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.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Today's Dayton double-speak of the day:

"We can't afford to give long-term deals to 31-year-old pitchers." (talking about Santana)

Jason Vargas's age: 31 years old.

Just say what you're thinking, GMDM - "We can't afford to give long term deals to 31 year old pitchers unless they cut us a deal."

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Today's Dayton double-speak of the day:

"We can't afford to give long-term deals to 31-year-old pitchers." (talking about Santana)

Jason Vargas's age: 31 years old.

LOL

[Wilson8]

Royals, Holland Have Mutual Interest In Extension
By Mark Polishuk [February 12 at 7:43pm CST]

The Royals avoided going to arbitration with Greg Holland when the two sides agreed to a one-year, $4.675MM contract earlier today, and that deal could be a harbinger for a multiyear commitment. There is mutual interest between Holland and the Royals on a long-term deal, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports, though their most recent talks focused only on settling Holland's 2014 contract.

Holland has been one of baseball's top relief arms over the last three seasons, posting a 1.99 ERA and 268 strikeouts (against only 71 walks) in 194 innings out of the K.C. bullpen in 2011-13. Since taking over as the Royals' closer in August 2012, Holland has racked up 63 saves, 47 of which came last season as part of a sterling campaign that saw Holland make the All-Star team and finish ninth in AL Cy Young Award voting.

Holland, a client of Turner Gary Sports, is under team control through 2016. As McCullough notes, Holland will only get more expensive if he keeps up his form over his final two years of arbitration eligibility. A multiyear deal could help Kansas City keep Holland's salary in check, though there's a limit to what a mid-market team like the Royals can reasonably spend on a closer, even an elite one. There's no immediate rush to lock Holland up, but if an extension can't be worked out over the next season or two, K.C. could look to trade the righty and install one of their other top bullpen arms (such as Kelvin Herrera, Aaron Crow, Tim Collins or Luke Hochevar) as closer.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

[Wilson8]

Originally Posted by alnorth

According to Rosenthal, if Bonifacio clears release waivers (deadline for a claim is tomorrow 1pm central), we'll have to pay him $575K. Although several teams are interested in him, a claim is unlikely, probably because they think they can get him for less than what he negotiated from us in arbitration.

Would the Royals owe Emilio Bonifacio the $575K if they had not settled before arbitration (January 17th)? If so then at that time KC must have thought they wanted him on the team. The Royals signed Omar Infante on December 13th so that should not have factored in.

Seems like a waste of $575K of the Glass Family Fortune.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Wilson8

Would the Royals owe Emilio Bonifacio the $575K if they had not settled before arbitration (January 17th)? If so then at that time KC must have thought they wanted him on the team. The Royals signed Omar Infante on December 13th so that should not have factored in.

Seems like a waste of $575K of the Glass Family Fortune.

Yes, we would. If not $575K, then we would have owed him 1/6 of whatever the arbitrator ruled.

As soon as we offered him arbitration, we guaranteed that we'd have to pay him something, assuming no one else claimed him and assuming no trade. There's a deadline last year late Nov I think where we could either cut him or offer arbitration. So, obviously back last year we probably thought he was going to be on the team, but then after we offered arbitration we then signed Infante, signed Chen, and plans changed. If we had known that we were going to cut him, then we would have cut him last year and saved the $575K.

[Wilson8]

Thanks for the information. Looking at this year's MLB calendar, that date might be December 2nd. If it was close to that same date for 2013, KC did not sign Infante until mid December, so Emilio would certainly still be in the Royal's plans.

[TambaBerry]

Royals only signed Holland to a one year deal so they can trade him at the all star break.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by dingleberry

Royals only signed Holland to a one year deal so they can trade him at the all star break.

35 year plan...

[stonedstooge]

And so another baseball season begins today. One of my favorite songs and artists ever:

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by dingleberry

Royals only signed Holland to a one year deal so they can trade him at the all star break.

He's an arbitration-eligible player with less than 6 years of service. Those guys almost NEVER get deals more than 1 year at a time unless they agree to sell us some free agent years.

Hosmer got a 1-year deal, too. So did Moose, etc. When Zimmer comes up, he'll be signed to 6 consecutive 1-year deals unless he agrees to give up free agency. There is no reason to give those young guys more than 1 year before they are eligible for free agency unless they agree to give up some free agent years. If any of those guys suffer some kind of career-ending injury or inexplicably began to suck really badly, we won't be on the hook more than just 2014. Salvy Perez on the other hand would be owed a lot of money if his knees suddenly blew up, because he agreed to give us some free agent years.

Thats one of the minor benefits of taking a Longoria-type deal as a young brand-new player, you know that if something horrible happens, you'll still get money for a while. If you want to go the Boras route of reaching free agency ASAP, then you gotta roll the dice 1 year at a time until your first 6 years are up.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by dingleberry

Royals only signed Holland to a one year deal so they can trade him at the all star break.

I understand being a cynical Royals fan... but this is just not anywhere close to reality.

The Royals are exploring a longer extension with Holland and might even get that done before the season starts. He also has two full years of control left before he'd be a FA, even if they don't.

If they can't work out an extension, they MIGHT trade him after the 2015 season. Maybe.

But considering he's a reliever, there's really no guarantee he's still good, let alone great, at that point. Short shelf lives on most of these guys.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

But considering he's a reliever, there's really no guarantee he's still good, let alone great, at that point. Short shelf lives on most of these guys.

The only way I'd ever support giving a long-term deal to a reliever is if its a few years followed by a whole bunch of team options. A few closers can make it a career, but most of them just flame out with no warning.

[Infidel Goat]

Come on. Those 2011 and 2012 years of Soria were totally worth it!

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Infidel Goat

Come on. Those 2011 and 2012 years of Soria were totally worth it!

The Soria deal was actually fantastic. We had 3 team option years tacked onto that thing, we exercised the first option, then when he got hurt we said "no thanks" to the last two options, gave him his buyout, and cut him loose. I'd love it if Holland agreed to a Soria contract, there'd be some risk for a couple years since we'd have to guarantee him something, then its all upside for the Royals.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by alnorth

The only way I'd ever support giving a long-term deal to a reliever is if its a few years followed by a whole bunch of team options. A few closers can make it a career, but most of them just flame out with no warning.

Or if the guy could potentially be kicked into the starting rotation in a year or two.