Royals Rumors: German, Furcal, Farnsworth

i hope the yankees get gathright as a pinch runner

If Furcal takes four years from the Royals to finish up his career as a loser over the Dodgers offer which if he is healthy would pay him similar money, Furcal is either...

A) A Loser

B) Injured

C) A Loser and Injured

No one wants Jose Guillen...

MikeClarke-
Angry much?

But, to be fair, Guillen was a lot better in 2003 - 2005 and 2007.

Def was much better and if the Royals chipped in 3 mil a year...he'd be alot more attractive. I honestly think that the low OBP was a fluke. In a lineup with a little more protection you mite see #'s along his career line. .280 25 HR 90 RBI .335 OBP Id have to think the Braves would be happy with that...plus theyd get there ace who is making league min

"Therefore, they're not looking to improve, hence the need for a good replacement pitcher like Hanson."

I meant to say not looking to rebuild.

Surely someone will take some kind of Guillen deal.

Don't even ask for anything back. Trade him for a PTBN.

Or, maybe ownership will be sympathetic and allow us to stretch things for a little while because it would be such a good move for the franchise.

Yes!

You would be angry too if your team was run by Ned Colletti...

I don't know why these Braves fans keep thinking they can get Greinke, especially without trading Hanson or Heyward. It's really a laugher because it shows how much they undervalue Greinke. If they feel Greinke isn't worth Hanson/Heyward plus Escobar, then how do you think he is going to be your ace. Just saying these Greinke to Braves rumors have got to die. Guillen likely isn't going anywhere and I guarantee he's going to have a better year this year, which means 25 HR's - 100 RBI's - and a hight Avg. and OBP. All the Royals have to do is find a way to continue to improve over the next 2 years and then Hosmer, Moustakas, Melville, Cortes, etc. will be up along with Gordon, Butler, Hochevar, and hopefully Zach Greinke locked up. Factor in Soria, and this team could be dangerous for several years+. Why would we trade Greinke if we aren't going to get top prospects in return, just to get rid of Guillen's contract? Wake up Braves fans, I thought you guys were more realistic than that.

KCRoyals087,

You must be really stupid because this is the last we heard from DM on the issue...

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/royals/story/929878.html

“One thing about Zack Greinke is when he pitches, it covers up a lot of holes on our team. So if we move him, we have to get players back who fill the holes that he covers up.”

At no point does DM say that he wouldn't entertain any offers for Greinke or that a trade with the Braves wouldn't be possible, he just shot down rumors of any discussion between the higher ups of either franchise.

Honestly, I think the Braves have the pieces to at least make the Royals consider a deal. If they could get a deal headlined by Hanson or Escobar and a guy like Rohrbough, I think they'd at least discuss internally what else they'd need to feel comfortable with a deal. I'd put the odds of any Grienke deal at less than 5%, but I don't think its unthinkable.

no matter what article says the royals are not gonna give greinke up...

Which is why this was part of my first post...

"he just shot down rumors of any discussion between the higher ups of either franchise."

As he said, up to that point there had been no serious discussion. The Braves were pursuing Burnett as their front of the rotation starter at that point. Now that they're looking around again, they may very well call DM to inquire about Greinke and from the indications he's given he'll listen to what they have to say before hanging up.

Seriously man,do you have to be so aggressive on a baseball trade rumor blog?

As an Angels fan I love watching Guillen screw himself. What a *&^%$ idiot!

Oh, Nixa got his feelings hurt. Can anybody say passive aggressive. How would you expect Royals fans to react. Have you ever listened to or watched a Royals game? Greinke can ring 'em up with the best of them. He's not perfect, but he has proven durable and dominant. Atlanta would have to give up a ton to get him, regardless of your humble opinion.

Grover'sRoyals,

Where did I act like I got my feelings hurt? Your fellow KC fan decided to call someone stupid for suggesting Greinke may be available, saying that DM had come out and said it wasn't happening...when in fact DM said no such thing and the most recent article regarding the subject, which came from a KC writer, suggested exactly what the other Braves fan was suggesting.

I think Greinke would be a great addition to any team and I've never suggested otherwise. He certainly hasn't proven himself to be "elite" yet (by that I mean top 5-10 in baseball), but he's probably one of the 10 best pitchers in the AL and could continue to get better.

You say "Atlanta would have to give up a ton to get him, regardless of your humble opinion." When did I ever suggest otherwise? Do you not consider Escobar (top 10 SS under control cheaply for 5 years), Francoeur (whatever...DM likes him and he has upside), Rohrbough (really high ceiling LHP; borderline top 100 prospect), Schafer (Sickels ranks him as a B+ and BP has him as 4 stars...definitely top 100 prospect and maybe top 50), and a young back of the rotation SP with #3 upside in Reyes or Morton to be a ton? That would actually be a good deal more than the Braves were willing to give the Padres and they'd be assuming Guillen's contract.

