Minor League Update - Omaha Storm Chasers

Through the season’s first 18 games, the Storm Chasers are 9-9 and are in a three-way tie for second place in the PCL American Northern Division, trailing Oklahoma City (HOU).

The Chasers have played an astonishing 15 of 18 games at home to start the season, but will leave for an eight game road trip to New Orleans (MIA) and Iowa (CHC) following Tuesday’s morning game against Nashville (MIL).

Through eighteen games, Omaha ranks third with a .299 team batting average, but are middle of the road in the 16-team league with a .356 on-base percentage and .411 slugging percentage, including just 11 home runs (fourth worst in the PCL). The team does not rank any individuals among the league’s leaders in any major offensive categories.

The club is one of three teams with a sub-4.00 ERA, sitting third at 3.96. However, the Chasers rank third from the bottom with 119 strikeouts.

Individual Hitting

MiLB.com

Who’s Hot:

Outfielder Brett Eibner took a big step forward April 9 when he went 5-for-5, including two home runs and nine RBI. The 25-year old scored three times in the game as Omaha beat Memphis (STL) 20-3. Eibner added a four hit game and a three hit contest over the next week and now sits at .333/.395/.500 with 12 RBI and 12 runs scored on the season. He has excelled against right-handed pitching to the tune of .340/.435/.566 with all three of his homers, which is tied with Francisco Pena for the team lead in round-trippers.

Matt Fields has held the everyday first base duties for Omaha and has responded offensively. Fields hit safely in his first 14 games, and was hitting a white-hot .459/. 524/.622 on April 11. Despite being held hitless through his last three ballgames, the 28-year old is hitting .361/.437/.475 with one homer and 10 RBI in 67 plate appearances.

Paulo Orlando hit safely in 10 of his first 12 ballgames and sits at .328/.371/.345 in 17 games. The Brazilian outfielder has four multi-hit games in early April.

Infielder Johnny Giavotella spent nine days in the big leagues, but returned to Omaha on a hot streak. In his first four games back, Giavotella had seven hits and has compiled a line of .368/.429/.526 in ten Triple-A games.

Who’s Not: 

Prospect Christian Colon has five multi-hit games this season, but sits at just .230/.275/.338 in 18 games. He has one home run, nine RBI and has scored 13 runs, but only four walks, in 78 plate appearances.

Individual Pitching

Who’s Hot: 

Spencer Patton is 1-0 with three saves and a 1.04 ERA in five appearances this season. In 8.2 innings, the 26-year old right-hander has nine strikeouts and allowed four hits and four walks.

Fellow reliever Buddy Baumann has yet to allow a run in ten innings across five appearances. The lefty has surrendered nine hits, four walks and has hit one batter.

Columbian starter Sugar Ray Marimon is 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA in two starts this season. He collected a win in his first appearance, five scoreless innings against Nashville on April 11.

Who’s Not:

John Lamb has allowed five home runs, which is the third most in the Pacific Coast League. The lefty is 0-4with a 5.31 ERA, has surrendered at least two runs in every start this season, and has allowed a .333 batting average across 20.1 innings. With runners on, Lamb hitters have posted a line of .368/.429/.632.

Lefty reliever Donnie Joseph has had two rough outings, in which he allowed a combined eight runs (five earned) across two innings. In 22 plate appearances, left-handed hitters are posting a staggering .357/.609/.357, which includes eight free passes. Not very good for someone that hopes to get lefties out in Kansas City this season.

Omaha Storm Chasers 2014 Preview

*Omaha debut

Position Players:

LF - Brian Fletcher

CF - Brett Eibner*

RF - Paulo Orlando

3B - Jimmy Paredes*

SS - Christian Colon

2B - Johnny Giavotella

1B - Matt Fields*

C - Jesus Flores*

Rotation

Chris Dwyer

Danny Duffy

Justin Marks

Ryan Verdugo

John Lamb

Bench

C - Francisco Pena*, IF - Brian Bocock*, OF - Gorkys Hernandez, OF - Melky Mesa*

Bullpen

Buddy Baumann, Aaron Brooks*, Donnie Joseph, Michael Mariot, Clayton Mortensen, Spencer Patton*, Wilking Rodriguez*, Everett Teaford, Brett Tomko*, Ramon Troncoso*, Cory Wade*, P.J. Walters*

Notes:

