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.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Um, that's what Tegu was doing. Thanks for playing.


I think Hosmer could revert back to last year's numbers, but I'm pretty sure Billy Butler is done as a decent DH. We'll see if I'm right. As for Escobar/Infante I think Escobar will fall off severely but I never said anything about Infante. Only that his contract will suck year 4. WTF was he even brought up?

You brought up Infante. No one else has even mentioned him.

[Prison Bitch]

Of the 194 qualifiers on Fangraphs WAR leaerboard, Butler ranks 192. So 3rd worst player in baseball so far this year. Moose 175, Hosmer 163. Aoki 116:
http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.asp...=0&sort=21%2cd


It's early on Aoki, has a 0.3 WAR which projected out is 1.8 which would be what he did last year and what ZIPS & Steamer both have him at. He's striking out 14.4% of the time though vs 5.9% last year so that may improve.


However Wil Smith is off to a roaring start in Mil going 15IP with 1 ER allowed and an 8/1 K/bb ratio. Given Chen's injury it might be a trade we regret since Aoki is only in KC one year.

http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/tea...level='ALL'

[SPATCH]

Duffy had a start against Detroit last year and straight up murked their entire lineup.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy

Wasn't Hosmer 4 for 5 tonight? Isn't he hitting like .315 or something like that?


Good God, you make como and bambi look smart sometimes.

To update: of 27 qualifying 1B, only 3 have a lower weighted Runs Created (wRC+) figure as well as runs above replacement (RAA) than Hosmer:
http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.asp...rs=0&sort=17,d


He is now one of only 8 players of the top 110 most plate appearances without a home run and the only 1B. The other 7 positions represented:

RF: (Aoki)
2B: (Bonifacio, Murphy, Prado)
SS: (Cabrera, Echevarria)
3B: (McGehee)


So basically it's Erica and some middle infielders who are thus vying for "biggest pussy" of MLB.

[Nightfyre]

Some announcers the other day were attributing his lack of power to the width of his stance and creating little loft on hits.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Some announcers the other day were attributing his lack of power to the width of his stance and creating little loft on hits.

He tries to kill the ball every time. Looks like he's swinging an ax.
Posted via Mobile Device

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Some announcers the other day were attributing his lack of power to the width of his stance and creating little loft on hits.

It's amazing to me to see his swing in slow motion and wonder why there's no power behind it. It looks like the ball should be going 400' on most of his solid hits

[CoMoChief]

Losing is very contagious....I see this team taking a nose dive this month

[gblowfish]

Well, here we go again with another May meltdown.

If we have another May with less than 10 wins (which is totally possible) here's what I'd do:

1) Send Moose to AA Arkansas and leave him there all year. If you can't trade him in the off season, assign him back to AA Arkansas in 2015 and make him play his way to Omaha. Then we'll see what happens. He's had enough of a track record to show what he is: a less than .200 major league hitter who can't solve left handed pitching. For the rest of this year, just flat start Valencia at third. He's a better overall player, and won't be a black hole in the sixth spot.

2) If we're 10 games below .500 at the AS Break, trade Shields. Get the best value you can for him. He's not coming back anyway, so what's the point?

3) DFA Chen. He's done. Don't care, he's done.

4) If Cain can't stay healthy the rest of the year, trade him in the off season. He's never made it out of April healthy. Can't rely on him. He's the Brokie Croyle of the Kansas City Royals.

5) After the AS Break, consider trading Alex Gordon for prospects. He's on the downward arc of his career track. Send him to a winner so he can get to the playoffs at least once in his career. Do him a favor, get him out of this Hell.

6) Try to sign Salvie to an even longer term contract. Keep him in Hell for a long time.

7) If we're more than 10 games below .500 at the AS Break, fire Ned. Let Sveum serve out the rest of the year, then get a new skipper for 2015.

8) If Billay has less than 10 HRs by the AS Break, bench him, DH Maxwell the rest of the year.

9) Continue to start Duffy. Let him take his lumps.

10) After the AS Break, get Zimmer up here, Start him. Let him take his lumps too.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Currently, KC is last in MLB in team home runs, third from last in slugging pct, and fourth from last in on-base pct.

[DeezNutz]

If trading Shields at the break ends up being the right move, and it might, DM won't be the one making the deal. Dude has to be fired at that point.

And I'm going to puke all the **** over myself if the above happens because the trade will have been an unbelievable catastrophe.

[Nightfyre]

Why call up Zimmer if we aren't in contention? Why rush him and burn service time? And if we are out of contention in May, clean house. Get someone in here who will do right for the long-term. Maybe someone who can cobble together a staff that can actually develop a ****ing hitter. I would retain Eiland, however.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Some announcers the other day were attributing his lack of power to the width of his stance and creating little loft on hits.

I actually tried looking at how wide Hosmer's stance actually is and tried doing a full swing as if I were pulling a pitch. I'll tell you this. It is a pain in the ass clearing the hips with that kind of stance. I think that's what Karros meant when he said that. It's a nice stance for hitting line-drives to center and opposite field, but that's about it. He needs to close it to have any sort of home run power. There's next to no leverage.

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

If trading Shields at the break ends up being the right move, and it might, DM won't be the one making the deal. Dude has to be fired at that point.

And I'm going to puke all the **** over myself if the above happens because the trade will have been an unbelievable catastrophe.

As long as the Cardinals are contending, GMDM has nothing to worry about. David and Dan Glass are Cardinal fans, and won't be distracted to tinker with the Royals if the Cards keep them entertained.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Well, here we go again with another May meltdown.

If we have another May with less than 10 wins (which is totally possible) here's what I'd do:

1) Send Moose to AA Arkansas and leave him there all year. If you can't trade him in the off season, assign him back to AA Arkansas in 2015 and make him play his way to Omaha. Then we'll see what happens. He's had enough of a track record to show what he is: a less than .200 major league hitter who can't solve left handed pitching. For the rest of this year, just flat start Valencia at third. He's a better overall player, and won't be a black hole in the sixth spot.

2) If we're 10 games below .500 at the AS Break, trade Shields. Get the best value you can for him. He's not coming back anyway, so what's the point?

3) DFA Chen. He's done. Don't care, he's done.

4) If Cain can't stay healthy the rest of the year, trade him in the off season. He's never made it out of April healthy. Can't rely on him. He's the Brokie Croyle of the Kansas City Royals.

5) After the AS Break, consider trading Alex Gordon for prospects. He's on the downward arc of his career track. Send him to a winner so he can get to the playoffs at least once in his career. Do him a favor, get him out of this Hell.

6) Try to sign Salvie to an even longer term contract. Keep him in Hell for a long time.

7) If we're more than 10 games below .500 at the AS Break, fire Ned. Let Sveum serve out the rest of the year, then get a new skipper for 2015.

8) If Billay has less than 10 HRs by the AS Break, bench him, DH Maxwell the rest of the year.

9) Continue to start Duffy. Let him take his lumps.

10) After the AS Break, get Zimmer up here, Start him. Let him take his lumps too.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Currently, KC is last in MLB in team home runs, third from last in slugging pct, and fourth from last in on-base pct.

Why wait?

[CaliforniaChief]

Something has to be done sooner rather than later. This whole weekend was bullshit.