In a way, the 2013 performance of center fielder Lorenzo Cain is bittersweet. On one hand, I’m glad he’s playing well, especially with the struggling Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas in the lineup. But if Cain stayed healthy last year, would he play as well in 2012 as he is now? It’s hard to say, but Cain played well before various leg injuries limited him to 61 games, ending up with a .266/.316/.419 line with 222 at-bats, 31 RBI, nine doubles, seven home runs, striking out 56 times, drawing 15 walks and stealing 10 bases.

Cain knew a good 2013 performance would decide if he was the Royals center fielder of the future or another has-been. In the offseason, Cain worked on strengthening his legs to avoid the leg and hip injuries that plagued him last year. And so far, it’s paying off. He’s played 17 of 18 games with a .350/.420/.483 line, 60 at-bats, nine RBI, five doubles, a home run with 14 strikeouts, six walks and two stolen bases.

Against lefties, Cain has a .357/.500/.357 line with 14 at-bats, four RBI, two strikeouts and three walks. Against righties, Cain has a .348/.392/.522 line with 46 at-bats, five RBI, five doubles, a home run with 12 strikeouts and three walks. He’s hitting and scoring well against left and right handed pitching, though he’s faced more righties than lefties.

Among regular staring position players, Cain leads the team in batting average (.350), on-base percentage (.420), on-base percentage with slugging (.904) and he’s got caught stealing three times. Actually, he leads the American League in being caught stealing, so his running game needs some work.

Cain has a .970 fielding percentage in center field, with the league fielding percentage being .990. His range factor per nine innings as a center fielder is 2.41, with the league range factor per nine innings is at 2.66. He’s only committed one error in 119.2 innings of play, so while his current defense is below league average, he’s far from a defensive liability in the field.

It’s unlikely Cain will keep up his high batting average and he won’t hit a lot of home runs. But so far, Cain is a good center fielder who can hit, get on base and play average defense. If he stays healthy (and there’s still a question if he can) and works on his running game, Cain will be a solid center fielder for the Royals. And at 27, he’s got the potential to improve. With the Royals offense being what it is, let’s hope he does improve.

James Shields was the “big name” in the Shields/Wade Davis trade, but the success or failure of the trade hinges on Davis. Shields is the Kansas City Royals’ ace, but he’s a free agent after the 2014 season. Whether he pitches well or not, it’s likely he’s gone after two years. However, Davis is under team control until 2016. The Royals believe Shields will improve the team now. As for Davis, the Royals believe he will develop into a two or three starter and be a part of the starting rotation the next few seasons.

This spring, the Royals plan to give Davis every chance to make the starting rotation as their 3-4-5 starter. From 2009-2011, Davis started 64 games for the Tampa Bay Rays. But last year, Davis stayed in the bullpen, appearing in 54 games. During Spring Training, the Rays gave Davis a shot as their fifth starter, but he lost out to Jeff Niemann. And when Niemann went down with a broken ankle, the Rays promoted Alex Cobb to the starting rotation, leaving Davis in the bullpen.

So is Davis a better starter, or a better reliever? Let’s see what the stats say:

Davis prefers a starting role, but his stats say he’s a better reliever. He had a much lower ERA, and over nine innings gave up fewer hits and struck out more batters. However, he did walk more batters over nine innings, which isn’t good if you’re a reliever. And with the Rays talented starting rotation last year, Davis stayed in the bullpen.

But how does Davis as a starter compare to the 2012 Royals starting rotation? Here’s the stats of the top five Royals starters:

If you take Davis’ worst year, 2011, he had a better ERA than the Royals rotation, save Jeremy Guthrie and Luis Mendoza. The Royals rotation had more SO/9 than the 2011 Davis and except for Mendoza and Will Smith, the Royals rotation had a better BB/9 ratio than the 2011 Davis. If Davis was in the Royals starting rotation last year, he would likely be the number three starter behind Guthrie and Mendoza.

So what does this mean? Well, Davis is a good middle of the rotation starter, but is a better reliever. If Bruce Chen and Mendoza regress, Luke Hochevar pitches like Luke Hochevar and Davis pitches like he did in 2010, he’ll be in the starting rotation. But if Chen, Mendoza or Hochevar have a great Spring Training, Davis might end up in the bullpen.

