get about $3-5 million on the open market.

Sad news - Tony Pena Jr. signs with the Giants. Ryan Lefebvre must be torn up.

[im2kull]

I can't see why anyone would want Coco Crisp.  Maybe 8 or 9 years ago, but anymore he's worthless.  Won't take chances on the run, which means he needs arm strength..which he lacks, meaning that every little pop fly he can't get to turns into an automatic double.  Can't even begin to mention how annoying it was to watch him field something on a bounce halfway deep in CF, and watch the baserunner walk their way from the plate to 2nd base because he lacks so much arm he won't even try to hold a single to one base.

[grovester]

The option was to (a) pay him $8 million or (b) buy him out for $500k and let him be a free agent. They chose (b) which was the right choice. They are still free to sign him as a free agent. I imagine he'll get about $3-5 million on the open market.

Sad news - Tony Pena Jr. signs with the Giants. Ryan Lefebvre must be torn up.

my question mark referred to the amount

[KansasCityCraka]

Royals give 2 year deal to C Jason Kendall.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/12/r ... ndall.html

[mgsports]

Gardner would be good and so would Melky or even Cody Ross.

[KCMax]

Royals give 2 year deal to C Jason Kendall.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/12/r ... ndall.html

I'm no John Buck fan but I really have a hard time seeing how this is an upgrade at all. Kendall will probably make as much as Buck would have, Kendall has trouble throwing out anyone just like Buck. I guess Kendall has a "rep" for being good with pitchers, but I don't think that's worth much to be honest. Kendall has a better OBA but basically no power. Buck was pretty good last year before he got hurt and is much younger. Hard to see what they figured here other than "we really don't like John Buck."

I'm guessing most fans will like this at first because Kendall seems "gritty" but will be calling for Kendall's head come May when walks turn into doubles because Kendall can't throw any basestealers out.

[Boognish]

As a general manager (in any team sport), you have 3 goals you are striving for with every personnel move you make. You won't often succeed at all 3 (no one said this was easy) but it's the definition of a perfect signing or trade.

1. Get Better.

2. Get Younger.

3. Get Cheaper.

The Royals signing of Jason Kendall fails all 3 benchmarks, one of them spectacularly.

[grovester]

Kendall's salary is backloaded according to the Star, seems they'll save a million in salary next year.  Not sayin' it's enough tho...

[phuqueue]

Not sure Kendall's as bad as you think.  He's definitely old, and his career .369 OBP has been more in the .330 range the past couple years (still, compare to Buck's career high of .308 in 2007), but the price is no more than would have been paid anyway, and it's tough to see the argument that this actually makes us worse than we were last year, unless you think Buck's .782 OPS in 09 was a sign of things to come and not just a fluke born out of restricted playing time.  I tend to assume, considering Buck has gone on hot streaks before and considering he's going to be 30 years old next season and considering his career OPS is .705, that he's as good as he's ever going to get and he's not going to post anything close to a .782 OPS as a full time starter over the course of an entire season.  Maybe he really will get better, but I don't think there's any reason at this point to assume so.

I'm not enamored of the Kendall deal by any stretch, so I don't want to come off too strongly apologist on it, but I don't see how this is any worse than a wash.  Maybe it fails big on the get younger point, but I'm not sure if you've noticed, but baseball isn't exactly awash with promising young catchers.  As long as Kendall doesn't block a legitimate prospect should the Royals ever manage to get one, I don't really see an issue.  Not like Moore was choosing between Kendall or Joe Mauer and decided he liked Kendall's track record more or something.  You can only sign the free agents that are there to be signed.  True, we wouldn't have gotten older if he hadn't signed anyone at all, but neither Buck nor Olivo are exactly kids anymore either, and there's little reason to believe either of them would have given better production than Kendall, for about the same amount of money as is being paid to Kendall.  Moore is just swapping out interchangeable parts here.  It's nothing to get excited about, but it's not damaging either.  Yeah, Moore should be trying to get better, younger, and cheaper, but there was no option on the table, including standing pat, which would accomplish any of those objectives.  It may be change just for the sake of change, but it's not particularly dangerous change.  Moore has made a bunch of pretty terrible moves, but this isn't one of them.  This one is just a whatever move.

