*** Official 2017 Royals Offseason Repository

[duncan_idaho]

The reign is over. Time to begin the quest for the next one.

Interesting offseason opens for the Royals. Will they go all in for one last shot with this crew? Will they re-tool for 2018 and beyond? Will Dayton Moore actually decrease payroll this time?

Trades, free agent signings, rumors, plans, proposals... dump 'em all here, for this is... the offseason repository!

Royals Top Prospects, 2017

This is a list that’s going to seem a little bleak initially, as Raul Mondesi got enough ABs to age out of the prospect rankings (just barely – at 135 ABs, he is not rookie eligible). But that said, I like the talent and feel like this is a system that will actually be underrated by the prospect services.

Spoiler!

Format: POS/Name/2017 Projected Final Level

1) 3B/OF Hunter Dozier, MLB. Dozier bounced back from a disastrous 2015 campaign that had many wondering, myself included, if he was wrecked. His strong offensive performance in 2016 saw Dozier recapture the mature approach that many liked coming up, while also starting to tap into his above-average raw power for the first time.

In addition to his success at the plate, Dozier also proved he could at least HANDLE an OF spot, which could put him in the conversation for 2017 playing time at the major leagues. If the Royals DO end up trading Cheslor Cuthbert, Dozier could find a decent amount of MLB playing time sliding between RF and 3B. With Moustakas recovering from knee surgery, he likely will need more regular breaks from the field. And the streaky Paulo Orlando is just not an intriguing short-side platoon partner for Jarrod Dyson.

2) LHP Matt Strahm, MLB. Strahm just barely skates under the rookie eligibility rules for a pitcher, so he can be included here. Royals fans already got a taste of the lefty’s abilities, as he used his above-average fastball and slurve to dominate out of the pen in 2016. For him to translate that dominance to the rotation, Strahm will need to maintain his velocity (92-94) and continue to improve a changeup that flashed average at times.

If the changeup becomes a weapon he can lean on against righties, Strahm could be a very solid mid-rotation starter and fringe ToR/No. 2 type (think Danny Duffy-lite).

3) RHP Josh Staumont, AAA. This one could blow up on me and look really silly by this time next year, but I’m encouraged by what we saw from Staumont late last year. He showed significantly improved control down the stretch for Northwest Arkansas, including some impressive playoff starts, while maintaining the big-time K ability. That trend continued in the Arizona Fall League.

If Staumont’s control holds, the Royals have a guy with a plus fastball, plus-plus curve, and average change (with a slider that could develop into a real weapon as he matures). He’ll start next season at AAA and could be an addition to the MLB bullpen or even the rotation before the season ends.

4) RF Jorge Bonifacio, AAA. Boni, like Dozier, had a bounceback season in 2016 with the bat, and also played 15-20 pounds lighter than the year before, which added some nice defensive utility according to reports I’ve gotten. He now looks like a guy could provide solid/average RF production in the major leagues… Average defense paired with potential to put up a .275/.335/.450 line. While that’s not all-star level, it IS playable. Especially at pre-arbitration dollars. He’ll get another year in Omaha to refine his approach, and likely be in the mix of a 2018 mini-youth movement… unless moved for MLB reinforcements.

5) C Meibrys Viloria, Low-A (Lexington). I haven’t seen him in person, but I like the pedigree. You’ve got a lefthanded hitting catcher with the defensive ability to stick behind the plate. He was a big-bonus guy out of Colombia (nearly $500k). And his offensive performance has been highly impressive early, with a good combination of power, plate discipline, and contact skills.

He’s forever away from the majors, just now clearing rookie ball, but Viloria is the most exciting prospect KC has had at Idaho Falls since someone on this board was gushing about a 16-year-old SS tearing it up.

6) 1B Ryan O’Hearn, AAA. O’Hearn is a guy who has never gotten a lot of hype from scouts, but he continues to be a strong producer. He’s someone who likely will strikeout about 25 percent of the time at the big-league level, but has the ability to be a .500+ SLG guy. That plays. He also has shown good patience at the plate, posting above-average OBPs at every level.

Bold prediction: I won’t be shocked if O’Hearn takes over at 1B for KC in 2018/2019 and provides similar offensive production to Hosmer out of the gate. He’s probably never going to be a consistent plus average (.290+) hitter, but .270 with 25 HR is something within reach for him. He’ll get his first shot at AAA in 2017.

7) RHP AJ Puckett, A+. Puckett is a high floor, low-ceiling guy who performed about as you’d expect in 2016 after being the Royals’ first pick in the 2016 Rule IV Draft. He’s not flashy, but Puckett does profile as a solid potential back-end starter. Good fastball command and an above-average changeup are his calling cards. If Puckett finds a reliable breaking ball to put batters away, this could tick up. Great athlete, very similar to Jake Odorizzi in that regard.