But that’s not likely, despite what happens this spring. The Royals will give Davis every opportunity to make the starting rotation, just to show the Shields/Davis trade wasn’t a bust like some Royals fans and pundits think it is. If Shields and Davis are starters, the trade doesn’t look bad. The team got two quality starters to improve their rotation. But if Shields is a starter and Davis is a reliever, then the trade looks like the Royals got an ace for only two years and another bullpen arm in an already strong bullpen. Not bad, but not that good either.

So I assumed you’ve already tuned out the playoffs, what with the Tigers, Yankees and Cardinals all advancing. Instead, let’s take a look at October baseball Kansas City Royals style, the Arizona Fall League. The Royals sent eight players to Arizona, here’s a little bit about each of them and what we can hope to see.

J.C. Sulbaran- Absolutely the most interesting prospect in Arizona. He came over in the Jonathan Broxton trade and struggled mightily after joining Northwest Arkansas but that was almost entirely due to control issues. At just 22 years old, there is plenty of time for Sulbaran to blossom into a back of the rotation starter. Sulbaran has yet to take the mound yet in Arizona. A great sign for the Royals would be if Sulbaran dominates the lesser competition in Arizona and keeps his walks down.

Edwin Carl- 24 year-old pitcher with impressive peripherals, but that’s what you’d expect from a 24 year old that’s yet to get to AA. Carl has struck out over 11 batters per nine innings in his minor league career with an outstanding 5.4-1 K/BB ratio. Carl gave up two hits including a home run in his fall league debut.

John Keck- 24 year-old left handed relief pitcher that finally dominated high-A ball this season, earning a promotion to AA. Keck does not stike a lot of people out, and he struggles with his control. It’s a major long shot that we ever see him in Kansas City. Keck has already given up 3 unearned runs on 5 hits in just 1.1 innings this fall.

Justin Marks- 24 year-old left handed starting pitcher that pitched well in AA this season. Marks came to the Royals as part of the David DeJesus trade. A great performance is Anrizona could lead to an assignment in Omaha in 2012, putting him in line to fill a gap once the third or fourth Tommy John injury is sustained. Marks threw three hitless innings in his Fall League debut, walking two and striking out two.

Alex McClure- 23 year-old shortstop that has shown no ability to hit at any level. Played half a season in Northwest Arkansas in 2012 and posted an OPS of .525, which is just slightly below his career OPS. Mcclure is 1/6 wuth an error in two fall games thus far.

Whit Merrifield- 23 year-old outfielder/second baseman that has shown limited promise in his time in the organization. This is likely his last chance to make an impression on the organization. Merrifield has started the fall 2/8 with two runs scored, he’s also committed an error.

Brian Fletcher- 23 (soon to be 24) year-old outfielder that progressed to AA mid-season. Fletcher has 31 home runs in 857 career minor league at bats, but he would have to have an impressive fall and outstanding 2013 to have any chance to figure in the Royals long term plans. Fletcher is 3/10 with an RBI in three games of Arizona Fall League action.

Orlando Calixte- 20 year-old SS from the Dominican Republic that committed 46 errors in 123 games in 2012. Calixte did have his best year at the plate in 2012, smacking 14 home runs and posting a respectable .759 OPS. At 20, and already with 60 games at High-A ball under his belt, Calixte could really benefit if the time in Arizone helps him with the glove. Calixte is 3/9 in three games, and he’s yet to commit an error. An outstaning sign for the Royals would be if Calixte could end the fall with the same number of errors he has now, more realistically he needs to improve drastically on his ratio of an error every three games.

When infielder Chris Getz returned from the disabled list Tuesday night, the Royals sent infielder Johnny Giavotella to AAA Omaha. And when infielder Yuniesky Betancourt returned from the DL earlier this month, long time minor league infielder Irving Falu went back to Omaha.

If you read some of the articles and comments on Royals blogs and websites, it’s obvious Getz and Betancourt are not fan favorites. And with Betancourt’s lack of defensive range and Getz’s lack of power, it’s easy to see why. But are the players they replaced, Falu and Giavotella, any better? Or are Betancourt and Getz the best the Royals have for now?

