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.

[WhawhaWhat]

Good ole Zack.

Zack Greinke on pitching in Australia: “I can’t think of one reason to be excited for*it” http://t.co/hFv4LfqNnj

— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) February 22, 2014

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Good ole Zack.

Zack Greinke on pitching in Australia: “I can’t think of one reason to be excited for*it” http://t.co/hFv4LfqNnj

— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) February 22, 2014

Make sure and take your meds Zack. You know how you get without them

[lewdog]

Went up to the workouts around 10:30 and about a dozen people in Royals gear were leaving. One told me that they had physical conditioning in the morning and wouldn't be out until 1. I wasn't going to wait around for hours until after they worked out. They are also having a Pac 12/Big 10 baseball tourney going on there and Michigan State and Oregon State were using the fields so that could have been why as well. I'll try going up again tomorrow morning.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Good ole Zack.

Zack Greinke on pitching in Australia: “I can’t think of one reason to be excited for*it” http://t.co/hFv4LfqNnj

— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) February 22, 2014

Classic Zack.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Good ole Zack.

Zack Greinke on pitching in Australia: “I can’t think of one reason to be excited for*it” http://t.co/hFv4LfqNnj

— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) February 22, 2014

Damn Zack.. just shut up, throw a baseball, and receive $150 million worth of paychecks. Don't over-complicate things here.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

Classic Zack.

I imagine they asked him "Zack, how are you feeling about going to Australia? Are you excited?"

And he gave a very honest response.

[lewdog]

I don't mind his response. I think it is really reeruned to fly players around the world to play regular season baseball games out of the states.

[BlackHelicopters]

Zack being Zack.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by lewdog

I don't mind his response. I think it is really reeruned to fly players around the world to play regular season baseball games out of the states.

well, it does make a heck of a lot more sense to do it in baseball than the NFL. At least baseball has 162 games to spare, a world cup, and there is some support for the game in the far east, football has 16 games and virtually no fans outside of the US.

[WhawhaWhat]

I imagine the questions was just a simple "How excited are you excited to go to Australia to begin the season?"

“I would say there is absolutely zero excitement for it,” Greinke told ESPNLosAngeles.com. “There just isn’t any excitement to it. I can’t think of one reason to be excited for it.”

Greinke made sure to point out that he understands the series is “for the greater good of baseball,” but it’s easy to understand why he (and others who won’t go on the record) would be annoyed or inconvenienced by it.

The good thing about Zack is that he never gives the typical canned answers to the media.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by alnorth

well, it does make a heck of a lot more sense to do it in baseball than the NFL. At least baseball has 162 games to spare, a world cup, and there is some support for the game in the far east, football has 16 games and virtually no fans outside of the US.

Sure it's good for "the game" to gather more fans but I doubt any player really likes doing it.

But I agree. Doing it for football makes absolutely no sense.

[Infidel Goat]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

And Baseball Prospectus had 7 in its top 101. Almonte, Manaea and Dozier were all in its list, too. And they had Almonte in the top 50 as well. For what's it worth, I saw some comments from BA that Almonte and Manaea just missed the top 100.

I'm a big believer in Manaea. They were confident the hip labrum issue could be easily dealt with before they drafted him, and we'll see this year if they're right. If they were, I think he's a top 25 guy on all the lists next year. (Remember, this is the kid that most thought was the No. 1 overall pick before the 2013 college season started).

Rany is as bullish on Manaea as Duncan.

Manea and Zimmer summaries

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by Infidel Goat

Rany is as bullish on Manaea as Duncan.

Manea and Zimmer summaries

I'm not high on any Royals minor league pitchers until they prove they can stay healthy.

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by Three7s

I'm not high on any Royals minor league pitchers until they prove they can stay healthy.

A healthy Royals pitching prospect? What a novelty.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

Classic Zack.

Originally Posted by Infidel Goat

Rany is as bullish on Manaea as Duncan.

Manea and Zimmer summaries

No wonder people always ask me if I'm him (on internet message boards).

I agree whole heartedly with everything he says about Manaea. One of my buddies in the industry got me video of Manaea from the Cape Cod league... you're talking about a guy with David Price size/frame/velocity PLUS a devastating wipeout slider. And a fair changeup.

If he can get back to that level of velo (and if you're wondering if maybe that is why he got hurt in the first place, a labrum tear almost always occurs because the pitcher had another lower leg injury he was compensating for, like the ankle injury Rany referenced), you're talking about a guy who could jump just as much as Giolito did ths year.