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.

[FringeNC]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

He's only 28 so of course he'll keep playing. What's his alternative career anyway - pediatrician? He went straight from HS to pro baseball. What's really galling to him is that he only had to get through ONE MORE YEAR to get his free agent contract and now he shat that away. He was looking at something like a 4/45 deal and now he'll likely get a 1/7 deal. He threw away tens of millions with his dreadful season.

Evidently you view his year as an aberration rather than a trend. From .882 OPS in 2012 to .787 last year to .669 this year, I don't see why a team would give him even a 1/7 deal. If he wasn't in such poor condition, I'd be more likely to chalk it up to a slump, but he really appears to be done.

He has in the past done one thing quite well - hit. Close to a .900 OPS is really valuable no matter what, but a sub .700 OPS guy who can't play the field and can't run is worthless. If he showed some motivation, and got into shape, I think teams would be much more willing to take a chance on him, but the way he is now, I dunno. Obviously, a strong second half could change his fortunes.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

I'm seriously debating pulling the trigger on picking up one of these...

Do it. Trust me, you only live once. And sometimes by the grace of God, or the curse of Satan, you live twice...

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

I'm seriously debating pulling the trigger on picking up one of these...

Can I ask where you are looking at buying that? Sweet jersey.

Would buy/10.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

The Greatest Pitcher of This Era
by Tony Blengino - July 3, 2014

It is said that a single draft selection can fundamentally change a franchise, and this was never more true than the first round of the 2006 draft. The Dodgers picked seventh overall from a class that has turned out to be less than stellar. Of the six clubs picking ahead of the them, only the Rays, who tabbed Evan Longoria in the three hole, can refrain from thinking what could have been when surveying the outcome of that early first round. The Royals selected Luke Hochevar first, the Rockies followed with Greg Reynolds, and then the Pirates, Mariners and Tigers followed up with Brad Lincoln, Brandon Morrow and Andrew Miller, respectively, with the three selections immediately preceding Kershaw.

It didn’t take long for the Dodgers – and every other organization in baseball, for that matter – to see exactly what they had in the lean 6’3″ lefty from Highland Park HS in Texas. He steamrolled the rookie level Gulf Coast League to the tune of a 54/5 K/BB ratio in 37 innings immediately after signing, and then toiled less than two years – and 210 innings, featuring 261 strikeouts – in the minors before making his major league debut in late May 2008. To say the least, he hit the ground running....
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-g...r-of-this-era/

The draft DM wouldn't participate in because he was drafting for the Braves.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

The draft DM wouldn't participate in because he was drafting for the Braves.

Oh, if we'd have drafted Kershaw I'm sure Dayton would've claimed credit.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Oh, if we'd have drafted Kershaw I'm sure Dayton would've claimed credit.

If we drafted Kershaw he would have been lucky to make it out of AA

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by FringeNC

Evidently you view his year as an aberration rather than a trend. From .882 OPS in 2012 to .787 last year to .669 this year, I don't see why a team would give him even a 1/7 deal. If he wasn't in such poor condition, I'd be more likely to chalk it up to a slump, but he really appears to be done.

He has in the past done one thing quite well - hit. Close to a .900 OPS is really valuable no matter what, but a sub .700 OPS guy who can't play the field and can't run is worthless. If he showed some motivation, and got into shape, I think teams would be much more willing to take a chance on him, but the way he is now, I dunno. Obviously, a strong second half could change his fortunes.

Oh I think he sucks balls too. Just that he wouldn't retire at 28. Who knows, he could bounce back. I know we aren't resigning him.

[Archie F. Swin]

You think Belly got scared and stopped using PEDs?

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

You think Belly got scared and stopped using PEDs?

Wasn't his 29 HR year the same year Melky and Frenchy had career changing years? I'd say more than likely the 2011 and 2012 Royals had a few guys not all natural. Billy possibly included.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Wasn't his 29 HR year the same year Melky and Frenchy had career changing years? I'd say more than likely the 2011 and 2012 Royals had a few guys not all natural. Billy possibly included.

No that was the year after where Frenchy sucked and Melky got busted.

[Sure-Oz]

Butler probably isn't back but i'm sure Seattle or some other team that loves dh's will take him.

He doesn't look that out of shape besides being big boned his whole career imo...

Having an off year completely and he's done now? He's still hitting but not for any power, which is concerning

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Butler probably isn't back but i'm sure Seattle or some other team that loves dh's will take him.

He doesn't look that out of shape besides being big boned his whole career imo...

Having an off year completely and he's done now? He's still hitting but not for any power, which is concerning

He holds little value as a singles hitter because he's slow and a liability on the base paths.

I guess if we had a 30+ HR hitter behind him it would be ok......but we don't.

[Bowser]

Billy won't be back here next year unless it's at a bargain bin cost to the Royals. Some team might give him a 3 mil contract, but it won't be us. When a guy hits in literally two times as many double plays as he does home runs in a career, it's an issue for him seeking a new contract, especially when all he does is hit.

[Lex Luthor]

With the exception of the one year where he hit 29 homers, Billy Butler has ALWAYS been a one tool player.

29 homers was an aberration.

Much of this year Bill has been a zero tool player.

[KCCHIEFS27]

Now we're talking..