The One Thing Dayton Moore Does Right? Acquire Top Amateur Pitching

Since taking over during the summer of 2006, Dayton Moore has been regarded as among the least competent GMs in the game. I guess that's what happens when you ignore OBP, trade prospects for guys like Mike Jacobs and Yuniesky Betancourt, and waste money on veterans like Jose Guillen, Kyle Farnsworth and Juan Cruz. Even the top hitting prospects that he's acquired, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Jeff Bianchi, among others, have been underwhelming in the minor leagues thus far.

But as the signing of left-handed Cuban defector Noel Arguelles shows, Moore does have some skill when it comes to adding and developing top amateur pitchers. Arguelles is just 19 but he's flashed a mid-90's fastball and two potentially solid off-speed pitches, as well as a projectable, athletic body. For just $7M plus $2M in incentives, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, the Royals were able to add the pitcher that Keith Law regarded as the fifth-best free agent on the market.

Since taking over, Moore has drafted Luke Hochevar, Blake Wood, Danny Duffy, Tim Melville, Mike Montgomery, Tyler Sample, John Lamb, and Christopher Dwyer, an impressive group that includes one of the best left-handed pitching prospects in the game, the 20-year-old Montgomery. While the organization still lacks impact position prospects beyond the disappointing Moustakas and Hosmer, although David Lough, Kila Ka'aihue and recently drafed Wil Meyers have shown potential as well, I just thought that I would point out possibly the one bright spot in Kansas City outside of the Greinke/Butler/Soria trio.