*** Official 2018 Royals Repository ***

[duncan_idaho]

The season is upon us, even if spring is not.

2018 MLB Draft Picks
#18
#33 - Compensation (Eric Hosmer)
#34 - Compensation (Lorenzo Cain)
#40 (Competitive Balance Round A)

018 Draft Names to Watch

RHP Kumar Rocker, N Oconnee HS, Georgia.

Spoiler!

Possibly goes top 10 but is a big, physical SP with ace potential. Moore and co. will be all over him if he slips a bit and could offer top 10 money at No. 16

OF Jarred Kelenic, Waukasha West HS, WI

Spoiler!

Kelenic is the top prep bat, toolsy OF. Royals would be ecstatic to have shot at him.

1B Triston Casas, American Heritage HS (FL).

Spoiler!

Tremendous raw power, best in HS bats. Royals typically like HS arms or HS bats with "special" tools. He qualifies.

RHP Carter Stewart, Eau de Gallie HS (Ga).

Spoiler!

Another big, physical specimen with huge upside. More likely to be available mid-first than Rocker.

ANY Any, Any (Any). Any current top projected pick who slides for injury concerns. Includes current top prospect prospect SP Brady Singer, U of Florida.

Current Prospects to Watch:

OF Seuly Matias - Huge tools. Hit 2 HR in Lexington (A) season opener.

1B Nick Pratto - Top pick in 17 has advanced approach and good glove; needs to start tapping into power in first full year in minors. Also at Lexington.

OF Michael Gigliotti - Good defender in CF, good OBP skills, plus baserunner. Next mainstay in CF for KC, IMO. Advanced college bat also starting at Lexington.

OF Khalil Lee - Probably has highest upside in Royals' system. Could hit 30 HR in majors, could steal 30 bases. Plus defensive ability in RF. Nice test at Wilmington this year.

3B Emmanuel Rivera - Really nice approach and good contact skills. Power is still developing. Also getting a good test at Wilmington.

SP Foster Griffin - Made nice strides in 2017. Needs to continue to progress in 2018. Could be a lefty version of Jakob Junis (good breaking ball that he can really manipulate, OK fastball, good command).

1B Samir Duenez - Duenez still is intriguing, hoping for a step forward in his power production this year at Northwest Arkansas, which would turn him into a legit prospect.

Others to keep an eye on:
SP Gerson Garabito (Wilmington), OF Marten Gasparini (Lexington), C MJ Melendez (Lexington), RP Tyler Zuber (lexington), RP Richard Lovelady (Omaha), SP Dan Tillo (Lexington), SS Nicky Lopez (NWA), SP Scott Blewett (NWA), OF Brewer Hicklen (Idaho Falls),

In general, Lexington and Wilmington are the most interesting spots to watch. Nice depth and a lot of interesting pieces at both.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

So did the Nationals all stars during their youth movement. For three seasons they had more talanrt on paper than we EVER did.

It didn’t matter. Under their leadership players were fistfighting in the dugout, not talking to each other on the team planes, and constantly fighting with management. Clubhouse issues are often cited in Oakland’s failure to win it all too - so much so that even Billy moneyball Beane cited team chemistry as a major focus during his current rebuild.

Even if you think the locker room stuff is overblown, I’d then point to the data that says that ultimately, managers either factor in +3 to -3 wins per year at most.

We just have a DUI, reports of Hos not getting along with guys, Moose talking openly about not having a desire to return, the Ibanez intervention...The Yost clubhouse thing has been overblown. If you want to give him the creds, you have to tax him some for the window closing so abruptly. His staff jumped ship. This is a .500 team regardless of who’s managing, so why not build new relationships? It’s not like we’re firing him.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

We just have a DUI, reports of Hos not getting along with guys, Moose talking openly about not having a desire to return, the Ibanez intervention...The Yost clubhouse thing has been overblown. If you want to give him the creds, you have to tax him some for the window closing so abruptly. His staff jumped ship. This is a .500 team regardless of who’s managing, so why not build new relationships? It’s not like we’re firing him.

If you can name one better manager we've had than Ned Yost since 1995 I'd be on board. Finding good managers isn't easy - it especially has not been easy in KC.

Outside of Ibanez, everything you've mentioned I'd argue is a product of Dayton Moore, not Ned.

As you said, we can agree to disagree. I just don't understand the negativity I've seen about bringing him back for 2019.

[Discuss Thrower]

Yost or Matheny. Take your ****ing pick.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

If you can name one better manager we've had than Ned Yost since 1995 I'd be on board. Finding good managers isn't easy - it especially has not been easy in KC.

Outside of Ibanez, everything you've mentioned I'd argue is a product of Dayton Moore, not Ned.

As you said, we can agree to disagree. I just don't understand the negativity I've seen about bringing him back for 2019.

