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.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Royals are looking for a bat which they need yet fans are bitching about that.

Because the options that are listed are ****ing terrible.

[Unsmooth-Moment]

Replace Butler with Rios.

[DeezNutz]

How could we not be excited about Rios and his 0.4 WAR complemented by a ridiculous salary for his marginally talented ass?

That's an exciting ****ing move right there. Is Jose Guillen available?

[Mother****erJones]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

If they get this guy they either have to bench Aoki or Butler. Wasn't Rios with the White Sox before Texas?

Ya, he was good one year, bad the next, good after that then bad again.

[gblowfish]

Seems like the last Texas outfielder we went out and got was Juan Gone. Ruh-roh....

[Jerm]

Kicker to it is we'll more than likely vastly overpay too...

[Unsmooth-Moment]

I think he would be a good option at DH. Plus he can fill in in the outfield to give some guys a day off/let Salvy play as DH a few times.

Edit: He would need to come cheap though. I'd say a C prospect or something.

[DeezNutz]

Or...we could take any replacement level player, put him in RF and get the same results for no cost.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Or...we could take any replacement level player, put him in RF and get the same results for no cost.

exactly

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by Big Smoke

I wonder how much time Dayton has left?

Originally Posted by Zeke

dingleberry asking isn't enough?

More importantly, I ask because I am not familiar with "the list" of up and coming front office guys rumored to be targeted for a GM gig as well as a manager.

So, who would be a couple of names for each job, and why? Namely, what you have heard about the guy that would make him a hire we can look back on in a couple of years and say that was a hire all of MLB envies in retrospect?

[DeezNutz]

People are talking about upgrading Aoki or Butler, and they are a respective -0.6 and -0.7 WAR.

It's not going to be ****ing tough to get better than this.

Rios can be really, really good. The problem is that he's far from consistent. Been in the league 13 years and has had 4 really good years, posting 4.6, 4.8, 5.6, and 5.9 WAR in these years.

One year at 3.3 WAR, and everything else is meh.

Now, if we can trade for him and simply take on salary, awesome. If we have to give up a viable piece to have the right to his contract, well then **** that.

[Hootie]

Hey Deez...

I agree. However, where do we find this replacement level player? lol

[ChiefsCountry]

Rios is at 12.5 for this year, with a team option for 13.5 next season with a million dollar buyout.

[Hootie]

I can promise everyone this...

It's not going to take an arm and a leg for Alex Rios. And if he fills in well for us, we can pick up his option for $1M more than Billy Butler's option that we were *presumably* going to pick up before he decided to become the worst DH in the history of DH'ing.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Their combined net worth is something like $6-7 billion dollars, minimum (Illig and Patterson are $6 billion combined, and the other guys have to be bringing SOMETHING to the table). Most of Glass's net worth is tied up in the Royals franchise (I think he's about $700 million, with $500 million of that being the Royals).

The salary is restricted by the league, but those guys have spent considerably more than their peers on everything around the team (and really understand how to create fan experience - SEC football teams are consulting with them to pick up pointers on that).

They also made big personal investments in a soccer-only stadium and complex because they understand you have to spend it to make it.

I'd spontaneously orgasm that very second if I found out that Sporting's ownership group bought the Royals.
Honestly, having Glass as owner feels like the franchise is just in a perpetual hostage state, because they will never truly care about really winning and being a sustained contender. The family are Cards fans. Tough go of it when your ownership isn't even a fan or vested in the club they own.