Links and Notes

We’re inching closer and closer to my 2011 season predictions that I’m sure you all are waiting for so anxiously, but until then, enjoy these links. Yes, I’m being lazy today. No, I don’t care.

• This one’s a few days old, but it’s one of the most interesting analyses I’ve seen regarding top prospects and their attrition rate. Scott McKinney at RoyalsReview did a great job of looking at the numbers and there are some pretty awesome charts as well.
• Kings of Kauffman is a great blog that if you’re not reading, well, you should be. Lots of great content there, but Gage Matthews had an interesting piece about Albert Pujols today. I hear he might become a free agent.
• Two Royals Authority links for your viewing pleasure. The first is Craig Brown thinking that Kendall should take the Meche route and just retire. I can’t say I disagree. The second is Nick Scott talking about how David DeJesus will be quite difficult to replace. And he will. DDJ is a very good player and his presence on the Royals would have been a huge boost this year.
• I’m a fan of Rany’s take on the Digital Digest even if it is a few weeks late. It’s a good read, but then again it’s hard not to enjoy that entire blog.
• Greg Schaum spoke with Jonathan Mayo of MLB Network and MLB.com in his 9 Innings feature on Royals Prospects.
• As you probably know, Rob Neyer is no longer with ESPN and has moved to SB Nation. I feel like he’s writing more often and it’s more enjoyable. I could be wrong about that, but he’s worth bookmarking if you haven’t already.

A couple of quick hit notes:

• Bob Fescoe has been tweeting from Spring Training this week and can’t stop saying glowing things about the Royals. I mostly am not a fan of Fescoe, but I’m loving his baseball coverage this week. He mentioned on Twitter that he was watching Hosmer in batting practice and a coach was instructing him to hit the ball to all fields. On three consecutive pitches, Hosmer hit the ball out to right field, center field and left field after being told to hit the ball to those exact locations. That kid’s a special, special talent.
• In looking at some pictures from Spring Training, Billy Butler looks slim and trim. I always like it when a player signs a long-term deal and then does not phone it in. Hopefully we see the first year of a contract from Butler like we saw from Greinke. I’m not sure if Butler’s going to win the MVP, but I have a feeling he’s primed for a huge year. Yeah, call it spring optimism, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see .325/.400/.525 with 25-30 homers and 45-50 doubles.
• There’s a lot of talk from Kevin Seitzer about Alex Gordon’s rebuilt swing. This probably deserves an entire blog post, but I’ll relegate it here for now. Basically he says that the swing is still a work in progress but that it’s entirely rebuilt. Gordon has said previously that he doesn’t like to tinker with his swing in season, which is something I sort of understand, but at the same time when you’re hitting as poorly as he was last year, it should have been something he explored. Either way, I’m excited to see what this rebuilt swing can mean for him moving forward. The one thing I have to tell myself and others as sort of a caution is that there’s every chance he starts slow in the spring and even the first part of the season because he’s still working on these new mechanics. I’m an advocate of him getting the entire season to prove his worth before a decision is made on his future. With the lack of outfield prospects in the system, Gordon taking hold of left field for the next few years would not be a bad thing at all. My only hope is that it doesn’t sap his power. More to come on this development as the spring progresses.
• Jose Bautista got a lot of money from the Blue Jays – 5 years and $65 million is what’s being reported right now with a sixth year option for another $13 million. I believe his breakout was for real, but it was still just one season. That comes close to negating the total cash owed to Vernon Wells, though the AAV is much lower.

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