James Shields and Wade Davis to Kansas City for Wil Myers and prospects

[Controller Jacobs]

KC has a promising core of position players and relievers for the next three years, so it's understandable why they'd want to try to force themselves into a playoff team. But it looks like they got locked in to Tampa Bay. I wonder if they acquired about Aaron Harang or Mike Leake, two guys pushed to the bottom of deep rotations.

[Moonlight J]

In the end, we're still talking about 12 years of MLB control for, at best, 5 for KC. Myers will be an everyday MLB player - it's just how high his star goes that is in doubt. Odorizzi, barring injury, is a good 4, potential 3. Montgomery & Leonard are gravy.

Davis's contract only works as a reliever through 2014; after that, he has to be a starter to make it profitable.

[onejayhawk]

KC has a promising core of position players and relievers for the next three years, so it's understandable why they'd want to try to force themselves into a playoff team. But it looks like they got locked in to Tampa Bay. I wonder if they acquired about Aaron Harang or Mike Leake, two guys pushed to the bottom of deep rotations.

I have seen the word "desperation" used.

J

[TranaGreg]

Everyone seems to have Wade Davis pencilled in the #4 spot in KC's rotation. Am I the only one who thinks they may try to get another SP (Jackson/Jurrjens/Villanueva type) and make him a closer? If you remember a couple of years ago there was a lot of discussion that the Rays should have done that. His success out of the pen, IMO, has only solidified that argument.

I agree; heck they may not even go after another starter ... Shields-Guthrie-Santana-Chen-Hochevar, with Paulino & Duffy available mid season is better than any starting 5 they've had in a couple of decades IIRC. Davis could anchor a pretty solid bullpen with Holland, Crow, Herrera & Collins.

[Judge Jude]

got the Forecaster today. re Wade Davis: they say 2nd half numbers suggest 'closer-in-waiting.'

[Pauly]

are Royals fans really talking themselves into Guthrie, Santana AND Chen being good next year? I wont be drafting any of them.

I really hope stupid Larry Beinfest at least offered KC half the marlins team for myers.

[mgwiz22]

I think the Royals felt they had to take a risk. There might have been an overpayment in prospects but they have other prospects on the way. The Royals need pitching to contend but their hitting might be enough without Myers. It was time to gamble. On the other hand the Rays needed hitting and had pitching to trade, but they might have just traded themselves out of the playoffs/WS. Both teams are rolling the dice and whether or not the teams will profit from the trade I applaud both teams for acting to try to make their teams winners rather than conservatively being mediocre.

[Don Quixote]

I think the Royals felt they had to take a risk. There might have been an overpayment in prospects but they have other prospects on the way. The Royals need pitching to contend but their hitting might be enough without Myers. It was time to gamble. On the other hand the Rays needed hitting and had pitching to trade, but they might have just traded themselves out of the playoffs/WS. Both teams are rolling the dice and whether or not the teams will profit from the trade I applaud both teams for acting to try to make their teams winners rather than conservatively being mediocre.

Agree completely, except for the last part. "Conservatively being mediocre" would be an upgrade over the average Royals team of the last 25 years, and the Rays have been above mediocre for the last five years.

[Moonlight J]

Word on the street is that the Royals offered Myers for Shields straight up and the Rays turned them down.

A's did the same when Royals offered Myers for Brett Anderson

[joncarlos]

I just don't understand how paying Francouer and Shields about 32.5mil (Frenchy 1yr, Shields 2) is better than paying Myers 1mil, Brandon Mccarthy 25mil, and paying Frenchy 6mil to go away. Francouer -2 WAR + Shields 5 WAR ~ Myers 1 WAR and McCarthy 2 WAR... right?

[cavebird]

I just don't understand how paying Francouer and Shields about 32.5mil (Frenchy 1yr, Shields 2) is better than paying Myers 1mil, Brandon Mccarthy 25mil, and paying Frenchy 6mil to go away. Francouer -2 WAR + Shields 5 WAR ~ Myers 1 WAR and McCarthy 2 WAR... right?

They can still pay Frenchy to go away and play well, anybody else, and probably do better.

[Hornsby]

The bottom line on the field is pretty simpler...KC is likely to be better because of the deal, and TB is likely to be worse. Now I understand that the Rays operate under a pretty strict system financially, but can KC be much better off? They drew about 2,500 a game more than Tampa, but that wouldn't translate into huge dollars. And their TV contract is one of the worst in baseball...less than 20 million a year for the next 7 seasons. Now I don't know what the contract situation is in Tampa, but it could hardly be worse.

The point that I have is simple...I don't give a rats ass that the Rays gained financially, it don't matter a bit on the field for the foreseeable future. I DO care about a team TRYING to get better, and that's what KC is doing, the owner realizes that he's got enough money for several lifetimes, and is plowing some of it back into the franchise. Nice to see for a change...I wish the billionaire owners of the Twins would do the same, instead of signing the Kevin Corria types of the world.

[onejayhawk]

I agree; heck they may not even go after another starter ... Shields-Guthrie-Santana-Chen-Hochevar, with Paulino & Duffy available mid season is better than any starting 5 they've had in a couple of decades IIRC. Davis could anchor a pretty solid bullpen with Holland, Crow, Herrera & Collins.

Greinke and company, circa 2008-10, gives that a run, but mostly because the 3-5 spots are so bad. Guthrie is an OK #4 and could be an OK #3, but they had been looking at him to top the staff before this deal. Davis converting to closer makes this deal much more understandable. It would not be the first time a mediocre starter turned into a better RP.

J

[Hornsby]

Edit: What if Shields is very good and Davis is fine and the Royals are still a bad team. Would this still be a good trade?

I think that you have to separate the two, so IMO, yes, it would still be a good deal, because the intent to improve the on-field product was the right thing to do. Looking at it as objectively as I can, Shields brings much more to the table than just a strong start every 5 days. He's supposedly a great guy in the clubhouse, and a leader for the young guys on the staff. Showing them how to use the 4 days between starts to your best advantage. That's an intangible that you can't really factor in when evaluating the deal, until you see whether it has an effect on the Hocheavers, Crows, and Duffys of the staff. So yeah, I think it's a good deal even if the Royals don't improve dramatically this year...

[BigJonEmpire]

One scout is said to have noted the fact that Myers struck out 140 times last year and added something to the effect of "those kinds of holes get exposed at the next level." Maybe the Royals saw something with Myers that led them to sell high on him?

He also reduced his k-rate as the season progressed. A great sign that he can make adjustments to his game and remain productive.