Much to my chagrin, last month the Royals demoted shortstop Mike Aviles to AAA. Aviles of course was working his way back from shoulder surgery and the team said it wasn't ready to go. Apparently two weeks was enough to do the job as he was recalled when the team demoted Alex Gordon to learn left field and first base.
Since returning on the 2nd, Aviles has been given a pair of starts, including each of the past two games. He's responded by going 5-9 with a home run. Welcome back indeed...
Aviles of course was the Royals regular shortstop until going under the knife in early 2009. To replace him, the Royals traded for Yuniesky Betancourt of the Mariners. Betancourt performed miserably throughout 2009, posting an OPS of just .625, and has performed almost as bad this year, posting an OPS of just .664. That sort of offensive performance would be acceptable if it came with strong defense, but instead, Betancourt consistently ranks very poorly in both UZR and Dewan's +/- system.
If Aviles' shoulder is indeed healthy, he should be a MAJOR upgrade at shortstop, providing both a superior bat along with significantly better defense. Of course, much of that depends on the state of Aviles' shoulder.
Should he prove to be healthy enough however, the Royals need to be playing him. He certainly has the talent to be the best shortstop in the Central, and one of the better shortstops in all of baseball if he can repeat his 2008 performance.
Showing posts with label Mike Aviles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike Aviles. Show all posts
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Royals Trade Carlos Rosa for Rey Navarro
Way back on the first of this month the Royals dealt minor league reliever Carlos Rosa to the Diamondbacks for shortstop prospect Rey Navarro.
My initial reaction was, WHAT? That's generally been my reaction to everything the Royals have done so far this year. From demoting Mike Aviles, to releasing Juan Cruz, to sending Alex Gordon to the minors.
Upon further examination, it appears that the Royals are motivated by the belief that Rosa has simply regressed and is not as good of a pitcher as he was a couple seasons ago. That appears to bear itself out in the stats as his K rate has been in decline while his fly ball rate has been increasing. There is talk that he's lost a lot of the life on his fastball since moving to the bullpen and that he has trouble pitching in back to back games.
In return, the Royals are receiving a very young shortstop prospect. Navarro's range at short is apparently strong though by the numbers, he commits a lot of errors. That's not uncommon of course for someone his age.
Offensively, while his numbers can only be described as poor, it's worth noting that he is merely 20 years old and already playing in High A ball, a challenging level for someone his age. He posts reasonably (though certainly not great) strikeout and walk rates, which suggests he at least has some eye, and he also steals some bases. His offensive game is still extremely raw, but he has tools and the Royals are desperately thin at shortstop.
If the Royals are right, and Rosa's chances to be an effective big-league pitcher are in decline, and if Navarro can become a reasonable prospect over the next year or two, I suppose I could understand the move.
All things considered, I'd have preferred to take my chances with the 24 year old who has at least seen some success at AAA and throws 94. But it's probably not as bad a trade as it first seemed to me.
My initial reaction was, WHAT? That's generally been my reaction to everything the Royals have done so far this year. From demoting Mike Aviles, to releasing Juan Cruz, to sending Alex Gordon to the minors.
Upon further examination, it appears that the Royals are motivated by the belief that Rosa has simply regressed and is not as good of a pitcher as he was a couple seasons ago. That appears to bear itself out in the stats as his K rate has been in decline while his fly ball rate has been increasing. There is talk that he's lost a lot of the life on his fastball since moving to the bullpen and that he has trouble pitching in back to back games.
In return, the Royals are receiving a very young shortstop prospect. Navarro's range at short is apparently strong though by the numbers, he commits a lot of errors. That's not uncommon of course for someone his age.
Offensively, while his numbers can only be described as poor, it's worth noting that he is merely 20 years old and already playing in High A ball, a challenging level for someone his age. He posts reasonably (though certainly not great) strikeout and walk rates, which suggests he at least has some eye, and he also steals some bases. His offensive game is still extremely raw, but he has tools and the Royals are desperately thin at shortstop.
If the Royals are right, and Rosa's chances to be an effective big-league pitcher are in decline, and if Navarro can become a reasonable prospect over the next year or two, I suppose I could understand the move.
All things considered, I'd have preferred to take my chances with the 24 year old who has at least seen some success at AAA and throws 94. But it's probably not as bad a trade as it first seemed to me.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Alex Gordon Demoted
If I were to tell you that the Royals personnel decisions baffle me, I'd only joining the chorus of tens of thousands of disgruntled Kansas City fans. Well, I'm joining. Officially.
Earlier this year I suggested that the Royals had a potentially solid infield once they got all their players healthy, suggesting that a lineup of Billy Butler at first, Alberto Callaspo at second, Mike Aviles at short, and Alex Gordon at third was potentially quite strong offensively.
