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.

[siberian khatru]

Surely it can't be Leon Roberts in his only pitching performance of his career.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by tk13

If this thing is going to work at least two of those guys are probably going to have to make it. They just have to. It's why I'm not heartbroken over the Santana thing. It's hard to win that way... even big market teams have to develop starters. We haven't done it yet.

If the two guys are Ventura & Duffy I will have movement!

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by Coach

So I was killing some time, and I noticed something.

What's wrong with this picture?

Kinda looks like Bud Black.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

It looks like it could be Jim Sunberg looking at his cards from that year

Sundberg was a catcher though.

[KChiefs1]

According to my intensive research it is Frank Wills.

[BigMeatballDave]

http://www.tradingcarddb.com/ViewCar...-Danny-Jackson

According to this it's Frank Wills.

[C3HIEF3S]

Here's an interview with Dan Glass that was posted on the Royals website for those who haven't seen it.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/new...nt_id=67831478

Contents in spoiler, I put some of the interesting parts in bold for those who don't want to read all of it.

Spoiler!

Glass says franchise at strong point of his tenure
Club president sits down with MLB.com to address the state of the team
By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com | 2/17/2014 10:00 A.M. ET



Royals president Dan Glass (left), son of owner David Glass (right), is entering his 22nd season in the organization. (AP)
Dan Glass is entering his 15th season as president of the Kansas City Royals. He began in 1993 as a baseball operations assistant and eventually worked in scouting and player development, taking special interest in the Latin American program. Glass discussed his outlook for the Royals, his relationship with general manager Dayton Moore and other issues with MLB.com's Dick Kaegel.

MLB.com: How optimistic are you about the Royals' postseason chances in 2014?

Glass: I am very optimistic, and, in fact, there's a lot of high expectation with the club this year based on the way we played in the second half and the additions that Dayton and his staff have made through the winter. It appeared to me that somewhere along the second half of last season that the team really clicked. Maybe it's a maturity or a belief that we can win every day but something happened with these guys. My hope is the second half will carry on into this year.

MLB.com: How do you feel about the team's offseason moves, notably Norichika Aoki, Omar Infante, Jason Vargas and Bruce Chen?

Glass: I think those are all good additions that really shored up the needs that we had, particularly from the offensive side. Setting up the order now where you have guys at the top that are table-setters, the guys at the bottom are table-setters, and hopefully, those kids in the middle can be run-producers. And also the defense is improved. Arguably one of the best defensive teams in the American League, or in baseball, got better with the addition of Infante and Aoki.

MLB.com: The current payroll is pegged at about $90 million, a franchise record and your GM, Dayton Moore, was quoted as saying that's beyond the break-even point. Have you reached a spending limit for this year?

Glass: We're pushing it a little bit, yes we are pushing it. I think most clubs try to live within their means, and the way it's always been is you try to break even with the club and any additional revenue that you get, you put into the club -- you invest in the team usually. A lot of it is an indication of teams' local revenue, especially teams that have big broadcasting deals that are kicking in or whatever. But it's a testament really to central baseball and the job the Commissioner's Office has done in growing the revenues -- Tim Brosnan and Bob Bowman and Tony Petitti on the business side of things have done an outstanding job of growing the revenues and getting more revenue to the teams.

MLB.com: Your family has been deeply involved with the Royals since Mr. Kauffman's passing in 1993, and you acquired ownership in 2000. Are you satisfied with the ways things have progressed overall?

Glass: Yes, as of now I am. No doubt that since Dayton came on board, maybe it took longer than what we all anticipated, and Dayton may tell you that as well. But the main goal when he came in was to invest in the farm system, scouting and player development. We had to have the best player development people and develop our own talent. That's the way that teams in our situation, revenue-wise, have to do it. And so in our current team, many of the core players are the ones that our scouts drafted and developed, and they're really the heart and soul of the club. Then, if you look at our pipeline again, it's almost as if he turned it over twice -- the run where we were the top-ranked organization by Baseball America and now where we're like No. 5 or 6 again. There's a new wave that's going to come behind this. So he and his staff have really done it twice.

MLB.com: David Glass is the team's chairman and your father; is there is strict division of duties among you two, or do you collaborate on most team issues?

Glass: We collaborate on everything. He calls up on a daily basis, he calls up all of us for that matter -- either myself or Dayton or Kevin [Uhlich] on the business side if he has any questions at all. But he's in direct contact with what we're doing on an everyday basis, and we'll lean on him when we need him. He's really involved with the bigger-picture issues with the industry and Major League Baseball. He really enjoys that side of it, and I think they enjoy having him in that role. He has a lot of passion for it.

MLB.com: Dayton Moore has been your GM since 2006, and his contract has been extended through 2016. What are the attributes that you admire most in him?

Glass: He's probably the most hard-working, honest individual I've ever worked with. He's a family man -- they're just genuine people, he's a genuine guy. He has a work ethic, though, that he's not going to quit until he gets this right. And that's what you want in people you hire. In my role, you want to hire people that are better than I am at things. And he has that same attribute -- he hires people underneath him that are good at what they do in certain areas, and he listens to them and ultimately makes the right decision based on the information that he has. Just a man of outstanding character, I can't say enough about him. The more I work around him, the more I respect him and the more he just kind of feels like family when I'm around him. We think alike.

