As you’ve undoubtedly read elsewhere, Kansas City traded the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner, Zack Greinke (above), to Milwaukee yesterday for a pile of prospects that while far terrible, aren’t nearly the haul you’d expect in return for a pitcher of Greinke’s quality. “Greinke is 27-years young,” raged Jeff Pearlman. “He was drafted by the Royals and, despite a so-so 2010, is a legitimate No. 1 starter. He is the exact type of player Kansas City is supposed to keep and build around…in another couple of years the players acquired from Milwaukee will be used as chips. It™s how it goes.” Leaving aside for a minute whether or not K.C. should’ve even entertained dealing Greinke this early, Joe Posnaski ID’s speedy outfielder Lorenzo Cain as the most promising player/chip received by the Royals ; shame then, Cain might not see much playing time for the parent club, if Ned Yost’s remarks to Bob Dutton in the KC Star are any indication. From Posnaski’s Joe Blogs :
Yost started talking about Cain, talked about his athleticism, how he and Escobar can help the Royals offense “just with their legs alone.” Then it all took a terrible turn.
œHe™s a center fielder, Yost told Bob about Cain. œBut we™ll see where it fits in. I™m not projecting anything right now. We™ve signed Melky Cabrera (to play center field), and Lorenzo Cain only has (147) big-league at-bats.
Uh oh. Bob asked Ned Yost about Cain … and the words “Melky” and “Cabrera” were in the answer? Melky Cabrera of the 83 OPS+ and .317 on-base percentage last year? Melky Cabrera of the minus-21 on the Dewan Plus/Minus for outfield defense last year (minus-9 in center fielder where he only played 385 innings)? Melky Cabrera of the minus-1.2 WAR last year — which made him by Fangraphs ratings the worst everyday player in baseball? That Melky Cabrera?
Are the Royals really going to block one of the young and promising players they just got for Greinke with Melky F. Cabrera? And this in a year when EVERYONE knows they are going to be absolutely terrible?