Royals rebuild in '95

Kansas City, MO -

The 1995 season was a season of change in Kansas City. Following an exciting 1994 season that saw our hometown team just three games out of the postseason, fans were hopeful that the 1995 edition of the Royals would break through and end a nine year postseason drought. However, the baseball gods had other ideas, and the team’s hopes faded with David Cone’s torn back muscle in Spring Training.

Despite the injury, team brass stayed the course, and the team hovered around the .500. It quickly became apparent that the team was not going to reach the postseason, as strong starts by the Indians and Brewers left Kansas City in the dust. It looked like another ho-hum summer until July 1, when team ownership announced the firing of GM Herk Robinson and Manager Hal McRae. The following day, the team installed an unknown scout from the Brewers organization, Andy Williams, as the new General Manager. Williams did not mince words in his introductory press conference.

“Kansas City is a great baseball town that has not had a great baseball team in far too long. The guys we have now are giving it their best, but it looks like their best will give us 80-80 wins, which will not cut it in this division. If Cone were healthy, that may be different, but that ship has sailed. As long as I am in charge, this team will not be chasing 82 wins. If we are not able to compete for a playoff berth, we will reload for the future.”

Reading between the lines, it became clear that some changes were in order. Many key pieces of the Royals roster were free agents to be, and some (Cone, Sean Berry, Tom Gordon) indicated that they would not be signing extensions. Williams began working the phones, hoping to move the malcontents to contenders for prospects. What happened next was a mass exodus that is mirrored only by the Padres fire sale of 1993. The carnage is outlined below:

Out: In:
SP Kevin Appier SP Francisco Cordova
SP David Cone SP Ted Lilly
SP Bret Saberhagen SP Esteban Loiaza
RP Brian Bevil SP Ramon Ortiz
RP Tom Gordon SP Aaron Sele
C Mike McFarlane RP Rocky Biddle
1B Kevin Seitzer RP Joe Hudson
3B Sean Berry RP Jonathan Johnson
CF Mike Kingery RP Paul Shuey
CF Brian McRae 1B Jason Giambi
SS Jay Bell
3B Geoff Blum
RF Moises Alou
RF Jose Herrera

Fans have needed a scorecard to keep track of who is playing for their Royals, so let’s take a look at the new look at the Kansas City roster:

Catcher: Brent Mayne, Mike Sweeney

Brent Mayne took over catching duties at the trade deadline after putting up solid numbers at AAA. He has struggled since returning to the bigs, but Williams expects him to improve on his performance. Top prospect (#33 according to Baseball America) Mike Sweeney is waiting in the wings and is expected to make his debut in September. If Sweeney proves he can handle the job, expect him to start with the big club in 1996. Mike McFarlane was having a solid year, but Williams moved him and his salary to clear the way for Sweeney. Mayne will help mentor the young backstop. Production at this spot will suffer a dip in the short term, but eventuall Sweeney should be able to dwarf McFarlane’s production.

First Base: With Seitzer’s trade to Montreal, Jason Giambi has stepped in as the everyday 1B. Giambi (#32 BA prospect) has only hit .227 since his call-up, but Williams believes that he can eventually turn into an anchor in the middle of the batting order who can get on base and hit for power. For now, Giambi will cut his teeth in the 6 hole. This is another position where there should be short-term struggles, but long-term potential.

Second Base: Jay Bell came over in the David Cone trade and immediately replaced David Howard at 2B. Bell is a solid, unspectacular veteran that has stabilized his position. Not an all-star by any means, but a big upgrade over what the team had. Bell is also capable of playing an above average SS defensively, which gives the team added flexibility going forward. At 2B, Bell is keeping the position warm for 1995 1st round pick Orlando Hudson. Hudson (#84 BA prospect) is probably 2-3 years away from the bigs at a minimum, but he projects as a solid leadoff or number 2 hitter with excellent speed.

