Kansas City Royals Christmas List For 2017

Dec 13, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers fan dressed as Santa Claus during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Royals are like everyone else this Christmas. They’re hoping Santa will leave exactly what they need under their Christmas tree.

Since we here at Kings of Kauffman know that Santa is a pretty busy guy this time of year, I thought I’d put together a little cheat sheet to help Santa get it right for our favorite baseball team.

Of course, we KC Royals fans have little to complain about. Santa pretty much got it right in December of 2013 and 2014. The Kansas City Royals won pennants in both the following seasons and added the franchise’s second World Championship in 2015. However, Santa apparently got a bit confused last winter and delivered a whole bunch of presents to another team in blue that resides in Chicago.

Oh, well. After 108 years, I suppose it was about time.

Of course, Santa isn’t the only Christmas icon that could help out the Kansas City Royals. The three spirits that visited Ebeneezer Scrooge could stage a rather useful  intervention at David Glass’s house. Perhaps, they could inspire Glass to open up the purse strings as prices fall on free agency. If Edwin Encarnacion is signing for three years and $60 million, then there’s a lot of lesser players that should almost fall within KC’s price range.

So, just what should Santa bring for our favorite team? Here’s my suggestions:

Apr 20, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas (8) is congratulated by left fielder Alex Gordon (4) after scoring against the Minnesota Twins in the eighth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City won the game 7-1. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

For Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Chris Young, And Kyle Zimmer:

A full season of good health. Each of these players missed significant time in 2016 due to injury. Though Gordon and Cain both played over 100 games, they struggled with injuries even when in the lineup for substantial parts of 2016. In fact, Alex Gordon didn’t regain the same “pop” in his bat until the final days of the season according to coach Rusty Kuntz—who gauged the sound of the ball off Gordon’s bat during batting practice. 

Mike Moustakas played a mere 27 games after tearing his Anterior Cruciate Ligament in a collision with Gordon on May 22. Meanwhile, Chris Young became the gopher ball king after suffering a sore forearm in early May. He never got back on track all season.

While I’m sure none of these players would accept injuries as an excuse for their performance declines in 2016, the drop-off was acute. In 2015, these four players combined for an impressive 16.9 bWAR. In 2016, the four produced only 3.5 bWAR.

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Add 13.4 wins to the Kansas City Royals 81 victories in 2016, and they would have made up the entire 13-game gap that allowed the Indians to win the A.L. Central title. Health for these four players would go a long way toward bringing the KC Royals back into contention in the American League.

Pitcher Kyle Zimmer has yet to appear in major-league baseball. However, few scouts around the league doubted his stuff as a prospect. Unfortunately, a series of shoulder and knee injuries have dogged him since he joined the organization in 2012. He hasn’t pitched more than 100 innings since 2013.

This winter, doctors diagnosed Zimmer with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome in his shoulder. He had surgery and is expected to be ready to go come Spring Training.  Maybe, just maybe, Zimmer can finally show the talent that caused the Royals to make him a first round draft choice in 2012.

C’mon, Santa. Surely you can find some ground unicorn horn somewhere in your inventory.

Sep 21, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer (35) celebrates with second baseman Whit Merrifield (15) and manager Ned Yost (3) after scoring a run during the third inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

For Eric Hosmer And Whit Merrifield:

An exchange of batted ball profiles. Eric Hosmer is a 6’4″ 230 pound first baseman that hit 58.9% of his batted balls on the ground last season. That’s not very good when you have a 93.7 mph average exit velocity, which was the 14th highest in MLB last season. Meanwhile, Whit Merrifield is a 6’0″ 195 pound middle infielder with speed that hit 44.7% of his batted balls on the ground in 2016.

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Something’s wrong here. It’s Merrifield that has the quickness to beat out ground balls for hits, and Hosmer that sports over-the-wall power.

Time for the ol’ switcheroo. Hey, Santa, this one is easy. All you need to do is swap batted ball profiles, not a complete body swap like Freaky Friday. I know Merrifield is trying to bulk up this winter to hit the ball with more authority. But, hitting it on the ground and (perhaps) improving his on base percentage will still let him win a job at second base.

On the other hand, if Hosmer can hit 29.8% fly balls like Merrifield did in 2016, then he might surpass the 30 dinger barrier in 2017. Heck, Hosmer could become a true cleanup hitter if he could elevate the ball on a regular basis.

C’mon Santa, this one isn’t that hard.

