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.

[Ebolapox]

You know, I'd be happy with moose if he came back as a .200 hitter with a ton of power, the ability to walk (Obp north of .300 would be nice) and gold glove defense. jesus ****. that's it. be adam dunn with a glove. hell, be a poor man's adam dunn with a glove.

[FringeNC]

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx...latediscipline

Moustakas has some weird numbers. His BABIP is somehow .155 and he makes contact with more balls outside the strike zone than within the strike zone.

I think he's chasing pitches outside of the strike zone, and unlike most hitters, he's actually making contact (and popping weakly to short.) Unfortunately, it seems he may be another prospect ruined by DM's and the whole organization's lack of emphasis on strike zone management.

[mr. tegu]

810 is going to be all over this claiming the Royals are doing this because of 810, and that the Royals are trying to protect Moose from the media, and that Moose wouldn't be sent down if not for 810. Just watch/listen. It is going to be so pathetic.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

DFA Dyson next and I'll do a little happy dance

This. **** that little half of a ****.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

810 is going to be all over this claiming the Royals are doing this because of 810, and that the Royals are trying to protect Moose from the media, and that Moose wouldn't be sent down if not for 810.

Yeah, 810 just got a giant collective boner and will be patting themselves on the back for their fictitious part in this for weeks.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

DFA Dyson next and I'll do a little happy dance

Unfortunately, because of roster decisions before the start of the season, they're kind of stuck with Dyson for this year at least.

If they'd kept Boni, then you have a viable backup in case Cain is injured again. Without him, they have no real MLB ready insurance in CF. And you have to carry that considering how oft-injured Cain has been.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Unfortunately, because of roster decisions before the start of the season, they're kind of stuck with Dyson for this year at least.

If they'd kept Boni, then you have a viable backup in case Cain is injured again. Without him, they have no real MLB ready insurance in CF. And you have to carry that considering how oft-injured Cain has been.

Shit. Great point.

[DeepSouth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Unfortunately, because of roster decisions before the start of the season, they're kind of stuck with Dyson for this year at least.

If they'd kept Boni, then you have a viable backup in case Cain is injured again. Without him, they have no real MLB ready insurance in CF. And you have to carry that considering how oft-injured Cain has been.

Paredes seems to be about the closest thing to Bonifico that the Royals have in their system right now. I'm anxious to see what he can do.

[WhawhaWhat]

Bubba Starling has a 10 game hit streak in Wilmington. Hopefully he is seeing the light.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Well, this is not quite right. 810 had the Royals rights for a few years. They happened to have the rights when the Royals were at their worst, three 100 loss seasons. During those years, WHB lost money on the contract because the team was horrible, nobody was listening, and nobody wanted to sponsor the broadcasts.

Losing that contract was actually a good thing for WHB, because they were swimming in red ink. Same reason they got rid of the Jim Rome Show. It was costing them too much. They did Soren Petro local show instead to lower their operating expenses.

610 was converting over from country music to sports, and needed an "anchor tenant" for the broadcasts. They got KU football and basketball, and got Royals Baseball. Entercom paid big bucks for the Royals because they are a conglommo, and needed content for their sports startup station.

KK craps on the Royals now, because they have no direct tie to the club, since 610 bought their way in.

KK will always soft soap the Chiefs and throw softball questions to Clark Hunt, because 810 is now the "official" post game station for the Chiefs, although the play by play and pregame is still owned by KCFX-FM.

KK is a radio weasel, and will always kiss the ass of whoever pays the freight. He only gets "journalistic" if he's not getting greased.

That's the way the game is played. Follow the money.

Thank you gblow.

JFC, it's like a reerun convention in this thread sometimes. People never pay attention. 810 gambled and lost huge on the Royals. They were glad to be rid of that deal.

610 gave the Royals more money than the organization deserved for the shite product that was on the field. And that was seven years ago.

But, 810 is still butthurt? No, it's the underperforming players, crybaby GM and a special needs manager ("I've never been wrong on a player") who thinks this team is above criticism, that is acting like a teen girl having her first bleed. Any normal GM / manager combo would have nipped this shit in the bud.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Bubba Starling has a 10 game hit streak in Wilmington. Hopefully he is seeing the light.

He only has 12 hits in that hit streak, though. 12 for 35 or something like that.

It's a positive sign, but I don't know that it ultimately indicates anything has really changed.

[ChiefsCountry]

Kietzman was whiny and crying about losing the Royals rights on his show this year. He still brings it up all the time.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Unfortunately, because of roster decisions before the start of the season, they're kind of stuck with Dyson for this year at least.

If they'd kept Boni, then you have a viable backup For when Cain is injured again. Without him, they have no real MLB ready insurance in CF. And you have to carry that considering how oft-injured Cain has been.

FYP.

[Don Corlemahomes]

What do you guys think about Luis Valbuena? He's doing pretty well for the Cubs, and they will be sellers.

[CaliforniaChief]

Good, they finally sent him down. We NEED him to figure it out this time. We absolutely need him to hit later this year if we want to do anything.