MLB.com: You, personally, always have been very forceful in the development of Latin American players, notably through the Dominican Academy. How important is the international aspect of player development to the Royals?

Glass: It's very important. In fact, that is one area where seemingly we're all on an equal playing field, competing for talent among the teams. But it's just a love that they [Latino players] share for the game that I share. I have the same love for the game they have. You go down into these countries and they play the game the way I played it when I was a kid. You had a lot of passion for it, you played it every day, you played it until you were tired -- but you just couldn't get enough of it. And the Latin kids today are no different than they were back when I was heavily involved with the Dominican program. With Rene Francisco and others, we have a very talented staff of evaluators that are able to identify good kids that share those same attributes.

MLB.com: Do you feel the Royals and other middle and small-market clubs can ever achieve parity with the big-market clubs like the Yankees or Dodgers?

Glass: Well, I used to think so. I think it's a lot harder now with the broadcasting deals and the broadcasting revenues locally becoming what they are. But it still doesn't mean that we can't do it. It all gets back to the scouts and the player development people -- they're sort of the unsung heroes in all this because they're the ones that identify the talent, they're the ones that develop the talent. So, much like Tampa Bay and Oakland and others have done, it can be done. Just because you have the most money to spend, it doesn't mean that you're always going to win. We just have to be more careful in our selections, I guess.

MLB.com: Is the Royals franchise now as strong as it's ever been during your tenure?

Glass: I think so. Financially, it's on solid footing -- baseball side, business side, with quality people on both sides. Yes, I'd say so.

MLB.com: Do you feel that the Kansas City fans are connecting with this team you have now?

Glass: That's the sense I got at FanFest. It's just a great group of guys. I think it goes back to Dayton and his staff. They like guys with good character, and the thing they did on stage in front of the audience was really fun. The one with James Shields as the emcee -- you don't get better than that when a player can bring out the personality in guys. During the season, we talk about it every night at games. You look out into the stands, you might see every player represented on a kid's T-shirt or an adult's T-shirt. Fans really relate to this team. It's a fun team to watch.

MLB.com: How important was holding the 2012 All-Star Game for the Kansas City franchise?

Glass: It was big. It had a major impact locally, obviously, with the economic impact that it brings. But nationally was where it really shined. Still today, I get letters from fans that came to the game and enjoyed themselves and actually have come back when their team has been in town because they enjoyed coming to the ballpark and the setting, but also the city. It made a big difference in showing the world basically what Kansas City has here.

MLB.com: You and your father have great respect for Commissioner Selig, don't you?

Glass: We do. I think everybody does. It's a tough job that he has, and it would be hard for some people to maneuver the different egos within ownership and the other issues he's had to deal with during his time. But he's been able to do it in a very graceful way. When he leaves, he will have left the game in a much better place than when he took over. He will be hard to replace.

MLB.com: By taking over the Royals, your family probably saved the franchise for Kansas City yet over the years you -- and primarily David Glass as the CEO -- have come under harsh criticism from fans. Isn't that difficult to understand at times?

Glass: Not really. I think a lot of it is just reaction to losing. But I hope they understand that we feel as bad about it as they do. Somebody's got to take the blame, and it all starts at the top. Hopefully we can turn all that around, and our winning ways will continue.

MLB.com: Do you see your ownership going far into the future?

Glass: Quite possibly, quite possibly. I think if for some reason there was a better ownership group that we felt like would be better for Kansas City than us and would agree to contractually keep the team here in Kansas City for a long time, then we'd have to consider that I think. But right now, I would say yes.

[Discuss Thrower]

What in the world does a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals know about losing?

[duncan_idaho]

That last statement is interesting.

The OnGoal guys are interested in buying the team. They're local. They have more money than the Glass's (4 guys worth what David Glass is worth). Hard to imagine, if the Glass's are truly being honest with themselves about what's best for the team, that they don't see that.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

That last statement is interesting.

The OnGoal guys are interested in buying the team. They're local. They have more money than the Glass's (4 guys worth what David Glass is worth). Hard to imagine, if the Glass's are truly being honest with themselves about what's best for the team, that they don't see that.

OnGoal actually said they were interested in buying?

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

That last statement is interesting.

The OnGoal guys are interested in buying the team. They're local. They have more money than the Glass's (4 guys worth what David Glass is worth). Hard to imagine, if the Glass's are truly being honest with themselves about what's best for the team, that they don't see that.

I always read theses glASS interviews with some skepticism. Also, I didn't know the OnGoal guys had expressed interest in purchasing the Royals. Interesting.
Link?

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by theelusiveeightrop

I always read theses glASS interviews with some skepticism. Also, I didn't know the OnGoal guys had expressed interest in purchasing the Royals. Interesting.
Link?

This, I need a link!

[Archie F. Swin]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Here's an interview with Dan Glass that was posted on the Royals website for those who haven't seen it.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/new...nt_id=67831478

Contents in spoiler, I put some of the interesting parts in bold for those who don't want to read all of it.

Spoiler!

Hopefully we can turn all that around, and our winning ways will continue.

[/B]

hope is not a business plan

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

hope is not a business plan

Are hope AND change a business plan?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Three7s

OnGoal actually said they were interested in buying?

They've been asked about it multiple times. Kietzman has interviewed Patterson several times, and he has asked about it several times. Patterson always says something to the effect of "we wish those guys would pick up the phone."