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.

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

holy shit! The Royals are 5-10 in the division? **** that noise!

1-7 at CLE, DET, and Minn

[SPchief]

Chen to DL. Duffy likley to start Saturday. Can throw 65-70 pitches.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by SPchief

Chen to DL. Duffy likley to start Saturday. Can throw 65-70 pitches.

(Pencils in Saturday as a loss.)

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by SPchief

Chen to DL. Duffy likley to start Saturday. Can throw 65-70 pitches.

Hope he gets over killing Melky last night

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

I nor you in those quotes made a comment on Butler, Hos, and Gordon so that isn't really relevant because it hurts my point about Escobar and Infante

FYP

I am not sure with all the formulas but I just think the predictions for Esky, as well as your hatred, were being based too much off of a bad season. A 0.0 projection? Come on, he had improved every season prior to last season. A bounce back season is not that surprising.

The formulas are provided by OLIVER:
http://www.hardballtimes.com/introducing-oliver/


It probably incorporated his terrible wRC+ of 49 or -37.5 runs last year. His three seasons prior were -16.3 average (-25.3/-20.9/-2.8). So the projections probably think he's closer to -20 runs or so than the 2012 -2.8. Right now he's +1.3. I doubt you'll find even one SABRmetrician who thinks that'll hold.

[mr. tegu]

When Cain comes back Maxwell needs to go. Dyson has proven himself more useful and that spot will be better used on a backup middle infielder.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

FYP




The formulas are provided by OLIVER:
http://www.hardballtimes.com/introducing-oliver/


It probably incorporated his terrible wRC+ of 49 or -37.5 runs last year. His three seasons prior were -16.3 average (-25.3/-20.9/-2.8). So the projections probably think he's closer to -20 runs or so than the 2012 -2.8. Right now he's +1.3. I doubt you'll find even one SABRmetrician who thinks that'll hold.

Yeah okay. Can't talk about Esky on his own? Have to bring in guys completely irrelevant to the performance of that player? What a joke.

You continue to lean on those projections and tell us how Esky shouldn't be on the team if that's what you want to do. If you want to complain that those others need more HRs no one will argue.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Yeah okay. Can't talk about Esky on his own? Have to bring in guys completely irrelevant to the performance of that player? What a joke.

You continue to lean on those projections and tell us how Esky shouldn't be on the team if that's what you want to do.

Not to split hairs, but do you think Esky will continue to produce at a .750+ OPS rate for the remainder of the year? I think he may be improving, yes... but I don't see him continuing like this.

The guy has a career track record of 2500 AB's with .640 OPS. Same as I don't see Belly, Gordo, Hos, etc all performing so poorly for the remainder.

PB is being his usual overreaction self, by saying esky won't maintain in producing but doesn't take the same approach towards those that aren't producing (yet have a track record of doing so).

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Not to split hairs, but do you think Esky will continue to produce at a .750+ OPS rate for the remainder of the year?

Most likely not. Do you think he will have a 0.1 WAR combined this year and next? Should we be looking for a replacement?

Other than last season he has performed basically as you would hope. It isn't his fault the true offensive guys aren't hitting HRs and doing as expected so saying he is a problem because of team offensive woes is directing frustrations in the wrong direction.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Most likely not. Do you think he will have a 0.1 WAR combined this year and next? Should we be looking for a replacement?

Nope, and I edited my post to include some additionals (probably while you are responding)... I don't think Esky needs to be replaced... as long as he's closer to .700 than .600 at the plate.

The guy we need to seriously start considering replacing long term at this point is Cain. We are being forced to retain an extra OF'r because he's basically this guy with a glove.

[mr. tegu]

Hopefully Hosmer can start getting those doubles a few extra feet so they become HRs. He has just missed quite a few in the last 10 games or so. Among AL first basemen he is tied for the lead in doubles and second in BA. He seems to be swinging well in general, but now he needs to turn some doubles into HRs and hit better with RISP. Right now he is just at .250.

[WhawhaWhat]

A year ago today, the Royals game got snowed out.

— Sam Mellinger (@mellinger) May 2, 2014

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by SPchief

Chen to DL. Duffy likley to start Saturday. Can throw 65-70 pitches.

So 3 innings.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Zeke

PB is being his usual overreaction self, by saying esky won't maintain in producing but doesn't take the same approach towards those that aren't producing (yet have a track record of doing so).

Um, that's what Tegu was doing. Thanks for playing.


I think Hosmer could revert back to last year's numbers, but I'm pretty sure Billy Butler is done as a decent DH. We'll see if I'm right. As for Escobar/Infante I think Escobar will fall off severely but I never said anything about Infante. Only that his contract will suck year 4. WTF was he even brought up?

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Um, that's what Tegu was doing. Thanks for playing.


I think Hosmer could revert back to last year's numbers, but I'm pretty sure Billy Butler is done as a decent DH. We'll see if I'm right. As for Escobar/Infante I think Escobar will fall off severely but I never said anything about Infante. Only that his contract will suck year 4. WTF was he even brought up?

I doubt Infante is here 4 years. He'll be traded before then, if KC doesn't turn it around and make the playoffs this year and\or next.