• A variety of position players and pitchers will make their Omaha debuts this season (14 total), including OF Jimmy Paredes and former Royal Brett Tomko. 
• CF and former Arkansas Razorback Brett Eibner makes his Triple-A debut after spending the past year in NW Arkansas.  Posting career highs in BA, HR, and OPS in 113 games for the Naturals, Eibner started off 2013 on a cold spell (1-32 to begin the season), his future seemed to be on the path towards destruction, but he began to heat up.  At the end of May, he was hitting .208.  In June, he batted .245 with 4 HR, then July he hit .270 with 8 HR.  Come August, he cooled off again, but the fact that he bounced back from such a poor start shows that he worked hard to improve his approach at the plate.  Eibner will impress the crowd at Werner Park with a strong arm and solid range in center field.
• One of the more unfortunate stories of this spring involved a fan favorite: Danny Duffy.  The 25 year old lefty, trying to bounce back from Tommy John surgery in 2012, could not overcome his command issues during his time in the Big League camp.  In 11 innings, Duffy gave up 16 H, 14 ER, 6 HR, and 6 BB.  Both Duffy and Yordano Ventura were vying for the final spot in the Royals' rotation, but in the end, Duffy's struggles and Ventura's dominance made the decision too easy.  Rather than stick Duffy in the bullpen, he will remain as a starter for Omaha to get some innings while working on his control issues.
• Omaha will return a pair of infielders that helped lead them to a Triple-A Championship.  Both Johnny Giavotella and Christian Colon will man second base and shortstop, respectively, for the Storm Chasers.  The two, much like Duffy, were fighting for a spot on the big league roster when newly acquired 2B Omar Infante started having some soreness in his throwing elbow.  Throughout Spring Training, the front runner for a back-up middle infielder was Pedro Ciriaco, who already had Big League playing time with the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals.  With Infante likely starting the '14 season on the disabled list, Ciriaco seems to have the spot locked down.
• Brett Tomko was an intriguing acquistion this spring.  Turning 41 in April, Tomko has 14 years of ML experience under his belt and last pitched for the Texas Rangers in 2011, only toeing the rubber in 8 games.  Tomko pitched for the Royals in 2008, appearing 16 games, 10 of those were starts.  He logged 60 innings, a 2-7 record with 6.97 ERA, 40 K's, 13 BB, and allowed 49 ER.  In mid-March, Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish reported that Tomko was consistently hitting 91-93 mph on his fastball, while showcasing good command with his changeup and curveball.  A true journeyman of the game, Tomko just isn't ready to hang up the ol' cleats.

Prospect Countdown: #27 John Lamb

27. John Lamb Left Handed Pitcher

mindahaas.net

Age: 23
Position: LHP
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 200
B/T: L/L
Acquired: Drafted in the 5th Round of the 2008 Amateur Draft
From: La Palma, CA

2013 Rank: 4

2012 Rank: 5

2011 Rank: 5

2010 Rank: 9

Landon Adams (29): There might not have been a bigger fan of John Lamb on this site than myself. Even when he underwent Tommy John surgery after his velocity was down at the start of 2011, I was impressed that he was able to post a 3.09 ERA over 8 Texas League starts. Considering that the success rate of Tommy John is approximately 90% now a days, I was confident that Lamb would return even better than before. Unfortunately, I have been proven wrong. 

I'm not ready just yet to totally count out John Lamb. This is evidenced by my ranking of him as 29th in the organization. However, this past season couldn't have been much worse for Lamb. Not only were his numbers down, but reports that his velocity was down was even more concerning. At one point in time Lamb could dial it up to 95, but reports last summer suggested that he was having trouble reaching the upper 80s. The faint glimmer of hope occurred late in the season when it was reported that he was hitting 90 for Wilmington. I do not recall these reports being validated by any other sources.

Hopefully, for Lamb it is simply of a slow rehabilitation process. Not everyone heals at the same rate. At this point though we approximately 2-1/2 years post surgery. If Lamb's velocity can return, he could shoot quickly through the system. If his velocity doesn't return he'll serve as a reminder that despite the improved success rates of Tommy John surgery, it is never a given that a pitcher will be the same guy again.

Paden Bennett (NR): I remember when I was extremely excited about John Lamb.  I thought he would one day be a potential ace for this organization and staff for many years to come.  Then the worst happened...Tommy John.  The horror story continued last year as he compiled a 5.63 ERA between Wilmington and Omaha.  His K rate dropped to 5.5% and his fastball velocity was in the mid 80's to upper 80s.  As much as I hope that John Lamb can come back and be something close to what he once was, I'm not optimistic that that is going to happen.

