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.

[ChiefsCountry]

My wish list for RF:

1. Kemp
2. Rios
3. Either
4. Byrd

[Sure-Oz]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

My wish list for RF:

1. Kemp
2. Rios
3. Either
4. Byrd

Ethier is way overpaid and would be last on my list

[ROYC75]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Yeah, but there are some key differences:

1) 3 years vs. 5 years. Risk is smaller due to the number of years.

2) Kemp has been hurt in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The injury in 2012 was a pretty significant hamstring tear that he doesn't seem to have ever come all the way back from.

I'm not opposed to trading for Kemp (in fact, I'm strongly interested in it). Just needs to be the right deal that balances things out for KC.

I don't see Kemp getting back to pre-2012 injury status or even remotely close.

Rios doesn't have anymore pop in his bat that Raul Ibanez does .....

Just give me Byrd ..... the boy can play long ball and this lineup needs just this, a 30 + HR guy.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

My wish list for RF:

1. Kemp
2. Rios
3. Either
4. Byrd

Honestly, I can't stand the thought of acquiring Rios. Have no ****ing clue why he's so high on this list.

He should be standing next to the list, with super fan Chris--I think that's his name--pissing on him.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by ROYC75

Just give me Byrd ..... the boy can play long ball and this lineup needs just this, a 30 + HR guy.

Byrd has been in the league since '02 and has never hit more than 24 HRs in a season.

Don't get me wrong, he'd be a big upgrade offensively in RF, but let's not seriously put unrealistic expectations on him.

As tk suggested, Ryan Howard would be truly, truly interesting, if that would become the July surprise.

[cmh6476]

How long before we can start the WC watch thread?

[ROYC75]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Byrd has been in the league since '02 and has never hit more than 24 HRs in a season.

Don't get me wrong, he'd be a big upgrade offensively in RF, but let's not seriously put unrealistic expectations on him.

As tk suggested, Ryan Howard would be truly, truly interesting, if that would become the July surprise.

Looks like this could be his 1st then, he has 20 HR's now, 22 doubles and 60 RBI's.

I don't see how Ryan Howard would work with the FO so big on Hosmer. Howard is not lighting anything up right now and his salary is bigger that Hos.


But Ryan, Yep, we could use a guy like that.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Byrd is probably more realistic than Kemp, so it MAY happen.

I'm squarely in the camp of "they won't do anything - especially an actual acquisition of someone who would be a significant name and really make an impact on the lineup, just another retread so it "looks" like they trying to make moves, possibly."
.
Not that I want to be in that camp or line of thought. I'd be ecstatic if they proved me wrong and made some real moves that were worthy of national chatter.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Ryan Howard would be an abject disaster. Not only is he the worst contract in baseball since Vernon Wells, he's actually a below average offensive player now. His isolated power numbers have, save for staying steady from 2010-11, dropped for seven straight years. He's a below replacement level player who gives you about 90% of what a league average hitter would.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by cmh6476

How long before we can start the WC watch thread?

Game 108

[C3HIEF3S]

Ryan Howard is awful. No thanks.

[Ceej]

FWIW, Rios has the Royals on his list of teams he will not be traded to.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Ceej

FWIW, Rios has the Royals on his list of teams he will not be traded to.

Thank God.

[WhawhaWhat]

Is there a website that will track HRs and how many of them would be HRs at another ballpark?

Ryan Howard has 16 HRs, Marlon Byrd has 20, but what do those numbers look like if they were hitting in Kauffman most of the time and then Target Field and Comerica on the road.

I remember before the HR Derby at the K, Sports Science did a piece where they calculated how many of the participants HRs from the current season would have been HRs at the K and it was pretty cool to see. I believe Cano had 20 or so HRs at that point and only a few, or maybe even 0, would have been HRs at the K.

[KCUnited]

Looks like their HR production would drop off significantly playing at the K.

www.becauseroyals.com