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]

The double plays have to be drastically reduced. They just have to be. It would be nice if he could actually becoming a guy you knew for a certainty that was going to flirt with 30 HRs and 40+ doubles every season (no shit, right?).

Get in the ****ing gym and drop a 20 spot, Billy. Maybe then you'd be able to leg out a couple of those DP's you seem to be so fond of hitting into.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

I was wondering when you'd chime in.

2013: Billy had the second highest WAR for a DH.

You've never responded to this point, nor do I expect you to. In addition, please point us to alternatives who would have outdone or matched Butler's production in 2013.

Billy matched the WAR of Prince Fielder and Victor Martinez for 2013, so as usual, your argument holds little to no factual merit (it's not a surprise, you are a professional at this by now).

Now, 8.5 million is a perfectly reasonable amount to pay Butler at his level of production, but 12.5 million is a different story.

Who gives a shit about his 1.6 WAR? It was terrible. Pointing to crappy years by Prince and Martinez don't justify your argument. I already addressed Billy's "production" being replaced by a platoon of Justin Maxwell & Jarrod Dyson. It sounds laughably absurd, but put the numbers together. You'll see it is actually true. And all for the low low price of $1M.


Further, you can rotate Alex and Sal in there, which you'll need to do to keep your best bats in there for the aforementioned "half days off".

[alnorth]

For me, I think Billy needs to do better than 2012. Keeping him means we give up on the chance to bat Salvy when he's not catching. Teams who don't have a catcher who can hit wouldn't care as much, but our catcher happens to be one of our best hitters, so freeing up the DH spot is worth a lot to us.

I think Billy would need to explode this year and become a 4-WAR player and an obvious all-star before I begin to think bringing him back for 12.5 in 2015 is a good idea.

[BlackHelicopters]

Tub of goo making 12.5 M in 2015 makes me nauseous.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Who gives a shit about his 1.6 WAR? It was terrible. Pointing to crappy years by Prince and Martinez don't justify your argument. I already addressed Billy's "production" being replaced by a platoon of Justin Maxwell & Jarrod Dyson. It sounds laughably absurd, but put the numbers together. You'll see it is actually true. And all for the low low price of $1M.


Further, you can rotate Alex and Sal in there, which you'll need to do to keep your best bats in there for the aforementioned "half days off".

Using WAR to calculate the projected output from a player who played a partial season is a dishonest mechanism for evaluation.

Case in point: In 2004, Mark Teahan had an AWESOME 3.8 OWar with only about 400 PA's, his performance over a full season in 2006? 0.8.

[tk13]

Butler needs to hit for more power, even his doubles were down. That's pretty much it. I'm pretty sure he posted his highest OBP ever... he took a lot of walks last year.

If he hits between 20-30 HRs he is probably worth the 12 million a year. Especially in our ballpark. I do not believe platooning the likes of Maxwell, Lough and Dyson in that position will yield similar results. That kind of stuff hardly ever plays out like you think it will because bench players end up getting overexposed... i.e. Ross Gload syndrome.

[BlackHelicopters]

A Ross Gload mention. Awesome. Who's next? Jacobs?

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by theelusiveeightrop

A Ross Gload mention. Awesome. Who's next? Jacobs?

Aaron Guiel

[stonedstooge]

Belly needs to lay off those low and away sliders and be able to get around on the high outer strike zone pitches and whack them to right field again. If not, don't see much use in keeping him after this year

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by Brainiac

What a load of Bullshit. Your hatred of Sweeney is making you irrational.

Gil Meche was crazy to do what he did. I wouldn't and neither would you. If you say otherwise you're lying to yourself.

Sweeney was a great player who gave the Royals a hometown discount to stay in town. he didn't "steal" anything. He was putting up Brett-like numbers until his back and neck injuries ruined him. I honestly don't understand the hate.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/dyi...ty-royal,5029/

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

http://www.theonion.com/articles/dyi...ty-royal,5029/

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by tk13

I do not believe platooning the likes of Maxwell, Lough and Dyson in that position will yield similar results. That kind of stuff hardly ever plays out like you think it will because bench players end up getting overexposed... i.e. Ross Gload syndrome.

It won't, but for 11.5MM (we have to pay 1MM to buy out), its probably going to be good enough. If we're the Yankees or Dodgers and Butler posts his usual old .800-something OPS season we could just pay him and forget about it, but we're the Royals and that kind of money means something to us. If we were a hopeless losing team maybe you keep Butler around to sell tickets and give the fans someone to cheer for, but we're presumably still going to be in the playoff hunt in 2015 even without Shields, unless all of our young pitchers go straight to hell.

[WhawhaWhat]

The plan for Kyle Zimmer: He’ll start slow, and be capped around 150 IP. Hope is he’ll arrive midseason as a force. http://t.co/wBxErX6awU

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) February 8, 2014

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

The plan for Kyle Zimmer: He’ll start slow, and be capped around 150 IP. Hope is he’ll arrive midseason as a force. http://t.co/wBxErX6awU

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) February 8, 2014

yep, was just about to post that, looks like his first article as the new beat writer.

The Royals are going to cap him at 150IP this year, starting slow, and hoping he triumphantly swoops in around July or so to power the Royals into the playoffs.

[duncan_idaho]

Not surprising this thread transitioned from Sweeney hate to Butler hate. Hand-in-hand.

Some facts from 2013 (which by all means was a down year for Butler):

Stat/Butler's number/AL rank

AVG: .289/3rd
OBP: .374/2nd
SLG: .412/8th
OPS: .786/2nd

The guy still gave the Royals the 2nd-best DH numbers in the American League last year, in his worst year as a pro.

He's not overpaid. He's not worthless. And the number of double plays into which he hits does not matter (lots of great hitters hit into a ton of double plays, regardless of speed, including: Dustin Pedroia, Matt Holliday, Victor Martinez, Paul Goldschmidt. Even speed guys like Jose Altuve and Darwin Barney were in the top 10 in 2013).

Butler needs to be better this year. The Royals need him to have 60+ combined 2B and HR again, something he's done in every full season except for last year. They will have a tough decision on his 2015 option. But thinking he's easily replaced and being glad he's gone... just silly things. Teams that have tried the new, in vogue platoon approach at DH have received mixed results from it.

Suggesting Jarrod Dyson gives you ANY value when used solely as a hitter/offensive player is ludicrous. The guy is not a full time player. He needs to have limited at-bats to prevent overexposure. You don't slot .258/.326/.366 hitters into the DH spot.