"I think Yuni will start three or four times a week," Yost said. "and we'll be able to keep everybody strong in that infield. I don't think we're going to lose a beat. It's a perfect scenario."Perfect? Have I forgotten the meaning of the word? Here's the definition of perfect from dictionary.com:
- conforming absolutely to the description or definition of an ideal type.
- excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement.
- exactly fitting the need in a certain situation or for a certain purpose.
- entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings.
- accurate, exact, or correct in every detail.
Nope. That's exactly what I thought perfect meant. So what does three or four starts a week mean in terms of games for Yuni this season? I counted up the number of weeks that the royals play six or seven games and there are twenty-four weeks. The first couple of days, the All Star Break, and the last day weren't counted, but collectively they would make up another weeks worth of games so let's round it off at twenty-five weeks in the season.
If Betancourt starts three games per week, here's the potential impact on the starts for each of the affected players (I'm going to assume that those starts aren't evenly taken and that Escobar is spelled less often than Giavotella and Moustakas.):
Yuniesky Betancourt: 75 starts
Mike Moustakas: 132 starts
Johnny Giavotella: 132 starts
Alcides Escobar: 147 starts
Here's the breakdown for Betancourt getting 3.5 starts a week or 7 every two weeks:
Yuniesky Betancourt: 87 starts
Mike Moustakas: 127 starts
Johnny Giavotella: 127 starts
Alcides Escobar: 145 starts
Finally, here's the breakdown for 4 starts a week:
Yuniesky Betancourt: 100 starts
Mike Moustakas: 122 starts
Johnny Giavotella: 122 starts
Alcides Escobar: 142 starts
The Brewers may have won the division playing Betancourt every day in 2011, but there is a reason the guy had to accept a bench role in 2012. Betancourt's signing was an annoyance, but most of our annoyance was tied up in the symbolism of the move. We believed that in actuality Betancourt would suffice for a back up infielder.
If Betancourt starts 3-4 times a week this no longer is true. That much playing time turns Betancourt from a potentially useful bench piece to a detriment on this team's chances to win the division. It's early in Spring and I want to believe that should Betancourt play like Betancourt he'll quickly see his playing time decrease, but the comments from Ned Yost are scary nonetheless.
Of course the possibility exists that Giavotella, Moustakas, or Escobar totally flounder in 2012, making Betancourt a more viable option, but if this were true contention most likely wouldn't be possible anyway. The Royals absolutely have to maximize their roster in 2012, if they are going to be the surprise of baseball. Starting Betancourt 90 games would absolutely kill the opportunity.