RRosternomics
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Royals KCR

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GM: Dayton Moore

Overview

WINDOW ↗ rising
cheap & winning · year 1 in this regime · payroll 0.37× league · TAB +8.1
+8.1TAB — talent above budget7th/30
+1.8WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)13th/30
5.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars23rd/30
-3.5dead WAR — sub-replacement drag2nd/30
29%dead money %11th/30
0.438win %24th/30
30.3roster fWAR16th/30
+38surplus $M (value vs cost)3rd/30
$36Mpayroll $M30th/30

Roster

CFMelky Cabrera 144GJarrod Dyson 17GMitch Maier 9G
LFAlex Gordon 148GMelky Cabrera 12GMitch Maier 11G
RFJeff Francoeur 153GMitch Maier 10GLorenzo Cain 4G
SSAlcides Escobar 158GYamaico Navarro 4GChris Getz 4G
2BChris Getz 110GJohnny Giavotella 46GWilson Betemit 1G
3BMike Moustakas 89GYamaico Navarro 16G
1BEric Hosmer 127GKila Ka'aihue 19GBilly Butler 11G
STARTERSFelipe Paulino 2.4WARLuke Hochevar 2.1WARJeff Francis 1.6WARBruce Chen 1.4WARKyle Davies 0.6WAR
CBrayan Peña 69GSalvador Perez 39GManny Piña 4G
DHBilly Butler 142GKila Ka'aihue 4GChris Getz 3G
BULLPEN★ Joakim Soria 28svGreg Holland 18hLouis Coleman 11hTim Collins 11hAaron Crow 8hBlake Wood 5hEverett Teaford 1hNate Adcock 0h
CBrayan Peña 69 · Salvador Perez 39 · Manny Piña 4
1BEric Hosmer 127 · Kila Ka'aihue 19 · Billy Butler 11
2BChris Getz 110 · Johnny Giavotella 46 · Wilson Betemit 1
3BMike Moustakas 89 · Yamaico Navarro 16
SSAlcides Escobar 158 · Yamaico Navarro 4 · Chris Getz 4
LFAlex Gordon 148 · Melky Cabrera 12 · Mitch Maier 11
CFMelky Cabrera 144 · Jarrod Dyson 17 · Mitch Maier 9
RFJeff Francoeur 153 · Mitch Maier 10 · Lorenzo Cain 4
DHBilly Butler 142 · Kila Ka'aihue 4 · Chris Getz 3
SPFelipe Paulino 2.4 · Luke Hochevar 2.1 · Jeff Francis 1.6 · Bruce Chen 1.4 · Kyle Davies 0.6
BP★ Joakim Soria 28 · Greg Holland 18 · Louis Coleman 11 · Tim Collins 11 · Aaron Crow 8 · Blake Wood 5 · Everett Teaford 1 · Nate Adcock 0

Each position lists its starter then backups by games (so platoons & bench show). Starters (mound) & bullpen (left, foul territory) are ranked by WAR; ★ marks the closer (most save chances). MLB Stats API.

2011 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Alex Gordon 27 arb 1516.6 1.4 +14.8
Melky Cabrera 26 FA-elig 1553.8 1.2 +8.2
Jeff Francoeur 27 FA-elig 1532.7 2.5 +4.1
Felipe Paulino↔ COL 27 arb 212.4 0.4 +5.5
Luke Hochevar 27 arb 312.1 1.8 +3.5
Alcides Escobar 24 arb 1581.9 0.4 +4.2
Greg Holland 25 pre-arb 461.8 0.4 +3.9
Jeff Francis 30 FA-elig 311.6 2.0 +2.0
Bruce Chen 34 FA-elig 251.4 2.0 +1.3
Brayan Peña 29 FA-elig 721.2 0.7 +2.4
Billy Butler 25 arb 1591.2 3.5 -0.6
Eric Hosmer 21 – 1281.0 0.4 +2.1
Joakim Soria 27 arb 600.9 4.0 -1.8
Mitch Maier 29 arb 450.6 0.5 +1.0
Chris Getz 27 arb 1180.6 0.4 +1.0
Kyle Davies 27 FA-elig 130.6 3.2 -1.8
Danny Duffy 22 – 200.5 0.3 +1.0
Salvador Perez 21 – 390.5 0.1 +1.2
Wilson Betemit↔ DET 29 FA-elig 570.4 0.6 +0.5
Blake Wood 25 – 550.4 – –
Mike Moustakas 22 – 890.3 0.3 +0.4
Luis Mendoza 27 pre-arb 20.2 0.4 +0.2
Jarrod Dyson 26 pre-arb 260.2 0.4 +0.2
Louis Coleman 25 – 480.2 0.4 +0.2
Aaron Crow 24 pre-arb 570.1 1.4 -1.1
Manny Piña 24 – 40.1 – –
Lorenzo Cain 25 pre-arb 60.1 0.4 -0.3
Yamaico Navarro↔ BOS 23 – 60.0 0.1 -0.1
Kanekoa Texeira 25 pre-arb 60.0 0.4 -0.4
Nate Adcock 23 pre-arb 24-0.0 0.4 -0.5
Jeremy Jeffress 23 pre-arb 14-0.1 0.4 -0.6
Tim Collins 21 pre-arb 68-0.1 0.4 -0.8
Kelvin Herrera 21 – 2-0.2 0.4 -0.9
Johnny Giavotella 23 pre-arb 46-0.2 0.4 -0.9
Vin Mazzaro 24 – 7-0.2 – –
Everett Teaford 27 – 26-0.2 – –
Jesse Chavez 27 pre-arb 4-0.2 0.4 -1.0
Mike Aviles↔ BOS 30 arb 53-0.2 0.4 -1.0
Kila Ka'aihue 27 arb 23-0.3 0.4 -1.1
Robinson Tejeda 29 FA-elig 9-0.3 1.6 -2.3
Sean O'Sullivan 23 pre-arb 12-0.6 0.4 -1.8
Matt Treanor↔ TEX 35 FA-elig 65-0.7 0.8 -2.6

