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.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by warpaint*

So what has been the holdup with Santana getting a deal w/ somebody? Seems weird to me but honestly I haven't paid attention to baseball free agency in 10+ yrs due to the Royals typically being losers in it.

Whoever signs Santana is going to lose a 1st round pick. That's a biggie.

Plus Santana is HR prone, probably not a good fit in small ballparks... and has a history of being inconsistent from year to year. That's a concern even if the Royals were to sign him.

[Simplicity]

Pull the trigger... With Santana we have a SOLID rotation...

[Prison Bitch]

ZIPS projections out on Fangraphs. Here are a few projections with comparables to our current players:


Player IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA+ zWAR No. 1 Comp
James Shields 212.0 8.24 2.50 0.93 114 4.2 Bob Welch
Ervin Santana 185.7 7.12 2.67 1.31 96 2.2 Ramon Ortiz
Yordano Ventura 137.3 7.47 3.74 0.92 98 1.7 Matt Clement
Greg Holland 69.3 12.99 3.38 0.65 175 1.7 Bryan Harvey
Jeremy Guthrie 166.0 5.20 2.60 1.19 90 1.3 Walt Terrell
Danny Duffy 94.0 8.62 4.50 0.86 100 1.3 Erik Bedard
Jason Vargas 191.0 5.80 2.36 1.55 87 1.2 Scott McGregor
Wade Davis 140.3 7.57 3.46 1.03 90 1.1 Victor Santos
Luke Hochevar 70.7 10.57 2.55 1.02 134 1.1 Trevor Hoffman

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2014-...s-city-royals/

[WhawhaWhat]

#Royals fans: RT @ChrisCotillo: Source: #Rockies, #Orioles, #Mariners, #Yankees, #Dodgers have expressed interest in signing Ervin Santana.

— Pete Grathoff (@pgrathoff) January 27, 2014

[Cephalic Trauma]

There's a post on deadspin about the song "Royals" and it being inspired by a George Brett photograph. Nothing new, but this comment on Deadspin was hilarious.

It reads,"Ironically, "And we'll never be Royals" is included in every Scott Boras client's No Trade Clause"

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

#Royals fans: RT @ChrisCotillo: Source: #Rockies, #Orioles, #Mariners, #Yankees, #Dodgers have expressed interest in signing Ervin Santana.

— Pete Grathoff (@pgrathoff) January 27, 2014

Rockies , Os and Yanks seem like bad fits.

[KChiefs1]

Odds that Santana signs with the Royals?

[nychief]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

Odds that Santana signs with the Royals?

Zero

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by warpaint*

So what has been the holdup with Santana getting a deal w/ somebody? Seems weird to me but honestly I haven't paid attention to baseball free agency in 10+ yrs due to the Royals typically being losers in it.

Tanaka.

No high-end pitcher outside of Kershaw was going to get anything until Tanaka was signed. Now that he's signed by the Yankees, things are going to happen.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Rockies , Os and Yanks seem like bad fits.

Yep, they'd be really dumb to sign him.

[duncan_idaho]

Baseball Prospectus released its top 101 this morning.

12. RHP Yordano Ventura
29. SS Raul Adalberto Mondesi
34. RHP Kyle Zimmer
46. RHP Miguel Almonte
78. RHP Sean Manaea
96. 3B Hunter Dozier
99. RF Jorge Bonifacio

From a quick glance, it looks like only the Twins have more prospects in their top 100, with 8. The Cubs and Pirates also have 7 prospects. Don't see any other group with that many.

I'd expect the Royals to be in the top 5 range of system rankings, when Baseball Pro releases it.

The Twins clearly have the top system, with the No. 1 overall player in Byron Buxton and tremendous depth, but this is not as strong a system as the Cardinals last year or the Royals in 2011.

I think I might take the Cubs' system over all the others. Tremendous potential from their position players, with Baez, Almora, Bryant and Soler all cracking the top 50.

[Prison Bitch]

I think most of us gave up on this when "The greatest system of all time!" turned out to be an epic bust. Like all things Royals. I think it's the first time that BB America's top system didn't make the playoffs within 2-3 years (can't remember the time frame) of winning the top honor. I think we have to make the playoffs this year or else their streak is snapped.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I think most of us gave up on this when "The greatest system of all time!" turned out to be an epic bust. Like all things Royals. I think it's the first time that BB America's top system didn't make the playoffs within 2-3 years (can't remember the time frame) of winning the top honor. I think we have to make the playoffs this year or else their streak is snapped.

I understand people getting less excited about prospects. The 2011 system was devastated by the complete collapse of Mike Montgomery and the injury to John Lamb (which is more bad luck than anything else...). They're still going to end up getting top 5 production out of it, long-term, in my opinion (as that system netted Hosmer, Perez, Duffy, Greg Holland, Aaron Crow, Kelvin Herrera, James Shields).

But it's a far cry from what many thought it could have been/should have been. The collapse of the top two pitching prospects is what really did it in... if either of Lamb or Montgomery makes it, I don't think that grouping is looked at as a failure (maybe still a slight disappointment, but not a failure).

One of the differences here is that we've already seen Yordano Ventura pitch at an extremely high level in the major leagues. And he has already posted tremendous success at AAA, which is more than any of the pitchers on the 2011 list could say.

And ultimately, the farm system is ALWAYS going to be important to the Royals, because they must re-stock talent - and especially pitching talent - from within, and because they must have young talent that can be moved in trades at times.

[Mecca]

There's always going to be injuries to pitchers it's just the nature of the business. The Royals need a hit that no one expected to make up for it.

[tyton75]

There is still a lot of pitching on the FA market. Maybe not in league with Santana and Jimenez, but if we needed another Guthrie type; I think we can find it.

Some of the pitchers on the market: Chris Capuano, Barry Zito, Scott Baker, Jason Hammel, Tommy Hanson, Bruce Chen, Jake Westbrook and Paul Maholm.