Joe Cox (NR):  Lamb, a former top prospect in the Royals system, spent much of 2013 as a 22 year old lefty at High A trying to work his way back from Tommy John surgery.  Lamb pitched a combined 48 innings in 2011/12, so the fact that he was able to make 22 starts last season is a good thing to see.  By the numbers, Lamb pitched good but not great in his 19 starts in high A, with an ERA of 5.63 and a FIP of 4.13.  The high ERA was due in large part to a below average LOB% as well as a .335 BABIP.  

Lamb did show excellent control and decent strikeout numbers, with a 1.85 BB/9 and 7.38 SO/9.  In three starts towards the end of the year in AAA, Lamb struggled, again struggling with runners on base, but this was a sample of just 16 innings.  How good Lamb will be moving forward will be strongly tied to his velocity. 

Lamb’s fastball typically sat in the 86-88 MPH range, at times hitting 91 MPH, which simply will not cut it in the Majors.  Some slack has to be given since he was coming back from TJS, but until we see an increased velocity it is hard to consider Lamb an important piece for Kansas City moving forward.  Youth is still on his side, and a healthy 2014 and increase in velocity could bring Lamb back in the mix as an upper echelon prospect.

Dan Ware (12):  Now 23 years old, John Lamb, the once top of the tier prospect for the Royals, is now simply fighting for a chance to stay in the organization.  Lamb threw 108.2 innings in both Wilmington and Omaha last season, posting a 5.63 ERA with a .335 BABIP, an 18.3% and 5.5% K and BB rates respectively.

Lamb's return to the mound since elbow surgery has been an exhausting one.  The velocity on his fastball, in Omaha, was sitting at 86-88 mph, which before his elbow issues occurred, usually sat around 89-93 mph.  Will we see the old John Lamb ever again? He's just now turned 23, so we have that going for us.  His 108 innings was his most on the mound since 2010, so I'm sure coaches will be cautious with John come Spring Training.  If he avoids setbacks and can gain some velocity, John should be back on track in no time.

Total Points: 21

Wilmington Blue Rocks Preview

Projected Lineup

2B - Justin Trapp

SS - Jack Lopez

3B - Cheslor Cuthbert

RF - Jorge Bonifacio

CF - Lane Adams

1B - Murray Watts

DH - Daniel Mateo

LF - Tim Ferguson

C - Parker Morin

Rotation

Kyle Zimmer

Sam Selman

Kyle Smith

John Lamb

Angel Baez

Bench

C Kenny Swab, IF Kenneth Diekroger, IF Nick DelGuidice, OF Geulin Beltre, OF Chris Elder

Bullpen

Antonio Cruz, Robinson Yambati, Aaron Brooks, Malcom Culver, Cody Fassold, Kellen Moen, 

Spencer Patton, Andrew Tiggs

Notes on the 2013 Blue Rocks:

•  The middle of the lineup will be one of the more popular topics regarding Wilmington to start this season off.  Cuthbert is looking for a bounce back year, after hitting .240/.296/.322 with an ISO of .082.  Cheslor's GB% was 46.7 while his BB% was 7.2.  Although his K% was well below the Carolina League average, if he can work on a line-drive swing and being a little more patient at the plate, Cuthbert we'll get back on track in no time.
• Jorge Bonifacio, the 19 year old "not so athletic younger brother of Emilio" and #5 on our 2013 Prospect List, held his own for sure at the plate in Kane County last season, hitting .282 with 10 HR and 61 RBI, not as pretty as Twins top prospect Miguel Sano (28 HR 100 RBI), but still very promising for the time being and his age.  The C.L. is known for being a "pitcher's league" so hopefully Bonifacio can keep up the pace from his Kane County days.
• Jason Adam, 23, has sort of slipped off our radar, but still remains a prospect for now.  Last season, starting off with Kane County, was a solid bounce back from an ugly 2011 season.  Once joining the Blue Rocks, his batting average fell nearly 60 points compared to his K.C. appearances.  If Jason wants to remain in the organization, he'll need to get it going in Wilmington before it's too late.