8) RF Khalil Lee, Low-A (Lexington). Lee was a two-way player in HS and many viewed him as a pitcher first as a pro, but the Royals drafted him as an OF and were reward with a strong debut campaign. Lee is not a big guy, but he produced solid power numbers despite that. He’s a dynamic athlete who could contribute with power and speed.

9) C Chase Vallot, High-A (Wilmington). Vallot has an intriguing bat, with plus raw power. Got off to a great start in 16 before being sidelined and then sidetracked by injury. RH bat may be good enough to push him out from behind the plate, where he has good tools but a long way to go.

10) RHP Jake Junis and RHP Alec Mills (AAA). I'm copping out here and including both at No. 10 because they're so similar. Like Puckett, they each project as a serviceable back of rotation starter. Similar stuff and profiles, though Junis has shown a little better strikeout ability and may have a smidge more upside as a result.

Others of note:

SS/CF Marten Gasparini. Production has been bad for this toolsy player, but Gasparini has speed and pop that jump out at you. At only 19, need to be patient with him... this European signee was even less polished when signing at 16 than the typical Latin America prospect.

OF Seuly Matias. Loud, loud tools. Matias profiles as a classic RF... big-time power potential. He's a long ways from the majors but is one of the Royals' biggest bonus babies from LA.

RHP Ashe Russell. 2014 1st rounder saw his velocity disappear last year and was quickly shut down. He's intriguing one way or the other, even if he ends up as another notch in the belt of the TINSTAAPP saying.

2B Corey Toups. O'Hearn's HS teammate has been an above-average producer for an up-the-middle player. His small stature hides a surprising amount of pop. Could turn into a Mark Grudzielanek type of offensive second baseman at his peak - solid average, lots of 2Bs.

RHP Scott Blewett, LHP Foster Griffin, RHP Nolan Watson - all three have underwhelmed as pros but were drafted in the supplemental round. Stuff and projectability for each is a positive. Wouldn't be surprised to see one of them take a Cody Reed-like step forward this season and crack the 50-75 range on prospect lists. They all have the natural ability.

SS/2B Ricky Aracena - Jose Altuve-sized Aracena is a switch hitting middle infielder who can flat out run. Switch hitter with a good approach.

RHP Pedro Fernandez - I'm still a believer in his stuff, even if he is destined for the pen. Was having a nice 2016 start until injuries derailed him right after his promotion to AA.

Sirs not Appearing in this Prospect List:

RHP Kyle Zimmer. Same story, different year. The Royals are hopeful they FINALLY found the cause of Zimmer's achy shoulder. If they really did, and he can stay healthy, the talent/potential is exciting.

OF Bubba Starling. Never trust a guy named Derek.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by fahrenheit

Romo didn't **** it up. The mods did by letting him come back.

Seems too obv. But, mods seem to enjoy letting this idiot back.

[Hootie]

(Who's derailing the thread?)

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[Dartgod]

The next person that posts ANYTHING about who's a troll, who's derailing a thread, or ANY ****ING DRAMA AT ALL will be permanently banned from this thread.

Enough is enough.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by Romosexual

I loved how Francona used Miller last postseason. That's what Wade should have been doing in '14 ...

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I'm not sure Wade would've held up over that long of a stretch. Francona did that because that's what he had to do to survive. His team was completely beat up with injuries so he leaned on the pitchers he had.

On the flip side, they ran out of gas at the end. Kluber and Miller both got beat up in game 7 and they lost the World Series. Of course they don't get there without leaning on those guys. But I'm sure if you asked Francona he would've loved to have had a deeper team so he didn't basically have to lean on the same 4-5 pitchers for three weeks.

[Hootie]

My Ned postseason gripes were way down in '15 ... Only thing that comes to mind was Madson pitching to Bautista ... But even that led to the iconic Cain scoring from first on a single, so...

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[Hootie]

...and in '14, we won the first 8 games lol. I thought he managed Games 4 and 7 in the WS horrendously, though.

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[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by Romosexual

...and in '14, we won the first 8 games lol. I thought he managed Games 4 and 7 in the WS horrendously, though.

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Managing for Game 5 in 2014 was what cost us Game 4, and ultimately, the World Series. If he went for the kill in the fourth inning and pinch hit Willingham for Vargas and put in Herrera in the bottom of that inning, our chances to win both that game and the World Series in 6 are exponentially higher. He should have managed Game 4 like it was a do or die game, because with Bum, it ultimately was. I wish he had a quicker hook in Game 7, but he wore Game 4 like a Scarlet Letter in my eyes.

He made up for it in Game 4 the following year. He had no problems pitching Hoch two days in a row with Game 5 looming (and he pitched Hoch for 2 in that one anyway), and went for the kill in Game 4 instead of worrying about the next.