For the sake of comparison, I’ll compare the positions of second base and utility infielder. For second base, I’ll compare second basemen Chris Getz and Johnny Giavotella. For utility infielders, I’ll compare Yuniesky Betancourt and Irving Falu.

Comparing the offensive numbers of Getz and Giavotella, they’re similar in many ways, but some stats stand out.

Getz has more games and plate appearances than Giavotella and edges Gio in runs RBI and strikeouts. But Getz has seven more hits and a much higher batting average, on base percentage and slugging. Neither player has a home run, but second base is not a power position. Offense is important, but defense is key for asecond baseman. Here’s their defensive numbers:

Defensive stats aren’t as reliable as offensive stats due to a lot of factors I won’t list here. But Getz’s fielding percentage is 52 points over Giavotella’s and Getz is 10 points over the league fielding percentage. Giavotella is 42 points less than league average. And with range factor per nine innings, Getz is close to league average, but way ahead of Giavotella. So looking at statistics, one can see why the Royals say Getz’s defense has the edge and at least for 2012, Getz’s offense has the edge overGiavotella. Like it or not, Getz is playing better than Giavotella and until that changes, Giavotella will be staying in Omaha.

Moving on to the utility infielders, here’s the offensive numbers of Yuniesky Betancourt and Irving Falu:

Betancourt has a lot more games and plate appearances compared to Falu, but Falu has a decent number of hits with his limited playing time, which increases his batting average. And Falu was close to Betancourt in runs. However, Betancourt drove in more runs and Falu almost had as many strikeouts as Betancourt. Yuni has the edge in offense, but if Falu played as much as Betancourt, I have a feeling the numbers would be similar.

How about defense? That’s the bread and butter of an utility infielder and here’s the defensive numbers of Betancourt and Falu:

These defensive numbers are the average of second base, shortstop and third base, all positions Betancourt and Falu played. Both Betancourt and Falu are below league average in all categories, but Betancourt’s numbers are lower than Falu’s. The numbers tell us what we’ve known all along: Betancourt’s defense and range are below average and he’s not a good fielder. And Falu would likely do a better job as an utility infielder than Betancourt and provide almost the same level of offense.

So instead of playing Falu, a longtime minor leaguer who’s been with the Royals for years and would play at league minimum pay, the Royals play Betancourt, who has worse defense and is getting two million dollars that could be spent on pitching. And don’t forget the Royals like to platoon Betancourt and Getz at second base. These are the things which frustrate Royals fans.

These players alone aren’t going to get the Royals towards .500, let alone winning the American League Central. But for now, Chris Getz is the best player at second base and the Royals should dump Betancourt and call up Falu as their utility infielder.

ROYALS SIGN FIRST-ROUND PICK KYLE ZIMMER

Kansas City, MO (June 7, 2012) – The Kansas City Royals today announced the club has signed first-round draft choice Kyle Zimmer, the fifth overall selection in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.  Consistent with team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The 20-year-old Zimmer, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-handed starter, went 5-3 with a 2.85 ERA in 13 starts, including three complete games, for the Dons in 2012.  In 88.1 innings, he allowed 76 hits, 28 earned runs and 17 walks, while striking out 104.  Zimmer led the West Coast Conference in shutouts (2), strikeouts and strikeouts per nine innings (10.6).  Baseball America rated Zimmer as having the best fastball among all collegiate prospects and his curveball as the third-best in the collegiate ranks.  He was named a preseason second-team All-American by Baseball America entering 2012 and to the 2012 Midseason USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Watch List last month.  Zimmer was also a member of the 2012 WCC All-Academic team, posting a 3.72 GPA.

Born in San Francisco, Calif., he attended La Jolla (Calif.) High School in the San Diego area where he played four years of baseball, mostly as a third baseman, while also competing in water polo and basketball.  Serving mostly as a position player, he pitched a total of 21.1 innings during his high school career.  Zimmer converted to pitcher his freshman season at USF, but only made five appearances that year.  He then posted a 6-5 record with a 3.73 ERA last season, including outdueling 2011 first-overall selection Gerrit Cole and the UCLA Bruins, 3-0, in a four-hit complete-game shutout with 11 strikeouts in a NCAA regional game on June 3, 2011.

Zimmer is the 23^rd pitcher to be selected by the Royals in the first round and the first since 2011 All-Star Aaron Crow in 2009.