[KCMax]

I don't think it makes us worse, but I don't think it makes us better either, and all things being equal, I'd rather go with the younger guy in Buck.

[WSPanic]

As a general manager (in any team sport), you have 3 goals you are striving for with every personnel move you make. You won't often succeed at all 3 (no one said this was easy) but it's the definition of a perfect signing or trade.

1. Get Better.

2. Get Younger.

3. Get Cheaper.

The Royals signing of Jason Kendall fails all 3 benchmarks, one of them spectacularly.

Completely unrealistic. I work in advertising, and I tell my clients - "Fast, cheap, good" -- pick two. My clients know they can't expect the highest quality work, in a short period of time at bargain-basement prices. If they want it fast/cheap - it probably won't be all that good. Likewise, if they want it cheap/great - it's going to take some time.

It's insane to think every player will be "cheaper, better and younger". And limiting yourself to that criteria would mean you wouldn't get anyone signed or via trade. So, you have "younger, cheaper, better" - pick two.

Kendall is significantly cheaper. Buck would be due $3.5-4m via arbitration. Kendall signed for $2m (less, if the contract is really back-loaded). Kendall also gets on base more than Buck and will  throw out a few more runners. It can certainly be argued he's a better defensive catcher than Buck.

I'm not a huge fan of this signing, but it's not a horrible decision in my opinion. Certainly not as bad as you paint it. Good leadership for the staff and B Pena. I like Buck - but he's close to 100 Ks every year and a sub .300 lifetime OBP.

[LenexatoKCMO]

It can certainly be argued he's a better defensive catcher than Buck.

How could he not be?

[WSPanic]

How could he not be?

Didn't want to overstate the caught stealing numbers - Kendall's aren't all that great (still a little better than JBs). But, to your point, for "catchers", Buck/Olivo weren't very good at catching the ball.

[KCMax]

Its not a big deal by itself, but Dayton has made a ton of "its not a big deal" moves that have been terrible.

Yuniesky Betancourt (Royals obligated for $7 million)
Yaz Yabuta ($6 million)
Juan Cruz ($6 million)
Coco Crisp ($6 million)
John Bale ($4 million)
Brett Tomko ($3 million)
Mike Jacobs ($3.2 million)
Willie Bloomquist ($3.1 million)
Ross Gload ($2.9 million)
Horacio Ramirez($1.9 million)

=$43.1 million, or more than they are wasting on Jose Guillen.

This is what is killing the Royals. I think DM has learned from the Guillen deal and what a blunder it was. And the Royals don't even have the financial abilities to make that mistake numerous times. But he hasn't learned at all that signing below replacement level players to multimillion dollars is an enormous waste of resources. Committing millions of dollars to Kendall in of itself isn't bad. Its that coupled with all the other dead money on the roster that is killing us. What is the point of having Kendall? He has zero upside. Get someone that is younger and cheap and has at least some upside. They may not be very good, but those players are easy disposable too. You keep getting young, cheap guys until you come across a diamond in the rough like they did with Raul Ibanez, Jeff Suppan, Joakim Soria. Getting a guy like Kendall does nothing.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Get someone that is younger and cheap. They may not be very good, but those players are easy disposable too. You keep getting young, cheap guys until you come across one that is good. Getting a guy like Kendall does nothing.

What young, cheap catchers that are even serviceable behind the plate are available these days?  If you are going that route, you might as well just declare Pena as the everyday starter.  $2m is nothing in modern baseball. 

[KCMax]

What young, cheap catchers that are even serviceable behind the plate are available these days?  If you are going that route, you might as well just declare Pena as the everyday starter.  $2m is nothing in modern baseball. 

Well, they committed $6 million to Kendall, and like I said, that adds up.

There are lots of young cheap catchers available all the time. They're just not considered good. But like I said, try em out, and you may stumble across one that turns out to be halfway decent. And playing Brayan Pena isn't the worst idea in the world. I think he would fall into that "cheap young" category.