• Murray Watts, 27, is definitely on the scolding hot seat at this point.  Last year he compiled a line of .221/.299/.394 in 30 games for the Blue Rocks, hitting only 4 HR with an ISO of .173.  The problem with Murray is he doesn't make contact well at all and doesn't have good patience at the plate, striking out 35.9% of the time while walking only 10.3% of his ABs.  This will most likely be the final year for Murray in the Royals organization if he doesn't show signs of improvement.

• The rotation will definitely be the highlight of Wilmington to kick off the season this Thursday, April 4th.  With four of our own Top 15 prospects in the rotation alone, Royals fans will want to keep tabs on the Blue Rocks for a while.  Kyle Zimmer headlines the staff, as he comes off an exciting rookie season in Kane County.  A workhorse who will give you lots of innings, like former Blue Rock Jason Adam, should split time between Wilmington and Northwest Arkansas, if all goes to plan.  Sam Selman and Kyle Smith join Zimmer in their quest, alongside rehabbing John Lamb, who is back to full health, but needs some time to regain some of his velocity.  

• Another guy to look after his reliever Robinson Yambati.  At 22, he has a three quarter arm delivery, a low 90's fastball, and an incredible GB% of 65.6, thanks to his ability to keep the ball low in the strike zone.  If he continues his success from 2012, he'll be in Northwest Arkansas before too long, and possibly even Omaha before season's end.

Prospect Countdown: #4 John Lamb

4. John Lamb Left Handed Pitcher

royals.mlblogs.com

Age: 22
Position: LHP
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 200
B/T: L/L
Acquired: Drafted in the 5th Round of the 2008 Amateur Draft
From: La Palma, CA



Paden Bennett (13):  John Lamb has been one of my favorite prospects for awhile now.  When he had to have Tommy John Surgery to repair his UCL I was crushed.  Lamb was moving through the system quick, and he seemed to have the personality to be that top of the rotation starter with his tattoo sleeves and his natural swagger.  I still think Lamb can become a starter in a major league rotation for sure, although I don't know if he can be an ace anymore.  I need to see the velocity get back up into the 93-96 range or at least 90-94.  If he can get his velocity back up to those range of speeds he has the stuff to become a top of the rotation starter.

Joe Cox (4): John Lamb has been a prospect for a long time, and certainly does not deserve to be the fourth ranked prospect unless he can successfully come back from the Tommy John Surgery that sidelined him for much of 2011 and 2012.   A big reason his Royal Revival 2013 prospect ranking is so positive is because of me, as I still believe in the 22 year old lefty coming in to this season.

Lamb was added to the 40 man roster in November so the Royals could prevent losing him in the Rule 5 draft, and the hope is that he will regain some of his stuff that did not show up in his short stint last season.  His fastball was quite a bit slower being mostly in the high 80’s and low 90’s, but that is to be expected for a player coming back from TJS.  In 2013 it is expected that Lamb will begin the season in AA and Royals fans will be rooting for the once sure thing prospect.  If we see Lamb find his fastball in 2013, he should be ready to fight for a rotation spot in 2014.

Damion Mandalas (7): Entering 2010, Jarrod Parker was ranked by Baseball America as the #36 prospect in all of baseball. As a 20 year old in the season before he split time between High-A and Double-A and posted an ERA of 3.14 over 97 innings. Parker then missed all of 2010 due to Tommy John surgery on the UCL of his right elbow. The following offseason, Parker actually was bumped up the Baseball America rankings and came in at #33.

Entering 2011, John Lamb was ranked by Baseball America as the #18 prospect in all of baseball. As a 19 year old in the season before, he split time Low-A, High-A, and Double-A and posted an ERA of 2.38 of 147.2 innings. After 8 starts, Lamb then missed the remainder of 2011 due to Tommy John surgery on the UCL of his left elbow. The following offseason, Lamb disappeared entirely from Baseball America's top 100 prospect list.

I've found Lamb's drop in prospect status to be quite incredible. Of course, due to the timing of his Tommy John surgery and because of a setback in the rehab process over the last two seasons, the former fifth round pick has thrown just 64 innings. I can see why Lamb would have fallen off the list by now, but given the quickness in which his disappearing act occurred, I have to think many are underrated Lamb.

The big concern for Lamb right now is his velocity. If the velo can get back to 93-96, the upside is still there for him to one day perch at the top of a rotation. If the velocity only returns to 88-92, he could likely still carve out a career as a strong midrotation starter. However, if the velocity drops all the way to the 83-87 range, the hope of Lamb in future Royals rotations takes a huge hit.