Spring Training Report #5: Finding the right combination
Sorting out the last few roster spots

Other Injury Notes: Salvador Perez is expected to miss 12-14 weeks setting him up to return in late May or early June barring any setbacks in his recovery process.  It is possible that he could see some rehab time in Northwest Arkansas before being called back up to Kansas City.   Manny Pina is expected to miss the rest of spring training and possibly into May, while recovering from his own knee surgery.  Blake Wood has been shut down for a week with what team officials are calling elbow soreness.  Once the week has passed; Wood will begin a throwing program before returning to live game action.

Check nwanaturals.com for our Spring Training Report, where we’ll continue to follow Royals’ minor leaguers in spring training as well as cover other baseball information that pertains to the Naturals and the Texas League.

For 2012, there’s great expectations for the Kansas City Royals. So far, the Royals haven’t made a big splash in the free agent or trade market, but they did acquire pitchers Jonathan Sanchez, Jonathan Broxton and Jose Mijares this offseason. Let’s take a look at Sanchez, Broxton and Mijares, the new kids in town.

Jonathan Sanchez: The 29 year-old left-handed starting pitcher spent his career with the San Francisco Giants before being traded to the Royals for outfielder Melky Cabrera. The Royals also acquired Minor League starter Ryan Verdugo.

I remember watching the Kansas City media interviewing Sanchez when he visited Kauffman Stadium. Wearing black, he appeared to have the demeanor of a man forced to kiss a porcupine wearing a Royals jersey.

If I were Sanchez, I’d be glad I’m not fighting the porcupine for a starting pitching job. Sanchez had a disappointing 2011, missing playing time recovering from a sprained ankle and biceps tendinitis. Sanchez’s career 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings are good, but a career 4.8 walks per nine innings aren’t as good. Giving up a lot of walks means issues with control. If Sanchez stayed with the Giants, he would battle Barry Zito for the fifth starter job.

Sanchez will get $5.2 million in 2012 and be eligible for free agency at the end of the season. If the Giants thought Sanchez was a fifth starter and the Royals have plenty of fourth and fifth starters, why did they trade for Sanchez? The Royals needed starting pitching and the Giants needed offense. Cabrera’s 2011 offensive numbers made him a good trade chip, which got Sanchez and Verdugo. Sanchez had a down year in 2011, but if he cuts down his walks, he could move to the top of the rotation and help the Royals contend in 2012.

Jonathan Broxton: When I watched a video clip of Broxton at his introductory press conference, I thought the Royals signed Bigmouth, the giant from the Smurfs cartoon. Well, at least their hairstyles are similar. And there’s a rumor from Brainy Smurf that Bigmouth has a wicked curveball.

But the Royals signed Broxton, a 27 year-old right-hander who spent his career as a reliever and closer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. From 2006 to 2009, Broxton was one of the top relief pitchers in baseball with a 2.79 ERA, 11.8 strikeouts and 3.4 walks per nine innings. The 2010 campaign wasn’t bad, with a 4.04 ERA, 10.5 strikeouts and 4 walks per nine innings. But In 2011, elbow injuries limited Broxton to 14 games. While he was on the mound, his ERA ballooned to 5.68 and his strikeouts per nine innings went down to 7.1 and his walks went up to 6.4 per nine innings. Last September, Broxton had arthroscopic elbow surgery and recently started an off-season throwing program. He should be ready to go by spring training.

Why did the Royals sign Broxton to a one-year, $4 million deal when they have a young, inexpensive and solid bullpen anchored by All-Star closer Jokaim Soria? With a weaker crop of free agent starting pitchers this offseason and the Royals reluctance to give up top prospects for starting pitching, the team focused strengthening their bullpen. A good bullpen can hold leads or at least minimize runs so the offense has a chance to score runs in the late innings. The addition of Broxton also gives 2011 relievers Aaron Crow and Everett Teaford an opportunity to win a spot in the starting rotation. Like Sanchez, if Broxton can bounce back from his 2011 season, he can help the Royals in 2012.

Jose Mijares: The Minnesota Twins non-tendered the 27 year-old lefty reliever in December, and the Royals signed Mijares to a one-year Major League contract for $925K.

