The Royals have been major players in the free agent market, making a big run at Andruw Jones while signing Jose Guillen, but they did lose David Riske to the Brewers.
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I wanted to avoid making this story about the 2005 MLB draft, but it came up, as I'm sure it nearly always does when the name Ricky Romero is mentioned. Blue Jays' fans already intimately know too well how they could have Troy Tulowitzki playing shortstop for them instead of David Eckstein, if they had simply used the 6th overall pick on the Long Beach State product instead of the southpaw from Cal State Fullerton. Romero was the first pitcher selected in that draft but has yet to reach the big leagues like Tulowitzki, Justin Upton, Ryan Braun, Jacoby Ellsbury, Ryan Zimmerman, and Clay Buchholz who were on the cover of this season's Sports Illustrated preview edition in a way in which they are already being mythologized.
The way this story is endlessly delivered suggests an underlying (frequently very blunt) assumption that JP Riccardi selected Sam Bowie's cousin instead of Michael Jordan. The success rate of baseball drafts, even for 1st rounders, is extremely low, and it isn't like they have the opportunity to always personally scout their selections. Riccardi allegedly overruled the majority of his advisers (including Keith Law, as Law himself points out) to select Romero, who has battled a host of shoulder and elbow problems.
Coming out of Cal State Fullterton, Romero had a 13-5 record in 134 innings with a 4.09 K/BB ratio and a K/9 IP of 9.34 and had helped the Titans win the College World Series as a sophomore. But his college success, however impressive, is now three years in the past, and he needs to use 2008 that his promise is more than just a draft slot.
Romero is beginning his fourth season in the Jays' organization, and it is not uncommon for even a college pitcher to still be a year or two away from the big leagues, but he is unquestionably behind his anticipated pace set in 2005. The improbable immediate success of so many members of the 2005 class leaves Romero (fair or not) particularly unprotected from scrutiny.
"I don't think the expectations have changed," said Romero when I asked him if he's altered his expectations since he came into the Blue Jays' organization. "My biggest problem has been inconsistency and injuries."
Romero knew, either subliminally or not, that this was my way of referencing that '05 draft class and that SI cover.
"The draft doesn't matter anymore. Everyday I take my bullpen, lifting and running very serious. It (comparisons to other members of '05 draft) is a challenge. It is good for me to deal with failure."
Romero, who features a fastball, curve, change, and cutter, had a 4.89 ERA in 18 starts for New Hampshire in Double-A last season. He had an unhealthy WHIP of 1.69 but an improving K/9 rate of 8.15. Romero talked to me about how the caliber of Double-A hitters is far higher than those in college and the lower minor league levels.
"I came out of the bullpen during the Arizona Fall League, something I haven't done since my freshman year of high school."
He worked on his fastball/curveball command coming out of the bullpen and struck out 12 batters in 11.2 innings of work.
Although he'll start again for Double-A New Hampshire and would prefer to do that long term, he's open to a possible future in the bullpen.
"Whatever they want me to do I'll do in order to get to the big leagues," said Romero.
Left-handed relievers who can get batters out essentially have a job for life, and Romero may be better suited for that kind of work. He has four solid pitches but still hasn't developed a signature pitch.
"If I'm doing good, I don't see any reason why they wouldn't call me up to Triple-A," said Romero shortly before his first start of 2008.
Over the weekend, Romero went 3.2 innings, surrendering four runs (three earned). He did strike out five but walked three and gave up three hits.
- Christopher Reina is the executive editor of RealGM and the creator of the Reina Value.
