G54377

I love that he wasn't as sharp in the first 3 or 4 innings and didn't have his best command, but worked around it with only one run until he got going. That's a defining quality of an ace.

I wonder what our team OPS is if you take out Hays Kemp and Urias.

Ha did anyone catch the kid behind home plate that basically melted after that strike out. Can't blame him.

Might as well have been Ubaldo out there.

This is destined to be a wild pitch walk off or something like that

Lucky that pitch wasn't a game ender

It's still weird Kimbrel is on our team. He was on ATL forever and then Boston, just hasn't gotten use to this yet.

I'd look at it that he has the least amount of positional flexibility and track record, which is why I could see him traded mid season if he is still seeing a decent amount of AB and hitting well. He's not really an OF and not particularly great defensively at 1B. Hays defense probably keeps him around. Kemp will be gone soon for Holliday or Norby.

I doubt anyone really wanted to play in the rain lol. The Royals definitely had a better approach for most of the game in a battle of (potentially) #1's.

They didn't look confident, and Hays and Urias still stunk. Nobody questioned "their desire". They did not look confident at all. They flipped it on, so yes we can give them credit.

Wow. You had that one queued up ready to go.

Hays would have struck out.

Oof. Not this time.

I would have pitched to Hays honestly. That may cost them the game.

Well he got the job done at least.

WTF he does not need to bunt here.

Is this the 2014 Royals? They would always make a play like that in this situation.

If only that happened last inning for Hays

What a horrific at bat. Jesus F Christ Hays

Hyder wouldn't have the stones to pinch hit Cowser for Hays.

I think we are more concerned with where they are mentally. You can see more confidence in a Royals team that lost 106 games last year playing on the road against the team that won the most games.

I know McCann has to be in there sometimes, but Mateo/McCann/Urias is such a horrendous bottom 3 of a lineup given the offensive talent this organization has. I hope by June we never see this again.

That was a horrific attempt by OHearn. Dude is not an OF.

There are only so many at bats to go around. So in essence, there IS an odd man out. Or potentially more than one. You don't have a young talent like Cowser and sit him on the bench indefinitely as a 4th OF. Once Holliday (and the others) are up, that problem is only compounded. O'Hearn would be the odd man out, but I think we kind of know his days are numbered. Even if it's just 2024. He's a FA after this year (I think?) and there's no way we are extending him.

Hays is the most logical odd man out. We'd love to keep everyone, but that's a worse decision. Mullins CF defense, and Santander's switch hitting power profile I'd rather keep. Hays isn't even that much better against LHP than RHP, which would be a more clear reason to keep him around. Things would really open up for the younger guys if he was traded. It probably would have needed to happen in the offseason though.