*** Official 2016 Royals Repository, Version 1 ***

[duncan_idaho]

And so it begins: The Royals' second straight attempt to repeat as AL Champions, and first attempt to repeat as World Series champions.

In this thread, we'll track all non-gameday action. Roster moves, prospect news, etc.

I'll start the thread as usual, with division rivals thoughts. I still like KC to repeat as AL Central champs. Here's how I see the rest of it shaking out:

2) Indians - they have the pitching (and seem to have at least semi-Kluber-ed Cody Anderson, who added 3 mph to his fastball in the offseason). Will the offense hold up? I think this is a team that ends up looking a lot like the 2014 Royals. Francisco Lindor will solidify their IF defense over the full season, and is a help with the bat. I think this club is still a year away from really breaking through - the offense still has a lot of question marks - but I like them to nab a wildcard spot.

Key Player(s): Michael Brantley. When Brantley returns - and how he hits when he does - will be critical to the Indians' ability to be good enough on offense.

Jason Kipnis. Kipnis has been an enigmatic offensive performer for the past several years. If he finally has a good offensive campaign from start to finish, Cleveland could make real noise.

Something of interest to me: For all the acclaim the Twins' farm system gets, I look at the Indians young players, and would much rather have them. Brad Zimmer is going to be a very good all-around CF. Clint Frazier has huge power potential and should arrive soon (2017). Lindor is a young stud.

3) Tigers - Old and dependent on a few stars. If Verlander and Sanchez are healthy and effective, they will be playoff contenders. I'm sure JD Martinez will continue to hit roid-aided bombs. I'm also pretty sure Victor Martinez's days as a huge power threat are gone.

Key player: Justin Verlander. Detroit people would have you believe he figured out how to succeed without his big fastball in September of last year. If that's true, and he returns to dominant form, Detroit will likely contend again.

Something of interest to me: Will Jose Iglesias stay healthy and not try to kill teammates in the dugout? His defense makes the whole group much better.

4) Twins - They won't lead the division or be in playoff contention for as long this year, but Minnesota will avoid the cellar.

Key Player: Miguel Sano. Huge power, huge K rate. Can he continue to drive the ball and be a plus offensive player? Probably needs to cut that 35 percent K percentage to do so.

Something of interest to me: Will teams challenge Sano inside with hard stuff? Working away, away, just lets his power play up. Also - will Mike Berardino continue to be the biggest beat writer homer in MLB?

5) White Sox - still managed by a shitty manager who can't control his clubhouse (The blame for the LaRoche thing really should fall on him, not the GM). Still have a shitty overall defense and a lot of douchebags on the team. They will once again look better on paper than they actually perform.

Key player: Carlos Rodon. The White Sox need Rodon to take a big step forward to make an actual move this season. He's got the talent...

And, as always, here are the prospects.

Duncan’s Top 20 for 2016:

Spoiler!