Shortstop: The most unexpected feel good story of the season has been the surprising play of Mendy Lopez. Lopez struggled at AAA and was called up in desperation due to the play of Edgar Caceres. Lopez has been solid offensively (sporting a .740 OPS and 9.8 VORP) while showing excellent range in the field. There are still skeptics in the organization about whether he can sustain his production, but he has put himself in the future plans of the organization regardless, which is a good thing, as there are no young, can’t miss shortstops in the minors. David Howard is on hand to back-up both middle infield positions.

Third Base: Out goes All-Star Sean Berry, and in comes 25 year old Joe Randa. Randa is not a top prospect like Sweeney or Giambi, but looks to be an above average player in all facets of the game. In fact, some scouts argue that his prowess in the field and on the base paths may make him a better player than Berry at some point. Not a superstar by any means, but certainly the type of player a contender needs.

Left Field: Left field is home to one of the last veteran standing from the start of the year in Jeff Conine. Conine has not had a good year, but Williams is hopeful he can return to form in 1996. The most bloated contract on the roster (under contract for 5 more seasons at $37.5 million), Williams had better hope so, otherwise this contract has the makings of an albatross. Jose Herrera backs up at all 3 OF positions, and Jeremy Giambi (Jason’s brother) and Mark Quinn are corner OF prospects down on the farm.

Center Field: After trading mainstay Brian McRae in the midst of a career year, rookie sensation Johnny Damon (#10 BA prospect) has stepped in without missing a beat. Damon, sporting an .868 OPS at the big league level as a 21 year old, looks as though he can penciled into the leadoff spot for years to come. His bat, speed, and defense provide the Royals with possibly their biggest building block for the future.

Right Field: Young Jon Nunnally has enjoyed a break-out year, and is anchoring the Kansas City offense from the clean-up spot. The 23 year old Nunnally is another player who will play a big part in any future Royal resurgence. Watching to see if he can eclipse the 30 homer mark will be one of the other reasons for Royals fans to come out in September.

Designated Hitter: Moises Alou, one of the players traded for fan favorite Kevin Appier, has provided a nice upgrade over 34 year old Mike Kingery, who was traded to the Rangers at the trade deadline. Alou is in his prime, and Williams believes he is capable of hitting .300 with 30 homers and providing a steady source of offense while the teams prospects develop.

Starting Pitching: The team’s rotation has undergone a massive facelift. Gone are preseason 1-3 starters in Appier, Cone, and Bret Saberhagen. The current rotation is filled with a mix of prospects, innings eaters and reclamation projects. The brightest spot in the rotation is rookie Esteban Loaiza (BA #46 prospect), who is 8-7 with a 3.65 ERA on the season. Not Appier numbers by any stretch, but a solid number 1 starter on a rebuilding team. Francisco Cordova (BA # 22 prospect), another young arm acquired in the Appier trade, is poised to make his MLB debut in September. Cordova is more raw than Loaiza, but projects to have a bit more upside. Either way, Williams hopes the two young hurlers provide a solid 1-2 punch for years to come. Mark Gubicza, a veteran, league average innings eater, fills the number three spot in the rotation. Aaron Sele and Melido Perez (reclamation projects mentioned above) will be given opportunities the rest of the way, but must improve if they wish to keep their jobs. Down on the farm, help is on the way, but it’s a ways off. Ted Lilly, Glendon Rusch, and Jose Rosado are all top 100 prospects playing A ball. Ramon Ortiz could also be a difference maker down the line. Overall, an area that lacks depth at the big league level now, but hope abounds for the future.

Bullpen: What a mess. Outside of closer Hipolito Pichardo, there is no one in the pen that is not disposable. Mark Lee, Dilson Torres and possibly Joe Hudson look to be in the plans for 1996, but there are holes to be filled here. The good news is that the problems in the pen have expiring contracts, so making upgrades here should be too difficult. The best looking bullpen arm in the minors is AA reliever Paul Shuey, but there are number of players at Class A Burlington that could have big league futures.

There you have it. More than you probably ever wanted to know your new Royals. Although fans may be disappointed about seeing so many familiar faces go, at least they can see that the new management team has plan. Whether that plan will lead to a return to the post season remains to be seen.