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.

[Sure-Oz]

Royals probably will trade Lamb for Bonafacio...watch

[SPchief]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Royals probably will trade Lamb for Bonafacio...watch

And GMDM would be fired on the spot

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Royals probably will trade Lamb for Bonafacio...watch

Holy hell you are probably right.

[ROYC75]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Royals probably will trade Lamb for Bonafacio...watch

You take a Samari sword and start slicing from the toe up if that happens.

[Why Not?]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Royals probably will trade Lamb for Bonafacio...watch

This is practically fact at this point.

[C3HIEF3S]

Duffy's ERA now down to 2.42.. wow.

Does he have enough innings to qualify among league leaders?

[SPchief]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Duffy's ERA now down to 2.42.. wow.

Does he have enough innings to qualify among league leaders?

Before tonight, he was 3 innings short. Only going 5 2/3 doesn't help. Who cares though?

[Unsmooth-Moment]

We will know this afternoon if they plan on adding anyone. I would guess it will be pretty minimal, if anything.

[DeepSouth]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Royals probably will trade Lamb for Bonafacio...watch

I think the Royals should trade Bonafacio for Bonafacio. Surely that would make history. I bet there has never been a trade that included one brother for another.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by SPchief

And GMDM would be fired on the spot

No he wouldn't... fans might burn his house down, though.

[Three7s]

I think Lamb's figured it out and mastered AAA.

I think he's ready to go.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by Three7s

I think Lamb's figured it out and mastered AAA.

I think he's ready to go.

He's got the Ks and a decent ERA but his WHIP is 1.4 which makes me wonder about his control. I honestly have no clue from his actual pitching performances, just from the numbers.

[duncan_idaho]

I don't quite understand what's happened with Lamb... so strange for a guy to take THIS long to get close to getting his velocity back (it's been a little over 3 years since his TJ surgery). I know he did a bad job rehabbing (Laziness) after the initial surgery.

But yes, if his velocity is back into the low 90s (And sitting there), he's a real potential rotation piece again.

He always had advanced pitchability and a very good changeup. Pairing those with fastball command and a heater that sits in the low 90s is a pretty great combo. He also seems to be able to throw his curve for strikes, which is a bonus (he needs the fastball-change combo to play up as 'plus' to get away with just a show-me curve, which is what it sounds like at the moment).

Since May 1, he has a 3.07 ERA and 1.35 WHIP, with just over a K/IP. And if you look at his monthly splits, you see gradual improvement over each month. Walks and WHIP going down steadily. I've only seen him pitch over TV, which isn't as good as seeing him live, but when I saw him early in the year, he was walking a lot of guys after nibbling. If he's more confident in his stuff, it's easier to go right after guys. That could be what's going on here.

He's also just 24 years old, which is crazy considering he's basically had 2.5 lost years since being named a consensus top 20 prospect.

[siberian khatru]

Lester and Gomes to #Athletics for Cespedes, per @alexspeier.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2014

[Ebolapox]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Lester and Gomes to #Athletics for Cespedes, per @alexspeier.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2014

did NOT see that one coming