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.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish

Nobody is accountable in this organization.

And THAT, right there, is the problem.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Another area where Moore wants to see improvement is the team's pattern of swinging at pitches out of the zone. The Royals, according to FanGraphs, swing at an above-average rate (30.4 percent) of pitches outside the zone, which is never a good idea for a team that is last in the league in homers (13) and has a woeful .307 on-base percentage (13th out of 15 AL teams).

"That has been addressed, too," Moore said. "Pedro and Ned are working with the hitters every day on their approach, whether it's being ahead in the count, having two strikes on you, or whatever

Oh this is good. Ned is working with the hitters. Let's also put the space program in the hands of Chiefsshrink. God will get us to Mars.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish

Why should the players be accountable? You're not. You certainly don't hold that galactic ****wit Ned accountable. It's time to sit some players who are not producing.

Nobody is accountable in this organization.

Moustakas is a good defensive third baseman, but he is an awful big league hitter. The first half of 2012 is the only time he did anything well hitting .268/.327/.490 over 327 plate appearances. Since then he has come to the plate 906 times managing a horrible .218/.274/.349 line.

http://kingsofkauffman.com/2014/05/0...akas-needs-go/

[DeezNutz]

Strike zone awareness cannot be taught at the ML level.

[siberian khatru]

Even Jim Fetterolf thinks Moose should be sent down.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Even Jim Fetterolf thinks Moose should be sent down.

...It's a process....

[Prison Bitch]

It is weird that a guy like DM that loves contact hitters so much would play Moose over Gio. It's totally unlike him.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

It is weird that a guy like DM that loves contact hitters so much would play Moose over Gio. It's totally unlike him.

Moose was Moores first draft pick right? He's going to get every available opportunity, even if it kills the team.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

...It's a process....

Not "a" process but The Process™

[duncan_idaho]

Moose was the first legit Moore pick. Varying levels of belief on how involved he was in selecting Hochevar.

But it belies a bigger problem to focus on Moose: they are too loyal and have too much faith in ALL their guys.

Btw, Bubba Starling scouting reports keep getting worse. BP had something on him this morning in which he was called Drew Stubbs-lite.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Moose was the first legit Moore pick. Varying levels of belief on how involved he was in selecting Hochevar.

But it belies a bigger problem to focus on Moose: they are too loyal and have too much faith in ALL their guys.

Btw, Bubba Starling scouting reports keep getting worse. BP had something on him this morning in which he was called Drew Stubbs-lite.

And it's going to kill them. If they keep up this trend, can you see Moore getting fired and having to rebuild anew?...Again.

[Prison Bitch]

Yes Moose is DMs love child no doubt. But remember, Gio was drafted in the next class (Hosmers) as a second rounder so he's also DMs spawn.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by alnorth

The farm system was such a barren dumpster fire when DM was hired, that in my view it was basically impossible for the Royals to win in the first 3 years, no matter what.

So, I'm treating this as basically the 3rd year where its fair to judge the GM. That said, the first year we lost, the second year we traded Wil Myers for 2 years of Shields and won 86 games but failed to make the playoffs, and so far this year isn't very encouraging, so I'm not going to bother defending him unless we make the playoffs.

edit: we're in much better shape now, so if Glass were to hypothetically fire DM after this year or in 2015, I'd start judging the new GM's W/L results immediately.

Isn't this Dayton's 9th year with the club?

[duncan_idaho]

He was hired in 2006, but mid-season. 2007, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 is 7 years.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

He was hired in 2006, but mid-season. 2007, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 is 7 years.

I could be wrong, but it feels like there is starting to be a pattern under DMs regime.

1 year where they sort of overachieve and set high expectations for the next season, followed by a down year of underachieving. Am i dreaming? Wash, rinse, repeat....