Royals add Ben Zobrist

[darin617]

Looks like the Royals are going to keep adding pieces to try to make another run at the World Series. I guess that means Zobrist will most likely play 2B.

[TheLeviathan]

Be interesting to see if the return to Oakland matches what they paid to get him in the first place.

 

Love the idea of it by KC.

[TheLeviathan]

Sean Manaea and Aaron Brooks is what I just read.

[darin617]

Looks like 2 un-named pitchers at this point was the price to acquire Zobrist.

[minn55441]

I have always liked Zobrist.  this is a great move for the Royals.

[DaveW]

WOW, what an overpay for the Royals, Manea is a stud.

[gocgo]

Happy to see the Royals gobbling up the market.  We aren't looking to catch them anyway.  Biggest issue is that we have to play them.  More concerned with what Toronto (3 games back) is doing.  Tulo...not concerned as pitching is their issue.  Interesting that Detroit (4.5 games back) is not selling and wondering if that causes the White Sox to hesitate to sell as they are also (4.5 back).  In my perfect world, Detroit unloads what they have left from their lousy farm system and then misses out on the playoffs, loses Price in the off season and continues the downward spiral.  Let the White Sox spiral downward as well but continue to think that they are in the hunt.

[Seth Stohs]

Royals are going for it...

 

But man, Manaea could be great! Nice work by #OldFriend Billy Beane.

[James]

 

WOW, what an overpay for the Royals, Manea is a stud.

Yeah.  I was pretty amazed with how much they gave up.  Definitely an upgrade at 2nd though.

[Whammy]

 

Looks like the Royals are going to keep adding pieces to try to make another run at the World Series. I guess that means Zobrist will most likely play 2B.

 

What about the almost All-Star they already have at 2B? 

[Tibs]

The Royals have given up 5 SP prospects for rentals of Zobrist and Cueto.

[Seth Stohs]

 

The Royals have given up 5 SP prospects for rentals of Zobrist and Cueto.

 

Love it!!

[Brock Beauchamp]

Good for the Royals, good for the Twins.

 

The Royals aren't going to have much left in the farm when the dust settles.

 

Which is fine because this is their time to make a run at the prize.

 

It's also good for the Twins because a depleted Royals farm weakens the division going forward.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

The Royals have given up 5 SP prospects for rentals of Zobrist and Cueto.

Also known at "roughly double the haul needed to acquire Troy Tulowitzki".

[Tibs]

 

Also known at "roughly double the haul needed to acquire Troy Tulowitzki".

 

 

And Tulowitzki is signed through 2020 with a team option for '21.

 

 

 

[savvyspy]

 

Royals are going for it...

 

But man, Manaea could be great! Nice work by #OldFriend Billy Beane.

Zobrist is ALREADY great. Top 5 WAR since 09 for a position player. Solid defensively at multiple positions and a steady bat. I LOVE this trade for both sides. The Royals window is open now. Zobrist and Cuetto have to make them the favorites in the AL.

[tobi0040]

 

WOW, what an overpay for the Royals, Manea is a stud.

 

The irony is I made a post after the Cueto trade, that they didn't have much left.  The one guy I called out was Mannea.  He was a 1-1 candidate until people thought he was hurt and he has been healthy and productive.  For Zobrist?  Wow. 

 

We should be cheering these moves, not imitating them.

[Kwak]

 

The Royals have given up 5 SP prospects for rentals of Zobrist and Cueto.

I wonder how many of "those five" were already replaced in this June's draft?  Because every time I read about the Twins' selections--they acquired "several" pitching prospects--so I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Royals reload their "prospects" too.

[Mike Sixel]

Odds are one or two of those pitchers are ever good. I suppose if you want to b excited that maybe in three years KC won't have enough pitchers, that is your prerogative.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Odds are one or two of those pitchers are ever good. I suppose if you want to b excited that maybe in three years KC won't have enough pitchers, that is your prerogative.

That's one or two good pitchers Kansas City will not have going forward and it's a good thing for the Twins no matter how you look at it.

 

The Twins are eight games behind KC and we're not even at the deadline. The two teams are no longer in competition with one another unless they meet in the playoffs so if KC depletes their organization to go for it this season, that warrants some optimism for what the Twins could become in the near future.

[Whammy]

 

Odds are one or two of those pitchers are ever good. I suppose if you want to b excited that maybe in three years KC won't have enough pitchers, that is your prerogative.

 

Interesting point I think you indirectly made here....

 

When you deal 5 starting pitching prospects to get an impact SP and an impact everyday player, you can tell yourself.... "Well, one of them will probably turn out to be a good player, one of them will probably turn out to be an ok player, one of them will make the big leagues at one point but have no impact, and the other two will flame out."