1. Raul Adalberto Mondesi, SS, BOTH: Tools, tools, tools. RA has tools galore. At his best, he’s an All-Star SS who plays elite D, hits 15-20 HR, swipes 40 bags, and is an ideal 1, 2 or 3 hitter. At his worst, I think he looks a lot like Alcides Escobar. Plate discipline is his biggest challenge at this point, but evaluators are confident that will come with time. Clear No. 1
2. Kyle Zimmer, RHP: He’s pitching again and staying healthy, which is nice. He’s pitcing out of the bullpen to build back his arm strength, which is less nice. But still has that high upside, just a lower floor now. Ideally, the team will use him as a bullpen weapon in September (because he has earned it) and then give him a chance to transition back to starting for 2016.
3. Bubba Starling, CF, RH: Starling has been up and down this year but put himself back on the map by greatly improving his K rate while also improving across the slash line as a hitter. His defense and baserunning are MLB ready; if Starling can work himself into a league average hitter, he can be a solid MLB regular who plays great D in CF while hitting 15 HR and swiping 20 bags.
4. Miguel Almonte, RHP: Still love the body, FB/CH combo. Results aren’t eye popping, but he’s still low enough and early enough in the development to prize those things over performance. Still a solid No. 3 starter upside, and just a year and some change away from potentially being ready to contribute at the MLB level.
5. Jorge Bonifacio, RF, RH: Emilio’s little brother got off to a horrible start in 2015 but has heated up as the season went on. He also is translating BP power to game power for the first time, with 15 HR just past the mid-way point of his season. Despite his disappointing 2014, he has a chance to build his way back into legit prospect status – and still is only 22. Next challenge for him should be Omaha, but that may wait for the start of the 2014 season.
6. Scott Blewett, RHP: Blewett has a nice two –pitch mix already and is off to a strong start. With his size (6-6) and a good fastball/curveball combo, Blewett could eventually turn into a good No. 3 starter, with a MLB-average changeup.
7. Nolan Watson, RHP: The Royals’ 2015 sandwich pick is a polished prep arm who is adding velocity and explosiveness to a good, polished base. Likely to move quickly.
8. Ashe Russell, RHP: The 2015 top pick probably needs more work than Watson, but the upside is really nice. Again, advanced two-pitch mix that will depend on him adding a changeup. Could be a very good NO. 2 if it all adds up.
9. Balbino Fuenmayor, 1B/DH, RH: The Balbino came out of basically nowhere in 2015 to earn a Futures Game spot. Big power and an improved two-strike approach have turned the late bloomer into a legit prospect. He’s blocked at the MLB level currently by Eric Hosmer and Kendrys Morales, but Fuenmayor’s combination of power hitting and good average/strike zone control makes him intriguing.
10. Cheslor Cuthbert, 3B, RH: Cheslor probably is not going to be the star KC was hoping for when signing him out of Nicaragua, but he does look like he can be a solid reserve for an MLB club. Good defense at 3B paired with a solid plate approach and some gap power plays fine off the bench. He becomes a lot more interesting if they think he can stick as a 2B, which they have experimented with.

Spoiler!

11. Chase Vallot, C/DH/1B: I really like Vallot’s power and plate discipline combo. His bat will probably force him from behind the plate, but he’s held his own despite being extremely young for every level he has faced.
12. Alfredo Escalera-Maldonado, OF, RH: Escalera-Maldonado earned a promotion to Wilmington at age 20, which is pretty advanced movement for that age. He’s an athletic outfielder who has shown some plate discipline at an early age, which is encouraging. Doesn’t sound like he can stick in CF long term for KC, but his bat has become one to watch.
13. Pedro Fernandez, RHP: I haven’t seen much of him, but like the reports I’ve heard on his fastball and general makeup. Could become the next Almonte/Mondesi, though he’s more likely to land in the pen than either of them.
14. Elier Hernandez, OF, RH: Elier Hernanez teamed with Escalera-Maldonado in breaking out at Low-A and earning a promotion to Wilmington. It’s still early for this guy – he is just 20 years old – but he doesn’t take walks and hasn’t developed the prodigious power many thought he had the potential for. Still worth watching.
15. Hunter Dozier, 3B, RH: Dozier is reworking his swing mid-season, which generally will cause production to do what his has done: Nose dive. The changes he made entering the season (seemingly geared towards increasing his power production) were a disaster, and now he’s trying to get back to what he used to be. Still looks great and checks most of the scouting boxes, but the performance hasn’t matched, and it almost knocked him out of the list.
16. Christian Binford, RHP: After a breakthrough 2014, Binford struggled mightily at AAA and suffered a demotion. His upside remains similar – a back-end starter who can eat innings – but Binford’s lack of velocity and reliance on command have caught up to him so far.
17. Marten Gasparini, OF, SH: Gasparini is intriguing because of his speed and athleticism. He’s a LOOOOONG ways from the majors and young for his level, but reports on his bat speed, swing, and speed remain positive enough to keep him on the bubble.
18. Eric Skoglund, LHP: Skoglund had a nice year at Wilmington. I'm skeptical because his K rate is lower than I like to see for a guy at A+ - just 7/9, and usually guys lose a strikeout or two/9 as they move up the chain from there - but he has excellent control, walking 1.17 batters/9. 6-7 lefties with great control who get lots of ground balls - like Skoglund - have a chance to overcome bad K rates.
19. Ryan O'Hearn, 1B/LF: A lefty stick with power, O'Hearn was a savings signing as an 8th round pick, but a change in his approach increased his power - while increasing his K rate. After Vallot, probably the best pure power prospect in the Royals system.
20. Josh Staumont, RHP: I was terrified of this guy's control problems, and he walked nearly a batter an inning in his pro debut (32 BB in 40 1/3 IP). Staumont's nasty, nasty stuff (plus-plus fastball, plus slider) could make him a very good late-inning reliever who strikes out more than a batter an inning, if he can develop average or slightly below-average control. If he really masters the control, you're talking about a potential Greg Holland type, but that's a TALL task.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I've been thinking about what, exactly, the Royals would look like if they stay in it this year and make the playoffs again.