Sep 2, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals athletic trainer Kyle Turner and manager Ned Yost (3) take a look at catcher Salvador Perez (13) after an injury in the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium. The Tigers won 7-6. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

For Salvador Perez:

One Bromance Potion. This potion is able to make any two teammates begin an intense bro-affair that transforms them into BFFs. Perez could slip it into the drinks of a starting pitcher and backup catcher Drew Butera. That way, the pitcher would insist his bro become his personal receiver, giving Perez a break every fifth day.

So much for overuse. Take that Ned Yost!

Seriously, 26-year-old Salvador Perez has been catching way too many games. He’ll play next season at 27, and isn’t getting any younger. At some point, Ned Yost is going to have to find ways to take wear and tear off Perez’s body, or turn his four-time Gold Glove receiver into Joe Maurer (who now plays first base for the Twins).

Hey, Perez’s numbers have declined in the second half three years in a row. The slide was particularly acute in 2016. Perez smashed his way to a .283/.318/.500 start before the All-Star break. Afterwards, Perez hit a mere .201/.248/.357.

Something needs to get done. Rather than trust Ned Yost to protect Perez’s legs, I’m asking Santa to intervene. Ho Ho Ho! Now that’s what I’d call a Merry Christmans.

May 14, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar (2) celebrates with right fielder Paulo Orlando (16) after scoring during the first inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

For Alcides Escobar And Paulo Orlando:

A sprinkle of dust from the BABIP fairy. Alcides Escobar enjoyed his best season in 2012, when he slashed .293/.331/.390 driven by a .344 Batting Average Balls In Play (BABIP). Meanwhile, Paulo Orlando generated a .302/.329/.405 season in  2016. His BABIP was an outrageous .380.

The fact is, I don’t think either player can rate as an above average hitter without a lot of batted balls falling unusually well for them.

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Hey, if you believe that a guy riding around in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer wants to give you presents on December 25, then you’re not going to doubt that the BABIP fairy exits. Why shouldn’t they? Both Escobar and Orlando enjoyed strong seasons when their batted balls regularly missed fielders over an entire season.

Why can’t it happen again in 2017?

 For Ian Kennedy And Jarrod Dyson:

A repeat of 2016. Both players enjoyed better-than-expected seasons in 2016. Kennedy went 11-11, with a 3.68 ERA, good for 4.1 bWAR in 2016. Jarrod Dyson slashed .278/.340/.388 with 30 stolen bases in 337 plate appearances. Dyson added 11 outfield assists along with his typical outstanding range in center. Overall, it all added up to a career-high 3.1 bWAR season.

Really, neither player could have expected things to go much better than they did in 2016. Thus, both would be quite happy with a repeat in 2017. I’d take 7.2 WAR from those two players anytime, and run to the bank to deposit the wins.

Aug 16, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Joakim Soria (48) sits in dugout during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

For Joakim Soria:

A vial of water from Lethe. For those of you who didn’t study Greek mythology in school, the waters of the river Lethe makes you forget.

In Joakim Soria’s case, 2016 sucked so bad he’s better off if he didn’t remember it. Of course, it would probably be better if the entire baseball world simply forgot about his 2016 season in which he blew 13 leads. Though Soria’s 4.05 ERA was slightly better than league average, his -2.13 Win Probability Added was the second worst mark among relievers in MLB. Ouch.

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Win Probability measures what Soria does to his team’s chances to win in each of his appearances. If you decrease your team’s chances to win in a particular game by 20%, you get a -.2 Win Probability Added (WPA) for the game. The Kansas City Royals would have been about two games better off if Soria had never played in 2016.

That’s really bad.

For Matt Strahm And Josh Staumont: 

Three years of maturity. Matt Strahm will play next season at age 25, while Staumont just turned 23. Both will be considered rookies next season, despite Strahm’s 22.0 inning stint with the big club last season. Staumont has yet to play higher than AA.

Yet, the KC Royals would like both players to fill significant roles in 2017. Strahm could either become the no. 5 starter or a key set-up man for closer Kelvin Herrera. Meanwhile, Kansas City would love it if Staumont can harness his command well enough to zoom past AAA and be ready for bullpen duty in the second half of 2017.

Staumont’s stuff is electric. He pairs an 80 grade fastball with a nasty curve and developing slider. While the organization hopes he can find enough command to start, his stuff is so good Staumont could conceivably provide significant value as a reliever in 2017. With both Wade Davis and Greg Holland missing from the team’s famed “HDH” trio that carried KC to the 2014 World Series, the Royals could really use some homegrown replacements.