 

Under that assumption it feels like a great deal(s) for the Royals. 

 

The scary part is when you are giving up one or two prospects and they MIGHT be the two that flame out or they MIGHT be the two that end up making a significant impact at the Major League level.

 

I guess my point is, the more deals you make for major league talent by giving up minor league talent, the better chance you have of coming out ahead. Lots of prospects never make it, so it's the law of large numbers. If you only make a minor deal or two, the odds of it biting you in the butt goes up a lot. 

[markos]

 

That's one or two good pitchers Kansas City will not have going forward and it's a good thing for the Twins no matter how you look at it.

 

The Twins are eight games behind KC and we're not even at the deadline. The two teams are no longer in competition with one another unless they meet in the playoffs so if KC depletes their organization to go for it this season, that warrants some optimism for what the Twins could become in the near future.

~10% of the Twins's remaining games are against the Royals this year. So these moves hurt the Twins playoff chances this year. 

 

Additionally, if the Royals have another deep run in the playoffs, the payroll increase supported by their success could easily replace the potential value lost from these trades in the 2017+ seasons. I would rather have the Twins compete in 2017 against a cellar-dwelling payroll Royals with Finnegan, Manaea, et al rather than a mid-market payroll Royals without them.

[TheLeviathan]

This move is like pursuing Cliff Lee in 2010.

 

Royals were right to do this, just as the Twins should have found a way to get that done.  I could care less how "depleted" their farm is.  Kansas City has been the ultimate example the last decade on how ridiculous our entire process is for rating and following farm systems to begin with.

[notoriousgod71]

 

Royals are going for it...

 

But man, Manaea could be great! Nice work by #OldFriend Billy Beane.

 

 

What Oakland gets is irrelevant because no one will be around long enough to contribute.

[Thrylos]

 

Also known at "roughly double the haul needed to acquire Troy Tulowitzki".

 

Are you sure about that?

[drjim]

 

This move is like pursuing Cliff Lee in 2010.

 

Royals were right to do this, just as the Twins should have found a way to get that done.  I could care less how "depleted" their farm is.  Kansas City has been the ultimate example the last decade on how ridiculous our entire process is for rating and following farm systems to begin with.

 

I come to the exact opposite conclusion with the last sentence. They developed a top farm system, let it marinate, and then traded from it as the core was coming together. Brilliant small market management.

 

Royals seem a poster team for exactly why it is NOT ridiculous to follow/rate a farm system.

[TheLeviathan]

 

I come to the exact opposite conclusion with the last sentence. They developed a top farm system, let it marinate, and then traded from it as the core was coming together. Brilliant small market management.

 

Royals seem a poster team for exactly why it is NOT ridiculous to follow/rate a farm system.

 

Except their farm didn't manifest in the way that was expected and they came about becoming one of the best teams in the AL in a bit of a strange way.  We make assumptions about how talented players are supposed to develop and debut and theirs did nothing of the sort.  And then we assume that teams have "depleted" systems all the time and they find all kinds of ways to add assets and improve.

 

We make way, way too much out of prospect rankings as a way to predict future success.

[Kwak]

As I recall, TD posters roasted KC for trading (all of those prospects) for Shields.  Voila` Shields is instrumental in KC reaching the World Series (I guess they had a few more good players posters didn't know about).  Also, the boasting that when Shields is gone--down the chute goes KC.  Oh, no! They build a team that quite like will win 100 games, their division (30 years waiting!) and are a solid favorite (nothings guaranteed of course) to return to the WS.  How long have Twins fans crowed about '91?--Since November '91 and counting.  I'll bet KC fans would do similarly if they win this season.  

[Mike Sixel]

Good point. They have up too much for Shields and would pay dearly when he left......That was the meme.

[drjim]

 

Except their farm didn't manifest in the way that was expected and they came about becoming one of the best teams in the AL in a bit of a strange way.  We make assumptions about how talented players are supposed to develop and debut and theirs did nothing of the sort.  And then we assume that teams have "depleted" systems all the time and they find all kinds of ways to add assets and improve.

 

We make way, way too much out of prospect rankings as a way to predict future success.

 

Uh, no.

 

Their C, 1B, 3B, LF, 3 key RP, 2 key SP all homegrown.

Their SS, CF acquired by flipping their best player (Greinke) before they were ready to compete.

Their 2B, key RP, key SP all acquired with prospects.

 

This is a classic model of building within and using a farm system correctly. One big trade, great farm system and supplement with some small free agents.

 

Exactly how the Twins are rolling if they are patient.