Cain and Lawrie start season at AAA; Jeffress wins spot in bullpen

[PrinceEatMeat]

I was just looking around at final roster cuts and such, and I noticed that Cain didn't make the Royals, even as a backup outfielder. He was sent to AAA Omaha. That kind of surprised me. However, Jeffress did make the team as reliever. Also noticed that the Jays sent Lawrie to AAA Las Vegas. He apparently really impressed them, and isn't far from being on the big league roster. Thought this was interesting as well, because they said he also played well at 3B. The Las Vegas part would scare me a bit though, lol.

[jjkoestler]

I'm surprised Lo didn't make the club. Who is starting in CF?

 

If JJ is a RP going forward then I feel even better about the trade.

 

AAA seems like a big jump for Lawrie. I expected a full season in AA. Why rush him?

[JohnBriggs12]

I'm surprised Lo didn't make the club. Who is starting in CF?

 

If JJ is a RP going forward then I feel even better about the trade.

 

AAA seems like a big jump for Lawrie. I expected a full season in AA. Why rush him?

Melky Cabrera (yes that Melky Cabrera) won the job by hitting .468/.471/.742 this spring. Cain didn't do poorly himself, but it's understandable they'd go with a veteran off a spring like that. My guess is Royals will hope Cabrera plays well enough to have mid season trade value.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I'm surprised Lo didn't make the club. Who is starting in CF?

 

If JJ is a RP going forward then I feel even better about the trade.

 

AAA seems like a big jump for Lawrie. I expected a full season in AA. Why rush him?

Yep, exactly why I posted this. Surprised on all accounts. Melky Cabrera is starting CF. The backup OF's are Jarrod Dyson and Mitch Maier, which says even more about it to me. All I can think is that they want Cain playing everyday, but you'd think he would at least be good enough to platoon with Cabrera. Lawrie might be in AAA all year, because they have Encarnacion starting at 3B right now.

[Thurston Fluff]

Cain getting sent to AAA makes some amount of sense considering were the rest of their prospects are at. If he's in the majors now it would be one less season they have him later when some of that AA talent is ready.

[TooLiveBrew]

I don't think the Jays are rushing Lawrie. He really impressed them in ST, & basically made the team (I'm guessing they're starting him in AAA for service time reasons).

 

I'd bet the Royals are sending Lo to AAA for the same reason. Both will probably be up in the bigs before too long.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I just don't understand not keeping the best talent on the major league roster. Cain is clearly better than the backup OF's they kept. I don't see why he wouldn't make the team. He needs to face major league pitching to develop more. He won't do that sitting in AAA all year where he's already proved himself. I guess time will tell on Lawrie. Gotta see what he can do at AAA first. I don't think it would've been a great idea to throw him right into the majors, and I probably wouldn't until late in the season.

[DHonks]

why is AAA rushing Lawrie? He played a full year at AA last year and had a pretty solid season. Isn't that the next logical step?

[Bikeage77]

Based on Lawries pics playing Edward 40 Hands and the fact that he seems like a total chatch, Vegas could turn into a nightmare for him. Happy for Jeffress though.

[xisxisxis]

it was pretty clear when the Jays made Bautista the "permanent" RF that they were opening up 3B for Lawrie. encarnacion is a fill-in til may/june and super 2 status is gone. Cain move makes sense for money.

[tstads20]

Right, pretty sure Lawrie would have been starting at AAA this year as well if he was still a Brewer, though maybe seeing time more in RF than 3B. I'm interested to see if he'll stick at 3B, reports have always been kind of bi-polar when it came to evaluating his glove.

 

I'm surprised Cain didn't make it as a backup OF, I imagine Cain will be their backup plan if Alex Gordon doesn't work out in LF.

[strawbossisevil]

I just don't understand not keeping the best talent on the major league roster. Cain is clearly better than the backup OF's they kept. I don't see why he wouldn't make the team. He needs to face major league pitching to develop more. He won't do that sitting in AAA all year where he's already proved himself. I guess time will tell on Lawrie. Gotta see what he can do at AAA first. I don't think it would've been a great idea to throw him right into the majors, and I probably wouldn't until late in the season.

