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.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by alnorth

This year the draft is June 5-7

Ah, gotcha.

Which will happen first: A team caving or Santana caving? Honestly, I can't decide. He'll sign somewhere, just can't decide which situation I think is more likely.

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Ah, gotcha.

Which will happen first: A team caving or Santana caving? Honestly, I can't decide. He'll sign somewhere, just can't decide which situation I think is more likely.

What are you hearing about which teams still have an interest in Santana?

[Prison Bitch]

He'll just wait until some dildo hurts himself in spring training, and then a team will get desperate to sign him.

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by penguinz

He ran out of things to spam the forum with so now he is going to continue to be obsessed with something as dumb as this.

I fully expect "Deckhand Mike" to teach this team how to win. I'm holding him to his word, dag nab it.

"Be a fountain, not a drain!"

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by theelusiveeightrop

What are you hearing about which teams still have an interest in Santana?

Blue Jays, Orioles (probably out of it now that they signed Jimenez), Mariners, Indians, Rockies, and Royals have all been mentioned recently.

Blue Jays, Indians, Mariners would be my guess at this point.

[CaliforniaChief]

Honestly I'd laugh if the Angels through an insane amount of money to bring him back and he collapses again. Although I love Santana, he'd have his money and would still be fun to have on my Twitter feed.

[KChiefs1]

Baseball America's Top 100 is on the MLBN tomorrow night.

8 - Red Sox
7 - Cubs
7 - Pirates
6 - Astros
5 - Rangers

Wonder how many Royals?

[duncan_idaho]

Funny that we were talking about this yesterday, but here's a podcast from 810 (it's KK, be warned) with Robb Heineman, the CEO of SportingKC.

Flip forward to the 18:30 mark for Heineman's comments about SportingClub (formerly OnGoal) buying KC.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

Baseball America's Top 100 is on the MLBN tomorrow night.

8 - Red Sox
7 - Cubs
7 - Pirates
6 - Astros
5 - Rangers

Wonder how many Royals?

I would guess 5-6.

[KChiefs1]

I think 4.

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I would guess 5-6.

Top 10 Prospects
1. Kyle Zimmer, rhp
2. Yordano Ventura, rhp
3. Raul A. Mondesi, ss
4. Jorge Bonifacio, of
5. Miguel Almonte, rhp
6. Sean Manaea, lhp
7. Hunter Dozier, 3b
8. Bubba Starling, of
9. Jason Adam, rhp
10. Christian Binford, rhp

[greatgooglymoogly]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Glass half full (pun intended): maybe they want to see their team make the playoffs at least once before they sell.

I think (at least, I hope) Glass is getting that feeling Mike Ilitch had about 8 years ago. There is a pretty clear difference with how the Tigers operated from 1992-2005 and 2006 on.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

I think 4.

Baseball Pro had them with 7 in the Top 100 and I think will end up having KC as the No. 4 or No. 5 system.

BA seems to indicate they're going to be top 7-8, which means it has to have them pretty close to where BP does.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Glass half full (pun intended): maybe they want to see their team make the playoffs at least once before they sell.

Or... they're getting close to being ready to sell and want to inflate value as much as they can?

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Or... they're getting close to being ready to sell and want to inflate value as much as they can?

no kidding, I coincidentally got the same thought and clicked to this thread to post something similar.

If you are Glass and a year or two ago you knew you'd have a local buyer, it would make a lot of sense for him to wait until the stadium renovations finish, start winning, maybe break 2MM tickets sold and get a little closer to the end of the current TV deal before you finally sell.

[C3HIEF3S]

Just got a notification from the ESPN app on my phone that said that the Blue Jays are unlikely to sign Santana.