But I’m now going to give you a mystery that has no answer that I can come up with.

The mystery is this:

How is it even remotely possible that the Kansas City Royals cleanup hitters — THEIR CLEANUP HITTERS — are hitting .211/.278/.301 this year? How? Seriously. How?

You probably saw this in the Baseball Reference Blog — and it boggles the mind. They list off what the cleanup hitters have done for all 30 teams. The Royals cleanup hitters are hitting 18 points worse than any other team, they are on-basing 19 points lower than any team, and they are slugging NINETY-EIGHT points lower than any team.

The Royals cleanup hitters are hitting worse than a replacement level catcher.

I’m going to repeat that but with italics:

The Royals cleanup hitters are hitting worse than a replacement level catcher.

Royals option 3B Alex Gordon to Omaha; activate RHP Kyle Farnsworth.

Bill Simmons has got Dayton Moore's back

No, I don't think [Soria's] out there. The only Royals that are out there that I've heard are Juan Cruz and Ron Mahay - at prices that are turning people off. Bannister to some extent. Willie Bloomquist, believe it or not. And they're listening on Teahen and Dejesus, but probably not much more than listening.

But the Royals, being the Royals, found they had a difficult choice. Sort of a cosmic choice, really.

Do you send down:

A) Luis Hernandez
or
B) Tony Pena Jr.

Philosophers have pondered this question right there with the chicken and the egg one. The correct answer, Aristotle said, is "You send down both." But Aristotle had a very weak understanding of the Royals minor league system.

This is are a TERRIBLE base-running team. No, seriously, terrible, horrible, one of the worst in memory. According to the Bill James base running numbers (which you will recall simply measure going first to third, second to home, first to home and various bases taken and baserunning mistakes), the Royals are a minus-74 base running team this year. MINUS-74 in only 75 games. No other team is even close (Padres are -39). In fact, the worst base-running team since 2002, when Bill and the guys started keeping this stat, is the 2003 Brewers, who were minus-91. The Royals might get there by the All-Star Break.

The buzz on the rumor mill is that the Royals are openly offering some veteran players in response to their disappointing season. Names making the rounds include David DeJesus, Mark Teahen, Kyle Davies, Brian Bannister and virtually all of their relievers.

"One of their guys told me they’re looking to deal," one scout from another organization said. "He said everyone except Greinke, (Joakim) Soria and Meche are available.

"He said they want to hold on to (Billy) Butler and (Alex) Gordon, but they’re willing to listen."

One Royals official confirmed interest from other clubs in Davies, who was recently optioned to Class AAA Omaha after a series of poor starts.

ESPN’s Peter Gammons linked Teahen to the Giants, Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox and Mets in a recent Twitter message. Interest in Teahen could grow because Mark DeRosa no longer is on the market after a trade Saturday from the Indians to the Cardinals.

Farnsworth is one of only three pitchers in baseball history — along with Ryne Duren and Oliver Perez — to strike out more than one batter per inning and have a below average ERA+. Farnsworth is the only one of the three to have a better than 2-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio.

TPJ to DL, L. Hernandez up

Juan Cruz and Kyle Farnsworth will likely get save chances in Soria's absence, so grab Cruz for saves, Farnsworth for blown saves.