Key additions (new vs 2010)

PlayerfWAR
Melky Cabrera3.8
Jeff Francoeur2.7
Felipe Paulino2.4
Alcides Escobar1.9
Jeff Francis1.6
Eric Hosmer1.0

Key subtractions (gone from 2010)

Player2010 fWAR
Zack Greinke4.8
David DeJesus2.5
Alberto Callaspo0.8
Scott Podsednik0.7
Kyle Farnsworth0.6
Yuniesky Betancourt0.5

Current & Historical Payroll

2011 payroll
$35.7M

What the front office was committed to as of 2011, 2011–2017. Pre-2015 has no contract-terms data — forward italic $ are realized actuals (hindsight, not commitments known then). Control labels (ARB/FA) are point-in-time.

current $ guaranteed $ actual $ (hindsight) arbitration (proj) pre-arb (proj) free agent

Guaranteed / signed (5)

PlayerAgeSvc2011201220132014201520162017
Jeff Francis306.040$2.0MFREE AGENT
Bruce Chen347.171$2.0M$4.5M$4.5M$3.0MFREE AGENT
Robinson Tejeda296.000$1.6MFREE AGENT
Matt Treanor356.093$767kFREE AGENT
Brayan Peña298.081$660k$875kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (7)

PlayerAgeSvc2011201220132014201520162017
Joakim Soria274.000$4.0MARB 3FREE AGENT
Billy Butler253.120$3.5MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kyle Davies275.012$3.2MFREE AGENT
Jeff Francoeur275.088$2.5MFREE AGENT
Alex Gordon273.092$1.4MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Melky Cabrera264.148$1.2MARB 3FREE AGENT
Wilson Betemit295.107$588kFREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (30)

PlayerAgeSvc2011201220132014201520162017
Luke Hochevar272.151$1.8MARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Aaron Crow240.000$1.4MPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mitch Maier292.071$459kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jesse Chavez272.033$443kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Getz272.050$443kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Alcides Escobar241.082$428kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kanekoa Texeira251.000$426kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Felipe Paulino272.163$425kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Sean O'Sullivan232.000$420kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kila Ka'aihue271.048$419kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeremy Jeffress230.033$414kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Eric Hosmer210.000$414kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Luis Mendoza271.052$414kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Lorenzo Cain250.066$414kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jarrod Dyson260.028$414kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Nate Adcock230.000$414kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kelvin Herrera210.000$414kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Louis Coleman250.000$414kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tim Collins210.000$414kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Greg Holland250.067$414kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Johnny Giavotella232.055$414kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Aviles302.121$373kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Danny Duffy220.000$303kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Moustakas220.000$251kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Yamaico Navarro231.001$113kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Salvador Perez210.000$113kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Manny Piña240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Vin Mazzaro240.111—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Everett Teaford270.093—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Blake Wood250.145—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Royals 2011; the black line = the league-average player at each slot that season. Staying above the line deep into the roster is the depth edge; dropping below it = holes & dead weight.

What each regime is worth — every settled team-season since 1985

RegimeSeasonsWin %Playoff %Pennant %WS %
WINDOW 28152.131.05.01.1
CONTEND 30056.964.719.710.3
FORCED-SPEND 25648.09.81.61.6
REBUILD 32143.31.20.30.3
Rosternomics — quantifying front-office skill, attribution-clean. Follow @rosternomics on X. Decision-makers on record back to 1933; resource-controlled metrics (WAR & payroll) cover 1985–2026.
Data: FanGraphs (WAR), Baseball-Reference & the Chadwick Bureau register (rosters, IDs), the Lahman Database, Baseball America prospect rankings (via The Baseball Cube), and public payroll records. Transaction and trade data was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Executive birth/death data via Wikidata (CC0); bios are original. Emoji graphics by OpenMoji (CC BY-SA 4.0).
All figures are franchise-level outcomes credited to the decision-maker in the acquisition year — not solely attributable to one executive.