Betancourt, sheesh!

Dayton Moore certainly has a type. Wow, just wow. Now I know Dan Cortes maybe isn't the prospect he was just last season but I gotta believe he could have netted the Royals something better than a career .279/.302/.393 hitter. Yuniesky Betancourt is one of those rare players who really doesn't do anything well - he can't hit, he doesn't walk, not a great defender, and he's slow for a shortstop. It really makes you wonder why Moore wanted him so bad (recall that he once tried to trade Billy Butler for him).

This is one of those moves where even his staunchest supporters have to question if Moore is the right guy to lead this franchise. This move is pretty much being lambasted everywhere (much like the Jacobs trade, which I liked but hasn't worked out). But really this is worse than the Jacobs and Crisp deals because Moore didn't trade just a reliever instead he traded a highly regarded starting pitcher. Many felt that Cortes was a prime chip to deal if KC were still in it and needed a bat at the deadline but this is basically giving him away. While it may not make the team worse it certainly doesn't make them better.

This is another inexcusable mistake by Moore - just add it to the list that already includes:
Carrying three catchers when two of them have the same skillset.
Carrying at one point five middle infielders which included TPJ and Luis Hernandez. Those two should never be allowed on the same team.
Beginning the season with both Sidney Ponson and Horacio Ramirez in the rotation. And really there's more but I'm depressing myself.

Anyway I didn't want to turn this into another fire DM rant because the main point of this post is just to say that Yuniesky Betancourt is not a good ballplayer and he doesn't belong on any team with visions of competing. Seattle is only 3.5 games out and they traded him for minor leaguers, that in itself speaks volumes.

I suppose that's the difference between the Mariners and the Royals - one wants to win and the other wants to..........well it's almost impossible to know what the Royals want to do.