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]

Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Craig Biggio misses by two votes. http://t.co/jEggLBC2z2

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) January 8, 2014

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Craig Biggio misses by two votes. http://t.co/jEggLBC2z2

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) January 8, 2014

Awesome.

Glad Biggio again failed to make it.

[gblowfish]

I don't understand why there isn't more love for Jack Morris? That guy was nails.

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Awesome.

Glad Biggio again failed to make it.

Longevity alone is not HOF credential. It can be, but not in Biggio's case.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Craig Biggio misses by two votes. http://t.co/jEggLBC2z2

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) January 8, 2014

That is a great class and all are deserving.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

That is a great class and all are deserving.

Even though I did and still do hate the White Sox, I have a ton of respect for Frank Thomas.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

I don't understand why there isn't more love for Jack Morris? That guy was nails.

He was a slightly above-average pitcher for a long time, but he really was never dominant/great. He gave up a lot of runs, a lot of hits and a lot of baserunners. Not a big strikeout guy.

Morris was a very good player, but he's not a great player. Mike Mussina is among many pitchers who are more deserving but not getting the attention.

Originally Posted by theelusiveeightrop

Longevity alone is not HOF credential. It can be, but not in Biggio's case.

Yes. Biggio had a nice career, but he was never dominant. He was never the best player on his own team, and his primary sticking point for HoF election (3000 hits) came at the detriment of his team (he hurt them in his final two seasons while chasing 3000).

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Even though I did and still do hate the White Sox, I have a ton of respect for Frank Thomas.

Same here, I detest them more than any other team. It goes back to Ed Farmer hitting Al Cowens and Frank White. Al was never the same. Farmer is kind of big deal around here and I am glad I haven't ran into him.

But Frank Thomas was all class and a great player IMO.

[KC_Connection]

Good for Maddux, Glavine, and Thomas. All deserving inductees.

But I'll only truly start caring about the Baseball Hall of Fame again when the best hitter and pitcher to ever play the game are actually in there.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Good for Maddux, Glavine, and Thomas. All deserving inductees.

But I'll only truly start caring about the Baseball Hall of Fame again when the best hitter and pitcher to ever play the game are actually in there.

Babe Ruth? I thought he would have made it by now.

[Tytanium]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Career .242/.312/.710 line away from Texas-Arlington... or worse than what they got out of Infante a year ago.

They swapped Fielder straight-up for that, AND sent money to Texas for the privilege. Detroit got fleeced in that deal.

Fielder didn't have a great 2013, but he still is a feared hitter who made that lineup really deep and dangerous. Detroit's lineup has become much more shallow, though they will be improved defensively and have more athleticism with a full season of Castellanos/Iglesias/Kinsler/Cabrera as the infield.

I don't think the defensive improvements are enough to overcome the offensive step backs, especially if Scherzer regresses a bit or Verlander doesn't bounce back to his old, dominant form.

I think getting rid of Fielder was more a personal issue than a personnel issue. Apparently Avisail Garcia banged Fielder's wife, got into a confrontation with Miggy, reinjuring Miggy's groin in the altercation. Then Garcia was traded, and presumably they just got rid of Fielder to prevent any more possible drama from happening.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Babe Ruth? I thought he would have made it by now.

No, just the greatest hitter we've seen in our lifetimes and likely ever will see.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

No, just the greatest hitter we've seen in our lifetimes and likely ever will see.

Steroids shouldn't count in my opinion. Which pitcher are you referring to, the Rocket?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Good for Maddux, Glavine, and Thomas. All deserving inductees.

But I'll only truly start caring about the Baseball Hall of Fame again when the best hitter and pitcher to ever play the game are actually in there.

I'd vote for Bonds if I had one because he clearly was headed to the Hall without roids.

I'd even probably vote for Clemens (though I don't quite buy him as best pitcher ever), though I don't think his career thrives in his 30s and into his 40s the way it did without juice.

[duncan_idaho]

Side note: I was, at one point, just 6 years away from having a Hall of Fame vote.

Always think of that this time of year...