AL Central Preview: Kansas City Royals

The Royals ended a three-year run of 100-loss seasons last year, going 69-93, just one game back of the White Sox for 4th place in the Central.
That's just one reason things are looking up for a team that, aside from the fluke 83-win team of 2003, hasn't contended since the George Brett-Mark Gubicza-Brett Saberhagen days.
New GM Dayton Moore is highly regarded around the league, and count me as one of many who are intrigued by their hiring of Trey Hillman of the Japanese League as their manager.
The signing of Gil Meche to a 5-year, $55 million deal before last season seemed ridiculous at the time, but Meche worked 216 innings and posted a 3.67 ERA, and the market has skyrocketed to where $11 million is practically a bargain for a guy with a sub-4 ERA who can work 200 innings.

In addition, the Royals have finally started to develop a core of solid young players, with Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, Mark Teahan the most prominent among them.
The Royals made a push for Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones this off-season, and while they were turned away, it shows that, at the very least, they are starting to take themselves seriously, even if high-priced free agents aren't (they did sign OF Jose Guillen to a 3-year, $36 million deal).

All that said, I'm still not convinced this is a team ready to move out of the cellar.

Yet.

At many positions, they've merely gone from bad to mediocre (SS, 1B, CF, C), and the pitching still has some questions.

Lineup
CF David DeJesus
2B Mark Grudzielanek
RF Mark Teahen
LF Jose Guillen
DH Billy Butler
3B Alex Gordon
1B Ross Gload
C John Buck
SS Tony Pena

Bench
C Miguel Olivo
IF Esteban German
IF Alberto Callaspo
OF Joey Gathright
IF Ryan Shealy

DeJesus seems to have plateaued as a league-average CF (at best), while Grudzielanek has to age eventually. Teahen hit only 7 homers in 544 ABs last year after hitting 18 the previous year.
Guillen will open the season serving a 15-game steroid suspension, but offers 25-homer power and a great outfield arm when he returns.
Butler and Gordon are big-time prospects. Gordon was overmatched early last year, but the Royals resisted the urge to send him down, and he eventually played his way into a groove, finishing the year at .247 with 15 homers, 14 steals and 36 doubles. He's only 24, and will only get better. Probably a lot better.
Butler has no position, but the not-yet 22-year old slugger batted .292 with 8 homers and 52 RBIs in half a season with the Royals last year. He's a potential .320-30-120 guy.
Buck is an average catcher, and while Pena held his own last year at SS, his days in that spot are numbered with No. 1 pick Mike Moustakas waiting in the wings.

Rotation
RH Gil Meche
RH Brian Bannister
RH Zack Greinke
LH Jorge De La Rosa
RH Kyle Davies/RH Leo Nunez/RH Luke Hochevar

Meche was a legitimate ace last year, while Bannister (12-9, 3.87) emerged as a strong No. 2. I'd be surprised if either of them were able to duplicate their numbers this year, however. Greinke (7-7, 3.69) has a bigger upside than both of them.
De La Rosa (8-12, 5.82) got lit up last year, while the 5th starter spot is a hole. Hochevar, the team's top pitching prospect, will be there before long (he'll open the season in the minors).

Bullpen
LH Ron Mahay
LH Jimmy Gobble
RH Yasuhiko Yabuta
RH Joel Peralta
RH Joakim Soria
LH Neal Musser
RH John Bale

Soria (2.48, 17 saves) was a big surprise last year, while Yabuta brings a solid track record from Japan. Mahay and Gobble were both excellent last year, and Peralta was good, too. Musser and Bale were decent. This is actually a pretty good 'pen.

The Royals have done a good job of digging themselves out of a hole by assembling quality young talent through the amateur and Rule V drafts while adding modestly priced but effective veterans and role players (the latter being something I wish the Twins did better). They're a lot better than they were.
But other than Gordon and Butler, most of them don't project to be truly high level players.
This team is heading in the right direction, but there's still work to do.

Kansas City Royals
Manager: Trey Hillman
Lineup: C-
Rotation: C
Bullpen: B
Bench: C
Defense: B 2008 Prediction: 70-92, 5th in AL Central