2014 Royals Repository

[duncan_idaho]

With my 6,000th post on ChiefsPlanet (it only took me 12 years to get here), I bring you: The 2014 Kansas City Royals Repository.

To be discussed here: All things Royals, as they attempt to post another winning season and make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 1985.

25-man RosterAvailable HERE

AL Central Standings:

Link

Duncan's Top 20 Royals Prospects

Spoiler!

1) 3B Hunter Dozier ETA: 2015
Dozier started slowly at A+ Wilmington but caught fire in May and June, earning a mid-season promotion to AA Northwest Arkansas. Big, strong kid with good plate discipline skills and solid power who projects to be an above-average glove at 3B with solid power.

2) SS Raul (Adalberto) Mondesi ETA: 2017
Mondesis is the opposite of Dozier…. Started red-hot at Wilmington before back spasms derailed him for a few weeks and hasn’t gotten it going since coming back. Scouting reports have been great – defense and speed both improved over the offseason. Still a chance to be an elite SS, with 40 SB speed, plus glove, .300 average and some pop.

3) LHP Sean Manaea | ETA: 2015
Scouting reports outperform the stat line so far. Missing a ton of bats at A+ but not preventing runs like you’d expect to see. Needs to work deeper into games (gradually working about an inning deeper/month so far this year) and improve control. Walks are biggest concern right now, but could be elevated due to work on extra off-speed offerings. Still has No. 2 starter potential, could be higher if the great control he exhibited before his hip surgery eventually comes back.

4) RHP Kyle Zimmer| ETA: 2015
Should be NO. 1 on the list and is probably the Royals most VALUABLE current prospect, but he hasn’t thrown a ball in 4-5 weeks and had only been throwing for 2-3 weeks when he was shut down then.

5) LHP Brandon Finnegan| ETA: 2015
Top 2014 draft choice is an undersized lefty who will start at A+ Wilmington after anchoring CWS run for TCU. Good fastball, better slider, change that needs work to stick as a starter, but if he sticks, No. 2/No. 3 starter upside. Likely a top 10 or even top 5 pick if he doesn’t miss 1 start in the middle of the college season as a precautionary move.

6) RHP Miguel Almonte| ETA: 2016
Have heard some say Almonte is more advanced as a pitcher at A+ than Yordano Ventura was (comparison because both were cheap signs out of Latin America). Really advanced changeup and a curve that is working out well (where the ‘more advanced’ comment comes from). Fastball velo is good but not great – 92-94. Like Manaea, working on his second-best offspeed pitch and leaning less on his bread-and butter (changeup), which has hurt his numbers a bit.

7) RHP Christian Binford 2017
Reverse case of “don’t just scout stat lines.” Based on his stats at A+, you’d think he was an elite prospect, but there are questions about Binford’s stuff playing up at higher levels. Tall righty with great command of fastball, slider and a good and still developing changeup. None of those pitches profiles as better than average, though, limiting his likely upside to back-end rotation guy.

8) SS Orlando Calixte| ETA: 2016
I still like him more than many. Good combination of SS/MI skills and power. Started hot at NWA but in a slump at moment.

9)LHP Foster Griffin | ETA: 2019
Tall, projectable lefty taken in 2014 draft. Viewed as a great value in the sandwich round and probably would have been KC’s pick at No. 17 if Finnegan hadn’t fallen. High school arm who is going to take a while to develop.

10) RF Jorge Bonifacio| ETA: 2016
Hasn’t hit as well as expected in his second go-round at AA NWA. Power still sapped, and average skills have dipped. Once looked like he might be an option in RF at some point in 2015, now looks like 2016 is optimistic. Still young for his level.

11) 3B/2B Cheslor Cuthbert| ETA: 2016
Cuthbert has had better luck at NWA than Boni and is also extremely young for level. HE’s been moved to 2B since Dozier was promoted, which could put a new spin on Cuthbert’s prospects. If he sticks at 2B, bat plays up much better. Good OBP/plate discipline and solid power, but needs to continue improving contact skills

12) C Chase Vallot| ETA: 2020
Young (just 17) C with tremendous power. One of the top prep bats and a great value for KC where it got him. If he sticks at C, expect him to move slowly, but the bat may force the issue (or force him to another position).

13) C Zane Evans| ETA: 2017
GA Tech product has handled Wilmington better than most RH bats and probably is in line for a promotion to NWA sometime soon. Decent pop, decent skills behind the plate. Could be a nice reserve catcher.

14) RHP Scott Blewett| ETA: 2020
Tall, projectable righty with a fresh arm but some injury concerns on his shoulder that slipped him out of Round 1 of MLB draft. Big time potential.