The Royals brass obviously doesn't see it that way. While it was initially reported that Gordon would be benched once second baseman Chris Getz returned from his DL trip, there was also speculation that he could be sent to the minors outright.
That's precisely what has happened.
One one hand I suppose it's good that if Gordon isn't going to be utilized on a regular basis, he can at least get consistent at-bats. But is it the best overall decision? I certainly don't think so. With that said, lets not fool ourselves into believing that Gordon is something that he is not. He has a career .744 OPS, huge strikeout rates, and both UZR and the +/- system rank him as below average at third base.
That's a bad combination.
But what does sending him down do? He isn't going to learn anything new at AAA. He isn't going to learn to adjust to Major League breaking balls, that's for sure. What's more, it probably isn't in the Royals best interests right now, or in the future. It isn't in their best interests because it leaves one of the few players with any discernible upside in the minor leagues. It isn't in their best interest because it lowers his already marginal trade value.
Furthermore, bringing up Aviles, who they sent down less than a month ago because he didn't have the arm-strength to sit on the bench in Gordon's stead is equally baffling. Both of these players need at-bats, and while Aviles who is recovering from injury would be better suited to get those innings in the minors, he'll sit on the bench in the Majors. Gordon, who has nothing left to prove but needs to continue to adjust to Major League play, will sit in the minors.
Baffling.
*Update*
The Royals now apparently plan on switching Gordon off of third base entirely and teaching him to play left field and first base. With top prospect Mike Moustakas at third base long-term, and Butler, along with prospect Kila Ka'aihue, at first, one would presume that left field will be where he spends most of his time.
Given that they're moving him off the hot corner, and given the absences they'll have in left field and at designated hitter after Scott Podsednik and Jose Guillen depart after this season, it certain appears that this is more of a move to find a way to make Gordon fit better into their long-term plans.
Earlier this year I suggested that the Royals had a potentially solid infield once they got all their players healthy, suggesting that a lineup of Billy Butler at first, Alberto Callaspo at second, Mike Aviles at short, and Alex Gordon at third was potentially quite strong offensively.
The Royals brass obviously doesn't see it that way. While it was initially reported that Gordon would be benched once second baseman Chris Getz returned from his DL trip, there was also speculation that he could be sent to the minors outright.
That's precisely what has happened.
One one hand I suppose it's good that if Gordon isn't going to be utilized on a regular basis, he can at least get consistent at-bats. But is it the best overall decision? I certainly don't think so. With that said, lets not fool ourselves into believing that Gordon is something that he is not. He has a career .744 OPS, huge strikeout rates, and both UZR and the +/- system rank him as below average at third base.
That's a bad combination.
But what does sending him down do? He isn't going to learn anything new at AAA. He isn't going to learn to adjust to Major League breaking balls, that's for sure. What's more, it probably isn't in the Royals best interests right now, or in the future. It isn't in their best interests because it leaves one of the few players with any discernible upside in the minor leagues. It isn't in their best interest because it lowers his already marginal trade value.
Furthermore, bringing up Aviles, who they sent down less than a month ago because he didn't have the arm-strength to sit on the bench in Gordon's stead is equally baffling. Both of these players need at-bats, and while Aviles who is recovering from injury would be better suited to get those innings in the minors, he'll sit on the bench in the Majors. Gordon, who has nothing left to prove but needs to continue to adjust to Major League play, will sit in the minors.
Baffling.
*Update*
The Royals now apparently plan on switching Gordon off of third base entirely and teaching him to play left field and first base. With top prospect Mike Moustakas at third base long-term, and Butler, along with prospect Kila Ka'aihue, at first, one would presume that left field will be where he spends most of his time.
Given that they're moving him off the hot corner, and given the absences they'll have in left field and at designated hitter after Scott Podsednik and Jose Guillen depart after this season, it certain appears that this is more of a move to find a way to make Gordon fit better into their long-term plans.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Mike Aviles Optioned to AAA
Coming back from reconstructive elbow surgery, the Royals have been hesitant to use Mike Aviles at shortstop in an effort to avoid putting too much stress on his arm, and on Saturday optioned him to AAA Omaha to get regular playing time.
Aviles was a late bloomer as he didn't show much potential at the plate until posting a 1.001 OPS at AAA as a 27 year old repeating his third season at the level in 2008. That performance earned him a mid-season call up and he continued to hit well, posting a .833 OPS in 441 Major League at-bats. Aviles also flashed well above average with the glove during his Major League stint according to UZR.
He got off to a rough start in 2009, finally admitting to the Royals staff that he had a "sore forearm," that later required the reconstructive surgery. So he gets a pass for the poor performance at that level. But it also means that he hasn't performed at the Major League levl in over a year and it's apparent that he wont be ready to do so at his primary position, shortstop, for some time.