Sep 29, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Drew Butera (9) makes a visit with starting pitcher Danny Duffy (41) in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

For Danny Duffy And Eric Hosmer:

The stamina to repeat three months of 2016 performance over the entire 2017 season. Yes, I know I’m asking for TWO presents for Eric Hosmer. But, hey, some players could use more help than others. From May 15 to August 21, Danny Duffy utterly dominated hitters with a 2.61 ERA in 19 starts. He struck out 126 in 120.2 innings while the KC Royals won 16 of those 19 games.

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If Duffy could repeat that over a full season, he’d be a Cy Young candidate.

Eric Hosmer slashed .299/.355/.476 with 13 home runs and 49 RBIs in the first half of 2016. He crashed to .225/.296/.380 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs after the All-Star break. Enough said. Both Hosmer and Duffy are in the walk years of their contract, and could use a nice send-off to capture value in free-agency.

Oh, yeah. And big contract years could help the Kansas City Royals win a title.

I don’t know about anyone else, but if Hosmer and Duffy could help the KC Royals add another championship flag in 2017, I could live with losing both of them next winter. I wouldn’t be happy, but a another World Series would be well worth it.

For Jorge Soler And Cheslor Cuthbert:

Regular playing time. I know it looks like both players will already get that gift in 2017. But, hey, who wants to take chances? All kinds of bad things can happen in the baseball universe. Injuries. PEDs Suspension. Sudden insanity striking Dayton Moore and Ned Yost causing them to bring back Jeff Francoeur and Yuniesky Betancourt.

Soler needs regular at bats to meet his potential both in the field and at the plate. His 70 grade power, and range that should become at least average with improved routes need reps to manifest themselves. Meanwhile, Cheslor Cuthbert could use some DH time to build upon a hopeful rookie year at the plate without worrying about his suspect defense.

Sep 28, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jason Vargas (51) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

For Jason Vargas:

An ironclad guarantee that his repaired Ulnar Collateral Ligament will hold up for a full season in 2017.

That’s really all the soon-to-be 34-year-old Jason Vargas needs. If he could replicate his only healthy year in Kansas City, both he and the Royals brass will be quite happy.  Vargas went 11-10 in 2014 with a 3.71 ERA in 187.0 innings. After coming back from elbow surgery in 2016, Vargas held opponents to an impressive 2.25 ERA in 12.0 innings. As long as Vargas’ elbow holds up, he figures to have a nice walk year in 2017.

For Christian Colon:

One gift certificate to rebuild his entire offense game at Mac N’ Seitz batting cage in Kansas City. Christian Colon was supposed to be a bat-first middle infielder that could move rapidly through the minor-league system when the Kansas City Royals made him the no. 4 overall pick of the 2010 draft.

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However, Colon’s bat has never really translated from college to professional ball. Instead, Colon is now a soon-to-be 28-year-old player who will never be more than a fringe guy unless he can figure out some kind of new approach at the plate.

Six years ago, Alex Gordon was a former no. 2 overall pick who managed to pull off such a feat with help from former KC Royals hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. If Seitz did it once, maybe he can do it again.

For Billy Burns:

A Jarrod Dyson voodoo doll to stick pins into that gets Dyson traded. Pretty much the only way that Burns sees any significant playing time in KC is if Jarrod Dyson gets either traded or hurt. Getting hurt isn’t much good for the team, so I hope Burns’ doll makes someone overpay for Dyson.

For Drew Butera:

A potion that nullifies the invisibility cloak that he’s been trapped under the last year and a half. Really, that’s about the only good explanation I can come up with for why Ned Yost hasn’t used Butera more when he hit a career-high .285/.328/.480 last season. Oh. And some hair vitamins to keep those flowing locks healthy can’t hurt.

Sep 6, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Kelvin Herrera (40) pitches in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 10-3. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

For Kelvin Herrera:

Whatever Wade Davis and Greg Holland have been drinking for the last four seasons. Really, Herrera could use the same moxie that helped Greg Holland and Wade Davis close out games for the Kansas City Royals.

For Hunter Dozier And Jorge Bonifacio:

The patience to wait your turn. With the mass exodus of talent coming after 2017, you’ll have plenty of chances to earn a starting job in Kansas City come 2018.

For Raul Mondesi:

A full season at AAA Omaha to develop your bat. Raul, your raw tools are fabulous. You can be a terrific player, but you need polish. Your offense especially needs help. You’re just not ready to hit against major-league pitchers. Letting you get your brains beat in with the big club probably won’t help your development and certainly won’t help Kansas City’s win total.

However, you can always return in the playoffs as a bench player. Your tools can win post-season games when managers can afford to carry fewer pitchers.

There you have it, Kansas City Royals fans. If Santa is good to our favorite team, it can be a very merry 2017 season.