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.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Canofbier

Yeah, Lamb looked pretty bad. I won't jump to conclusions, though; maybe he was instructed to lay off a bit? We'll see how he performs in actual competition after the minor league season starts.

Yeah, I'm not gonna draw any conclusions unless he struggles in the minors. He may have been just working on a couple pitches for all we know. I'm unhappy when a position player looks bad in spring, but you really have to ignore pitchers who aren't fighting for a roster spot.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Brainiac

Damn it. You got in before I fixed the typo.

Gotcha. We don't have the money to give long term deals to these guys. I think Meche will likely be the only big contract DM ever gives to a starter on the open market.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

That board harbors a weird antagonism toward Chiefs' fans.

I'm a lot angrier and more aggressive in that board. Chiefsplanet is my internet posting home, but oddly I feel like I'm in enemy territory sometimes on that other board.

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by nychief

yay. we get a sandwich pick. hooray. Santana's ppl came back to the royals YESTERDAY saying he'd sign a one year deal... The front office has done nothing wrong other than give us a ONE YEAR WINDOW with Jason ****ING Vargas as our no. 2 starter.... news flash, Vargas sucks. As does Jguts... they are not great starting pitchers, and they are certainly not 2s or 3s on a playoff team. But, wait, what about the young guys? This front office gives me no confidence that they can develop starting pitching, because... THEY NEVER HAVE, EVER. Look up the number of DM picks to start in the big leagues...be my guest.

So, yeah, we have this one year with James Shields... who is going to leave. Then we back to the bottom of the pile.

But thank god we stuck to Glass' budget....

You're acting like Ervin Santana is Zack Greinke. He's not. He could EASILY revert back to his 2012 form: 9 wins, 13 losses and an ERA over 5.

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by alnorth

The #5 starter is between Duffy and Ventura. Loser goes to Omaha.

I assume that if they feel its a tie, then Duffy will get it for service time reasons. They could wait to bring Ventura up until sometime in early May to get that extra year.

It would be smarter to give it to Ventura since Duffy is going to be on an innings limit this year.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Brainiac

It would be smarter to give it to Ventura since Duffy is going to be on an innings limit this year.

Well, once you secure that extra year, I'm sure you could get to a point in July where Duffy has "shoulder soreness" or whatever to put him on the 15-day to limit his innings. Either that, or send him down after a couple bad outings.

[C3HIEF3S]

Aoki drives in 2 on a single up the middle, advances to second on the throw home.

[C3HIEF3S]

Hosmer grounds out to 2nd and brings Aoki home. 5-3 Brewers.

[Lex Luthor]

Yesterday I was listening to a Dayton Moore interview on Mad Dog Sports radio on Sirius XM. Chris Russo asked him about re-signing James Shields. Moore gave a very convoluted answer. He talked about how the Royals are a small market team and he won't apologize for it. He said they are interested in signing ALL of their YOUNG players to multi-year deals. He then babbled on for several more minutes, and it's hard for me to remember exactly what he said because he didn't say anything meaningful.

Not once did he say anything remotely positive about James Shields, and not once did he say they will do the best they can to retain him.

Shields will be gone next year. Count on it.

I hate that, but I can also understand DM's reluctance to give $20 million to one pitcher when he only has a $90 million payroll. If the Royals EVER give that high a percentage of their payroll to a single player, it has to be a Mike Trout type of player. Even if he really finds his power stroke in the next couple of years, I don't think Eric Hosmer or anyone else on this roster qualifies.

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Well, once you secure that extra year, I'm sure you could get to a point in July where Duffy has "shoulder soreness" or whatever to put him on the 15-day to limit his innings. Either that, or send him down after a couple bad outings.

As long as they manage it properly, I guess I don't care how they do it.

Just don't do it the way the Nationals did a couple of years ago with Stephen Strasburg. They might have won the World Series that year if they had mananged his innings limit properly.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Brainiac

As long as they manage it properly, I guess I don't care how they do it.

Just don't do it the way the Nationals did a couple of years ago with Stephen Strasburg. They might have won the World Series that year if they had mananged his innings limit properly.

The Nats were F'ing stupid. If you find yourself where one of your best young pitchers is at an inning limit but you are going to the playoffs, you have to just go for it. The pitcher isn't going to say no and shut himself down. Make him throw, and try to get him the best help available to recover in the offseason.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by alnorth

The Nats were F'ing stupid. If you find yourself where one of your best young pitchers is at an inning limit but you are going to the playoffs, you have to just go for it. The pitcher isn't going to say no and shut himself down. Make him throw, and try to get him the best help available to recover in the offseason.

Or just approach it better during the season. They had a viable sixth starter in John Lannan whom they could have used to spell Strasburg and keep him fresh.

[nychief]

Originally Posted by Brainiac

You're acting like Ervin Santana is Zack Greinke. He's not. He could EASILY revert back to his 2012 form: 9 wins, 13 losses and an ERA over 5.

Sure. But jason vargas is jason vargas, he is a no. 3 on decent team and 4/5 on a good team... and who the **** knows what we will get out of the kids. Shit, zimmer is already shut down. Duffy already has TJ... Until DM produces ONE major league starter (something he has not done) color me skeptical.

This is an all in year, no matter what DM says....

Also, why are we suddenly depending on young pitchers a year after trading away our best position prospect in a generation for two year rental starter? Why didn't we depend on these types of gambles last year and keep Myers? Oh because DM didn't have a contract extension....that is why. JS got us over .500 and got DM his money.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by nychief

Sure. But jason vargas is jason vargas, he is a no. 3 on decent team and 4/5 on a good team... and who the **** knows what we will get out of the kids. Shit, zimmer is already shut down. Duffy already has TJ... Until DM produces ONE major league starter (something he has not done) color me skeptical.

This is an all in year, no matter what DM says....

Also, why are we suddenly depending on young pitchers a year after trading away our best position prospect in a generation for two year rental starter? Why didn't we depend on these types of gambles last year and keep Myers? Oh because DM didn't have a contract extension....that is why. JS got us over .500 and got DM his money.

If this team is going to succeed, we have to develop young pitching. We just have to. If the Ventura/Duffy/Zimmer group doesn't work out, we are going to fail regardless of what happens with Shields/Santana/etc. Dayton will lose his job and we'll move to the next guy.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Or just approach it better during the season. They had a viable sixth starter in John Lannan whom they could have used to spell Strasburg and keep him fresh.

Agreed, they should not have put themselves in that position, but if in some bizarre stupid turn of events you find yourself in that position where you failed to limit your young pitchers innings and you made it to the postseason, then you have to just own your stupidity and keep him throwin'. No one will care if he's healthy and pitching well the following August, 9 games out.