Just to put a few of those guys in context, Schafer's B+ grade from Sickels would place him 3rd in the Royals organization behind only Hosmer and Moustakas. Rohrbough's B grade is equal to the Royals current 3rd through 8th rated prospects and he would have arguably the highest ceiling of the group.

He had the 10th best ERA in the AL last year...I don't think I'm drastically underrating him by saying that he's a top 10 pitcher in the AL.

I think Royals fans are underrated the fact that Greinke is only under team control for 2 more years. Now if they're convinced that resigning him is just a formality then there is no real reason to trade him. If not, getting 5 years of a very good SS, a borderline top 50 prospect, a borderline top 100 prospect, and other pieces might be interesting.

You have to realize that just moving Guillen has to be seen as a net positive for the Royals. No one would actually give him 24 million over 2 years after the season he had last year, so why would they trade a prospect to trade for Guillen when that's what he's owed? The only suggestions I've made have been of the 5-7 for 2 variety, with Guillen being essentially a salary dump.

Honestly, given the choice between Peavy and Greinke over the next 5 years I'd probably take Greinke. The only problem is that Greinke is currently only signed for 2 years (compared to 5 for Peavy), so that limits his value to an extent (as Peavy's NTC limits his value to an extent). I don't think we really disagree about his value on the field. If the Royals can get him to sign long term they should be all over that.

The type of pitching prospect you're talking about rarely gets traded anymore, especially for a guy that's only locked up for 2 more years. In the Braves case asking for Hanson is a non-starter and I hope it will stay that way. The trade I proposed would give the Royals a young, proven top 10 SS signed for almost nothing for his age 26-30 seasons, a CF in Schafer that is near ML ready and was rated as a top 25 prospect last season, and a SP with as high of a ceiling (#2 starter) as any of the Royals current pitching prospects. That would do something to address 3 things you list as major needs.

If the Braves were to include Hanson in a deal, it would likely come at the expense of any other top end talent. I'm guessing at least Escobar would be off the table, and Schafer and Rohrbough might be as well.

The thing you have to realize is that Greinke going into free agency isn't going to net you a couple of top prospects. Look no further than the Johan Santana and CC Sabbathia deals. You can get a couple of pretty good prospects for 1 year of an ace or 1 very good prospect and not much else.

"The thing you have to realize is that Greinke going into free agency isn't going to net you a couple of top prospects."

I'm guessing Greinke will be a Type A Free Agent and if he refuses aribitration the Royals would indeed pick up high-level draft picks.

I agree with keeping Guillen considering he led the Royals in homers, RBI, and total basses, in a down year it would be worth keeping him.
I'll admit 12 mil a year is alot of money for the guy but if he can give us .270/25/100
he's worth it.

Instead of moving Guillen I think what the Royals should
trade Teahen for a bag of baseballs and a ham sandwich
thus clearing up the mess in the outfield and saving 3 mil,
and forget about Furcal and sign Ty wigginton to play 2nd and move Aviles to SS.

Considering Furcal is coming off a back injury a four year
contract for 40-44 mil seems really high.
Witch is why I think they should go after Wigginton who hit .285/.350/.526 with 23 homers and 58 RBIs for only 6 mil, now I know he will get more then that on the open market but it would probably be only like 2-3 mil more and I would take him at 8-9 mil then pay 10-11 mil for a possible question mark in Furcal.

Furcal only wants 4 years if he can get $13M per. If he's only getting $9 or $10, he'll go to a team offering him more money for shorter time.

Reds need a right-handed slugger. Obviously Bailey would not be involved in this package, and the Royal would need to eat A LOT of the salary....unless they wanted to extend to include Grenkie.

Bailey, Thompson, Stubbs, Malony and another prospect could net us both of those players.

trading for ty wiggington doesn't sound like a bad idea but aviles would need to progress at ss in order to make the move worthwhile, aviles can hit but his fielding was lacking at times he is probably better suited as a 2nd baseman, moving wiggington to 2nd from 3rd sounds like a stretch as well, but his 23 hr in 08 would be a welcome addition to the anemic hitting that allowed guillen to lead the team in homers in 08. teahen and guillen are a wash one is old and getting worse one is young and not getting much better but i do love a good ham sandwich.

Nixa, are you telling me that Aviles is not as good as Escobar? Really? Are you telling me that guys who prove they can hit at the major league level are not as valuable as "prospects"? Also, I doubt seriously that Schafer will have the career Guillen has had. I get the value of years before free agency, but that doesn't translate to performance during that time. It just means time before the player becomes a free agent and I don't want a player just because he won't hit free agency for awhile. I want a player who is going to help us win games. I think the time before free agency is important, but overrated. It is a way to try and bring down the value of a player. If time available for free agency were to carry such a huge weight, just draft and develop guys and don't trade for them. The Royals are not in a stage where they are slashing and burning the current roster. They are preparing to compete and it will take a couple years, but if they let Greinke go just for guys who have more time before they become free agents, then that is opposite of what Dayton Moore is doing here. Anytime, you trade a high caliber proven Major League pitcher, you better get can't miss prospects who will be ready to go within a short time frame (at least in the Royals situation). And to trade one or two guys for five or six, I'd rather see two top level prosects who are just a year or two away, if not sooner. Greinke is definitely worth that in my opinion. Greinke would likely start around 70 games in two years for the Braves out of 324. If Hanson or Heyward had played at the major league level and done anything, I would think differently, but they haven't, so I don't. Escobar is a good player, but to get a guy like Greinke, who would probably become an all-star in Atlanta and compete for the Cy Young, I just don't think it is a risk KC should take without knocking the trade out of the park. I don't care how many B rated guys you give us. Besides, I don't think it will happen this season anyway. Greinke and Guillen will be HUGE factors in how this team does in 2009 and since we are trying to compete now and not put it off for another 3 years, there is no reason to trade him unless you are overwhelmed. From other Royals fan's opinions, it would take Hanson/Heyward and Escobar to do that.

