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.

[CaliforniaChief]

Well if getting Joc Pederson is a realistic possibility, I'd be all in to get him. He's only 22 and is just destroying in AAA (of course we've heard that before, so there's that.)

I would argue that letting Davis or Holland go in a deal for him would make us both stronger today and in the future.

[Don Corlemahomes]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Re: Sveum...

Based on what I was hearing from someone who works for the team, it wouldn't surprise me if flushing Grifol DID make a difference. He was in over his head, from what I was told. "Pedro doesn't talk about approach, just about taking good swings and having a swing that feels good" is a pretty direct quote.

Thanks

[blake5676]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Well if getting Joc Pederson is a realistic possibility, I'd be all in to get him. He's only 22 and is just destroying in AAA (of course we've heard that before, so there's that.)

I would argue that letting Davis or Holland go in a deal for him would make us both stronger today and in the future.

I've been on board with this since the rumors last season. Whether or not those were just internet GM's that saw a fit, or the two teams have actually had discussions, I have no clue. But that would be an excellent coup if we could pull that. Solves the RF gap we have after Aoki leaves, and I don't think anyone is gonna cry if we don't try to re-sign him. And let's us leverage one of our power arms into future help before the either get too expensive ($8M) or production starts to decline. This should be a lesson learned from the Soria era for DM.

As far as Headley goes, color me unimpressed. He had a great year in 2012, more of an outstanding second half if memory serves correct. Wanted a new deal that offseason, couldn't get anything worked out and has been pretty below average ever since. I see 2012 as more of an outlier for him than what to be expected. Not that our 3B looks promising, but I wouldn't go throwing pieces at SD for Headley and thinking it fixes anything either.

[Prison Bitch]

Pederson is 4th in OPS in the PCL at age 22. Of course, Nick Franklin is 13th at age 23 and plays middle Infield. Is he worth Greg Holland? Of course had the rumors of Butler been true, imagine how that would've benefitted us to plug Franklin in at 2B and save 32m on Getz-er, Infante

[AndChiefs]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Re: Sveum...

Based on what I was hearing from someone who works for the team, it wouldn't surprise me if flushing Grifol DID make a difference. He was in over his head, from what I was told. "Pedro doesn't talk about approach, just about taking good swings and having a swing that feels good" is a pretty direct quote.

Hey, I now feel like I'm qualified to be a major league hitting coach. Can someone let the Royals know I'm available?

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Re: Sveum...

Based on what I was hearing from someone who works for the team, it wouldn't surprise me if flushing Grifol DID make a difference. He was in over his head, from what I was told. "Pedro doesn't talk about approach, just about taking good swings and having a swing that feels good" is a pretty direct quote.

Conkinydink or not, I have not problems believing that Grifol never talked about approach. It was more than obvious none of our hitters had one.

[Demonpenz]

I wouldn't trade bullpen pitching speed or defense for hitting. Hitting goes into slumps.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Pederson is 4th in OPS in the PCL at age 22. Of course, Nick Franklin is 13th at age 23 and plays middle Infield. Is he worth Greg Holland? Of course had the rumors of Butler been true, imagine how that would've benefitted us to plug Franklin in at 2B and save 32m on Getz-er, Infante

Of course, Nick Franklin has sucked hard at the MLB level for 3/4 of a season, whereas Pederson has not failed yet.

It's also fairly generous to call what Nick Franklin does "playing" middle infield.

At least give it a few more months before you start panicking about Infante. He's an established MLB vet who's coming off getting drilled in the face by a pitch and back spasms.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

I wouldn't trade bullpen pitching speed or defense for hitting. Hitting goes into slumps.

Almost nothing in baseball is less reliable than bullpen pitching. Feared closers routinely suck just 3 years later. You always sell high on relief pitching unless you really need them to compete in that particular year, which might actually describe us this season.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Re: Sveum...

Based on what I was hearing from someone who works for the team, it wouldn't surprise me if flushing Grifol DID make a difference. He was in over his head, from what I was told. "Pedro doesn't talk about approach, just about taking good swings and having a swing that feels good" is a pretty direct quote.

And what did they see in this guy again?

[Don Corlemahomes]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Of course had the rumors of Butler been true, imagine how that would've benefitted us to plug Franklin in at 2B and save 32m on Getz-er, Infante

Do you like anyone on the team? You seem to gripe about Butler, Moose, Hosmer, Infante, Aoki, Escobar, etc quite regularly. Maybe Gordon and Salvy have been spared, but damn. If I just read your posts alone, I would think we were on pace to be the 2013 Houston Astros.

Are you projecting, perhaps? Were you the Chris Getz of little league and wear a pink tutu to a game and get laughed off the team (re:avid homophobia)?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Almost nothing in baseball is less reliable than bullpen pitching. Feared closers routinely suck just 3 years later. You always sell high on relief pitching unless you really need them to compete in that particular year, which might actually describe us this season.

Yes. If you can trade a bullpen piece for an everyday player with all star abilities, you do it.

Teams are rarely interested in trading top 20 prospects for bullpen pieces, but the dodgers are kind of unique thy year.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Cunning Linguist

Do you like anyone on the team? You seem to gripe about Butler, Moose, Hosmer, Infante, Aoki, Escobar, etc quite regularly. Maybe Gordon and Salvy have been spared, but damn. If I just read your posts alone, I would think we were on pace to be the 2013 Houston Astros.

Are you projecting, perhaps? Were you the Chris Getz of little league and wear a pink tutu to a game and get laughed off the team (re:avid homophobia)?

I am pretty sure he was leading the charge sometime last season or in the offseason about Gordon being worthless. Something about his defense wasn't really valuable since he played LF.

[C3HIEF3S]

I try to remain optimistic about the Royals. It is easy to be negative all of the time cheering for a team in a sport where a player that fails 70% of the time is considered good.



I also have only see one losing season so that might have something to do with my optimism.

[CaliforniaChief]

My hopes for this season are resting on the fact that we're only 2.5 out with such shit-tastic seasons from Hosmer, Butler, Infante, Aoki, and Moustakas. Honestly it's a miracle that we are where we are, and that we've managed to go 9-4 against the Cards, Jays, Yankees, and Indians.

If statistical trends are true, all should improve as the season progresses. And honestly, other than Davis/Holland, nobody's performing so well that they'll slump out badly.

Maybe we're just one of those teams who plays to the level of our competition?