Over his four year Major League career with the Twins, Mijares has a career 3.16 ERA, 6.9 strikeouts and 3.6 walks per nine innings. His career platoon splits tell a more complete story, with right-handed batters having a .268/.353/423 line and left-handed hitters having a .212/276/.331 line. Over his Major League career, Mijares gave up 85 hits and 41 walks against right-handed batters compared to 55 hits and 21 walks against left-handed batters. Since Mijares is more effective against left-handed batters, The Royals plan to use him as a left-handed specialist, giving Royals manager Ned Yost more lefty-lefty matchups in late inning situations.

In the past, Mijares had attitude problems and the Twins were concerned with his conditioning. At 6’0″ and 230 pounds, he is what some would call hefty. But the Royals want Mijares to get left-handed batters out, not steal bases or patrol the outfield, so his size shouldn’t be an issue. As for Mijares’ attitude, maybe the 6’4″ 300 pound Broxton will threaten to sit on him if he starts misbehaving.

All three players have one year commitments and they’re unlikely to be with the Royals in 2013. If Jonathan Sanchez and Jonathan Broxton bounce back from their disappointing 2011 campaigns, they give the Royals a chance to contend in the AL Central. If lefty specialist Jose Mijares gets crucial outs in late inning situations, the Royals could win more games. The Royals hope these new kids in town will contribute in 2012 and get the team to 2013, when more of their vaunted prospects are in the Major Leagues.

Remember high school dances? Times of teenage angst, puppy love, hormones and awkwardness? Imagine the 30 Major League teams as girls and a Major League baseball season as a high school dance. Every girl there wants to be the Belle of the 2012 Major League Ball, the winner of the World Series.

See the girl in the corner, wearing a powder blue dress and her hair done up just so? That’s Miss Kansas City Royals. She isn’t the richest, prettiest or most popular girl, and for many years the poor thing was the wallflower of the Major League Ball, not living up to her potential.

But if you look closer, there’s something different about Miss Royals this year. She’s become younger, more confident, attractive and now she’s getting more attention. She’s feeling more optimistic about her chances at the 2012 Major League Ball.

And while Miss Royals is optimistic, she wouldn’t mind a top of the rotation starting pitcher to improve her chances. Yes, she could trade for a starting pitcher, but a free agent pitcher means she doesn’t have to surrender any prospects. And this year Miss Royals has some money to spend.

Using a few statistical metrics, I’ll compare the 2011 Royals starting rotation to free agent pitchers Edwin Jackson, Roy Oswalt, Hiroki Kuroda and Paul Maholm.

For the sake of comparison, I’m going to mash the 2011 Royals starting rotation into one pitcher. This “pitcher” would have a rounded average of 6 wins and 10 losses with a .375 winning percentage, 138 average innings pitched a season and a 4.96 ERA. He would give up one home run, throw 6.5 strikeouts and give up 3.2 walks per nine innings.

Let’s take a look at four free agent pitchers who could take Miss Royals by the hand and escort her to the dance floor.

Edwin Jackson:

For now, this is the guy most Royals fans wants Miss Royals to dance with. The 28-year-old right-hander has a 60-60 career win-loss record which makes him a .500 pitcher. Since establishing himself in 2007, he’s pitched an average of 193 innings a season and posted a 4.41 average ERA. Jackson has a 1.0 home run, 6.7 strikeout and 3.7 walk ratio per nine innings. Compared to the 2011 Royals starting rotation, Jackson gives up the same amount of home runs, has slightly more strikeouts and walks slightly more batters per nine innings.

Some compare Jackson to John Danks, who just signed a five-year, $65 million extension with the Chicago White Sox. Jackson would like a five-year, $60 million deal. At 28, Jackson could get better, or he could get worse. If the Royals get creative with a contract and the money and years are right, Edwin Jackson could be a good dance partner for Miss Royals.

Roy Oswalt:

When Oswalt was looking for a three-year deal earlier in the off-season, Miss Royals figured she had little chance getting the 34-year-old right-hander from Mississippi. But since Oswalt is willing to sign a one-year deal, there could be a chance, despite interest from a lot of other girls (teams). Over 11 seasons, Oswalt complied a 159-93 win-loss record, giving him a .631 winning percentage. An average of 196 innings pitched per season and a career 3.21 ERA over 11 seasons is also attractive. Oswalt has a 0.8 home run, 7.3 strikeout and 2.1 walk ratio per nine innings. Compared to the 2011 Royals starting rotation, Oswalt gives up less home runs, throws more strikes and gives up less walks per nine innings.

