KANSAS CITY, Mo.- Royals general manager Dayton Moore sat down with reporters to discuss his most recent trade. He ended up in a long chat about why his approach to this offseason differs from the past few years.
Moore traded outfielder/utility man Mark Teahen to the White Sox for Chris Getz and Josh Fields. Getz should provide a defensive upgrade at second base. He is also a base stealing threat. His offensive numbers pale in comparison to Alberto Callaspo. However, Getz is only 26 years old and a more well-rounded baseball player.
Fields is also 26. At one time, he was considered a big-time power-hitting prospect. His rookie year he hit 23 home runs. He has not come close to matching those numbers the past few years and lost the third-base job in Chicago. Moore hinted that Fields may move to the outfield or first base.
Moore was pretty blunt when discussing the trade. He got two Major League players for one. They are both cheap and young.
"Yes, economics were a part of it as well. The other factor...it puts us in a position to maybe be more creative this offseason."
The Royals would seem to have an excess of infielders. Callaspo or others could be on the trading block. Moore made it clear he will be focusing his energy on trades instead of free agency.
"I was probably a little too aggressive at times early on in the free agent aspect of it, but it's kind of my nature."
Moore says the payroll will not increase much this year. That leaves him with no room to sign a high-priced free agent.
"The way we've done it the previous two offseasons is more indicative of a general manager who's trying to win right now...We're going to just do it the right way."
That means a focus on trades and the draft. Moore says he is hoping for a wave of talent to hit the Major Leagues. He admits that will not happen next year. So, he is loading up on young, cheap players that may be able to help two or three years down the road when the Royals are ready to compete.
Along those lines, the Royals declined their options for Coco Crisp, Miguel Olivo and Yasuhiko Yabuta. Moore would like to bring Crisp back at a discount. Olivo will likely search for a long-term contract with another team.
Moore's attempts to win right away have not panned out the past two years. The pieces of the puzzle did not fit. So, he will look to trade for different pieces.
"The bottom line is it hasn't worked here. It hasn't worked. We've got to do what we have to do to shake up our team. Create as much competition as possible."
