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.

[C3HIEF3S]

@McCulloughStar: With a lack of intriguing hitters on the market, the Royals are foraging the SP market (Lackey, Colon, IPK, others) to improve rotation.

@McCulloughStar: With a lack of intriguing hitters on the market, the Royals are foraging the SP market (Lackey, Colon, IPK, others) to improve rotation.

@GordonEdes: Royals out on Gomes, major league source says

[Prison Bitch]

Cole Hamels just tied Shields for 13th overall in fWAR at 6.8 over the past two seasons. (Hamels threw 8IP of 1era ball last start). As you know Hamels is making $22.5m this year and Philly is paying 177m or twice what we are. Since we can't pay that kind of money to 1-starters, we have to trade for it or go without. Here are the 6 players ranked below Hamels/Shields:

Cliff Lee
Jordan Zimmerman
Hisashi Iwakuma
Stephen Strasburg
Matt Harvey (in only 1 year since he's got TJ surgery now)
Madison Bumgarner

Pretty elite company. Now let's talk about the Tigers. They have #4 (Scherzer), 5 (Sanchez), and 11 (Verlander). That is three 1-starters in their rotation. Why would we expect to beat them in this division, esp when they also have a Triple Crown beast anchoring their lineup? He's got almost as much WAR as Hamels/Shields combined. Frankly it's amazing we're five games within them.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Crash horribly please so we can hire that stat nerd out in Oakland.

This.

I feel like 85 wins won't be bad enough to get Dayton fired.

[ROYC75]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Of course, there's still this:

One source characterized Alex Rios as the most "attainable" for the Royals of the relatively well-known OFs on the market.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) July 30, 2014

Yea, a guy that hits maybe 6 more dingers that Aoki.


Awesome.

[ROYC75]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

The fug ...?

Teams closing in on Bonifacio are Kansas City San Francisco , Baltimore and Seattle .

— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) July 30, 2014

Take your pick of the expression I would make.

[Halfcan]

What happened to all those high draft picks in the stocked minors the Royals front office used to brag about?

[ROYC75]

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

Orioles are not in on Emilio Bonifacio. Hearing he is headed to the KC Royals. But def not Os.

— Dan Connolly (@danconnollysun) July 30, 2014

From the Orioles beat reporter.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Halfcan

What happened to all those high draft picks in the stocked minors the Royals front office used to brag about?

They've all been massive disappointments, including the one sitting down in Tampa right now.

[Kidd Lex]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

They've all been massive disappointments, including the one sitting down in Tampa right now.

You are something else. The ROY of the year last year is a massive disappointment?

He's ****ing injured.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by The God Hypothesis

You are something else. The ROY of the year last year is a massive disappointment?

He's ****ing injured.

Wasn't doing anything before the injury either in fairness.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by The God Hypothesis

You are something else. The ROY of the year last year is a massive disappointment?

He's ****ing injured.

Who cares why he's not playing? He's not playing. That makes him as valuable as a dead corpse laying in the clubhouse. Who cares if he won ROY? He had a 2.5 WAR last year (age 22) while Moose had a 3.1 WAR (age 23) his first year. We all saw what Moose became.

If it's illogical to dismiss him for being hurt, it's equally illogical to assume he's headed for stardom.

[Sure-Oz]

No ****ing way they trade for bonofacio after willingly getting rid of him. You fire gmdm on the spot

[cookster50]

Originally Posted by The God Hypothesis

You are something else. The ROY of the year last year is a massive disappointment?

He's ****ing injured.

The Rookie of the Year of the year huh.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

No ****ing way they trade for bonofacio after willingly getting rid of him. You fire gmdm on the spot

I'd laugh. Or cry. Or both.

[Kidd Lex]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Who cares why he's not playing? He's not playing. That makes him as valuable as a dead corpse laying in the clubhouse. Who cares if he won ROY? He had a 2.5 WAR last year (age 22) while Moose had a 3.1 WAR (age 23) his first year. We all saw what Moose became.

If it's illogical to dismiss him for being hurt, it's equally illogical to assume he's headed for stardom.

Way to change the goal posts. You named him a "massive disappointment".