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.

[tk13]

They're 2 games out of a playoff spot in a race full of teams that have huge gaping weaknesses. One of these teams is going to have a hot September and win it. At this point it's just as likely to be Tampa as anyone else, and they were dead a month ago.

I don't think the Royals are the favorites, but I think the whole thing is up in the air. Any of those top 6 or 7 teams have a legitimate shot.

And that's not even considering the PR hit that I'm guessing Glass won't want to take. Quitting when you're 2 games back would be an all time fail.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by DeepSouth

Deez, I have to disagree with you when you say, "The Math simply isn't in their favor". The Royals are only two games from the 2nd wild card.
The team that currently has the 2nd wild card is the Yankees. They Yankees have multiple series against the O's which are currently in first place. They also have multiple series against the Jays which were in first until a couple weeks ago. And, they play multiple series against the Rays who have won 8 in a row. To add to that, the Yankees also play 7 games against the Tigers in August. The Royals will either gain on the Yankees or the Tigers.

One game behind the Yankees for the 2nd wild card are the Jays and 1.5 games is Seattle. The blue jays play multiple series against the Yankees, O's, and Rays.
Seattle has multiple games against the A's (which has the best record in baseball) and the Angles (who have the 2nd best record in baseball).

So, based on the math, the Royals are still very much in it.

The Royals have to be capable of scoring more than three runs in as many days. Which they're not.

So no, they're not in it.

[C3HIEF3S]

ALL-Star catcher Salvador Perez signs with agent Rick Thurman of @BHSCouncil

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 26, 2014

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

ALL-Star catcher Salvador Perez signs with agent Rick Thurman of @BHSCouncil

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 26, 2014

[Bowser]

If the Royals can survive their brutal west coast run with around a .500 record, then I might start to hope for the best. Maybe.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

ALL-Star catcher Salvador Perez signs with agent Rick Thurman of @BHSCouncil

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 26, 2014

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by DeepSouth

Deez, I have to disagree with you when you say, "The Math simply isn't in their favor". The Royals are only two games from the 2nd wild card.
The team that currently has the 2nd wild card is the Yankees. They Yankees have multiple series against the O's which are currently in first place. They also have multiple series against the Jays which were in first until a couple weeks ago. And, they play multiple series against the Rays who have won 8 in a row. To add to that, the Yankees also play 7 games against the Tigers in August. The Royals will either gain on the Yankees or the Tigers.

One game behind the Yankees for the 2nd wild card are the Jays and 1.5 games is Seattle. The blue jays play multiple series against the Yankees, O's, and Rays.
Seattle has multiple games against the A's (which has the best record in baseball) and the Angles (who have the 2nd best record in baseball).

So, based on the math, the Royals are still very much in it.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/

[C3HIEF3S]

How significant is it that Sal signed with a new agent? Does he want more money or something?

[DeepSouth]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

The Royals have to be capable of scoring more than three runs in as many days. Which they're not.

So no, they're not in it.

They scored six runs last night and have won four in a row. Since two of the teams ahead of them have to play each other and the other has to play the A's and Angels, I believe they are still in it.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/

[penbrook]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

How significant is it that Sal signed with a new agent? Does he want more money or something?

Sal wants to get paid!!

[DeepSouth]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/

I've seen those numbers. Those numbers can change quickly by a series sweep. It's baseball. Anything can happen.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/

I've never put that much stock in those percentages. If say, they rip off a 10 game winning streak, those numbers will skyrocket.

If they go into this upcoming stretch against the A's and Giants and get clobbered, it'll drop off the table. They fluctuate way too much for my taste.

Look at the Blue Jays on that table... they lost yesterday, so their playoff odds dropped almost 6% in one day? For real? The Mariners have lost 4 games in a row, so their odds have dropped 20% this week?

I almost wonder if that's the case of people getting so caught up in numbers that someone makes up some statistic, and people take it as gospel.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by penbook

Sal wants to get paid!!

Hey, he signed a terrible contract. Royals shouldn't have to do anything. When he signed that contract, I started laughing, because I couldn't believe how team friendly it was for the Royals. It was like a dream come true, he didn't have to sign anything.

[penbrook]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Hey, he signed a terrible contract. Royals shouldn't have to do anything. When he signed that contract, I started laughing, because I couldn't believe how team friendly it was for the Royals. It was like a dream come true, he didn't have to sign anything.

Release Butler and pay sal easy fix