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.

[Hootie]

so if you count Shields 4.1 2013 WAR

Shields will end up with about a 5 WAR over 2 years...

it only cost us Myers and Odorizzi, though! Great move Dayton. We may get two above .500 seasons out of it!!

Kansas City Royalsssss baseballllll!!! BE A PART OF IT ALL!

[tk13]

I actually agree... I thought all along losing Odorizzi might be what pushes the trade over the top. It's one thing to trade one position for another... then throw in another player that plays the same position you just traded for.

That said... I do believe there's been an intangible effect of having Shields on the staff. The pitching staff two years ago was beyond terrible. Bruce Chen was our opening day starter. Shields helped give the team direction. I think it's been a positive for both Ventura and Duffy to have a legit top of the rotation starter to learn from.

I wonder sometimes if it would help all of our "elite" hitting prospects to have a veteran to hold them accountable and learn from. This group of hitters has never had that.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Odorizzi ****ing worked the Cardinals in his last start. They had no answer for his split.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Hootie 2.0

now that I look...

Odorizzi 1.1 WAR
Shields 0.6 WAR

and Odorizzi doesn't have the best defense in baseball behind him

...such a pathetic trade

hopefully we can squeeze out 3 good closer years out of Davis, flip Holland for something, and get lucky in the draft with our Shields comp pick

That ****ing trade...

Have to get very creative in order to even come close to "winning it" now.

[KCCHIEFS27]

Originally Posted by KevB

Valencia is an .878 OPS guy against lefties this season. I'll take that all day. It's not his fault Yost used him too often against right handers, where he's at .467 OPS. Of course Yost didn't have much choice when Moose was in AAA.

If he'd been used in a strict platoon, his WAR would be better and he'd be much more useful.

Valencia played 3 games while Moose was in AAA. Two of those three were against left handers. He went 1-13. With RISP? Since everybody loves the slash, Moose has a .236/.310/.431 Valencia has a .182/.263/.212

This team needs runs, right? That's what the consensus is around here? Well, there you go. Not saying we improved at all. But to say you'd rather have a guy on the 25 man roster that plays one position once every 4 or 5 days is absurd.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by tk13

I actually agree... I thought all along losing Odorizzi might be what pushes the trade over the top. It's one thing to trade one position for another... then throw in another player that plays the same position you just traded for.

That said... I do believe there's been an intangible effect of having Shields on the staff. The pitching staff two years ago was beyond terrible. Bruce Chen was our opening day starter. Shields helped give the team direction. I think it's been a positive for both Ventura and Duffy to have a legit top of the rotation starter to learn from.

I wonder sometimes if it would help all of our "elite" hitting prospects to have a veteran to hold them accountable and learn from. This group of hitters has never had that.

Shields has served as the Chris Carpenter role to the Wainwright (Duffy and Ace). If he helped right the ship with Duffy or Ventura into potential aces it would be worth it.

[Sure-Oz]

I'm mad at that trade again. Surprised Montgomery didn't turn out good tol

['Hamas' Jenkins]

The Shields trade was made with the interest of saving Moore's job for a few years. That's the thing that blows about sports: the GMs almost always put saving their jobs ahead of the best long-term interests of the team. Coaches do the same.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

The Shields trade was made with the interest of saving Moore's job for a few years. That's the thing that blows about sports: the GMs almost always put saving their jobs ahead of the best long-term interests of the team. Coaches do the same.

I get that argument, and front office people definitely do that... but Moore did kind of stick his neck out. If the Royals do not make the playoffs this year, there's going to be a ton of pressure to fire Moore.

If this team had a losing record, but Odorizzi and Myers were showing flashes, some people would be saying that they're finally "this" close, like the Royals always are, give him one more year.

[KCCHIEFS27]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Odorizzi ****ing worked the Cardinals in his last start. They had no answer for his split.

The Cardinals lineup isn't exactly tearing it up this year.

[Hootie]

I have no doubts that Shields is a great, great, fantastic clubhouse guy. I don't even have anything against him. I love his competitiveness even if he's been league average, at best this year.

However...we have the best ****ing defense I've ever seen. They literally make every one of our pitchers have numbers that are better than they should be.

I can't ****ing imagine what Shields, Vargas, and Guthrie's numbers would look like without our defense out there.

I play DFS on FanDuel and read advanced pitching stats every day and our defense is hilarious...

Look at our team defense compared to everyone else:

http://rotogrinders.com/articles/Adv...ri_7_25-341649

[KCCHIEFS27]

Originally Posted by Hootie 2.0

now that I look...

Odorizzi 1.1 WAR
Shields 0.6 WAR

and Odorizzi doesn't have the best defense in baseball behind him

...such a pathetic trade

hopefully we can squeeze out 3 good closer years out of Davis, flip Holland for something, and get lucky in the draft with our Shields comp pick

Uhh, the Rays have the least amount of errors in the MLB and the third best fielding percentage in the AL. The Royals? 7th best in the AL for errors and fielding percentage.

[ChiefsCountry]

Odorizzi was a throw in from the Greinke trade. That was just extra ammo used to get Shields.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by tk13

I get that argument, and front office people definitely do that... but Moore did kind of stick his neck out. If the Royals do not make the playoffs this year, there's going to be a ton of pressure to fire Moore.

If this team had a losing record, but Odorizzi and Myers were showing flashes, some people would be saying that they're finally "this" close, like the Royals always are, give him one more year.

I don't know if the average fan is sophisticated or patient enough to buy that line of thinking, especially with a team that has struggled as much as the Royals. They look at the here and now.

If the Royals win 86 games this year, then he can point to an upward trajectory and secure some extra years despite hurting their long-term viability.

[lewdog]

That Shields trade is gonna look awesome when we finish runner-up to the final wild card spot this year!