Too Many Outfielders In KC

The Royals have a Cub-like situation - five outfielders.  You've got the injury-prone guy who still might have something left (Cliff Floyd/Reggie Sanders), the rookie stud who needs to play every day (Felix Pie/Billy Butler), the developing, pre-arb solid guy (Matt Murton/Mark Teahen), and the veteran league average guy (Jacque Jones/Emil Brown).  I couldn't think of a clever link between Alfonso Soriano and David DeJesus though.

Since the injury-prone guy is often on the DL, that leaves the Jones/Brown type as the one to trade.  The Cubs haven't had any luck finding the right deal for Jones, though.  And the Royals would probably have to eat most of Brown's contract to move him.  Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star says a release is possible.

The Royals at least have the DH spot to fill the gaps, if and when Mike Sweeney lands on the DL.  But I still don't get the Butler call-up.  Unlike the Cubs, the Royals don't have a shot at the playoffs.  Their outfield doesn't need Butler's defense.  Why start his clock early?  It would've made more sense to play Brown every day in left and hope for a couple of 3 HR, 15 RBI type months from him.  Then you find a little more desperate team in June or July and get a decent arm in return.  Now that Butler's up, there's no chance to build up Brown's trade value.

Comments

[registereduser]

I totally agree. I CANT BELIEVE they would start his arbitration clock this year.

Why not wait til september to call him up? You can let him develop more playing him every single day in AAA. And I bet a desperate team will give you at least a marginal RP for Brown if they would have leveraged a trade for him instead of platooning him. THIS TEAM HAS NO CLUE.

[firesticks]

Actually it's called they want to be competitive. Butler is instantly one of the best bats on the team. There's a good chance he's back down when Shealy is ready to go.

[Guitar Hero]

I agree, considering I have Emil Brown on my fantasy team. But they had so many outfielders, why waste Butler's service clock time now?

They also have a glut of 1b/dh guys to an extent. Ross Gload, Mike Sweeney and Ryan Sheely, though currently injured and struggling, I guess split up 1b/DH, but Gload was said to be an outfielder earlier in the year.

[jdt58]

Cubs...playoffs? Are you kidding me???? The cubs have no chance at making the playoffs even with a weak central. I actually might have pulled for them had they not gone out and blew $300 million instead of developing their own talent; something have not done since the beginning of time (minus a couple pitchers who's arms fall off.) Look at yesterday's boxscore, not one starting position player came up through the cubs system....and a big suprise, their starting pitcher was a product of another team.

Soriano-Yankees
Floyd- Expos
Lee-Padres
Rameriez- Pirates
Barrett- Expos
Jones- Twins
Derosa- Braves
Izuturis- Dodgers
Lily-Expos

Until the cubs develop some legitimate talent, spare me on the cubs are a contender conversation.
Even the evil empire yankees have 3 regular position players developed by their own system.

[DentalPlan]

Competitive? He's not going to make them competitive. Look at the Marlins - they waited to start the service clock on Miguel Cabrera, they won the World Series that year, and they've had him cheap for what seems like forever.

Why are teams being so stupid with the service clock? Pissing away a whole season of cheap play and putting off free agency for another year in exchange for what, 5 weeks? That's dumb, doubly so for teams without a hope of contending.

[TimmyD]

Really you couldn't find a comparison between Soriano and DeJesus when you manufactured one for Teahen-Murton. Are you kidding me? There isn't one GM in baseball that would take Murton over Teahen. Other than being 25, they have nothing in common. Teahen can play all over the field, hit for power, and steal a base. Murton can leg out an infield single. Get off the blog and watch a game.

[davearm]

Wow so many critical yet uninformed comments in here.

KC isn't losing a year of Butler by starting his service clock in May.

It's already too late in the season for Butler to accumulate the full year of service time that would be necessary to move up his free agency by a year.

[Slayer]

Actually they have lost a year by starting his service time now.

You are correct in knowing that even if Butler stays with the team all season that he still won't acquire the 172 days needed to make a full season...however, what happens if he doesn't stay with the team all season and gets sent back down? The Royals will then have already started his clock and have fewer options for latter seasons.

Since the Royals are not competing, what is the harm in letting a young guy like Butler slug away in AAA until September. That way, if need be, he only acquires 20 or so days on his service clock and then next season, he can be brought up about this time and STILL play the season without having to worry about going over the limit of 172 days of service time.

It makes even less since, when the Royals have a guy like Shane Costa hitting very well in AAA too.