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.

[Bambi]

We are definitely going to the playoffs in 2014.

[Prison Bitch]

Those type of deals are way beyond what Halladay and Santana and Lee brought back.

[penbrook]

Per MLBTradeRumors

An AL general manager praised the Orioles' trade for David Lough, noting that "he can do everything that Nate McLouth does. He might end up being an even better hitter than McLouth.”

[Deberg_1990]

90 wins. Miss the playoffs by 1 game.

Progress.....

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Silock

We need a hitter more than a pitcher. Starting pitching only got us so far last year. Gotta score some runs, too.

I disagree we haven't had pitchers like that in Kansas City for a decade and look what happened we were above 500

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

The Royals counterpart for that trade price would be Perez, Ventura and Mondesi ... Though mondesi is at least two years behind Lindor and is a top 50 rather than top 10 prospect.

Can we give them Bubba and Zimmer instead of Salvy?

[AussieChiefsFan]

In!

[Silock]

Originally Posted by BWillie

I disagree we haven't had pitchers like that in Kansas City for a decade and look what happened we were above 500

And why didn't we make the playoffs? Because we lacked the hitting. Look, I'm not saying to ignore pitching, but hitting is very important, too. Losing a game 1-0 really sucks, especially for the pitcher.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Silock

And why didn't we make the playoffs? Because we lacked the hitting. Look, I'm not saying to ignore pitching, but hitting is very important, too. Losing a game 1-0 really sucks, especially for the pitcher.

Because we ran out French and Getz far too long and it took Hosmer 3 months to hit worth a shit. Infante and Aoki are major upgrades to what we ran out there last year and I'm expecting Hosmer to not take 3 months to start hitting this year. Also if Moose struggles we have a possible backup plan in place to replace his hole in the lineup.

[Archie F. Swin]

I would love to have Price, but I don't think we're desperate enough to give the house away to make it happen. I see that more as a mid-season trade.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

What role is George Brett going take this year? Is he still going be in the dugout?


Hope Royals have a fantastic year. Damnet and make the playoffs.

Most likely playing at least 18 holes 5 times per week, so not likely in the dugout.

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Because we ran out French and Getz far too long and it took Hosmer 3 months to hit worth a shit. Infante and Aoki are major upgrades to what we ran out there last year and I'm expecting Hosmer to not take 3 months to start hitting this year. Also if Moose struggles we have a possible backup plan in place to replace his hole in the lineup.

Agreed. For those fretting about the offense, don't forget we've had solid lineups while trotting absolute shit to the mound and came up even worse results and being competitive in winning the division.

The pickups they've made I think will add some stability to our lineup. Last year was a combination of guys who had their slumps which was compounded by having at least 3 guys day in and day out who were worthless at the plate leaving little room for error. In turn, the guys who were relied on only faced added pressure to be on when you're realistically got a 3rd of your order doing next to squat.

I'm not predicting an offensive explosion, but I do think that the guys they've brought in will provide a more stable order and we'll see a lineup able to string together production to at least be consistent in giving our rotation run support with the hopes of turning it a over to a lights out bullpen and our nasty closer.

I will be surprised and disappointed if we're looking at a lineup coming up dry like we watched back in the day when we'd start Greinke, who'd dominate at easily a Cy Young level performance in about 90% of his starts, and yet the lineup would hang him out to dry barely scratching together 2+ runs- many times leaving what should be a winning performance at a no decision late into the game with them going to the bullpen.

(In the year Zach was lights out for us and featured all over in the media, and the 20+ win talk, the Royals had a historically low run support #s for him, even though they on average provided much better run support for other guys in our rotation- it was maddening to see it inexplicably happen time and again what seemed like every time he came up with the start.)

[OmahaChief]

Originally Posted by penbook

Per MLBTradeRumors

An AL general manager praised the Orioles' trade for David Lough, noting that "he can do everything that Nate McLouth does. He might end up being an even better hitter than McLouth.”

It was probably the Orioles GM that said this.

[kstater]

Originally Posted by Bambi

We are definitely going to the playoffs in 2014.

You shut your whore mouth.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

The Royals counterpart for that trade price would be Perez, Ventura and Mondesi ... Though mondesi is at least two years behind Lindor and is a top 50 rather than top 10 prospect.

Holy crap, no thanks!

[gblowfish]

Billy Butler is supposed to have a press conference sometime this AM. Wonder what that is all about?