January 2012
Shortstops: The Five Names to Know
The Royals have a lot of young, raw SS’s within their system that need a lot of time to develop. But at the major league level, they seem set for the next half-decade.
5. Mike Antonio (Idaho Falls) age 20
Photo Credit: milb.com
The Royals selected Antonio in the 3rd round of the 2010 draft out of high school. He is seen as more of a high-risk, high-reward type player. At 6’2″, 190, he’s already big for the position, leading many scouts to ponder a position change for him in the near future. But nonetheless, the Royals seem inclined to leave him alone at SS for now.
Mike is known more for his prowess at the plate than in the field, displaying a lack of range to both sides(his speed is below average as far as SS’s go), making routine plays look “flashy” (like Yuni), while botching a routine play every now and again (like Yuni, too). And with his poor .891 Fld% in 97 games thus far, you can see why many believe he won’t stick at SS for too much longer. But in 103 games with the bat, he owns a positionally exceptional line of .266/.311/.453, 12 HR, 27 2B, 6 3B and a 62:26 K:BB ratio.
Grade: B-. Right now, Mike is a work in progress. He’s a still raw, but very toolsy and athletic player. With him being selected out of high school at the ripe age of 18, the Royals absolutely should take their time with him. If the Royals were to put him on the fast track to Kansas City, he’d be either at 3B or in the OF by now. As of now, though, he’s still a project player with great potential upside with a plus bat.
4. Irving Falu (Omaha) age 28
Photo Credit: Minda Haas
For those Royals fans are as nerdy as I am, the case of Irving Falu is a terribly confusing one. He’s a 28 year-old, switch hitting utility infielder with a 9 year career minor league AVG of .275, OBP of .342, 170 SB, and a decent .968 Fld%. So why hasn’t this guy ever got a shot at being the Utility infielder for the Royals yet?
Is he great? No. No by any means. But he has value. How many teams would love to have a guy who can play SS, 2B, 3B every few days and can fill in at all three OF positions if the circumstance should arise? My guess would be probably about 100% of them. So who knows why Irving hasn’t been given a shot in Kansas City yet.
Grade: C-. He is what he is. Breeding a utility player isn’t something that GM’s dream of, but it happened. He may be more valuable to a team in the NL, given its nature of substitutions.
3. Orlando Calixte (Kane County) age 19
Photo Credit: scout.com
Dayton moore signed Calixte, an International free agent out of the Dominican, in 2010 for $1mil.,along with other top Royals prospects Cheslor Cuthbert and Noel Arguelles. At 5’11″ and 160 lbs., he has the ideal frame for the position and has enough speed to stick there without any problem. Scouts project him to hit for average and have some above-average power for a SS.
Thus far, Orlando has struggled at the plate (.211/.275/.273), but has of his 75 hits thus far, 15 have been for extra bases. He hasn’t looked great thus far with the bat, but two factors really come into play when it comes to his numbers: he’s only 19 years young, and he’s already competing in a league consisting of a lot of seasoned college pitchers.
Grade: B. His bat should come along, and his quickness will keep him at SS. He’s got plenty of time to figure out his swing and put it all together.
2. Yuniesky Betancourt (Milwaukee) age 29
Photo Credit: Ed Zurga AP
You know, I could sit here and Yuni-bash all day long. I could say something like “He’s statistically the Worst Player in Baseball”, but we’ve all heard that before. So if you really want to know what I think about him, you should look back at my Yuni post from last month.
Grade: C. Yuni has power potential, and will be best utilized from the bench backing up Escobar, Moose, and Gio. And that’s all I have to say about him.
1. Alcides Escobar (Kansas City) age 25
Photo Credit: Doug Pensinger / Getty Images
As of now, Alcides Escobar is the prize of the Zach Greinke trade (Jake Odorizzi pending), which wasn’t good news for the Royals faithful until June. Up until then, he was hitting a meager .216. His fielding was as graceful as could be though, conjuring up visions of Ozzie Smith and Omar Vizquel (both of which were/are superb fielders that more than made up for their lack of plate presence).
But once June hit, so did Escobar, hitting .305/.353/.432 with 8 extra base hits for the month. He cooled off a little after that, hitting .253 in July and .224 in August. He became red hot once again in September and October, putting up a .324 AVG in the last month-plus of the season.
The moral of the story is: no matter how poor or great his offense seemed, his defense never faltered, which can happen to players who find themselves in a prolonged slump.
Escobar possesses great speed as well, leading the team with 26 SBs and 8 3Bs.
