The Royals win the pennant! The Royals win the pennant!

The Royals win the pennant! The Royals win the pennant! Last year, in my MLB preview, I picked the Royals as a sleeper team in the AL. Reggie was kind of enough to remind me how badly I missed that puppy multiple times during the year, deservedly so. After the Royals got out to an okay start, they got crushed the rest of the year. He did fail to mention that I correctly called the Reds, Giants, and Rangers all as potential sleepers, all of whom made the playoffs, two of whom I’m pretty sure made the World Series, and one of whom won it. Sorry, baby brain failure. Plus, I still can’t believe the Giants won with that lineup. Did I mention I predicted Roy Halladay and Felix Hernandez would win Cy Youngs last year, too? I’m so smart. See, wife, I told you so.

Anyways, in beginning research for this year’s preview, I came acrossed a little nuggets that said the Royals are looking to trim payroll to about 33 million bucks this year, or just short of half the left side of the Y*****s infield. Stupid. You might think to yourself, “Self, there is no way the Royals could ever win a World Series. But, Self, if anyone could prove me wrong, it would be Logical Betting.” Self, you would be right. So LB was kind enough to peruse last year’s payrolls (2011 wasn’t available on unofficial sponsor espn.com yet, and I’m too lazy to look them up), and see if we could put together a team that could 1. Win the World Series either last year or this year, and 2. Come in under 35M in salary. And did I. And, since some of the payroll data was updated on guys who had gotten raises this year (e.g., Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzski, Joey Votto), this team could probably be even better. Anyways, check out this legit 25 man roster, position by position:



1B – Kendry Morales (1.2M), Ike Davis (400K)
2B – Martin Prado (440K)
3B – Evan Longoria (950K), Casey McGehee (427K)
SS – Astrubal Cabrera (445K), Starlin Castro (400K)
OF – Jacoby Ellsbury (496K), Jason Heyward (400K), Ryan Braun (1.275M), Justin Upton (708K), Shin-Soo Choo (461K)
C –Buster Posey (400K), Kurt Suzuki (420K)
SP – Justin Verlander (6.815M), Felix Hernandez (7.2M), Tommy Hanson (435K), Yovanni Gollardo (450K), Jaime Garcia (400K), Mat Latos (407K)
RP – Neftali Feliz (402K), Daniel Bard (415K), Joakim Soria (3M), Matt Capps (3.5M), Andrew Bailey (435K)
Total Payroll – 31.881 million bucks, for a savings of 3.2 million to be used at the trade deadline.

How bout that, baby! Tell me those guys wouldn’t have smoked the Giants, Rangers, or anyone else, especially those stupid Y*****s. Even got backups at most positions. Missing a backup 2B, but McGehee and Cabrera have both played there in the minors, so that’s covered. Shortstop was the toughest position to fill, but I think the Cabrera/Castro platoon works and gives some solid defense. Team is a little young, but you have to expect that to keep the salaries low, i.e., most are on the rookies salary scale. I splurged on the pitchers, which we all know wins in the playoffs, spurning some extra cash on guys like Ian Kinsler and some other mid-range bats. Besides, there’s enough power and speed on the team to save the cash there. Hell, I worked in a guy who’s thrown a no-hitter (Verlander) and last year’s Cy Young winner (Hernandez). I also added the extra starter to act as long relief, as there really isn’t anyone worth spending money on for long relief, and I’m probably not going to need it with this squad anyways. We’ll let Soria do the closing, as he is a true life Royal, with Feliz and Capps handling the set up duties and Bailey and Bard doing the spot work.

Ignoring all injuries from last year, here’s my Opening Day lineup with this All-Star squad:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury – CF
2. Martin Prado – 2B
3. Evan Longoria – 3B
4. Ryan Braun – LF
5. Kendry Morales – 1B
6. Jason Heyward – RF
7. Buster Posey – C
8. Astrubal Cabrera – SS
9. Felix Hernandez – P, followed by Verlander, Hanson, Gallardo, and Latos.

If I needed a DH, I’d have to use the managerial know-how on the opposing starter, but I’d probably lean towards using Choo for the combination of speed/power/average, and throw him in the eight hole so Cabrera could bunt him over, if needed. Either that or the seven hole with the good OBP, then two guys who hit for good average behind him in Posey and Cabrera. The best part of that lineup is the first five are pretty much in their natural spots in the order.

So then I gots to thinking, could this team compete with this year’s favorites, the Phillies? I took a quick look at the Red Sox here, too, but I think I have them beat on paper. Close, but I think the edge goes to my new-look Royals. I’m giving away a bit of my MLB preview here, but I think this is a great case study on the big question for 2011… can maybe the best starting rotation in baseball history make up for a lack of a bullpen, right fielder, or true five-hole hitter? Let’s take a look at the Phils projected lineup/rotation for the year, and feel free to correct me in comments, ZWR.

1. Jimmy Rollins – SS
2. Placido Polanco – 3B
3. Chase Utley – 2B
4. Ryan Howard – 1B
5. Raul Ibanez (?) – LF
6. Shane Victorino – CF (LB Note – I think they should flop these two to avoid the three lefties in a row, who my boy Felix will nail down in Game 1, but I’m pretty sure this is how the Phils plan to play it).
7. Carlos Ruiz (?) – C
8. Domonic Brown/Ben Francisco – RF (LB Note – this might get flipped by the Phils, but I’d line them up this way).
9. Roy Halladay – P, followed by Lee, Oswalt, Hamels, and Blanton

I would be begging to play the DH against these guys, my depth is way better. Bullpens are no contest, either, I’ll take mine over Lidge/Madson and whoever else the Phils are gonna trot out there. If this were a season long contest, I like my team in the long run, I’m not gonna lie. But in a seven game series, short rotations… even with my superior offense, depth, defense, and bullpen, could my Royals take down that Phillies rotation? I’m not sure, which is freaking crazy to say that my lineup of nearly all All-Stars might not be good enough to beat the Phils rotation. I definitely need to win one, if not both, of the first two games to have a shot, though like my chances with Hanson vs. Oswalt in Game 3. Game 4 would like a Josh Beckett-like rookie performance out of Latos to beat Hamels. Tough, tough call. I’ll take my Royals in 6 out of principle, with me winning Games 2, 3, 5, and 6. Yeah, ZWR, I just said that Hernandez would beat your boyfriend in the rematch. Eat it.

If someone is nerdy enough, will you go back and research MLB drafts and see if it was possible the Royals could have actually drafted that team? I’m not doing that. I might have a life one of these days, and I’m not ruining it now. Alrighty, then, MLB preview is forth… oh, we have a caller. Oh, s**t. Wife, calling in from Philly, what’s up, wife?

Wife – Go Phillies, Go Eagles, f*** New York AND Kansas City (click).

Alrighty, then, MLB preview is forthcoming, with your (not) guaranteed sleeper picks, Cy Young winners, and World Series predictions. Not breaking down divisions so much this year, just gonna focus on my beloved Tigers and the wife’s beloved Phils. Until then, be well, and hasta. Go Royals!!!