But Oswalt had back trouble last year and the Philadelphia Phillies decided to decline his $16 million option. There is risk getting a guy on the rebound (Jeff Francis, anyone?) and Miss Royals would have to pay Oswalt a lot of money to dance with her. But Oswalt might provide enough wins to allow the Royals to contend in 2012. If Oswalt is a bust, the Royals are only out for a year of salary and they can go for another free agent pitcher in 2013. Roy Oswalt provides a high risk/high reward.

Hiroki Kuroda:

The Los Angeles Dodgers jilted Kuorda after 2011 and there are rumblings the 36-year-old right-hander will go back to Japan if he can’t find an East or West Coast dancing partner. Unless there’s a cataclysmic earthquake and Kansas City becomes the new Los Angeles, Kuroda is a long shot for the Royals. His 41-46 career win-loss record and .471 winning percentage over four seasons isn’t anything spectacular. Over four seasons, Kuroda averaged 139 innings pitched per season with a 3.45 career ERA. Kuroda has a 0.8 home run, 6.7 strikeout and 2.1 walk ratio per nine innings. Compared to the 2011 Royals starting rotation, Kuroda gives up slightly less home runs, throws the same amount of strikes and gives up one less walk per nine innings.

Unless Hiroki Kuroda gets off his East or West Coast high horse and is willing to take a one-year deal, Miss Royals is better off finding another suitor.

Paul Maholm:

The 29-year-old soft tossing left-hander has spent his career with the Pirates, which gives him a 53-73 win-loss record and .421 winning percentage. Maholm averaged 163 innings pitched per season and a 4.36 ERA. Maholm has a 0.8 home run, 5.5 strikeout and 3.0 walk ratio per nine innings. Compared to the 2011 Royals starting rotation, Maholm gives up slightly less home runs, throws less strikes and gives up slightly less walks per nine innings.

Maholm missed the last six weeks of the 2011 season with a strained left shoulder, which made the Pirates decline his $9.75 million option. Maholm is healthy, but he doesn’t have the value of a Edwin Jackson, Roy Oswalt, or even Hiroki Kuroda. Most baseball pundits have Paul Maholm as a back of the rotation pitcher, which the Royals have plenty of.

Kyle Davies:

Just kidding. Not in a million years. Even Miss Royals isn’t that desperate. Wait, she did take back Yuni Betancourt.

So will Miss Kansas City Royals be able to snag one of these suitors and perhaps be the Cinderella story of the 2012 Major League Ball? Or will she dance with who she brought, hoping she doesn’t fall flat on her face? At least she has a pretty powder blue dress.

Old friend of I-70, Wally Fish (of Kings Of Kauffman fame), has a site known as Seedlings To The Stars. They are currently in the process of counting down their top 100 prospects and we thought our readers might like to drop by there for some insight. Below are I-70 players that are currently profiled. Drop by the site and read up on the future of your favorite franchise.

The Seedlings To Stars 2012 Top 100 Prospects, #16: Wil Myers
Nathan Stoltz of Seedlings To The Stars says:

It’s not easy to hold one’s own in a Double-A lineup at age 20, and that’s exactly what Myers did in 2011. He had already blown apart both A-ball levels in 2010 as a teenager, so he has a strong track record.

Myers showed a bit of everything in his game this past year, walking 12.5% of the time and posting a 5/3 K/BB ratio. He ripped 23 doubles in 99 games, and some of his doubles should start clearing the fence as he matures. Myers even stole nine bases in 11 attempts.

Myers then crushed the Arizona Fall League in the offseason, hitting .360/.481/.674 with more walks than strikeouts and 14 extra-base hits in 23 games.

Read the full profile on Wil Myers by clicking here.

The Seedlings To Stars 2012 Top 100 Prospects, #8: Shelby Miller
Nathan Stoltz of Seedlings To The Stars says:

Miller followed up an excellent 2010 season with a truly dominating performance in High-A as a 20-year-old, striking out a whopping 13.75 batters per nine innings. He then moved up to Double-A for the majority of the year, where he continued to strike out over a batter per inning and held his walk rate steady at 3.4 BB/9. He also allowed just four home runs all season, an impressive feat; his Double-A home park is probably the most hitter-friendly stadium at that level.