Grade:B. Escobar will be one of the better fielding SS’s in the league for the next 4 or 5 years and should have enough of a bat to keep him in the lineup nearly everyday. I expect him to hit in the 9 hole for KC this season and be at or around the top of the team in SB’s.
Other names to watch: Jack Lopez, Adalberto Mondesi, Alex McClure
Four Royals in MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospects
Four Royals minor leaguers were named by Jonathan Mayo in MLB.com’s list of the top 100 prospects for 2012. Actually, the Royals four named were in the top 50 of the list, including two in the top 20.
17. Bubba Starling OF (age 19)
19. Wil Myers OF (age 21)
31. Mike Montgomery LHP (age 22)
47. Jake Odorizzi RHP (age 21)
Oakland, Tampa Bay, and San Diego lead the way in this seasons’ rankings, as they each had six prospects each included, while the Yankees and Braves placed five of their own. The Royals are tied with seven other teams at four.
Second Base: The Fatal 5
Second base is without a doubt the position the Royals have the most unanswered questions about. Johnny Giavotella, Yuniesky Betancourt, and Chris Getz all have very legitimate shots at making the 25-man roster out of Spring Training. One will win the starting job, one will be the back up, and one will be sent to Omaha or released. It’s not particularly a deep position within the organization, but it contains a few names that are worth keeping an eye on.
5. Tony Abreu- (Reno – Dbacks) age 27
The Royals signed Tony Abreu, a switch-hitting IF, to a one-year minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training this past December. He spent all of last season in Reno (the Dbacks AAA affiliate), where he .292/.335/.429, though he has a career line in parts of three big league seasons with the Dodgers and Diamondbacks of .251/.279/.309. He showed a little bit of power last season (10 HR, 26 doubles), but failed to earn a big league promotion. For his career he’s hitting left-handed than right-handed, but not by much (.255 to .241), and has almost a 4:1 K/BB ratio, which doesn’t bode well for him.
His value though lies in his versatility on the defensive side of it all. In the majors, he’s played 49 games at 3B, 38 games at 2B, and 22 at SS; though in the minors he’s played 531 games at 2B, 105 at SS, and only 28 games at 3B. His defense itself leaves a lot to be desired (career dWAR of 0.03), but as a guy off the bench who can play twice a week and occasionally pinch hit, he holds some value.
Grade: C-. Tony mainly provides the Royals with organizational depth this season with the potential of playing in a handful of games in Kansas City this summer barring injuries. His value lies in his utility-ness (submit that one to Webster’s) and his ability to switch-hit. He’ll be in Omaha for sure.
4. Rey Navarro- (Northwest Arkansas) age 22
Up until this past season, Rey Navarro was a primarily a SS in the Diamondbacks organization (the Royals acquired him 2010 for Carlos Rosa). After becoming a member of the Royals, he was switched over to the other side of the bag, however. After a hot start to his season that started in Single-A Wilmington, hitting .285 with 8 HR and 7 triples in 72 games, he was promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He cooled off a bit after the promotion, but maintained a decent ability to get on base (.332 OBP) and a 2:1 K:BB ratio. He is a high contact middle infielder, which is why I am fairly high on him.
Grade: C+. I see Navarro starting the season in Northwest Arkansas. Though if he starts the season off on the right foot like he did in 2011, he could quickly earn a call-up to Omaha. As far as his position, I’m not quite sure though. It all depends on if the Royals plan to keep Christian Colon at SS for another season. Rey’s ceiling may be as a Tony Abreu-type player, given the fact that he is also a switch hitter and has the ability to play all over the field.
3. Chris Getz- (Royals) age 28
More affectionally known as “Getzy”, Chris Getz will find himself this Spring competing for a spot on the 25-man roster. Last season, Getz struggled to stay consistent. He was above average in May and June, hitting .274 and .292. He cooled off quickly after that though, hitting .233, .217, and .235 in the remaining three months of the season; thus losing his job to the Royals organizational hitter of the year, Johnny Giavotella.
After Gio’s call-up, Getz was relegated to Utility duty, backing up at 2B, SS, and 3B. He would occasionally pinch run in the later innings of close games for Billy Butler due to his speed (84% career SB rate).
Grade: C. If Getzy is on the 2012 Opening Day roster, it will be as a UTIL player. His defense is sub-par (as well as his arm) and his bat is not good enough to make up for it. But a speedy, left-handed hitting utility infielder who is regarded as the best bunter on the team could be of value as Ned plans to make more in-game substitutions this year.
Christian Colon- (Northwest Arkansas) age 22
SS Christian Colon was the Royals first round pick (4th overall) out of Cal-State Fullerton in 2010. Regarded as a slight reach, but one of the safest picks in the draft, Colon signed quickly enough that he was able to get in 60 games at Wilmington where he hit .278/.326/.380 with 17 extra base hits while playing exclusively at SS.