1) Young players need regular at bats. You don't develop when you are sitting on an MLB bench. Facing AAA pitching everyday is far better for player development than facing MLB pitching once a week.

2) The Royals are not going to be in a playoff race this year, so playing the hot hand (Cabrera) while waiting with Cain potentially earns them an extra year where he'll be part of their organization.

This seems like a common sense move to me.

 

[brettac1]

Yeah, and the Blue Jays will never make the playoffs unless the entire east coast of the US falls into the ocean.

 

And I wouldn't say Cain has proven himself by any means. He had like 150 AB's.

[logan82]

I'd bet the Royals are sending Lo to AAA for the same reason. Both will probably be up in the bigs before too long.

I think Cain may stay down for quite a while. He already has MLB service time from last year.

 

Cain is probably better than Cabrera in my opinion. As a developing prospect I think Cain playing every day in AAA would be better than sporadic at bats in the majors.

I just don't understand not keeping the best talent on the major league roster

If you are not going to compete this year or next, the extra year of service time is worth way more than making a 75 win team a 79 win team. Not that I think Cain is 4 wins better than Cabrera.

[Bombers]

It will be interesting to see how they all do this year. Just to add him to this discussion, Escobar also raked in spring training, like Melky did, with a .364 AVG / .636 SLG / .400 OBP / 1.036 OPS. He had 12 runs scored on 20 hits.

[trwi7]

I just don't understand not keeping the best talent on the major league roster. Cain is clearly better than the backup OF's they kept.

 

Why waste major league service time on a team that's going to lose 100 games anyways? That's why I don't understand Jeffress making the team, as a reliever no less. Why wouldn't they send him to the minors and at least try him as a starter?

[logan82]

trwi7 wrote:

Why waste major league service time on a team that's going to lose 100 games anyways? That's why I don't understand Jeffress making the team, as a reliever no less. Why wouldn't they send him to the minors and at least try him as a starter?

Didn't even give that much consideration but that would make a lot more sense for Jeffress than putting him in the pen. He has hardly pitched the last few years. At least against batters.

[brettac1]

It's the Royals. It's Ned Yost. End of story.

 

I have no why you wouldn't even just put Jeffress in the big league rotation if he's going to make the roster. Look at who's in it. Guys like Kyle Davies.

[logan82]

It's the Royals. It's Ned Yost. End of story.

 

I have no why you wouldn't even just put Jeffress in the big league rotation if he's going to make the roster. Look at who's in it. Guys like Kyle Davies.

Jeffress probably isn't built up enough to pitch a full season.

[brettac1]

It's the Royals. It's Ned Yost. End of story.

 

I have no why you wouldn't even just put Jeffress in the big league rotation if he's going to make the roster. Look at who's in it. Guys like Kyle Davies.

Jeffress probably isn't built up enough to pitch a full season.

That's just another thing that they screwed up on. I really hope they can be a good team in a couple years, but with that "brain" trust in place with Moore and Yost I have my doubts. Rarely do I ever feel pity for another fanbase, but the Royals faithful are a bunch that I feel for.

[The Truth]

I was just reading, recently about a highly prized SS prospect in the Royals system (I apologize, forgot his name). I wonder if the Royals will flip Alcides Escobar when this kid is MLB ready

[logan82]

brettac1 wrote:

That's just another thing that they screwed up on. I really hope they can be a good team in a couple years, but with that "brain" trust in place with Moore and Yost I have my doubts. Rarely do I ever feel pity for another fanbase, but the Royals faithful are a bunch that I feel for.

Yost is ok as a manager for a young team.

[The Truth]

logan3825 wrote:

Yost is ok as a manager for a young team.

Sure he is. Except for that part about overworking/abusing a great young pitcher like Ben Sheets, so that by the time the team finally gets in playoff contention, that pitching ace who got abused in last place seasons is injured/washed up

[brettac1]

Yeah, that's my thought exactly.

[DHonks]

The Truth, Yost never seemed to overwork pitchers. He was very strict in his pitch counts. Actually, I take that back...Maddux was generally regarded as being in charge of pitchers, so I guess Maddux abused his pitchers.

 

Sheets threw very low pitches/game totals, and worked deep into games because of his pitch efficiency. Let's face it...Sheets was never fully the same after the fluke of tearing his lat.