In his last Spring Training start Lamb was said to have been working consistently at 90-91, the highest since 2010. Lamb should open the season in Northwest Arkansas. I'll do my best to give out some reports on how the velocity is returning. Lamb was added to the 40-man roster the summer, so if the stuff is back he should rise quick.

Dan Ware (7):  Along with Joe, I still have hope for John Lamb on making a strong comeback from TJ that sidelined him for most of the past 2 seasons.  John has been one of my favorite prospects since he was drafted in 2008.  Back in 2010, it was a bittersweet season for Lamb, as he dominated in Wilmington as a 19 year old, going 6-3 with 1.45 era.  Once he got the call to go to Arkansas, he experienced the jump to Double-A pretty roughly.  He put the 2010 campaign behind him and had a good comeback going into 2011 with a 3.09 era in just 35 IP before going under the knife.

As of right now, Lamb has no pressing issues.  Back to full health, yet velocity still hasn't returned to where it once was around (91-95), which was obviously expected, but isn't a concern to the Royals (Link).  Last Wednesday, the 20th, I read a tweet saying Lamb was sitting around 86-88, topping out at 89 mph, while his looping curve was around 66-68 mph.  Mechanics looked fine, just didn't have arm speed right now.  I think Lamb still has the ability to make the rotation next year, even if he doesn't get his full velocity back.  He'll definitely receive a warm welcome for his first start back with the Naturals.  

Total Points: 93

Looking Ahead: The Rotation

Unfortunately, we are 40 games into the season and the Royals sit just 16-24. It doesn't take an astute observer to point out that the major flaw of this team and largest hindrance on future optimism has been its rotation. So what are we looking at to open 2013? Can the rotation at least be average? 

Potential Rotation Members Returning:

• Luke Hochevar
• Felipe Paulino
• Bruce Chen
• Danny Duffy* (Won't be back until June at the earliest.)

If you are still a believer in Hochevar, the Royals are two starters short, if not Kansas City will need to fill three spots. What the Royals do with these two openings will be critical, if they play it safe as they did last off season, an average rotation is likely a pipe dream. But let's keep in mind that the Royals may not necessarily have to fill all the open spots via free agency. So who could be ready from the farm?

• Mike Montgomery- With 35 starts in AAA, it'll just take a few dominate starts for Montgomery to break into the majors. Considering he has about 20 starts left in this season, he'll likely be ready to bust in next season. (We hope.)
• Will Smith- People tend to forget about Smith, because the upside just isn't as high for the former Angels farmhand. But the Royals feel very strongly that he has a near Major League arm and that eventually he could hold down a spot at the back of the rotation.
• Jake Odorizzi- Having proven himself in AA, he has the remainder of the summer to do the same in Omaha. He may not open in Kansas City next season, but there's a good chance he'll be in the mix to do so. 

(I've chosen not to include either Chris Dwyer or John Lamb because both have yet to prove themselves in AA. They could easily break into the Majors at some point in 2013, but we're looking at what the rotation could be to open the season.)

There's another guy that should be given the chance to start in 2013. The Royals paid a lot of lip service to Aaron Crow in the rotation entering 2012, but when Joakim Soria lost his season to Tommy John, the Royals felt Crow was needed to much in the bullpen. Considering the way the rotation has gone thus far, come mid-August Crow absolutely should be given the opportunity to start every fifth day. If Crow pitches even average in that month and a half, he should be given a rotation spot entering 2013.

So there's seven possibilities heading into 2013. If two out of Montgomery, Odorizzi, and Crow show they are ready to hold down rotation spots the Royals rotation will already receive an upgrade. Sure there would be some growing pains, but the talent and upside would be there. 

I also find it very unlikely that the front office would keep their hands out of free agency should the rotation continue to be as bad as it has been thus far. Fortunately for Kansas City, the upcoming free agent crop appears to be strong on the pitching side of things. The most intriguing name of the group for most of us is Zack Greinke. Personally, I expect him to be priced way out of the Royals range.

Another name to keep an eye on would be Kansas City's own and Missouri State prospect Shaun Marcum. If the Royals were able to net any hometown discount at all he would make a ton of sense. In seven seasons he boasts a career 3.74 ERA with a career K/BB of 2.64. 

