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.

[chiefsfan987]

Originally Posted by Coach

Season's over.....

In May? That's when it's usually over, unfortunately

[Coach]

Originally Posted by chiefsfan987

In May? That's when it's usually over, unfortunately

I'm in spring training as well. Preparing for the anguish and happiness as well.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by chiefsfan987

Replay would be a lot quicker if you already had a guy on site just watching the game.

There is no reason to believe that this is true.

[chiefsfan987]

Originally Posted by alnorth

There is no reason to believe that this is true.

Sure there is. The guy in New York has to be watching 15 games at a time. If a guy was actually at the stadium, he isn't concentrating on multiple games he has to keep an eye out for and you'll never have to wait for him to rule on another game first that has a simultaneous challenge going on.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by chiefsfan987

The guy in New York has to be watching 15 games at a time.

That is not correct.

MLB plans to have New York replay umpires in charge of no more than 2 or 3 games at a time.

Keep in mind, it won't be "the guy in new york", it'll be an entire umpiring crew, and games don't all have the same first pitch time.

[KevB]

Jason Parks is a funny dude, and this sounds just dreamy:

Jason Parks ‏@ProfessorParks 4m
My spring training scouting report on #Royals LHP Sean Manaea--coming this Monday at Baseball Prospectus--reads like pure smut.

[Coach]

Aoki should probably learn how to do this.

[Coach]

This one is a goodie.

[58kcfan89]

Speaking of Aoki, according to baseball reference, he's signed through this season. I know he's in his early 30s, but should we expect him to be here only one year?

Or is it way too damn early for that?

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by 58kcfan89

Speaking of Aoki, according to baseball reference, he's signed through this season. I know he's in his early 30s, but should we expect him to be here only one year?

Or is it way too damn early for that?

We could try to extend him, but he's eligible for free agency next year.

[58kcfan89]

Originally Posted by alnorth

We could try to extend him, but he's eligible for free agency next year.

Yeah, I was trying to see if you, or anyone, think he might stick around for a couple more years or if we've got a guy(s) in the system to replace him soon. We don't seem to work the count much as a team & I think it'd be nice to have a leadoff guy do so for more than 1 season.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by 58kcfan89

Yeah, I was trying to see if you, or anyone, think he might stick around for a couple more years or if we've got a guy(s) in the system to replace him soon. We don't seem to work the count much as a team & I think it'd be nice to have a leadoff guy do so for more than 1 season.

Hopefully Bonifacio is ready to take over by 2015

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by 58kcfan89

Yeah, I was trying to see if you, or anyone, think he might stick around for a couple more years or if we've got a guy(s) in the system to replace him soon. We don't seem to work the count much as a team & I think it'd be nice to have a leadoff guy do so for more than 1 season.

No one really has any clue what he might want to do. He came over through NPB's posting system and has never come up through a team's minor leagues or been able to choose where to play. If he can repeat what he's done the last couple years then yeah it would be nice to have him for more than just 1.

[Prison Bitch]

I'm really stunned by Hoch's injury. I was just talking about how he's never had any injury problems in his career. Just goes to show you can never predict pitching. I would be scared to ever give a pitcher a long term deal, especially after Meche didn't even pitch much his last 2 years of his 5 year deal.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by alnorth

No one really has any clue what he might want to do. He came over through NPB's posting system and has never come up through a team's minor leagues or been able to choose where to play. If he can repeat what he's done the last couple years then yeah it would be nice to have him for more than just 1.

Signing Aoki to an extension allows the Royals to move slowly with Bonifacio, provides some insurance for Cain, and also could give them an option in LF when Gordon's contract is up if they can't work a longer-term deal out with Alex.

Love the idea of the move. Really hope it happens. 2-3 more years of Aoki should work out just fine.