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.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

It's almost agonizing watching billy hit right now... the guy is hitting more weak ground balls than a little league infield coach at practice.

Dude is in a mega-funk.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Zeke

It's almost agonizing watching billy hit right now... the guy is hitting more weak ground balls than a little league infield coach at practice.

Dude is in a mega-funk.

And an ill-timed one, too.

If he was doing this in the middle of June, probably wouldn't get much notice. At the start of the season, everything is magnified.

I saw some things yesterday that MIGHT indicate he's focusing on driving the ball up the middle, gap-to-gap. That's typically when he's at his best.

Hopefully that was part of a conscious effort and a sign that he's close to getting his timing back.

Oh, and it would also help if he'd straighten out a few of those balls back to the screen, too. He's had a lot of good swings that he hasn't quite squared up. Those are potential gappers/bombs. Need to put them in play.

[Canofbier]

I just bought tickets to the game tomorrow night! Can't wait to see our Boys in Blue live. I'll be wearing this shirt:

[CaliforniaChief]

Interesting that only the Giants have fewer walks than our pitching staff and that only the Phillies have fewer strikeouts as a staff. We're really pitching to our defense right now.

[Tytanium]

Originally Posted by Zeke

It's almost agonizing watching billy hit right now... the guy is hitting more weak ground balls than a little league infield coach at practice.

Dude is in a mega-funk.

Does he even work out in the offseason? Does he work out at all?

He's a one tool player on a good day, and right now he's an extreme liability. A DH that can't hit, and not only that he can't hit, he's causing extra outs due to his inability to get the ball into the grass.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Moore isn't perfect, but he's done a lot of good things since becoming the GM.

He has brought talent into the farm system in diverse ways. He has signed key players to extensions. He has at least broken even in his trades (barring outcome of Myers/Shields) and he has made a lot of shrewd pickups.

He's been patient in initial development with guys when they were bad and could afford it.

Ultimately, if Hosmer/Butler/Gordon/Perez/Moustakas don't produce (at least 3 of those guys), it doesn't much matter how many other good moves Moore makes. They've done everything they can to support those guys and allow them to develop. Up to them now.

Hardest things and most expensive things to acquire are power and top of rotation starting pitching.

Spot on. Agree on every point. He made the Shields deal thinking (or hoping) that Butler & Moose would replicate their 49HR season in 2012 if not surpass it, and that Gordon would hit 20+. If that doesn't happen we are simply SOL and very few here or, frankly, around MLB would've forseen the power outage. At least to the extent it's happening.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Tytanium

Does he even work out in the offseason? Does he work out at all?

He's a one tool player on a good day, and right now he's an extreme liability. A DH that can't hit, and not only that he can't hit, he's causing extra outs due to his inability to get the ball into the grass.

Certainly, this is a make-or-break year for Billy. There was plenty of smoke this winter about us shopping him, and even in years prior to that. We carry a very low $1M buyout on him next year and DM already showed he's willing to eat salary to let someone go when he released Boni. He doesn't really fit the DM mold of high athleticism & rah-rah type gamers.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6049428


His option escalates to 12.5m for next season. Barring him going on a tear and getting to 25hr or something like that, there's no way he's comig back. Some guys just age poorly and he might be one.

[Tytanium]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Certainly, this is a make-or-break year for Billy. There was plenty of smoke this winter about us shopping him, and even in years prior to that. We carry a very low $1M buyout on him next year and DM already showed he's willing to eat salary to let someone go when he released Boni. He doesn't really fit the DM mold of high athleticism & rah-rah type gamers.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6049428


His option escalates to 12.5m for next season. Barring him going on a tear and getting to 25hr or something like that, there's no way he's comig back. Some guys just age poorly and he might be one.

He's always just been a fat guy with a decent eye for the ball and couldn't hit home runs. I don't see him as having a good work ethic, he clearly has an eating problem. He walks a lot (for being in a Royals uniform, which isn't saying much), but not that much. He's exceeded 70 walks one time, which was last season

He's like Pablo Sandoval on a fat year, except it's every year, and he's still less athletic. He's short, fat, slow, weak and can occasionally put the bat on the ball. Should have gotten rid of him and kept Bonifacio, who's clearly a more valuable overall player, even as a backup. The only justification for having a lazy fat guy on your roster is if he hit the ball out of the park.

Look at young Billy


You could even call him trim looking

He's only gotten fatter and slower every year, and now he can't hit the ball out of the infield to save his life, which was the only thing that made him worth putting in the lineup.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Some guys just age poorly and he might be one.

Yea, im starting to think that too, hes on a path of diminishing returns.


I honestly hope he turns it around, for the teams sake......

[Sully]

He looks slimmer this year than last, to me.

[Strongside]

From this:


To this:

[Canofbier]

Originally Posted by Strongside

From this:


To this:

I didn't realize that you were sexting with Billy. Does he have a fat dick, too?

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Canofbier

I just bought tickets to the game tomorrow night! Can't wait to see our Boys in Blue live. I'll be wearing this shirt:

Love that shirt. Where did you get it?

[Canofbier]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Love that shirt. Where did you get it?

It was a limited time thing near the end of last year at teespring.com, so I'm not sure you can get it anymore.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Canofbier

It was a limited time thing near the end of last year at teespring.com, so I'm not sure you can get it anymore.

Seems no. Nothing on ebay either.