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.

[Anyong Bluth]

Not that it means anything, but still a positive sign. Look who made the MLB All Spring Team

Moose..

Spring Stats

AB BA/OBP/SLGH XBH (HR) RBI RBB/ K
51.431/.531/.7842210 (4)171211/8
*



Player Overview

It's hard to get too optimistic about Mike Moustakas based on his spring stats. After all, he hit .394/.429/.718 with eight doubles, five home runs and 16 RBI last spring—before struggling to a .233/.287/.364 line during the regular season.

Once one of the top prospects in the game, the 25-year-old has yet to live up to his potential, but there is still time. The team brought in Danny Valencia in the offseason to push him, and he'll be looking to use the momentum he's built this spring to prove he deserves to be the everyday guy again.

*

Unheralded Standout

Marcus Semien, CWS (54 AB, .333/.422/.481, 5 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 10 R)

[alnorth]

MLB and MLBPA announced an interesting change to the drug testing program. A first-time use will be 80 games. 2nd time will be 162 games, playoffs, and forfeit the entire year's contract (closing the A-Rod loophole). They are also more than doubling the number of urine tests and random blood tests.

If a player can prove to an arbitration panel that use of an illegal substance was not intentional, then the arbitrators may choose to reduce the penalty.

Any player who is suspended for PED use, whether its intentional or not, will be forced to go through 6 random urine tests and 3 random blood tests every year for the rest of his MLB career.

[Anyong Bluth]

Also, clubs will provide supplements year round to all players guaranteed to not test as a false positive.

Counting down the days Til someone tampers with or claims their stuff was tampered with it / not my fault.

[alnorth]

Apparently Infante asked to stay in Arizona to work out in warmer weather. For now, he still plans on making it to Detroit on Monday.

[Mecca]

All this baseball talk is making me want to fire up the show for the new season.

[KChiefs1]

Monday can't get here soon enough!

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Zimmer will stay in Arizona for about 8 more weeks, before heading off to AA or AAA. If all goes well, he could be available for the September call-ups.

So what exactly does he do down here for months besides working out? I'm not aware of any games going on of any level in April here?

[Halfcan]

Looking forward to seeing "Ace" Ventura pitch.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

15) 1B Samir Duenez
Young signing out of Venezuela. Showed well in rookie ball and has long-term power potential.

Was assigned to Lexington Legends, Class A full season.

He's 17, so that is a VERY aggressive assignment. He also, like Billy Butler, likely has no defensive position. They must think pretty highly of him.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by lewdog

So what exactly does he do down here for months besides working out? I'm not aware of any games going on of any level in April here?

Recovering from an injury. The Royals are being ultra-cautious with it, he just now starting throwing bullpen sessions. They won't send him to a minor league team until he's ready to throw at least 75 pitches.

[sedated]

Originally Posted by lewdog

So what exactly does he do down here for months besides working out? I'm not aware of any games going on of any level in April here?

Don't they do simulated games, or simulated spring training (or something like that) all year long? IIRC, Grienke was sent down there after he went AWOL and wanted to quit baseball.

[alnorth]

Yost's reasoning on batting Escobar 2nd: He doesn't want to mess with rest of the order. "I’ve got my guys lined up, where I want them."

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 28, 2014

If you excuse me, I'm going to duck now.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 28, 2014

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Yost's reasoning on batting Escobar 2nd: He doesn't want to mess with rest of the order. "I’ve got my guys lined up, where I want them."

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 28, 2014

If you excuse me, I'm going to duck now.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 28, 2014

This better not be the case when Infante is in the lineup.

[dallaschiefsfan]

Originally Posted by sedated

Don't they do simulated games, or simulated spring training (or something like that) all year long? IIRC, Grienke was sent down there after he went AWOL and wanted to quit baseball.

Yeah...but more importantly, all our minor league teams are still down there until their particular seasons start at the end of next week (or later in some cases). He has plenty of work he can get in.

[AustinChief]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Was assigned to Lexington Legends, Class A full season.

He's 17, so that is a VERY aggressive assignment. He also, like Billy Butler, likely has no defensive position. They must think pretty highly of him.

I don't get this. If you can't teach a 17 year old how to be an average 1st baseman there is something wrong. (unless he's a midget)