Yikes. Banny looks bad. Bad enough that KC has brought in Sidney Ponson. Yeah...that's right...Sidney Ponson.
I have officially changed my position on Bannister since last I wrote here. I think he may be more along the lines of his '08 self. I'm just not sure he has the stuff to get guys out. I like Bannister, and I think he's a very smart pitcher, but knowing what you need to do isn't quite the same as knowing and being able to execute it.
It leaves the Royals, who were obviously hoping for a rebound of some sort, short in the starting pitching department. They are solid one through three (I think Davies is a legit starter), but after that...it's a little ugly. I think Hochevar gets a spot - it's time to put him out there and let him sink or swim. I think he'll be a solid fourth or fifth guy in the rotation, but I'd feel a heck of a lot better if we had one more guy...and I'm not sure we can salvage a starting pitcher out of the threesome of Bannister, Ponson, and Horacio Ramirez.
Maybe there is another trade in the works, but it's getting late in the game now. I like our lineup pretty well, and I like the pen. But after Davies...the rotation is a question mark. Should KC shell out $3 or $4 million for a guy like Pedro Martinez? If Dayton Moore can get Mr. Glass to shell out the money - I say it's a gamble worth taking.
