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.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

True, but it's very doubtful he'll produce that. He's become almost a carbon copy of Chris Getz in every way.

That's ridiculous. Even for you.

I notice you are pulling the Oliver projection from Fangraphs and ignoring the other systems (which all have him as basically a league average player overall) listed right next to them. So cool (rolls eyes). Also worth noting that Oliver is WAY different in defensive projections than the other systems (way lower).

Escobar is an elite defensive shortstop. Chris Getz was elite at nothing. The Royals have Escobar secured at a very reasonable salary for the forseeable future. RA Mondesi is likely ready for the majors around the time Escobar gets into his team option years (2016 and 2017). And even in those team option years, Escobar is still a bargain EVEN if he is merely a 1 WAR player.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Infante has been #2 all spring, and Yost has said many, many times that he's going Aoki-Infante at the top.

Does anyone not agree with having Aoki-Infante at the top? Seems like a lot better options for the #2 slot there if Aoki is leading off.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Does anyone not agree with having Aoki-Infante at the top? Seems like a lot better options for the #2 slot there if Aoki is leading off.

I can live with it, even though it isn't what I would do.

Aoki-Hosmer-Butler-Gordon-Perez-Infante-Moustakas-Cain-Escobar
is what I would roll with.

But then again, I'm not a baseball fossil stuck with the idea of the 2 hitter being a scrappy, speedy guy who slaps the ball to RF and is "savvy" and "gritty."

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I can live with it, even though it isn't what I would do.

Aoki-Hosmer-Butler-Gordon-Perez-Infante-Moustakas-Cain-Escobar
is what I would roll with.

But then again, I'm not a baseball fossil stuck with the idea of the 2 hitter being a scrappy, speedy guy who slaps the ball to RF and is "savvy" and "gritty."

yep, we're trying to win the "never bat Escobar #2" war here, Ned wants a credible hitter at #2? OK fine, whatever, I'll take it.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I can live with it, even though it isn't what I would do.

Aoki-Hosmer-Butler-Gordon-Perez-Infante-Moustakas-Cain-Escobar
is what I would roll with.

But then again, I'm not a baseball fossil stuck with the idea of the 2 hitter being a scrappy, speedy guy who slaps the ball to RF and is "savvy" and "gritty."

I'd agree with your lineup but swap Hosmer and Gordon but keep the rest were you have them. None-the-less, Aoki-Infante makes little sense at all still but no where near as bad as Esky at #2. Then again, I'm not Ned "Bunt More" Yost.

[Prison Bitch]

http://kingsofkauffman.com/2014/03/1...as-city-royals

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

http://kingsofkauffman.com/2014/03/1...as-city-royals

How doesn't he fit? I didn't see it

[C3HIEF3S]

Lorenzo Cain just did to Carlos Gomez what Carlos Gomez does to other people. Great leaping grab to keep a homer in the park.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 29, 2014

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Lorenzo Cain just did to Carlos Gomez what Carlos Gomez does to other people. Great leaping grab to keep a homer in the park.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 29, 2014

Defense is a beautiful thing

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

How doesn't he fit? I didn't see it

Extreme fly ball pitchers in our rotation.

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Extreme fly ball pitchers in our rotation.

What a reach!

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

http://kingsofkauffman.com/2014/03/1...as-city-royals

Lot of problems with that. A few key ones:

1) Just because the Royals have a lot of flyball pitchers doesn't mean a SS is not still the most important position defensively. Even on a team that features a lot of flyball pitchers, the most groundball action is still going to go into SS territory.

2) Then there's this line at the end: "Unless Escobar can produce at a tolerable rate, batting .250 at a minimum." Alcides Escobar is a .260/.294/.344 hitter in his three years as a Royal. He has exceeded .250 2/3 years. He's a career .258 hitter overall. If your argument is that Escobar doesn't fit because of how bad he is with the bat and how his defense isn't that impactful, don't set an offensive threshold he must meet... that his career numbers exceed.

Just a silly 'article' all around.

If Escobar doesn't hit this year, they will look at bringing in a replacement or alternative or competition. But until that point, people should calm down and see what happens.

Starting SS aren't exactly growing on trees... which is why St. Louis - a team with the resources to acquire any SS it wants via trade and the baseball smarts in the front office to make a good move - signed Jhonny Peralta to a huge deal. Few alternatives available.

[Prison Bitch]

If you are right that his bat rebounds to respectability then he is worth keeping. He was a total zero at the plate last year. As bad as Getz no question.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Lorenzo Cain just did to Carlos Gomez what Carlos Gomez does to other people. Great leaping grab to keep a homer in the park.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 29, 2014

Side note: Sure am glad Twins have up so quickly on Gomez.

Hopefully, Sano and Buxton have "attitude problems" and get shipped off the the NL, too.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

If you are right that his bat rebounds to respectability then he is worth keeping. He was a total zero at the plate last year. As bad as Getz no question.

You're reaching.