Rebuilding the Royals

After a 106-loss season, the Royals clearly have some rebuilding to do. The Royals have some talent that could be a start to building a contender. But, how well the Royals develop and use that talent will determine whether or not this team becomes a contender. Here's what the Royals must do to rebuild their franchise:

1. Find a quality GM and support staff: Barring a miracle (.500 season), Baird will probably not be retained after this season, according to Mr. Glass. Whether or not Baird is capable of handling the following to-do list is probably a moot point. He was given the task of rebuilding the franchise 5 years ago and has made little progress. The Royals need to implement a system that can develop starting pitching, produce above-average drafts, and make good moves to improve the team.

2. Fix the pitching woes: The Royals have some pitching talent on the big league roster. The Royals had 5 pitchers in the pen who could throw 95+ mph. Burgos, Sisco, Nunez, MacDougal, Greinke, and Bautista give the Royals six very good arms that they control for the next 3-6 years. The Royals could have an outstanding bullpen, but only if they can get consistent production from their relievers. That has been a problem with the Royals' last round of bullpen talent (Affeldt and MacDougal).

The Royals biggest problem is the starting rotation. Even if the Royals listen to the fans' wishes and sign Morris and Loaiza, the best we can hope for is that they pitch like No. 2 and 3 starters for the next 2 or 3 years. However, most of the FA starters are past their prime and probably won't continue to perform at their current levels. The Royals must develop their own starting pitching. The Royals' inability to develop starting pitching has been a problem for 10 years and there are no signs of any progress, unless you count Zack Greinke's team-leading 5.80 ERA (from kcroyals.com). The Royals must fix this problem, otherwise a .500 team becomes a best-case scenario.

3. Make the most of this offseason: The Royals have $25 million to spend this offseason. That's enough money to get some quality help and improve the team's weaknesses. But, it's also enough money to impede the progress of the franchise if the Royals spend the money poorly.

4. Two more Mike Sweeneys: Out of Justin Huber, Alex Gordon, and Billy Butler, the Royals need 2 more Mike Sweeney-type bats to solidify the middle of the order. The Royals have enough depth and talent in the farm system to fill the rest of the lineup with solid players, but the Royals need a couple of bats to put them over the top.

5. Get more pitching out of the drafts: The Royals have done a good job of drafting position players. But, the Royals need to get more pitching talent into the farm system, which has one good pitching prospect at the moment. With the first-pick overall next year, the Royals should have their choice of top college starters.