I'll start with the lineup.

I think Brett Eibner is someone who could have some really significant instant success at the MLB level... He has a lot of raw power and knows how to pick his pitch and put a swing with good loft on it. I wouldn't be surprised to see him start really hot, but I don't think he can sustain it long-term. KC needs Dyson/Orlando to continue to hit and Lorenzo Cain to continue his return to 2015 form. If all those things happen, the y may survive until Gordon is back and healthy.

Ultimately, I think Eibner's lack of contact will keep him from being an everyday guy, but I could see him being something similar to Randal Grichuk in St Louis, though not quite that good.

Or maybe more like Jeremy Hazelbaker, an older guy who gets off to a hot start and fades.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by Simply Red

Hey guys - sorry if it's been mentioned - but any word as to when they'll make up Thursday's game?

The only thing we know (I think) is just that it won't be made up this weekend.

[KevB]

Originally Posted by kcfanXIII

This right here. Let's just enjoy our victory lap. If we make the playoffs again, it will be great. If not, we can just pop in the 2015 highlight reels.

Yep, and I just really hope we stay in contention throughout the summer for the entertainment of a division/pennant chase. If we don't win, oh well. With the makeshift lineup, staying in it until the end would be pretty impressive.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Hopefully Brett Eibner can be Brett Gardner-lite. That is the only comp I can think of at the moment. The difference is Gardner is a better hitter, and Eibner with more power. But somewhat similar players, I hope.

That comp doesn't fit for me. Eibner is a big, athletic guy with a lot of swing and miss in his game and good raw power.

Randal Grichuk and George Springer are the types of guys who come to mind with that profile from the right side.

Eibner does seem to control the strike zone pretty well - he always has had good walk rates - and has adopted a more aggressive approach in the past few years on pitches in the strike zone.

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Or maybe more like Jeremy Hazelbaker, an older guy who gets off to a hot start and fades.

I could see something like that. Honestly, if he gives you a few good weeks, you're ecstatic, because that just helps you buy time until Gordon is healthy.

I think Eibner is a better athlete than Hazelbaker, though, and he WAS a second round pick.

Best case, Eibner proves he can be a .260ish hitter at the major league level, which would make him a good candidate to be KC's starting RF starting next year. If he can carry that sort of average, he'll walk enough to get into a .330/.340 OBP range, he'll SLG enough to hit 15-20 HR, and he'll play excellent RF defense.


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[KevB]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I've been thinking about what, exactly, the Royals would look like if they stay in it this year and make the playoffs again.

I'll start with the lineup.

I think Brett Eibner is someone who could have some really significant instant success at the MLB level... He has a lot of raw power and knows how to pick his pitch and put a swing with good loft on it. I wouldn't be surprised to see him start really hot, but I don't think he can sustain it long-term. KC needs Dyson/Orlando to continue to hit and Lorenzo Cain to continue his return to 2015 form. If all those things happen, the y may survive until Gordon is back and healthy.