Currently, the Royals are going with Yuniesky Betancourt as their everyday shortstop. Betancourt was acquired from the Mariners last season in the wake of the Aviles injury. He has performed precisely as he did in his time with Seattle - as a mediocre to below average defender with one of the worst every day bats in baseball. In 2009, Betancourt posted a -2.2 WAR, putting him firmly in the race for the coveted title of, "worst every day player in baseball." Thus far, 2010 has been more of the same, with Betancourt post an OPS of just .644.
When healthy, Aviles has shown the ability to be well above average on both sides of the diamond. The Royals desperately need for Aviles to be able to return to being the player he was back in 2008. His bat would greatly upgrade their production at a position of need. His glove would also help prevent dozens of hits from getting through, helping the entire rotation.
Aviles was a late bloomer as he didn't show much potential at the plate until posting a 1.001 OPS at AAA as a 27 year old repeating his third season at the level in 2008. That performance earned him a mid-season call up and he continued to hit well, posting a .833 OPS in 441 Major League at-bats. Aviles also flashed well above average with the glove during his Major League stint according to UZR.
He got off to a rough start in 2009, finally admitting to the Royals staff that he had a "sore forearm," that later required the reconstructive surgery. So he gets a pass for the poor performance at that level. But it also means that he hasn't performed at the Major League levl in over a year and it's apparent that he wont be ready to do so at his primary position, shortstop, for some time.
Currently, the Royals are going with Yuniesky Betancourt as their everyday shortstop. Betancourt was acquired from the Mariners last season in the wake of the Aviles injury. He has performed precisely as he did in his time with Seattle - as a mediocre to below average defender with one of the worst every day bats in baseball. In 2009, Betancourt posted a -2.2 WAR, putting him firmly in the race for the coveted title of, "worst every day player in baseball." Thus far, 2010 has been more of the same, with Betancourt post an OPS of just .644.
When healthy, Aviles has shown the ability to be well above average on both sides of the diamond. The Royals desperately need for Aviles to be able to return to being the player he was back in 2008. His bat would greatly upgrade their production at a position of need. His glove would also help prevent dozens of hits from getting through, helping the entire rotation.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Alex Gordon To Begin Rehab Assignment
Alex Gordon, the erstwhile once-franchise-player-to-be has had his career largely derailed by injuries. Last season it was hip-surgery that kept him from ever really being 100%. This spring, he broke his thumb after sliding headfirst into second. Never fun from what I hear.
In my experience thumb injuries, or rather, hand injuries in general, aren't the sorts of things that go away quickly. Instead they tend to linger and have pronounced negative effects with hitters. Gordon will be rehabbing with the Blue Rocks, one of the Royals A-Ball affiliates, beginning Thursday. While Gordon will be eligible to come off the DL on Saturday, it doesn't sound like that'll be the case. There are plenty of good reasons for that, but mostly because few players can simply go from not playing baseball to playing Major League Baseball, and secondly because his hand will need more time to heal and get it's strength back.
What remains to be seen is how Gordon's return will effect the infield rotation of the Royals. I actually kind of like their potential infield when healthy, the problem is that I'm not the manager of the Royals and the guy who is, Trey Hillman, doesn't seem to have the same faith in certain players that I do. But can you really tell me that an infield of Billy Butler at first, Alberto Callaspo at second, Mike Aviles at short, and Gordon at third would really be much worse than any of their AL Central counter-parts? It's not the strongest defensive group - though I really like Aviles at short. But what it loses in defense, it makes up for in offense.
In my experience thumb injuries, or rather, hand injuries in general, aren't the sorts of things that go away quickly. Instead they tend to linger and have pronounced negative effects with hitters. Gordon will be rehabbing with the Blue Rocks, one of the Royals A-Ball affiliates, beginning Thursday. While Gordon will be eligible to come off the DL on Saturday, it doesn't sound like that'll be the case. There are plenty of good reasons for that, but mostly because few players can simply go from not playing baseball to playing Major League Baseball, and secondly because his hand will need more time to heal and get it's strength back.
What remains to be seen is how Gordon's return will effect the infield rotation of the Royals. I actually kind of like their potential infield when healthy, the problem is that I'm not the manager of the Royals and the guy who is, Trey Hillman, doesn't seem to have the same faith in certain players that I do. But can you really tell me that an infield of Billy Butler at first, Alberto Callaspo at second, Mike Aviles at short, and Gordon at third would really be much worse than any of their AL Central counter-parts? It's not the strongest defensive group - though I really like Aviles at short. But what it loses in defense, it makes up for in offense.
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