Ned, without a doubt, ran a managing clinic around Terry Collins and deserves a lot of credit for our championship. His management of Game 3 could have perhaps been cleaner, but his moves in all of our victories deserve praise and recognition.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by Romosexual

My Ned postseason gripes were way down in '15 ... Only thing that comes to mind was Madson pitching to Bautista ... But even that led to the iconic Cain scoring from first on a single, so...

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I am generally a pretty big defender of Yost. I believe he, like many managers, is just a scapegoat for the players lack of execution. I don't think he's a great manager, but I think some people overvalue the impact of a manager (and an AL one at that).

However, the decision to leave Madson in against Bautista infuriated the hell out of me. I can't remember who else was available or warming up in the pen, but Madson, for as good as he was for us in '15, got shelled by the Jays ALL year and I lost my ****ing mind when Bautista hit that 2-run shot. October baseball, man.

[Hootie]

game 17 in '14 he should have known before the game he had 6 innings to lean on the cyborgs ...

it was criminal sticking with Guthrie the way he did to let them get the lead and the ball over to Madbum

still sickens me to this day

no way you put Guthrie in to start the 4th when you ended up pitching Herrera 2.1 IP and Davis 2 IP

...you got through 3 at 2-2 ... no see if you can get 6-7 IP scoreless out of the borgs and then if you have to start pitching Finnegan or anybody else in extras because the game is tied then so be it

but starting Guthrie against the heart of their order in the 4th was a joke

[Hootie]

I never really get on the manager too much from 1-162 ... Ned is a premiere big league manager because of the way he handles the clubhouse. That's huge.

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by Romosexual

I never really get on the manager too much from 1-162 ... Ned is a premiere big league manager because of the way he handles the clubhouse. That's huge.

Completely agree. I used to hate Ned, but he won me over in 2014. Partly for the obvious reason of the trip to the World Series, but also because he knows how to build teams that are stronger than the sum of their parts.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

However, the decision to leave Madson in against Bautista infuriated the hell out of me. I can't remember who else was available or warming up in the pen, but Madson, for as good as he was for us in '15, got shelled by the Jays ALL year and I lost my ****ing mind when Bautista hit that 2-run shot. October baseball, man.

I absolutely lost my **** too. However, time has made me forgive Edgar a bit for that move.

Herrera had just pitched an inning and two thirds, and had never pitched over two innings since 2012 (though he would against the Mets the following week). Ned had planned on using Davis, but the previous innings ran long and it looked like KC would get hit with an hour rain delay between Davis' innings (and the forecast was dead on). With the potential for Davis to be erratic after the layoff and the long-term injury risk (something that certainly makes one look at 2016 differently), Ned explained in the press conference that while the plan was to go to Davis for two, he felt forced to go to Madson due to circumstance.

If it were me, I probably would have gone to Davis for the heart of the order in the eighth and worried about the 9th inning when it got there. I probably would have left Davis in for the 9th but would have been tempted to yank him for Hoch when the tying run reached the on deck circle (a decision that could have easily backfired).

I ended up giving Ned a slight reprieve after he articulated his rationale and the thought behind a decision he came to with Waka and Eiland.

On Romo's note.. Ned's decision to let the players express their diverse personalities in 2012 is what ultimately made me leap all aboard the Yost train. The chemistry of the locker room matters a lot over 162 games, and Ned helped lead one of the best and most supportive locker rooms in baseball.

[C3HIEF3S]

I don't normally feel bad for another fan base, KC fans had it as hard as anyone else prior to a couple years ago.

But I can't help but feel for diehard Brewers fans who had to watch the manager that their team fired 2 weeks before the postseason, Esky, and Lorenzo win back-to-back pennants and a title. I'd be livid.

Though, from what I have read about him, Yost changed his managerial philosophy big-time after coming to KC. So maybe his value sky-rocketed once he made that change.

[TomBarndtsTwin]

Originally Posted by Lex Luthor

Completely agree. I used to hate Ned, but he won me over in 2014. Partly for the obvious reason of the trip to the World Series, but also because he knows how to build teams that are stronger than the sum of their parts.

In all fairness, GMDM built the team, not Ned.

But Ned DOES seem to really know how to manage a clubhouse, keep guys loose, and the players do all seem to genuinely love playing for him. That counts for a lot, as far as I'm concerned.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

I don't normally feel bad for another fan base, KC fans had it as hard as anyone else prior to a couple years ago.

But I can't help but feel for diehard Brewers fans who had to watch the manager that their team fired 2 weeks before the postseason, Esky, and Lorenzo win back-to-back pennants and a title. I'd be livid.

Can you imagine if Facebook Royals' fan desire to lose Game 5 (so we could win it at home) came true and we ended up blowing a 3-1 lead to lose the 2015 series? I think I would have retreated into myself Toby Flenderson style had that gone down.

It would have taken a damn while to bounce back, especially if 2016 through the present day progressed the same way.