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.

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

I would trade Davis simply because we know that Holland can save games, don't know if Wade has the mental makeup to do that for sure. I would let some other team find out.

Agree.

I like Holland and would prefer to keep him around. Davis has some of that Hocheaver aroma about him for some reason...

[Hootie]

The way Ned uses Wade Davis is essentially as a closer as is...

He's strictly the 8th inning guy in games we're winning by 3 runs or less.

The dude has flat out filthy closer stuff. In terms of relievers with filthy, shutdown, elite closer stuff...we're talking Kimbrel, Holland, Wade Davis, Dellin Betances...the fact we have two of these guys is awesome.

Davis is cheaper. Advertise a Holland/Shields package and net a Samardzija return and I'll be happy.

[Prison Bitch]

Again, there's nothing for DM to analyze. His offense is a blood-splattered late term abortion. He's had all last year to watch them suck + 100 games this year. They are what they are, and it will not change. Expecting to get "hot" may work....for a short while. The reality always hits because math always wins out.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Moore says the team does not plan to be deadline sellers. “We’re going to keep pushing until the standings say that we’re done.”

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) July 22, 2014

LOL, General Custer's great, great, great grandkid I suppose!

Trust me Moore, your team's inability to hit anything but AA pitching is all you need to know! You have the most unclutch, slowest, and bull-headed DH ever, and THAT'S his only job!

Yeah, you're toast unless MLB makes them throw those neon-colored softballs (with bright red laces) to your team!

Moore, YOU'RE A ****ER! YOU'RE USELESS, AND YOU SUCK AT WHAT YOU DO! YOU'RE LIKE THE BILLY "FATTY" BUTLER OF GMs...

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Again, there's nothing for DM to analyze. His offense is a blood-splattered late term abortion. He's had all last year to watch them suck + 100 games this year. They are what they are, and it will not change. Expecting to get "hot" may work....for a short while. The reality always hits because math always wins out.

Season turned on two key points:

1) Eric Hosmer being the player he was from June 1 on (.318/.367/.494, 23 HR, 35 2B)

2) Billy Butler's down 2013 season being an aberration.

There were reasonable reasons to be optimistic about both. I chose to be optimistic about them. But neither has played close to expectations.

If those two are both .850 OPS players, with the way the rest of the team has performed, it's a better than league average offense.

If those two are even .750 OPS players, it's about league average.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Brainiac

So what grade do you give Dayton Moore for this offseason?

I like what he's done A LOT. We've upgraded at second base and in right field with players whose strengths are a good fit with the strengths of this team. Aoki looks like an excellent defensive right fielder with speed who can hit for average, and the upgrade to Infante at second base is sensational.

I'm lukewarm about what he's done regarding the pitching staff, primarily because he hasn't done anything about extending James Shields. I'm starting to think that he may deliberately let Shields walk after next season if any of the top 3 upside candidates (Ventura, Duffy or Zimmer) looks like a potential ace for 2015.

I'm practically giddy about the trade for Danny Valencia, simply because he's sending a message to Moose that it's time for him to shit or get off the pot. If Moose doesn't tear it up in spring training, he should start the season in Omaha. Valencia would be a more than adequate replacement, and he could very well be an improvement. I think we got pretty good value for our 6th outfielder, and by the way, I liked David Lough a lot. I just think we probably saw his ceiling in 2013.

As of right now, I would give Dayton Moore a grade between A- and B+. If he were to sign James Shields to a contract extension, I'd change that to an A.

Yowza

[Bufkin]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Moore: "I’m accountable for this . . . I don’t blame the players. I don’t blame coaches. I don’t blame managers. I don’t blame ownership."

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) July 22, 2014

And to make this season worse, we're now getting deadline information from Rachel Maddow.

[teedubya]

Chiefs season starts today!! I got this in the mail!

[C3HIEF3S]

I'll be there tonight.



Pray for me.

[C3HIEF3S]

And by pray for me I mean so that I am not emotionally beaten from the Royals or physically beaten by scumbag White Sux fans.

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Yowza

Dude, that post was written in December. It's easy to look back and mock it in July.

To be honest, as I was reading it, I thought "Who is this Doofus who loves that ****ing Dayton Moore so much?". I was appalled to see that I was the one who wrote it.

I obviously feel different today.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

And by pray for me I mean so that I am not emotionally beaten from the Royals or physically beaten by scumbag White Sux fans.

Have fun man.

Hopefully Chen pitches well and we can score a few runs tonight.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by Big Smoke

Have fun man.

Hopefully Chen pitches well and we can score a few runs tonight.

Don't worry Raul Ibanez himself is going to save us

But thanks man

[lewdog]

ROBIN gets the game thread tonight so everyone back off!!!

[KCUnited]

No Cain, Perez, or Hosmer tonight. Enjoy the game.