When Zack Greinke isn’t on the mound I feel sorry for manager Trey Hillman who looks like he’s entering a gun fight with the butter knife. The Royals were only 65-97 (40.1%) last season but it’s hard to fault him because of the utter lack of talent on the Royals’ roster. In his two years with the Royals, Hillman is 140-184 (43.2%). Hillman is working on a one-year deal so he won’t likely get a fourth year with the Royals unless the team is close to .500 in 2010.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE MANAGER IN 2010: C-

The Royals have traded 25-year old lefty swinging catcher Steven Lerud to the Orioles for a player to be named later. Lerud played in 95 games in AA-ball last year and he was 73 of 304 (.240 avg, .674 OPS) with 31 runs scored, 4 homers and 26 RBIs. I will be shocked if Lerud turns into a major league player at any point in his career so this was a good trade for the Royals.

25-year old righty Joakim Soria is one of the best closers in all of baseball. The Royals need him to stay healthy all year in 2010 because they can’t afford to lose any games that they are winning after 8 innings. Soria pitched in 47 games (0 starts) for the Royals last season in which he was 3-2 with 30 saves, a 2.21 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. He has now pitched in 172 games (0 starts) in his three years with the Royals and he is 7-8 with 89 saves, a 2.09 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. Soria has only allowed 129 hits and whiffed 210 batters in only 189 1/3 innings in his career with the Royals showing just how nasty he can be. The Royals can’t afford to be without him at all in 2010.

The Royals flirted this spring with the idea of using 33-year old righty Kyle Farnsworth in the starting rotation but he will remain one of the set-up men in the pen. Farnsworth pitched in 41 games (0 starts) for the Royals last season and he was 1-5 with a 4.58 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Farnsworth certainly looks the part as he has some of the nastiest stuff of any reliever in all of baseball and he doesn’t mind throwing inside to make a point. But, he has just never really learned how to pitch.

31-year old righty Juan Cruz was also a huge disappointment (like Farnsworth) in his first year in K.C. Cruz pitched in 46 games (0 starts) for the Royals last season and he was 3-4 with 2 saves, a 5.72 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP. Like Farnsworth, Cruz has great stuff but he just doesn’t know how to pitch.

28-year old righty Brad Thompson will likely be the Royals’ long man in 2010. Thompson pitched in 32 games (8 starts) for the Cards last season in which he was 2-6 with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. Thompson has the ability to spot start or pitch multiple innings per outing which should be an asset to the Royals in 2010.

25-year old righty Carlos Rosa is another hard thrower who looked good at the end of 2009 for the Royals. Rosa pitched in 7 games (0 starts) for the Royals last season and he was 0-0 with 1 save, a 3.38 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. Rosa also pitched in 43 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball last season in which he was 2-8 with 7 saves, a 4.56 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP. Although his minor league numbers weren’t that impressive he did whiff 80 batters in 71 innings in the minors showing the stuff is there.

39-year old righty Matt Herges could get some innings for the Royals in 2010. Herges pitched in 30 games (0 starts) for the Indians & Rockies last season in which he was 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. Unlike most pitchers in the Royals’ pen, Herges knows how to pitch but he can’t light up the radar gun.

30-year old righty Roman Colon is another electric arm for the Royals. He pitched in 43 games (0 starts) for the Royals last season and he was 2-3 with a 4.83 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. I have a feeling that Colon will pitch better for the Royals in 2010.

22-year old lefty Edgar Osuna might just get a spot in the Royals’ pen in 2010. He was a Rule 5 Draft Pick over the winter. Osuna pitched in 27 games (26 starts) in A+AA-ball last season in which he was 7-10 with a 4.02 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Osuna has pitched 4 years in the minors in which he has worked in 76 games (48 starts) in which he is 22-19 with 9 saves, a 3.37 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BULLPEN IN 2010: C-

21-year old lefty starting pitcher Danny Duffy is taking a leave of absence from the Royals. The reason for the leave was not disclosed. Duffy is the Royals’ #8 prospect heading into this season according to Baseball America. Duffy started 24 games in A-ball last season in which he was 9-3 with a 2.98 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. He has now pitched in 52 games (50 starts) in his three years in the minors in which he is 19-10 with a 2.49 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. The Royals have their fingers crossed that everything will be o.k. with Duffy because they are likely going to need him at the major league level in the next year or two if he is ready.

26-year old righty Zack Greinke will be out to defend his American League Cy Young Award that he earned last season. He started 33 games for the Royals last year and he was 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He gave up 195 hits in 229 1/3 innings while whiffing 242 batters showing just how dominating he was. He also had pinpoint control only walking 51 batters last season as he came right after hitters. Greinke has a awesome arsenal of stuff and he should have won 20+ games in 2010. Hopefully the bullpen and offense improve in 2010 for the Royals to help Greinke out in 2010.

31-year old Gil Meche had his worst season for the Royals but he will still be the #2 guy heading into 2010. Meche started 23 games for the Royals last season and he was 6-10 with a 5.09 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP. The Royals need Meche to stay injury free in 2010. In his first three years with the Royals, Meche started 91 games in which he was 29-34 with a 4.12 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP.

29-year old righty Brian Bannister will likely be mis-cast as the Royals’ #3 starter in 2010. He would be a decent #5 starter but that’s about it. Bannister started 26 games for the Royals last season and he was 7-12 with a 4.73 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. In his three years with the Royals, Bannister has started 85 games in which he is 28-37 with a 4.83 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.

26-year old righty Luke Hochevar has good stuff but he has never converted into results for the Royals. Hochevar started 25 games for the Royals last year and he was 7-13 with a 6.55 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP. He gave up 167 hits (23 homers) in only 143 innings for the Royals last year. Even if he makes the Royals’ opening starting rotation he won’t last long unless he improves big time.

26-year old righty Kyle Davies started 22 games for the Royals last season and he was 8-9 with a 5.27 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Davis had two big problems last season as he walked 66 batters and gave up 18 homers in only 123 innings for the Royals in 2010. Unless he can fix those two things in 2010 I doubt that he will be in the rotation long in 2010.

27-year old righty Robinson Tejada will also make a big push to make the Royals’ rotation in 2010. Tejada pitched in 35 games (6 starts) for the Royals last season and he was 4-2 with a 3.54 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. He only gave up 43 hits while whiffing 87 batters in 73 2/3 innings but he also walked 50 hitters. If Tejada could throw more strikes the Royals might really have something in him. In his 2 years with the Royals, Tejada has pitched in 60 games (7 starts) in which he is 6-4 with a 3.42 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP.

32-year old lefty Bruce Chen is back trying to win a rotation spot. He pitched in 17 games (9 starts) for the Royals last year and he was 1-6 with a 5.78 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP. Chen just doesn’t have the stuff to be a solid starter in the major leagues anymore.

31-year old righty Jorge Campillo pitched in 5 games (0 starts) for the Braves last season and he was 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA and a 2.31 WHIP. He also pitched in 2 games (1 start) in AA+AAA ball last year where he was 0-0 with 1 save, a 3.60 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. If Campillo is healthy he could help the Royals at some point in 2010.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE ROTATION IN 2010: D+