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.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by DJJasonp

Look, I realize that if insufferable pricks werent allowed in the HOF - the HOF would have a lot less residents.

But fu** bonds....and fu** Clemens. They got caught....they lied out their ass.

And fu** bonds for being the most miserable multi-millionaire that plays a game most american males would give their left nut to play, but yet he somehow found a way to be an ass to media and treat the game like it was some heavy cross to bear.

F*** him. I say karma.

If being an asshole was such a crime to keep you out of the baseball HOF, George Brett wouldn't be there either. A whole lot of great players wouldn't be.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Some of the HOF voters are self-righteous dickbags with no motive other than to have a look-at-me moment when casting some truly asinine ballots.

Most of them can go **** themselves immediately. Not quite the farce that is the NFL Pro Bowl, but it's getting close.

I enjoyed the recent Jack Morris only ballot.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Infidel Goat

But to be clear--there was no punishment for breaking this rule. MLB had no penalties in place until 2005. People should read into that what they wish.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Personally, I would consider voting for anyone who was using prior to 2005 but I would not vote for anyone caught using PEDs after that time.

I also would never vote for Bud Selig.

Thats pretty much where I am. At some point in the 2000's, a line was drawn. Before that line, no one really cared. After that line, PED's were verboten.

I would not support anyone knowingly taking PED's after penalties were implemented and they were tested for. Before that time, baseball basically encouraged these guys to do it, so I don't understand why they should be punished.

Their accomplishments are what they are, they still would have been the best players of their era without PED's, so excluding the best players from that era is stupid.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Thats pretty much where I am. At some point in the 2000's, a line was drawn. Before that line, no one really cared. After that line, PED's were verboten.

I would not support anyone knowingly taking PED's after penalties were implemented and they were tested for. Before that time, baseball basically encouraged these guys to do it, so I don't understand why they should be punished.

Their accomplishments are what they are, they still would have been the best players of their era without PED's, so excluding the best players from that era is stupid.

This makes sense.

[Mr. Laz]

MLB NEWS
Hayes and Royals agree to 1-year contract
January 10
The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration.

The 29-year-old hit .278 with three doubles and a home run in five games for the Royals last year and made $600,000. He batted .233 with 17 homers and 44 RBIs in 78 games for Triple-A Omaha.

Kansas City claimed Hayes off waivers from the Miami Marlins in November 2012.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

MLB NEWS
Hayes and Royals agree to 1-year contract
January 10
The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration.

The 29-year-old hit .278 with three doubles and a home run in five games for the Royals last year and made $600,000. He batted .233 with 17 homers and 44 RBIs in 78 games for Triple-A Omaha.

Kansas City claimed Hayes off waivers from the Miami Marlins in November 2012.

Printing them as I type..........

[BlackHelicopters]

To the watchtower.

[Coach]

To the Omaha!

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by Coach

To the Omaha!

[alnorth]

I just put together something that I've been working on for many hours. I don't know why I did it and its a little nuts, but here you go.

This is a 2014 MLB season simulator, run entirely in excel. You must have excel to use this.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by alnorth

I just put together something that I've been working on for many hours. I don't know why I did it and its a little nuts, but here you go.

This is a 2014 MLB season simulator, run entirely in excel. You must have excel to use this.

Looks good. It worked on my excel.

So the only thing I should edit is the W-L record bracket on the 2nd tab?

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by alnorth

I just put together something that I've been working on for many hours. I don't know why I did it and its a little nuts, but here you go.

This is a 2014 MLB season simulator, run entirely in excel. You must have excel to use this.

Will have to check this out when I get home

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Coach

Looks good. It worked on my excel.

So the only thing I should edit is the W-L record bracket on the 2nd tab?

If games have been played then yes, edit the records and the "games played through" date. All the stuff you need to edit is highlighted in red. Also edit the weights, the weights are very, very important. Feel free to change my default weights, I probably won't even like them when I look at them again tomorrow morning.

After that, you just need to highlight an empty cell (be careful, some cells look empty but have a formula in them) and hit delete to force the workbook to recalculate another season.

[KChiefs1]

Any chance Santana signs with the Royals?

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

If being an asshole was such a crime to keep you out of the baseball HOF, George Brett wouldn't be there either. A whole lot of great players wouldn't be.

Oh FFS. We are talking about cheaters, not winners