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.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

If you want to get worse, by all means replace Jarrod Dyson (2.3 WAR) with Byrd (0.8 WAR).

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx...50&position=OF

Byrd has a good average and has power. Isn't that what everyone wants?

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Fangraphs hates Marlon Byrd for some reason, but Baseball Reference has him as a 1.8 WAR guy,

Fine, they have Dyson at 2.4. Still much higher than Byrd given how there's another half of baseball to play.

and I trust their WAR formula more than Fangraphs.

I have no earthly idea why you keep saying that. Because of Jeremy Guthrie? Every serious mathematician focuses on repeatable experiements and datasets that hold trends. What should have happened is far more telling than what actually did. Focusing on outliers is seriously ancient thinking.

Dyson has provided a lot of value with his defense and baserunning, but at the end of the day remains a guy who can't play everyday because of his struggles against LHP and who is more likely to regress to his mean offensively given extended time ( which is .260/.330/.340). If he could post a .700 OPS with his defense and baserunning as an everyday player, that probably plays up. But just like last year, I'd expect his offensive numbers to come down given more at-bats (and more towards his career averages).

You should apply this logic to Gordon then, since he's hit the shitter offensively. 2-41 slump? As you say, you can stop runs or create them. Hopefully both. Dyson stops them - Byrd creates them. A wash.

For a team that desperately needs more offense, especially RH hitters AND power, Byrd would be a very nice fit at a very affordable cost (both in prospects and salary.) Dyson is proving to be a very reliable No. 4 OF, but he's not a guy you want to start for a winning team (especially since Cain is not going to give you the power out of RF that you really want).

It's a good move for next season, too, when Byrd would provide a very affordable option who can be swung between RF, LF and DH.

Here's the meat of the argument: creating value by replacing X player. And that X is clearly Fat-Ass at DH. Get rid of Dyson and you gain nothing. Get rid of Fat-Ass, and you probably pick up 2 wins. Is that enough? It might be.

[Prison Bitch]

I had the radio on and just heard how it ended. Faux-Hawk has bases loaded down 7-3 and the f-ing POS swings first pitch and GIDP to end it. I cannot imagine how his teammates continue to put up with his atrocious play but worse, his atrocious stupidity about game situations.


He's probably the biggest disappointment I've ever seen come through KC. Because he legitimately has talent. He's just too stupid or too arrogant to use it.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I had the radio on and just heard how it ended. Faux-Hawk has bases loaded down 7-3 and the f-ing POS swings first pitch and GIDP to end it. I cannot imagine how his teammates continue to put up with his atrocious play but worse, his atrocious stupidity about game situations.


He's probably the biggest disappointment I've ever seen come through KC. Because he legitimately has talent. He's just too stupid or too arrogant to use it.

He has no plan at the plate. He's like Gordon during his first couple of years.

He just goes up there swinging and expects the ball to be hit to the moon.

[New World Order]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I had the radio on and just heard how it ended. Faux-Hawk has bases loaded down 7-3 and the f-ing POS swings first pitch and GIDP to end it. I cannot imagine how his teammates continue to put up with his atrocious play but worse, his atrocious stupidity about game situations.


He's probably the biggest disappointment I've ever seen come through KC. Because he legitimately has talent. He's just too stupid or too arrogant to use it.

He sucks

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Three7s

He has no plan at the plate. He's like Gordon during his first couple of years.

He just goes up there swinging and expects the ball to be hit to the moon.

That's what's so amazing: he hasn't hit the ball to the moon all year. Why would he still be under the delusion he can do it on a given at-bat?

[Don Corlemahomes]

Javier Baez or Starlin Castro for Duffy, straight up.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Cunning Linguist

Javier Baez or Starlin Castro for Duffy, straight up.

You want a SS? What the hell for?

[Al Bundy]

David Price being traded for Joey Votto? Not Royals related... but still.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

David Price being traded for Joey Votto? Not Royals related... but still.

Whoa, really?!

[Archie F. Swin]

Butler just seems to be a different player altogether. Even when he wasn't hitting for power last season, his plate discipline was still there. He would get walks. Today, he takes 2nd and 3rd strikes, swings at balls....just a disaster.

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Whoa, really?!

Well maybe not afterall.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

David Price being traded for Joey Votto? Not Royals related... but still.

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

Well maybe not afterall.

[Chiefs Pantalones]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

Butler just seems to be a different player altogether. Even when he wasn't hitting for power last season, his plate discipline was still there. He would get walks. Today, he takes 2nd and 3rd strikes, swings at balls....just a disaster.

All in a contract year. He must be in a food coma and no signs of coming out.

[Bowser]

Butler and Gordon both getting a day off today. Ibanez hitting cleanup??