He spent all of the 2011 season at Double-A NW Arkansas, where he was solid, but unimpressive, hitting .257 with 24 extra base hits. The most exciting thing was his nearly 1:1 K:BB ratio (51:46). His advanced plate discipline and ability to consistently make contact have put Christian on the fast track to Kansas City.
Due to his slower speed (as far as shortstops are concerned) and lack of range for the position, I see him moving to 2B full-time this season (he played 15 games at 2B in 2011).
Grade: B-. Colon has a real chance at making an appearance at the K this September if his transition to 2B goes smoothly. He has the ability to become a steady player at the big league level, but he most likely won’t be a star. He is very comparable to Orlando Cabrera.
1. Johnny Giavotella- (Kansas City) age 24
Although Gio’s debut in Kansas City left a lot to be desired, he absolutely killed it in Omaha last season, hitting .338/.390/.481, including 34 doubles, 9 HR and a 57:40 K:BB ratio. Putting up numbers like that will always get a player recognized, earning him the Royals’ George Brett Hitter of the Year award, a spot on the Topps AAA All-Star team, and a promotion to Kansas City.
Johnny’s bat is what got him here and it’s going to have to be what keeps him here, as his defense leaves a lot to be desired (-0.6 dWAR) and he’s not particularly quick on the basepaths (though Doug Sisson will probably change that). His line drive stroke though is too sweet to overlook. Some of those deep gap doubles will turn into HR’s as his pitch selection improves.
Grade: B-. To me, Giavotella is one of the most exciting young players on the roster right now. He’s a “lightning in a bottle” type of player who gives everything he’s got for all 9 innings. I’m not sold on his defensive staying power yet, but if he can come close to replicating what he did in Omaha last year, his bat will be more than enough to keep him around.
Next time – Moving our way across the diamond: Shortstops
Royals Top 5 First Basemen
The Kansas City Royals first base situation right now is the best that it has been in a long, long time. So let’s get right into it.
5. Richard (Dean) Espy- Rookie (Idaho Falls) age 22
Heckuva last name, right? The Royals selected Espy in the 15th round of this past year’s draft. He projects as more of a line-drive type of hitter given his level swing path. He has never hit for very much power for a first basemen (as evidenced by his 7 HR’s this past season in Idaho Falls), but was able to hit 17 doubles in those same 62 games. His defense is average to above average, so think along the lines of Casey Kotchman. Grade:C+. He did hit .318/.391/.489 in his first pro season, showing he can handle the bat thus far. But being in the Rookie league at 22, while Hosmer is in Kansas City at age 22, does not bode well for him.
4. Murray Watts- A (Kane County) age 24
Grade: A+. This may be the only A+ I hand out, and if you can present an argument against, I would love to hear it. Enough said.
Up next: Second baggers.
Non-Royals News (Kind of) : Detroit Tigers Sign the Prince
*Hat tip to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports for breaking the news via Twitter (@TBrownYahoo)*
The Detroit Tigers have signed 1B Prince Fielder to a… wait for it… 9 year contract worth $214 million, officially making themselves a “mystery team”. Scott Boras worked his magic again this offseason, getting a team that already has a mashing All-World 1B in Miguel Cabrera and a veteran DH in V-Mart (Yes, out for the year. But he’ll be back, mind you), to commit $20+ million a year to a third player (Cabrera and Verlander being the first two).
Wow. Just… wow. So much for the Royals and Indians taking advantage of the Martinez injury.
And for 9 years? Does the Tigers’ brass really think both Prince and Miggy’s body types will hold up for that long?
For the 2013 season: Where do you play Fielder, Cabrera, and V-Mart? Fielder can only be a 1B/DH due to his…ahem… large figure. Cabrera began his career as a LF, then a 3B with the Marlins. But he only lasted two weeks as the 3B in Detroit before Jim Leyland shifted him over to 1B. And at this stage in his career, Miggy’s gotten a little too slow to play either LF or 3B (though I would love to see him field bunts for the foreseeable future). V-Mart’s knees will never be 100% ever again, which means he’ll be relegated to a DH/1B/occasional catcher after he returns from injury next year. There’s a reason the Tigers normally carry 3 catchers on their 25-man roster.
The Tigers’ offense and rotation could be pretty scary this year. But then again, Fielder may not adjust to the AL very well (Adam Dunn, anyone?). As Royals fans, we can only hope.