"I would rather have another #1 pick than the garbage we got for Dye or Damon."

I agree with what you're saying Grover just would like to point out that if the team who signs him has a 1-15 pick it is protected and we could slip to their 2nd round pick. 1st round pick is not guaranteed.

Grover'sRoyals,

Are you seriously trying to argue that Aviles is better than Escobar because he has done more to prove he can hit at the ML level? Ummm...Escobar has approximately twice as many ABs at in the majors with comparable offensive numbers. He is more proven than Aviles. Aviles had better offensive numbers, but that was due in no small part to an unsustainable .359 BABIP. Escobar is also far more proven defensively, already garner a 3rd place finish in the Fielding Bible in his first full season. Aviles may not even be a full time SS.

I also like how you're looking for can't miss prospects that will be ready to contribute within a season or two. You mean like Jordan Schafer, who already hit well at AA and will compete for a roster spot in spring training? You mean like a SS that has already proven he is one of the 10 best in the game? Those two area exactly the sort of guys you are talking about. Throw in a young ML ready starter (Reyes/Morton) and a real high ceiling starter that's probably 2 years out along with some other pieces and you have a bug haul.

Heyward and Hanson are just clearly not available. The Braves wouldn't discuss moving either one to the Padres for 5 years of Peavy without Escobar involved in the deal. Clearly no consideration would be given to a deal for two years of Greinke that required one of those two along with Escobar.

You say you don't care how many B rated guys you get in a trade as if that is a bad thing. B rated guys are pretty highly rated prospects. As I mentioned earlier, the Royals currently only have 2 guys that rank higher than a B in their entire system. Even a guy like Tommy Hanson only got a B+ (same as Schafer).

You admit it will take a few years for the Royals to really compete and Greinke will hit free agency before that happens. If the Royals are confident they can sign him, then clearly they shouldn't entertain any thoughts of moving him. If not, getting pieces that will be ready to contribute in 2-3 years when the Royals are really ready to compete might not be a bad idea.

nixa you are like my little brother: obstinate and a pest. You don't understand that they are PROSPECTS! The Royals had one of the best prospects in the game in A. Gordon and what has he done? Didlly squat. Prospects arent proven players. Granted Escobar is proven but in what means? He has played one season in the bigs where he hit .288. .288 for a guy who can win 20 games with a better offense? Are you out of your mind? You would absolutely have to blow DM away for him to even consider it. Aviles hit .325 in 100 less AB. IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE. Get off your braves high horse and snap back to reality. You guys aren't getting Greinke unless the trade looks like this.

ATL gets: Greinke
KC gets: You entire farm system.

Maybin and Miller both project as studs at their positions. But that is a good point nixa. I don't get why these blogs keep rising up from the dead though. Greinke isn't getting traded this off season.

Ok, my thoughts are if Greinke were getting traded, it would have happened by now because as you all may know, a player on the block has a higher value in the first week of trades. I would say Greinke has about a 30% chance of being traded, and if he were to get traded, DM should ask for more than prospects, preferably a legit 1st baseman or a middle infielder, (lets face it, we DONT have a legit 1st baseman even though we've got a thousand of them)I still say why is Greinke on the block rather than Meche? I dont want either of them on the block, but if we are trying to trade one of our best starting pitchers, wouldnt you want to trade the older one with less upside? I know he has a lot less value, but it makes as much if not more sense than trading Greinke. In my opinion, SP is the most important position on the field and the royals need some of their prospects to pan out. Greinke is a great SP prospect who DID pan out!! Isnt that what we want from our 1st round picks?!?!? It is insane to trade this guy away, ESPECIALLY if we sign Furcal. Furcal gives us the offense we would be looking for in a Greinke trade and we dont have to give anything up for him. (Yeah, yeah, money but who gives a damn about money in baseball, theres no salary cap so we as fans shouldnt care about money spent on players)

As a royals fan, I am sick of the royals doing things half way every year. They need to put the whole puzzle together and make a serious run at this thing. Prove that they can committ to winning. Unfortunatly, they have put themselves in a potition where the good players don't want to be there and they will have to overpay to sign good players on the market.

Keep the good ones, sign good ones and make a run NOW.

If you win, they will come....