Obviously, the road bump that Mike Montgomery has encountered is nerve racking. Clearly, the current rotation is a cause for concern. However, Chen continues to defy odds and it isn't hard to imagine him at least being a serviceable back end guy in 2013. Paulino could be the best starter on the roster. Personally, I could see him as a 2 or 3 on an average staff. If the Royals go get a free agent the Royals will have a make shift 1 (albeit most likely not an ace).

Finally, out of Luke Hochevar, Mike Montgomery, Jake Odorizzi, Nate Adcock and Will Smith, you need two to be the 3 and 4 starters. Obviously, several of the aforementioned guys offer more upside than the Royals have had in past rotations. Oh, and don't forget Danny Duffy will be back in June and John Lamb, Chris Dwyer, Jason Adam, and Yordano Ventura could be knocking at the door soon after. 

The Royals don't necessarily need to trade for a front end starter. The possibility exists that the rotation could be stronger next year than this year simply by giving the right guys the opportunity. I'd prefer to see the Royals take a more aggressive approach. There are free agents that would make sense, that could round out the front end. There's no reason to sell out for the ace, if the Kansas City's in contention next July, maybe then it will be time.

Prospect Countdown: #5 John Lamb

#5 John Lamb


Age: 21
Position: LHP
Height: 6-4
Weight: 200
Acquired: Drafted in the fifth round of the 2008 Amateur Draft
From: La Palma, CA





John Lamb fell into the Royals in the fifth round of the 2008 draft, due to an elbow injury caused by a car accident in his senior year of high school. The Royals happily snatched him up and paid him $165,000 to keep him away from college.

In Lamb's first professional season the Royals started him slow and worked him in short season ball the entire year. The following year, the Royals gave Lamb a shot at Low-A Burlington. It didn't take long for Lamb, to become one of the top prospects in baseball. In 2011, Lamb advanced across three levels garnering consideration for Minor League Player of the year prior to his rough finish in the Texas League (even then posting a 2.00 K:BB).

In 2011, many believed that John Lamb would make his Major League debut at some point in the season. However, the injury bug bit John again and he entered the season with a strained oblique. Despite that the Royals elected to not play it safe with Lamb, and instead allow him to gut through the ailment. It is my belief that as a result Lamb overcompensated in some way and caused the injury that ultimately ended his season.

Eventually, Lamb underwent Tommy John surgery. I'd much rather it be an elbow injury than a shoulder. Today Tommy John carries a roughly 90% full recovery rate. Often pitchers actually increase velocity post surgery. Lamb for instance had suffered a severe dip in velocity in 2011. In 2010, Lamb's fastball routinely sat in the low to mid 90s. In 2011, he struggled to hit 90 mph.

But this is why I am so excited about the guy. Throughout 2009 and 2010, Royals prospect aficionados heard all about Lamb's moxie. We heard time and time again that the guy possessed poise beyond his year's and just knew how to pitch. What I learned in 2011, was that despite not having his best stuff, Lamb got by on exactly the aforementioned things. He kept the ball down and kept runs off the board.

Baseball America lists John Lamb's upside as that of a #2 or #3 starter. In their definitions of #1 and #2 both posses two plus pitches and an average third pitch. The difference is that an ace has plus-plus command and plus makeup as opposed to being average in both regards. We know Lamb's change is plus, if the velocity returns he'll have a second plus offering. I'm also convinced as ever that he has plus make up. If the command comes around as the Royals predict, his upside is that of a rotation head.

Picture taken from KCRoyals.com.

Time to get Frustrated?

Here we go again… It is June 20th and once again our beloved Royals find themselves in the cellar of not just the Central but also the entire American League. Of course now is the time for fans to flip out and complain about what little progress this team has made.


Fans have been told wait for next year for too long, and they are beginning to grow tired of it. I don’t blame them. But for those that are suggesting that the Royals could have prevented this in the offseason, they need to stop and consider reason.

You can’t in one breath complain about Lorenzo Cain being blocked in center by a free agent stop gap, and then in the next breath complain that the Royals didn’t sign a player to man second base. You have to chose one way or another or else you are someone who is going to complain regardless.

Either the Royals should have signed the stopgaps and stick with them until the deadline, while they keep the seat warm for the prospects in Omaha. Or the Royals shouldn’t have messed with either. What isn’t fair is to complain about the Royals being in last place because they didn’t sign free agents and then go off and bash the Jeff Francis or Jose Guillen signing.

