*** 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.

[duncan_idaho]

Regardless of what happens in the WC game, without it you're not in the playoffs.

I think the new two WC system has worked in two ways.

First, it has made it harder for the WC winner to win series/make a run, and rewarded division winners more.

Second, it has created a lot more interest and intrigue in the second half of the season because so many more teams are in the race.


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[ROYC75]

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin

So, I realize it's been discussed ad nauseam on here, but Royals are 68-62.

Going 22-10 rest of way gets you to 90 wins and pretty much guarantees a playoff spot (likely Wild Card, as Cleveland would have to go 16-17 to finish with 89 wins and lose out on the division).

Going 21-11 gets you 89 wins and a solid chance at Wild Card.

20-12 gets you to 88 and on the fringe.

The Royals are probably the hottest team in baseball right now, but I still have serious doubts about them making the playoffs this year. I think July, unfortunately, did them in. The Royals have won 17 of the last 21 and obviously cannot continue to play at that kind of clip through September. So assuming there is a lull somewhere in September (last road trip versus Clev. and Detroit?), is it realistic to think they can get to 88-90 wins with a 'lull'.


Just curious what the brain trust of Royals CP thinks on this . . . .

We continue the torrid pace with the schedule we have. The rest of our division will look like this....

Cleveland will drop 15 - 16 of their games, They will finish with 91-90 wins. The teams they play are the teams they have not done so well with, they will be in panic mode leading up to the title.

Detroit will drop 14 more games, they will finish 87-75

KC stays hot, finish 22 - 10, however, I see Cleveland hanging onto the division lead as we finish with 90 wins.

Plus Toronto wins the East, Texas the West, we have to fight the Astros, Orioles and BoSox for the WC game.

Frigging June & July!

[baitism]

Having the WC game at home would be nice. I would happy with just making it, but heading to (most likely) Fenway for a one game playoff doesn't sound too fun, especially since Duffy really struggled there.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Regardless of what happens in the WC game, without it you're not in the playoffs.

I think the new two WC system has worked in two ways.

First, it has made it harder for the WC winner to win series/make a run, and rewarded division winners more.

Second, it has created a lot more interest and intrigue in the second half of the season because so many more teams are in the race.


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The 2nd WC actually improved having the 1st WC being justified.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by baitism

Having the WC game at home would be nice. I would happy with just making it, but heading to (most likely) Fenway for a one game playoff doesn't sound too fun, especially since Duffy really struggled there.

Boston AND at Fenway is not the match up you want. Could you minimize the Royals strengths any more, and facing an offensive nightmare?

Recent results aside, we didn't have to face their no. 1, either.

The biggest advantage is that the East all have to play one another to close out the season. This may be the best way for KC to at least get the 1st WC spot.

[Archie F. Swin]

Can someone throw me a bone on Nava? I don't see his value on the KC roster, especially with the Burns trade a few weeks ago.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

Can someone throw me a bone on Nava? I don't see his value on the KC roster, especially with the Burns trade a few weeks ago.

Look at it this way: Terrance Gore at some point will pinch-run for Morales, and if Morales' spot comes up again to bat, Nava will pinch-hit for Gore.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

Can someone throw me a bone on Nava? I don't see his value on the KC roster, especially with the Burns trade a few weeks ago.

He's got great career numbers vs Aaron Crow?

Serious answer: He has good career splits vs righties, good pop, and would be a nice bench option/PH option in September, with expanded rosters.


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[WhawhaWhat]

Daniel Nava hit the homerun to give the Red Sox the lead and the win over the Royals at Fenway the day after the Boston Marathon bombing. I still think the fix was in and that pitch from Herrera was grooved.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Daniel Nava hit the homerun to give the Red Sox the lead and the win over the Royals at Fenway the day after the Boston Marathon bombing. I still think the fix was in and that pitch from Herrera was grooved.

That was off Aaron Crow.

Coincidentally, that was also the game that helped Eiland convince Yost to be less strict wih his bullpen usage in September and to lean on HDH in all situations.


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[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Daniel Nava hit the homerun to give the Red Sox the lead and the win over the Royals at Fenway the day after the Boston Marathon bombing. I still think the fix was in and that pitch from Herrera was grooved.

Herrera wasn't exactly consistent that year. He got firebombed on more than one occasion.

(I still remember that moment well, I was watching from work when it happened).

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

That was off Aaron Crow.

Coincidentally, that was also the game that helped Eiland convince Yost to be less strict wih his bullpen usage in September and to lean on HDH in all situations.


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You're thinking 2014. That painful game was during our stretch run when Crow gave up a Grand Slam in the 6th. Yost then infamously said he couldn't put in Herrera because it wasn't "his inning."

Andy wrote an eviscerating column after the interview, causing a noticeable rift between the two for a while after.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

That was off Aaron Crow.

Coincidentally, that was also the game that helped Eiland convince Yost to be less strict wih his bullpen usage in September and to lean on HDH in all situations.


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Was off Herrera in the 8th.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=330420102

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by fahrenheit

Was off Herrera in the 8th.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=330420102

[Chiefspants]

Let's play "who's that pitcher?"

Pitcher A: 148.1 IP 5.95 ERA 1.551 WHIP & a 5.61 FIP
Pitcher B: 149.0 IP 5.86 ERA 1.604 WHIP & a 5.95 FIP