15) CF Bubba Starling | ETA:
Bubba Starling has great tools. Bubba Starling (still) can’t hit. That’s all I have to say about that.

16) 1B Samir Duenez| ETA:
I still like him, even though the attempt to run him through full season ball at 17 did not go well.

17)LF/RF Elier Hernandez| ETA:
Hernandez still pops up in scouting reports but still is very raw and toolsy.

18) RHP Pedro Fernandez| ETA:
Pop-up player on the same track as Ventura and Almonte. Similar signing, similar profile. One to watch over next few years.

19) SS Marten Gasparini| ETA:
Royals’ most expensive international signing likely moves to CF eventually, but his speed and athleticism are intriguing abilities. Early reports from complex ball are very positive on him.

20) RHP Niklas Stephenson| ETA:
Interesting pop-up candidate who found 10 more MPH on his fastball by using a weighted ball during workouts over the winter. Now sits mid-90s with fastball and is dominating at rookie ball (after having an ERA over 8 there a year ago). Likely promoted to a higher challenge soon.

[Wilson8]

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/new...=pr_kc&c_id=kc

Royals Press Release

2/1/2014 11:52 A.M. ET

Royals sign veteran left-handed pitcher Bruce Chen




The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has signed left-handed pitcher Bruce Chen to a one-year contract for the 2014 season, with a mutual option for 2015. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed. In a corresponding roster move, infielder Emilio Bonifacio was designated for assignment.

Chen, 36, completed his fifth season with the Royals in 2013, going 9-4 with a 3.27 ERA (44 ER in 121.0 IP) in 34 appearances (15 starts). The veteran southpaw worked out of the bullpen worked out of the bullpen the first three months of the season, before earning a spot in the rotation on July 12. He posted a 5-0 mark and a 1.62 ERA (13 ER in 72.1 IP) from the start of the year to August 17. Chen held right-handed hitters to a .224 average (67-for-299), which was the third-lowest season total by a left-handed hurler in club history, trailing only Vida Blue (.220 in 1982) and Larry Gura (.222 in 1981).

Chen will enter his 16th Major League season in 2014 with Kansas City being his 10th stop. He has also pitched for Atlanta (1998-2000), Philadelphia (2000-01), the Mets (2001-02), Montreal (2002), Cincinnati (2002), Houston (2003), Boston (2003), Baltimore (2004-06) and Texas (2007). The lefty is 80-76 in 385 big league outings (218 starts). He needs three more wins to pass Mariano Rivera (82) for the most Major League wins by a pitcher born in Panama.

Bonifacio, 28, was traded to the Royals on August 14 of last season, batting .285 (45-for-158) with 16 stolen bases in 42 games with Kansas City.

[Sure-Oz]

Odd move to get rid of bono now. This better be more of a Bono wants to start only move but reeks of $$$ move

[Sure-Oz]

Who's the utility now? Not as much depth now

[MrGiggity]

This is kind of a WTF move. Don't understand it much. Must have something to do with $ or they have something in the works.

[BlackHelicopters]

Don't understand this move.

[lewdog]

I as well don't understand this move. Valencia is a utility but only against lefties does he make sense to be in the lineup. I like Ebono for another utility option in case Moose/Esky tank. What am I missing here?

[DeezNutz]

This isn't a strange move; it's a ****ing stupid one.

[alnorth]

Who is our backup middle infielder now? Valencia can't play shortstop or 2B. I don't get this, unless we're working out a trade.

[1moreTRich]

Sorry for the ignorance but does DFA mean he can't come back? Just seems strange that they would be cutting him this early.

[lewdog]

Surely they jest if they think Gio is still a viable option!?

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by 1moreTRich

Sorry for the ignorance but does DFA mean he can't come back? Just seems strange that they would be cutting him this early.

DFA means he's off our 40-man roster, and we must do one of 3 things within 10 days:

1) Put him on waivers, and if he clears it we can send him to the minors. There's no chance he clears waivers.

2) Trade him

3) Release him

edit: since he has more than 5 years of service, he can't be sent to the minors without his consent, so #1 is not really an option. But as I said, there's no chance he clears waivers anyway. So, we are either trading him or cutting him.

[1moreTRich]

Originally Posted by alnorth

DFA means he's off our 40-man roster, and we MUST do one of 3 things within 10 days:

1) Put him on waivers, and if he clears it we can send him to the minors. There's no chance he clears waivers.

2) Trade him

3) Release him

Thank you for the info. A bit baffling at this point.

[Mr. Laz]

That's weird

another move about to happen?

[58-4ever]

They like Ciriaco

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Surely they jest if they think Gio is still a viable option!?

he doesn't play SS. I guess Infante could move over for says when Escobar needs a break, but I doubt we're going to carry Gio just to backup Infante.