#PityGraph

Jake Odorizzi. I have a nerdy and obsessive habit of writing letters to Major League baseball players and hoping they sign autographs on the cards I enclose. When I send these I do multiple things to prep the cards and stack the odds in my favor in any way to get the card back with the athlete’s autograph on it. I am doing the Linus project. My little brother, Linus, is growing up a baseball fan, because he lives under the same roof that I do. He loves watching the MLB games and to look at the autographs that I get when I go to games. Linus is too little to take care of cards, so I am going to have as many athletes sign autographs, and personalize them “To Linus”. I will put a book together and give them to him when he is older.

I ask them to do this in a short, maybe two or three sentence letter, asking for an autograph and a personalization. I wrote to Jake Odorizzi this evening. Instead of a small letter, I wrote an essay to Jake Odorizzi. I apologized to him for the Royal’s front office incompetence. As we are weaned out of the James Shields era, we look back onto what brought it on.

Royals give:

Wil Myers (hurt 2014)

Jake Odorizzi (7-9,4.09 ERA, 1.346 WHIP)

Mike Montgomery (bust)

Patrick Leonard (lottery ticket, still too early to tell.)

Rays give;

James Shields (10-6, 3.43 ERA, 1.246 WHIP)

Wade Davis (Reliever Jesus)

So, purely looking at 2014, The Royals won this trade. Lets look past that for a minute

Royals give;

Wil Myers (Unless a fluke, supposed to average 21 bombs while slugging .432)

Jake Odorizzi (2 starter with upside)

Patrick Leonard (Lottery ticket)

Rays give;

Wade Davis (reliever Jesus)

So, a starting outfielder a 2 starter, and maybe more, for a good reliever. Seems legit.

At least the reliever is REALLY good.

James Shields has been their best pitcher while he was in Kansas City, but Jake Odorizzi will be better than James Shields, at least historically speaking.

James Shields at age 24; 6-8, 4.84 ERA, 1.463 WHIP

Jake Odorizzi at age 24;  7-9, 4.09 ERA, 1.346 WHIP

Using the same progression, The Royals traded future James Shields for present James Shields.....

Except they threw in that Myers guy.