More than any sort of statistical dominance, Miller’s always been known for having a very powerful right arm. He whips fastballs in the 93-96 range with excellent riding life up in the zone, and he backs it up with a solid curveball and a workable changeup. His delivery is extremely simple and effortless, so he isn’t sacrificing durability for the sake of velocity. At 6’3″ and a sturdy 200 lbs. he’s built to pitch deep into games.

Red the full profile on Shelby Miller by clicking here.

If prospects are what you are looking for and you want the most in-depth analysis available, all of us here at I-70 would suggest you drop by Seedlings To The Stars often. I know it is sitting at the top of my bookmarks currently.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

The Royals have not been quiet about their desire to add starting pitching this off-season. Nor have they shied away from discussing the many prospects they have in the pipeline in order to acquire a pitcher.

Dayton Moore was able to accomplish what most thought improbable, he improved his starting rotation and dealt from the major league roster, freeing up a spot for one of the talented youngsters going forward. In addition to not trading from the pipeline of minor league talent that Kansas City is enjoying, he added to it.

Melky Cabrera is no longer a Kansas City Royal. After one short season with the club after being released by the Atlanta Braves, the Royals have chosen to trade Cabrera while his value is high and have gained the return of Jonathan Sanchez for the Major League rotation and Ryan Verdugo for the minor league system.

Melky’s stats last year as a Royal:

The goal for the Royals was to find a top of the rotation starter at an affordable price. Sounds easy enough, right? Dayton Moore has successfully added to his rotation depth, but what did the Royals get in return for an outfielder that seemed to have a solid bounce back year for the team?

Sanchez has been one of the harder pitchers to figure out, both for opposing hitters and his own coaches. A dominant pitcher with a live arm, his strikeout rates are consistently high over his six year career. However, so are his walk rates. While he keeps hitters guessing, there are times he has the same effect on his catcher. Our friends at MLB Trade Rumors had this to say about Sanchez in reaction to the trade:

Sanchez, 28, may have been a non-tender candidate for the Giants after a disappointing 2011 season that saw him walk 5.9 per nine innings and miss significant time with biceps tendinitis and a sprained ankle. The southpaw is tough to hit and has big-time strikeout numbers, but control has always been a problem. In Sanchez, Felipe Paulino, and Danny Duffy, Royals GM Dayton Moore has strong strikeout potential for three-fifths of his 2012 rotation. Sanchez projects to earn $5.2MM in 2012, after which he’ll be eligible for free agency. That he was traded for one year of Cabrera shows how much his trade value slipped during the ’11 season. Sanchez was set to battleBarry Zito for the Giants’ fifth starter job next year.

Read Tim Dierkes full take on the trade by clicking here.

On July 10, 2009, Sanchez showed just how dominant he can be by crafting a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres. One look at his line from that day and “dominant” is the only way to describe it:

If new pitching coach Dave Eiland can help get the six-foot tall lefty to harness his control, the Royals have found the ace of their staff for 2012. If not, the Royals may be found looking at the trade deadline to bolster their staff a bit, should they find themselves in contention in 2012.

Jonathan Sanchez Career Statistics:

Of course, the dealing of Cabrera also leaves the middle of the outfield open for 2012, paving the way for prospect Lorenzo Cain to join the team fresh from Spring Training.

Cain, a product of the trade of Zack Greinke to the Milwaukee Brewers, has had some minor success at the major league level in limited action for the Brewers in 2010. He spent most of 2011 at AAA Omaha for the Royals and showed that he can hit and field his position rather well. His strikeout rate is high, but projecting him to hit either second in front of Billy Butler and Eric Hosmer or sixth behind them and Mike Moustakas could be a safe gamble.

The Royals will not live or die with the success of Cain. His bat will be a benefit to the ball club if they need it. They will, however, need production from Jonathan Sanchez if 2012 is the turning point of this team’s path.

No one knows if Moore is done dealing this off-season, but it appears he got his man early on and next year will determine how solid of a move it was.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.