Tom Verducci's View

FINALLY, A POSITIVE STEP BY K.C.

The Royals may end up supplanting the 1962 Mets as the losingest team in the modern era, but they scored a significant victory last week by hiring Braves assistant general manager Dayton Moore as their G.M. Moore, 39, had rebuffed an overture from the Red Sox last winter, knowing that it was only a matter of time before departed G.M. Theo Epstein would return. Moore was also thought to be the heir apparent to John Schuerholz in Atlanta and would have been considered for the Nationals' G.M. job by new team president Stan Kasten , who ran the Braves from 1987 through 2003.

Under Schuerholz and special assistant Paul Snyder, Moore learned from the best about player development, an area Kansas City badly needs to upgrade. The club does have premier prospects in third baseman Alex Gordon (above) and outfielder Billy Butler, but little else (especially pitching). The major league roster is so devoid of valuable trading chips that Moore will need most of the five years on his contract to rebuild the system. He came to the right place in that regard: Every G.M. in Royals history has lasted at least six seasons, including Moore 's predecessor, Allard Baird , whose teams lost 100 games in three of his last four full seasons.

THE AGELESS MARINER

No pitcher has ever done so much with so little velocity as Seattle 's Jamie Moyer (right). With three more starts Moyer , 43, whose fastball tops out at 85 mph, will become the 44th pitcher in history (and only the 12th lefty) to make 500 starts. Among those 44, he will have the fewest complete games (29; Tom Glavine is next at 55), fewest shutouts (nine; Bobby Mathews is next with 20) and fewest wins (208; Rick Reuschel is next at 214).

THE RUNDOWN

?On May 31 the Rangers gleefully threw in $4.5 million to have the Cubs take DH-cornerman Phil Nevin (left) in a trade for infielder Jerry Hairston . Nevin hit .204 in 275 at bats with Texas and can't play defense. He had one hit (a homer) in his first six at bats for Chicago .

?Has Jonathan Papelbon's success as a closer (20 for 20 in save chances through Sunday) changed Boston 's thinking about his long-term future as a starter? No. The Red Sox still expect Papelbon, 25, to be in their rotation by 2008 and Craig Hansen (2.37 ERA as a starter at Triple A Pawtucket ) to be their closer.

?Sure, the Blue Jays, only 21/2 games out of first in the AL East at week's end, can hit with any other team, but the jury is out on their middle-infield defense (shortstop Aaron Hill , who took over for demoted Russ Adams , and second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo, signed on May 25 after being released by the Angels ). Trade options include shortstops Julio Lugo of the Devil Rays and the Dodgers' Cesar Izturis , who is returning from Tommy John surgery.

Extra Mustard
by Baseball Prospectus