Breaking Down the Royals Organization by Position: Catcher
Over the next several posts, I’ll be breaking down the entire Royals organization, position by position. My rankings shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, and most of the top players at each position will be names that you are very familiar with. I’ll be giving you my top 5 guys at each position (excluding outfielders and pitchers, which I’ll expand to 10), a brief synopsis on them, and how I believe their careers shake out. I’ll hand out grades in a typical A-F scale.
Tonight, I’ll start with the grittiest of the grit: Catchers.
5. Jin-Ho Shin- Rookie League (Burlington) age 19
The Royals signed Shin, an international free agent, out of Korea in 2009. He has been promoted as a Kurt Suzuki type of catcher (advanced eye at the plate, moderate power, and sure-handed defense). To date, he has done little to back that up. After 85 games in two seasons, he’s hitting .189 with 17 extra-base hits and 102 K’s. On defense he hasn’t been any better, throwing out only 14% of base runners. Not exactly awe-inspiring numbers.. He’s only 19 though and still has a chance to prove his worth. Grade: C+. Could increase his grade with a decent showing this season. May be in the major leagues in the next 5 years, but no sooner than that.
4. Manny Pina- AAA (Omaha) age 24
The Royals acquired Manny Pina from the Rangers in 2009. He split 2010 at AA and AAA, and made his major league debut this past season. Many see Salvador Perez as the Royals catcher for the next 10 years.. Well Manny Pina could be the guy that backs him up. He’s still very young and possesses great knowledge of how to operate behind the plate (35% caught stealing, 31 passed balls in 435 career minor league games). His OBP jumped from .310 in 2010 to .365 in 2011, showing that his plate discipline has taken a step forward (though his batting average hovered around .239 last season). Think Matt Treanor when it comes to Manny’s career. He’ll always be a defense first guy, which is a dying breed as far as starting big league catchers go. Grade: C. See last two sentences.
3. Brayan Pena- MLB (Kansas City) age 30
How could you not like this guy? He is a clubhouse dream, and one of the nicest, most humble guys you will ever meet, and loves the organization. Brayan, like most Royals these days, is a former Atlanta Brave brought to the heart of America by Dayton Moore. Brayan spent 2010 backing up Mr. Grit himself, Jason Kendall, and split time behind the plate in 2011 with Matt Treanor and Manny Pina before Salvador Perez was called up to take his rightful place.
Brayan is not your typical big league backup catcher, in that he is better known for his bat than his glove. He possesses a little bit of pop (no more than Mitch Maier does) and gets an extra-base hit every now and again, making him a viable bat off the bench. But he has been looking to improve his glove game recently, as he sees what his future in the majors is beginning to look like. In 69 games last season, he had an impressive .995 Fld% while with a caught stealing percentage of 36%. Brayan is an honest, hard-working, and fun-loving guy. Signing a veteran catcher is never off the table to replace him, but as for now he will serve as a decent choice for our backup to Sal. Grade: C. He’ll never be more than what he is now. And I think he’s ok with that.
2. Cameron Gallagher- Rookie League (Idaho Falls) age 19
Cameron was the Royals’ second round pick in this past season’s amateur draft. He has only been catching for the past two years, so he will need (and get plenty) of time to grow into the position. At 6-2, 210, he already possesses a big enough frame that some scouts don’t see him sticking behind the plate in the big leagues. But his above average hands could keep him there. His bat should come around, and bring power along with it, supplying offense to a defensive position. If he doesn’t stick behind the plate, however, look for him to take the route of Wil Myers and switch to a corner position. Grade: B. With Salvador Perez being just 22 by Opening Day this coming season, I don’t see Cam sticking as a catcher for too long if the Royals want him to be a part of their big league team in the future. Could serve as trade possible trade bait, but possessing organizational depth is a great asset to have as well.
1. Salvador Perez MLB (Kansas City) age 21
Salvador Perez is the catcher of the present and future of the Royals. He has all the tools to be a Sandy Alomar type of catcher. Nobody in Kansas City expected him to be playing at The K last season, and certainly nobody expected him to perform as well as he did. Sal had a slash line of .331/.361/.473 in 39 games at the highest level last year with 13 extra base hits (including 3 HRs), and even came within a triple of hitting for the cycle.
We haven’t had anyone with a gun for an arm like his in a long time, as he was seemingly throwing out runners on the corners once a week. And at 6-3, 230, he’s a monster for his position, but he shows the agility and quickness of a shortstop. Perez still has plenty to prove, but he’s off to a tremendous start and has already become a fan favorite. Grade: A. As young and as good as he’s been, I just can’t see him being any worse than a top 10 catcher for years to come.
Next up: First base.
