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.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Glass half full (pun intended): maybe they want to see their team make the playoffs at least once before they sell.

Highly doubt it.

Glass has no intention of selling and never will. He just wants to appease the masses by saying he'd be interested.

[Wilson8]

Originally Posted by Three7s

Looks like more AAAA fodder.

Maybe, but he has some positives -

6'3", 200 lbs - switch hitter (hits better as LHB) - steals bases - plays outfield and infield, only 25 years old.

See what he can do.

Again as you say maybe AAAA but worth taking a look.

Side note - After this season Astros released him from their 40 man roster, Marlins claimed him and then designated for assignment, Baltimore claimed and then designated for assignment two days later, now the Royals turn.

[duncan_idaho]

I suspect they might bring Paredes to camp, see who performs best out of he and Ciriaco/Falu, and go into the season with that guy as their UTIL.

POP/speed from MI guys is hard to find... pretty much no risk here, with a fair amount of upside.

[Wilson8]

I think Christian Colon will also be given a chance for that role.

Irving Falu is now in the Brewers organization.

[gblowfish]

Since it's President's Day...
Flashback to 1980!

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Wilson8

I think Christian Colon will also be given a chance for that role.

Irving Falu is now in the Brewers organization.

Good point.

[Crush]

The season needs to start. I'm pumped.

[gblowfish]

Five minutes after this interview concluded, his back stiffened. He hopes to be back to work by June 1st.

http://tinyurl.com/mm5tzue

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Since it's President's Day...
Flashback to 1980!

I remember they sold those in the K Marts that summer. And T shirts too if I remember right? Did you buy one?

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

I remember they sold those in the K Marts that summer. And T shirts too if I remember right? Did you buy one?

Had a bumper sticker. Wish I knew what I did with it.

[blake5676]

Looking like Ubaldo is headed to Baltimore at 4/$48M. That's probably the absolute ceiling for Santana now as well. Kinda funny to look back at the talk in November (whether it was true or rumor we'll never know) about he and his agent wanting a deal for $100M plus.

[Wilson8]

From MLB.com when Baltimore Oriloles picked him up -

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Orioles claimed utility man Jimmy Paredes off waivers from the Marlins on Saturday.

The Marlins claimed Paredes off waivers in November and designated him for assignment on Feb. 7.

Paredes, 25, should compete for a spot on the Orioles' bench this spring. The switch-hitter has played parts of three Major League seasons with the Astros, posting a combined .234/.274/.311 batting line with three home runs, 31 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in 118 games.

Paredes has primarily played right field in the Majors but has also seen time at second and third base. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder also played shortstop, center field and left field in the Minors.

Signed by the Yankees in 2006, Paredes was traded to Houston along with reliever Mark Melancon in exchange for Lance Berkman before the 2010 non-waiver Trade Deadline. Over parts of seven seasons in the Minors, Paredes hit .289/.324/.428 with 44 homers and 276 RBIs in 601 games.

At Oklahoma City over 2 seasons - 56 games in OF, 105 games at 2B, 20 games 3B, 20 games at SS and 8 at DH.

[BlackHelicopters]

Seems versatile enough

[Wilson8]

Orioles Nearing Deal With Ubaldo Jimenez
By Jeff Todd [February 17 at 5:20pm CST]

The Orioles are working to finalize a deal with free agent starter Ubaldo Jimenez, reports MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko (via Twitter). The contract under consideration is believed to be for four years and $48MM.

Jimenez, 30, is one of the premier remaining available free agents. He checked in at 11th on the top fifty free agent list of MLBTR's Tim Dierkes. As MLBTR's Steve Adams argued in his breakdown of Jimenez's free agent case, the big righty looked good for a three-year, $39MM deal but could plausibly command another guaranteed year that would bring him into the range of Edwin Jackson's four-year, $52MM contract.

For the Orioles, the addition of Jimenez would represent a massive shift in the off-season's complexion. Recent signee Suk-min Yoon and reliever Ryan Webb are the only players that the O's have inked to multi-year deals to date, and both players received guarantees of less than $6MM. Baltimore has been tied to numberous players to date, and nearly landed reliever Grant Balfour on a two-year, $15MM pact, but has yet to pull the trigger on a major acquisition.

If Jimenez does indeed sign with the Orioles, his new employer would be required to sacrifice the 17th overall choice in the 2014 amateur draft. Meanwhile, the Indians -- Jimenez's former club -- would add a sandwich-round compensation pick.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/0...o-jimenez.html

I was hoping to get that draft pick from Baltimore for Santana.

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Five minutes after this interview concluded, his back stiffened. He hopes to be back to work by June 1st.

http://tinyurl.com/mm5tzue

JFC, enough already with your obsession with Mike Sweeney. The way you constantly go on and on about him, I'm starting to think he must have ass raped your wife.