Forgive my dates, but Buddy Bell, maybe even ****ing Tony Pena could've "oversaw" this youth movement, buffoon proof bullpen. Swap clubs and Terry Collins wins with KC and Yost tinkers to lose it for NY. You want to assign blame for any clubhouse issues on Moore but want to give Yost the credit for only having to stay conscious for 5 innings before nodding off. I'm obviously exaggerating but the point remains, we're not firing him, just turning the page. Do you think he'll be here for our next WS run? I understand he gets to punch his ticket, but it's small thinking on the part of KC, imo.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Forgive my dates, but Buddy Bell, maybe even ****ing Tony Pena could've "oversaw" this youth movement, buffoon proof bullpen. Swap clubs and Terry Collins wins with KC and Yost tinkers to lose it for NY. You want to assign blame for any clubhouse issues on Moore but want to give Yost the credit for only having to stay conscious for 5 innings before nodding off. I'm obviously exaggerating but the point remains, we're not firing him, just turning the page. Do you think he'll be here for our next WS run? I understand he gets to punch his ticket, but it's small thinking on the part of KC, imo.

I could be talked into agreeing with everything UNTIL the Terry Collins comment. If we can compromise on this, it's that Ned ran marathons around Terry Collins in 2015 World Series. Let's look at the evidence.

Terry Collins got off to a great start by refusing to play his Gold Glove centerfielder and instead started Yoenis Cespedes, a renowned butcher in CF and who rarely played there in 2015. This immediately backfired, and gave us a run in a game that was ultimately decided by a single run. If Terry starts Lagares at Center and Ces in Left, the Mets take Game 1.

Ned, meanwhile, played Game 1 to perfection. Especially in his bullpen management.

Terry was not done, however. Collins went on to pitch Jeryus Familia in Game 3 with a 6 run lead. A decision that ultimately led to Familia pitching 3 games in a row. This gave our guys more exposure to Familia, which came in clutch later.

Ned had a chance to do this very thing in Game 2 - but opted to rest Wade and let Cueto finish out the game.

My favorite, however, was how Terry buckled to Matt Harvey and allowed him to go back into the game against his better judgment. Ned, contrary to popular belief, would never have done this. The proof? Game 5 of the ALDS. Cueto wanted to finish that game so badly and was seen on cameras asking Ned to come back in. This is the ace we "traded our farm" for, who was brought in to pitch complete games in the playoffs - and Ned said no, even with a 5 run lead.

Ned also deserves massive props for his management in Game 4 and 5 of the World Series. Ned was criticized often (by me, among others) for not going for the throat against the Giants in the 2014 World Series. He had a 3 run lead, bases loaded, but Jason Vargas was up to bat. Instead of pinch hitting Billy or Willingham, he went conservative. He could have put in Kelvin and gone for the throat, but he was thinking about Game 5 - a decision that ultimately may have cost us in 2015.

However - Ned learned from that mistake and was much more aggressive in 2015. Even though Chris Young was pitching a solid game, Ned pulled him after 4 to pinch hit him for Morales with only a runner on 1st. It didn't pan out, but Ned went for broke and immediately turned it over to a dominant pen. The pen was aces in Game 4, and instead of going into Game 5 locked in a 2-2 series, we went in with a 3-1 lead with three chances at taking the crown. I would also contend that Terry Collins would have never made that decision. Hell, in the same game he left out a young, tired arm (Matz) for two batters too long even though it was clear he was done after 5.

I will concede that Ned is not a great tactician and confess to being a major Ned apologist (I made a deal I'd buy his jersey if they won it all. I had trash talked him more than any other manager and made that penance if they won the World Series). However, Ned deserves major kudos for his management in that series, and ran circles around Terry from start to finish.

[Titty Meat]

Ned has been to 2 as and won the most games as any Royals manager FOH with everything else and give that man his respect

[Discuss Thrower]

Drew Butera just loaded the bases for the Cubbies with a catcher's interference.

Be Royal..

[suzzer99]

And had a passed ball before that.

[suzzer99]

Gonna be weird to see Davis to Butera to close this out.

[tk13]

That was a tough situation to put him in on the passed ball. Ottavino has a ridiculous slider and really spun it up there wide. Weird situation to bring a catcher in cold.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Gonna be weird to see Davis to Butera to close this out.

Cubs still have Gore waiting in the wings too. There are Royals all over this playoff season.

[Why Not?]

So much for the dynasty of the Cubs. Their about to get shutout by a very weary Rockies team.

[Why Not?]

Originally Posted by tk13

Cubs still have Gore waiting in the wings too. There are Royals all over this playoff season.

They should’ve used him for Almora after his hit. Have him steal 2nd and 3rd.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by Why Not?

They should’ve used him for Almora after his hit. Have him steal 2nd and 3rd.

There are plenty of Cubs fans on Twitter throwing a fit about it.

[Discuss Thrower]

And then he takes a leadoff walk!!