Kendrys getting back to a middle of the order hitter is also huge. Doesn't have to be Barry Bonds, but something similar to last season.

The good news is despite losing two good/great defensive players in Gordon and Moose, we appear to lose very little with the replacements in the field. Cheslor has been a revelation defensively. Didn't know he had that in him. Hopefully he remains consistent.

[C3HIEF3S]

I'm done with my grieving. Let's **** up these scumbags.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

I'm done with my grieving. Let's **** up these scumbags.

All right. Now bring along the rest of them and watch the next flag get raised.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish

All right. Now bring along the rest of them and watch the next flag get raised.

Twins must be licking their chops now

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I've been thinking about what, exactly, the Royals would look like if they stay in it this year and make the playoffs again.

I'll start with the lineup.

I think Brett Eibner is someone who could have some really significant instant success at the MLB level... He has a lot of raw power and knows how to pick his pitch and put a swing with good loft on it. I wouldn't be surprised to see him start really hot, but I don't think he can sustain it long-term. KC needs Dyson/Orlando to continue to hit and Lorenzo Cain to continue his return to 2015 form. If all those things happen, the y may survive until Gordon is back and healthy.

Ultimately, I think Eibner's lack of contact will keep him from being an everyday guy, but I could see him being something similar to Randal Grichuk in St Louis, though not quite that good.

If Merrifield can put up something like .275/.325/.375-.400, I think that's a major bonus at 2B (and with the offensive downgrades elsewhere, they need to bump 2B production). If Merrifield does that, I'd like to see them try him in the lead off spot, eventually.

Cuthbert is also key. He needs to hit a little more than he has, but he's a solid fill-in that keeps them from being in disaster mode. His performance with the bat has improved at every level over time/once he adjusts... Would need to do that quickly to be an average MLB stick at 3B.

Ultimately, unless Gordon is able to return in a best-case-scenario type situation, I think they'll need to make a trade to shore up the lineup if they're still in contention for a spot.

Thankfully, there are several minor leaguers who have taken nice steps this year, so the farm isn't as barren as it might have looked at the beginning of the year (dozier, bonifacio, mills, Strahm, all come to mind... But Chase Vallot, Foster Griffin, Jake Junis, and a few other younger guys have started strong and made themselves into worthwhile trade pieces.

The rotation is going to come down to how the 4-5 spots fill. Some combination of Duffy, Minor, Young, Medlen, Gee... That's a lot of bodies for those spots. I'm optimistic they'll do OK at filling them.

A trade for a starter wouldn't hurt - I think something like Chase Vallot + Bonifacio + Alec Mills is something close to what it would take to get someone similar to Scott Kazmir (that's pretty close to what the A's got for him last year), but we will see how that trade market shapes up.

Ventura pulling his head out of his ass and pitching consistently well would also help. Need him to be strong behind Kennedy and Volquez.

To sum: I don't think it's over. If they make it through the next 20 games or so still within a few games of first in the Central and still in the playoff hunt, I think they make the playoffs, because the schedule gets much easier in the second half.




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Any chance if Cuthbert fails that they would bring up Dozier?


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[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

Any chance if Cuthbert fails that they would bring up Dozier?


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Definitely possible if Dozier continues to hit at a high level. He has been just "good" at AA but still impressive for his first go-round there.


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[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by Simply Red

Hey guys - sorry if it's been mentioned - but any word as to when they'll make up Thursday's game?

September 19, Monday day game.
Sox here for a weekend series and Monday was an off day.

[AJKCFAN]

Does the Moustakas injury significantly help the Royals chances of keeping him beyond 2017?

If so, how much does it make sense to keep him, as he will be 28 coming off an ACL injury.

I would try to use this time to extend him.

[lewdog]

If we don't want to check it in, trading for Trevor Plouffe in a down year might not require much from the Royals.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by lewdog

If we don't want to check it in, trading for Trevor Plouffe in a down year might not require much from the Royals.

I always just assumed that "Plouffe" was some sort of insult.

[C3HIEF3S]

Sox are throwing Sale now on Sunday.