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Nov 16, 2022Liked by Craig Brown

If they choose to do this weeks ago - and I have to assume it wasn't a last min decision - they were waiting on the stadium announcement to hide this contract? So we have had some great news in the last few weeks and this sour note. Not excited but it could have been worse

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I think it’s coincidental. They’ve been moving quietly on the stadium issue for some time but it looks to me like they’re emerging from the quiet phase. Rather than let rumors rumble the sent the open letter to get out in front and set the early talking points.

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Mr. B, I'm almost ready to believe my stupid theory that O'Hearn has dirt on somebody, such as he's a love child of an exec.

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As the philosopher/poet Bono wrote: Love is blindness. (Which should’ve been the headline for this post.)

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No need for O'Hearn to be on the field, as Pratto is better at 1B, most anyone else is better in RF, and we have Vinnie for DH. That just leaves PH, and if he gets another 32 PA this year we are paying over $40,000 per at bat.

Does JJ think he's tradeable for something?

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The thing I meant to mention, but didn’t is how Quatraro will use a guy like O’Hearn. Q doesn’t sound like a guy who will have a designated pinch hitter on his roster. He’s looking to rotate amongst depth.

It will be interesting to see how Quatraro manages a very Royals roster.

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This is the one thing that kept me from being TOO annoyed by the move. Just because the front office makes the dumb move of keeping him on the roster doesn't mean Q has to make the dumb move of playing him.

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Pure speculation on my part but if you set O’Hearn’s PA over/under on his last year total of 145, I’d take the over.

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Nov 16, 2022Liked by Craig Brown

Not a fan of the move, but I guess it does give them more flexibility for deals with the log jam of corner infield / outfield types? Like, if the Royals are thinking about moving one of Vinnie / Pratto / Melendez?

I guess it's just inventory. But the problem is that they probably could have signed him to a minor league deal or found an equivalent type of hitter readily available on the market.

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Honestly, it feels a bit insane to spend so much energy on an end of the bench guy. But you’re right…they could’ve found a better hitter on the open market who would fill a position of need.

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*Reads statement before delivering my ROH take*

"I condemn bad players being on the Royals roster in all its forms, and I stand with my friends in the Royals community."

Being a good teammate can pay off, I guess. Good for him. He's clearly doing something right in the clubhouse and seems content to make a million bucks to play once a week. Respect.

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