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.

[Prison Bitch]

DM and Yost both mentioned that the players want Moose up in KC. I found that logic to be sorta frightening. Are the inmates running the asylum? And what player would want a .150 hitter up when he's (a) hurting the team and (b) not earning his time in MLB like every one of them had to.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

DM and Yost both mentioned that the players want Moose up in KC. I found that logic to be sorta frightening. Are the inmates running the asylum? And what player would want a .150 hitter up when he's (a) hurting the team and (b) not earning his time in MLB like every one of them had to.

Well what do you expect them to say when asked that question? It's not like they are going to say, "yea, the players want someone else to get a shot up here." No manager is going to throw a player under the bus to the media. Asking MLB players question and seeing their answers as truth is pretty reeruned. Sports media in general is pretty worthless because you are mostly getting lip service for any actual meaningful question.

[Prison Bitch]

WHY is Crow on this team???

[Great Expectations]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Well what do you expect them to say when asked that question? It's not like they are going to say, "yea, the players want someone else to get a shot up here." No manager is going to throw a player under the bus to the media. Asking MLB players question and seeing their answers as truth is pretty reeruned. Sports media in general is pretty worthless because you are mostly getting lip service for any actual meaningful question.

How do you not have PB on ignore?

I only have 2 people on it, PB is deserving of that status. He never ads anything of value.

[Fish]

810 is boycotted.

On 810 yesterday, Danny Clinkscale gave a sob story about how 810 is now boycotted from Royals players. I guess he went to Valencia in the locker room and tried to get an interview. Some player said "It's the evil 810". Valencia told Clink he wasn't supposed to talk to him. As did several other players. Supposedly the "Boycott" was orchestrated by Jerrod Dyson.

810 claims that it has to do with Hosmer, Dyson, and somebody else showing up at 810 Zone to watch a fight and getting turned away because they were at capacity.

TMZ update...

[Deberg_1990]

Wow, are we grown men or still in junior high Royals players?

[Tytanium]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Wow, are we grown men or still in junior high Royals players?

That's what we get for drafting literal kids out of high school. Never again.

[alnorth]

I could care less.... but not much less.

Most of us do not get Royals news from 810, if they have an interview that might be mildly interesting and might be a reason to listen, but if they don't, I'm not broken up about it.

A couple players got pissed off for not being admitted into some club? Fine, I'm not gonna rally around 810 and be mad at the players because of how little I care about this "issue". Maybe 810 should hire smarter lackeys in their 810 zone who have enough of a clue to figure something out.

[KCUnited]

810 is this regimes candy wrapper in the stairwell.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by alnorth

I could care less.... but not much less.

Most of us do not get Royals news from 810, if they have an interview that might be mildly interesting and might be a reason to listen, but if they don't, I'm not broken up about it.

A couple players got pissed off for not being admitted into some club? Fine, I'm not gonna rally around 810 and be mad at the players because of how little I care about this "issue". Maybe 810 should hire smarter lackeys in their 810 zone who have enough of a clue to figure something out.

I think, based on the timing, that it's more likely this is a result of them not liking the attacks on Moustakas (which were over the line and strayed into personal territory, apparently).

Hard to believe they were so incensed about not getting in to watch a fight (that happened like 3 weeks ago) that they just now are getting around to boycotting because of it.

Spoiled brat behavior, either way.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by alnorth

I could care less.... but not much less.

Most of us do not get Royals news from 810, if they have an interview that might be mildly interesting and might be a reason to listen, but if they don't, I'm not broken up about it.

A couple players got pissed off for not being admitted into some club? Fine, I'm not gonna rally around 810 and be mad at the players because of how little I care about this "issue". Maybe 810 should hire smarter lackeys in their 810 zone who have enough of a clue to figure something out.

So they are supposed to throw some people out of their restaurant so they can sit Hosmer and Dyson, because they are from the mighty Royals? Asinine.

[Fish]

I don't think that not getting in to the 810 Zone has anything to do with the Royals players snubbing 810. I think that's just 810's attempt at sensationalizing an otherwise pathetic jr high girl squabble.

Clinkscale sounds like he'd be a colossal douche in person. Hearing him explain it in his whiny nasally voice "So I went up to another player and said will you speak to the evil 810?" So much butthurt.....

[Messier]

Originally Posted by Fish

I don't think that not getting in to the 810 Zone has anything to do with the Royals players snubbing 810. I think that's just 810's attempt at sensationalizing an otherwise pathetic jr high girl squabble.

Clinkscale sounds like he'd be a colossal douche in person. Hearing him explain it in his whiny nasally voice "So I went up to another player and said will you speak to the evil 810?" So much butthurt.....

While it couldn't happen to a better group (Danny and Between the lines) the butthurt is going both ways here.

[OmahaChief]

Originally Posted by Fish

I don't think that not getting in to the 810 Zone has anything to do with the Royals players snubbing 810. I think that's just 810's attempt at sensationalizing an otherwise pathetic jr high girl squabble.

Clinkscale sounds like he'd be a colossal douche in person. Hearing him explain it in his whiny nasally voice "So I went up to another player and said will you speak to the evil 810?" So much butthurt.....

Evidently the players as much said it was about not getting into the 810 Zone. The guys on 810 never brought that to light untilt the asshats on the Royals decided to give them the silent treatment.

This is what is wrong with the Royals, spoiled brats that are not nearly as good as they think they are acting like they should be treated like real legends like Brett and Frank White.

These guys should worry about hitting a few homers and not getting picked off second base and looking like a clown. Dyson needs to go anyway.

[Deberg_1990]

So future Hall of Famer Jerod Dyson is running the show now?