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 theelusiveeightrop

Wouldn't Boni be starting in Infante's absence ?

Undoubtedly. He's also never been a 162-games type. So PT was there (30 games worth, at least).

Originally Posted by ChiTown

Is there a history of that with Bonifacio? I seriously don't know.

Not that I'm aware of. He apparently did not enjoy his time in Toronto, when they were trying to use him as a super-util guy. Not sure that really qualifies as a history.

[Demonpenz]

Baseball and Soccer are both boring and especially the Royals bring no excitement as far as position players go. There is no one at the plate that I would hold off even taking a shit.

[noa]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

They have a decent UTIL infielder on the roster, the 2B probably makes the play on Loney's RBI single in the 9th.

Yep, plus maybe we don't have to watch Valencia bat against an RHP with the bases loaded, although he did get a decent rip.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Prison Bitch]

If I wanted to see a 1-0 game, I'd go to Sporting Park

[Sure-Oz]

Gio called up and starting at 2nd

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Gio called up and starting at 2nd

Oh jeez.

[Prison Bitch]

Valencia shouldn't be playing 2B, ever. Shouldn't be hitting ever either, unless it's against a LH starter.

[BlackHelicopters]

Maybe the cubs would be willing to deal Boni for Mouse?

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Gio called up and starting at 2nd

No way. When will this. Experiment end. Probably means Infante is going on the DL.

[Prison Bitch]

This punches a hole in the idea of on-base being the end all in scoring runs. It isn't. We were on base 10x last night and didn't score. You will always need guys who can drive the ball, even if they strike out a bit. you can't run out a lineup of punch & judy slapdick hitters and think that's going to result in runs - just because they make contact.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

This punches a hole in the idea of on-base being the end all in scoring runs. It isn't. We were on base 10x last night and didn't score. You will always need guys who can drive the ball, even if they strike out a bit. you can't run out a lineup of punch & judy slapdick hitters and think that's going to result in runs - just because they make contact.

You can't score without being on base... There is no way around it. Even hitting a home run, it counts as being on base.

You have to be on base to score runs, period.

That's like saying just because the car broke down and didn't get you to your destination that cars should be discarded because it didn't work. There are a lot that goes into scoring... but in the end, the vehicle sets the stage to get you from point A to point B.

A lot of KC not scoring last night had to do with lack of hitting the ball with authority. Hell the hardest hit ball all night ended in an out (with the bases loaded). But a lot of it had to do with the pitching KC was going against, as well. That was a good pitching matchup on a cold night.

KC isn't a good hitting team, but they aren't this bad either... Butler and gordon are basically doing nothing... and those are pretty much our only thumpers outside of Hosmer... those two aren't producing.... same as last year.

[Prison Bitch]

The point is you can't score runs by slapping singles or grounding the ball up the middle. We're proving that. 7 games without a single HR in the big leagues is a complete joke. And by the way, watching the games: how many were even close? How many have even gone to the warning track? From memory the only ball that even got to the wall was Escobar's Monday.



In other news, Brandon Belt (SF) hit his 5th last night. He and Trumbo have 5.

[Prison Bitch]

“He’s pressing a little bit but not nearly as much as he was at any time last year. He’s going to be okay.”
Ned Yost, on Moose’s 0-15 start, 610 AM

GH: Yost made this comment about the Royals’ third baseman over the weekend. It sounded so familiar to me that I checked the archives from last May and came up with what Yost said about Moose when he was in a 2-41 tailspin. Read on.

“Last year, when he struggled. I mean (Moose) was a mess. There were times when you’d have to sit him for a ‘mental day.’ This year, he’s been in a great frame of mind. … He’s going to be fine.”
Ned Yost, on the same slumping Moustakas, May 2013, Kansas City Star

GH: Okay, so by my count that is three seasons in a row where we can document that Moose has struggled with slumps and his mental state. Hey, we all understand that baseball is a hard game to play and it’s a grind and the Royals faced three of the best pitchers on the planet (who happen to be in their division) and blah, blah, blah… I would like Yost to try a different tactic to motivate the moody Moose. “Hey moose – hit the damn ball or you’re going to find out how many great restaurants there are in Omaha.”



“Obviously, Mike Moustakas is still struggling although good for him to at least have the RBI walk today. I know that doesn’t mean anything is solved but at least he can go back and say he made a contribution. He also had some defensive plays – he also had the error…”
Joel Goldberg, Royals pre- and postgame host, trying to put a positive spin on Moose’s 0-15 start after Saturday’s win over the Chisox, Fox Sports KC

GH: It’s not just Yost who is walking and talking on eggshells when it comes to Moose’s slump. Goldberg tried everything he could to turn that bases-loaded walk into a Player of the Game award.

[Simply Red]

Braves say thanks for Ervin Santana.


LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLOOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

[Brianfo]

Moose is a mental midget. Calling a spade a spade. He will never contribute to this team. Send his ass to Omaha. See how he responds. Don't coddle his ass.