The Kansas City Royals stink. On the nose statement, but a true one at that. They're 4-13, rank 29th in runs per game, 30th in total bases per game, 30th in hits per game, 30th in slugging %, 30th in on-base %, 29th in strikeout %, and have a -32-run differential. By the way, that last stat ranks 27th in the MLB. There are 30 teams in the MLB, and the Royals rank close to dead last in pretty much every notable team stat column. Certainly not the worst they've ever been (yet) but certainly not vying for the best Royals team ever.
Part of that reason (certainly not all of it) is the fact that this new Royals' management is suffering from the same crisis the old Royals' regime did: Playing older players and trying to "win with what they know" by using washed up veterans who management still for some odd reason thinks are viable players. Not trying anything new and with potential in exchange to...increase trade value maybe? Who knows. Enter the topic of our story today (but certainly not the only one that is treated highly by management despite his struggles) Hunter Dozier. Dozier is currently batting .154 AVG with 1 HR and 2 RBIs in 2023, and they have tried him basically everywhere in the infield AND outfield throughout his career. They even had him at PITCHER for a game in 2022. So far in 2023 he has played first base and third, taking away potential reps from guys like Nate Eaton, Matt Duffy, and Bobby Witt, Jr. (Though him at shortstop has worked well) The thing is, he is an absolute liability in the field and incredibly unproductive at bat. It's not working, and it's time to try something new. Frankly, it's BEEN time to try something new. Matt Duffy was a free agent pickup that has shown he can play quality innings both in the field and at bat yet has gotten hardly a side-eye from management. Hunter Dozier has been mediocre at best for the past 7 years. It is time, take what you can get from his current trade value and leave it. Play the guys that haven't gotten the chance to show their worth yet. It's certainly not time to throw away the season, but from an optics standpoint, that is your best shot at saving anything from this season. The Royals are about to be out of the playoff race by the All-Star break again, what else do you have to lose? Fix it now and potentially salvage some wins.
Am I saying Dozier is the one guy that needs to be singled out, that he is the only one that has crippled this organization to the point of complete dumpster fire status? Absolutely not, but I am saying he's a very big example and represents the ineptitude the Royals are trying to leave behind when they got rid of Dayton Moore and Mike Matheny. When you clean house, you clean house, and with it being Springtime, the time is now to get that cleaning done before it spirals out of control. Take care of business with some of the other veterans too, and you may just have a 2011 Astros like rise to elite status. The Royals? Elite??? Not possible, unless of course you cultivate your farm system, play and develop the young guys, suck for maybe a couple of years, and eventually reap the rewards of having developed program guys that want to win and want to stick around, you know like they did in 2014 and 2015, then I guess it's possible...
Burn Notice: 8/10 The dumpster fire is roaring once again
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