His FIP split H/A last year was 2.90/3.64–ie he was very very good Away, and an ace at home. The year before that split was 3.12/3.39–ie he was very very very good both home and away. Career-wise, his H/A split for FIP is 3.40/3.82, which is not a big gap–David Price’s H/A FIP is 3.39/3.79, or THEY ARE THE SAME. WOW. James Shields. Kinda good, yeah?

This Royals team has a window for success that starts closing in a few years when Butler leaves. He’ll be followed by Gordon the year after that, and after 2017 they’re all gone–Hosmer, Moustakas, Perez, Duffy. They can deal Myers and try to win in their window–and that’s the best course, because their pitching is downright awful–or they can keep Myers and in 2016 when they’re still sputtering with no pitching, and they’re dealing Hosmer for prospects and Moose for prospects because their value is as high as it will ever be, they’ll be right back to where they were 5-6 years ago.

The problem isn’t James Shields, he’s the solution. The problem is looking at guys like Santana and going, yeah, we’ll pay him $12 million and maybe he’ll be James Shields. Ervin Santana was the worst pitcher in baseball last year, Moore added him somehow without being run out of town by a mob, and now–NOW?–people are up in arms over the idea of trading a prospect (who you should not ever compare to Mike Trout since he lacks the all-around game) for one of the games 30 or so best pitchers who is reasonably priced for two years? I can’t get with that.

Using Shields’ career road ERA is a bit of a deception. He found something two years ago. During the last two years, he had a 3.58 road ERA (compared to a career 4.54 road ERA). Big difference and something maybe more indicative of what he is now compared to what he was at 25-26. And he wouldn’t be moving to a hitter’s park in Kaufmann. It’s league-average. Moving away from the AL East will help. His worst opponents’ park numbers came in Camden and Yankee Stadium, putting up a 6.37 ERA in those parks in five starts (3.09 ERA everywhere else). Moving away from seeing those parks nine times each season may help (only seven Royals’ team visits next year compared to the 18 Tampa sees every year). Pitching in Cleveland, Minnesota, Detroit and Chicago instead of New York, Boston, Toronto and Baltimore might be something that helps him age more gracefully.

All that said, the swap, even straight up, would be such of Dayton Moore move! Big no. The cost control of Hosmer, Moustakas, Gordon and Myers at both infield and outfield corners would make every GM salivate.

Or they could have let him walked, and thrown that kind of money at Prince Fielder, a better hitter overall with less platoon splits.

Which would have been ideal.

If they had waited him out he would have gotten a fraction of what he is being paid. That contract is easily one of the worst in baseball.

Or they could have let him walked, and thrown that kind of money at Prince Fielder, a better hitter overall with less platoon splits.

Bagwell was definitely not considered the prospect that he turned into, or he would not have been traded for a reliever. That falls under the worst case scenario when you trade mid-level prospects for winning now at the deadline.

Who did the White Sox trade for Konerko back in the day? He was a winner of the Minor League POY and was traded one year in.

I would argue that with the Bagwell-Anderson trade Boston made the right move based on their analysis at the time. They didn’t rate Bagwell terribly high if I recall correctly (certainly someone correct me there if I’m wrong). They had him as a secondary third base prospect and kept toying with his batting stance. Anderson was a solid reliever, one of the better ones in baseball that year, and the Red Sox needed one for the playoff run. I don’t know that anyone, not even the Astros, pictured Bagwell becoming the player that he did.

The Howard contract can never be justified. You should pay on future performance, not past. He is at this point of his career a platoon 1B. And he has 4 more years at $25 mil. Absolute overpay and worst contract in baseball, non-ARod division.

The Howard contract can never be justified because they gave it to him two years before they had to. If they had waited him out he would have gotten a fraction of what he is being paid. That contract is easily one of the worst in baseball.

I believe when Boston traded Slocumb to Seattle, they asked for Lowe OR Varitek. Seattle thought it was AND, and said yes.

Who has a bigger mess on their hands- Phils or Red Sox? Both those franchises are in big trouble for the next several years, regardless of how much dough they have….

Both will be fine, Red Sox have one of the five best prospects in baseball, and another two in the top 50. Phillies have their media rights about to be re-negotiated, and they have higher local ratings than the Dodgers do. Phillies are going to be getting close to $180 million a year for TV rights (six times what they currently get).

I feel Howard the Howard contract can be justified if they were paying him based on past performance / underpay, and also locking up a superstar during negotiations of their new Comcast contract.

The Howard contract can never be justified. You should pay on future performance, not past. He is at this point of his career a platoon 1B. And he has 4 more years at $25 mil. Absolute overpay and worst contract in baseball, non-ARod division.

I’ve been on the verge of sickness. I’m a Royals fan, so I fully expect this deal to happen. Just check on me, okay?

We got you, man.

I’m stunned that this trade is being discussed. Myers needs to be in Royal blue, in RF from day one next season. Ride through his ups and downs.

regardless of how much dough they have

The word “dough” is vastly underused nowadays.

Both those franchises are in big trouble for the next several years

Won’t go so far as big-trouble for Sox. They got rid of a lot of the trouble with the Dodger deal.

/looks at recent signings
//oy

I also hate Ruben…mainly for the Hunter Pence trade and the Ryan Howard deal

The talent given to Houston for a 1 yr loan of Pence was terrible and I can get on board with it… I feel Howard the Howard contract can be justified if they were paying him based on past performance / underpay, and also locking up a superstar during negotiations of their new Comcast contract.

I also hate Ruben…mainly for the Hunter Pence trade and the Ryan Howard deal.

I used to despise Amaro, more than I would even care to admit but he has drastically changed how he has gone about doing business since the Pence trade, which was the peak of his absolute disaster. Since then he’s actually done pretty well. While I think yesterday’s trade might be a slight over payment I think so only because May is still a bit of an unknown. I have no issue giving up a back end starter/long reliever with one good pitch who gets murdered the 3rd time through the line up, for a 24 year old CF who costs virtually nothing.

My brother hates Ruben and was adamant about the Phills giving up too much.

I also hate Ruben…mainly for the Hunter Pence trade and the Ryan Howard deal.