Obviously there were other guys available this offseason, but there was no reason at all for the Royals to drop boatloads of cash on an aging veteran. Thankfully it seems they have learned from that mistake when they signed Jose Guillen to a three year thirty-six million dollar deal.

People are glad that the Royals aren’t blocking their own prospects, but some are also complaining that they should have added veterans to some of the positions that aren’t playing up to snuff, particularly second base. The thing that has to be remembered is that literally every position on the roster besides catcher could have a prospect emerge as major league ready this season.

No matter where the Royals spent the money they ran the risk of blocking a prospect, unless that money was spent on one or even two year deals for catcher or the rotation. One year deals aren’t the issue here though, because they are so easy to flip at the deadline and they involve very little commitment by the team.

So if fans are wanting the Royals to add more serious players to make them contenders this year, it is just ludicrous to think that it could have been done without shelling out multi-year deals and huge bucks. I mean what pitcher could the Royals have added without doing that? Carl Pavano? I’ll take Jeff Francis and Bruce Chen.

A local radio host openly complained today about how the Royals went into the season with Chris Getz and Mike Aviles competing for the job at second base. First off it didn’t seem that ridiculous in the offseason that one of the two could be a solid contributor. Secondly, Giavotella is waiting in the wings and after tearing through the second half of last season and the Arizona Fall League was knocking at the door. Finally, I question anyone’s baseball understanding if they really believe that the Royals could have became contenders in 2011 if they would have just spent a few million for a second baseman.

The same show host, then went on to talk about the rotation holes and how the Royals should have spent big bucks this offseason in that area. But my question is who should they have signed? What pitcher on the market could the Royals have brought in that could have made them contenders in 2011 and would have fit into their long term plans?

Also, we shouldn’t forget that heading into the season the Royals had four of the top starting pitching prospects in baseball, all of which could have been ready for their debuts within a year’s time. When you add in Aaron Crow and a couple of the lower tier guys, then it is easy to see why the Royals proffered the stop gaps in the rotation for this year anyway.

What the Royals didn’t foresee was Montgomery and Dwyer both struggling immensely and John Lamb having to undergo season ending Tommy John surgery.

It is much wiser for the Royals to wait out this season and feel for what they have before making the moves on the market. Next offseason the Royals will have had another year of evaluating their prospects, some even at the highest level. Not to mention that the starting pitching class for this offseason is much more impressive than last.

The Royals will have money to spend and should they play it right in the offseason, could very easily position themselves as favorites for the AL Central entering 2012. It is frustrating that once again we find ourselves in last place. But sometimes one must take a small step back in order to take a giant leap forward.

Prospect Countdown: 5-3

5. John Lamb LHP

Entering his final season of high school baseball, John Lamb was considered one of the top prep pitching products. However, luck didn't favor John and he wound up losing his senior campaign to a broken elbow that occurred in a car wreck. The Royals, whom have in the past few years have made a living on taking high dollar chances in the draft, selected Lamb in the fifth round and signed him to a $165,000 bonus.

Lamb wasn't able to return to the diamond until roughly a year after his selection when he debuted in Appy League for the Burlington Royals. Almost immediately Lamb began to draw attention from the scouting world, earning the Royals praise from Baseball America for their patience and commitment. Lamb finished the 2009 season in the hitter friendly environment that is the Pioneer League. By the time his first professional season was over Lamb had posted a 3.80 ERA with a 71:20 strikeout:walk ratio.

Scouts praised Lamb's stuff, but even more they loved his tenacity on the mound. Lamb seemingly was never phased over the course of a contest. Lamb was fearless on the mound displaying the courage to show any pitch in any count. After a strong spring Lamb was named Opening Day starter for the Burlington Bees.

Lamb didn't stay in Burlington long, as he blew by Midwest League hitters to a tune of a 1.58 era through 40 innings pitched. Lamb then joined the Blue Rock rotation and instead of hitting a roadblock as would be expected for a teenage pitcher in the Carolina League, Lamb's numbers improved his era dipped to 1.45. His k rate rose from 9.7 to 10.8. His walk rate dipped from 3.8 to 1.8.

As you can imagine the Royals decided that Lamb needed to be tested. So in just his second professional season, Lamb found himself as a member of a Naturals' rotation that was pushing for a Texas League title. Lamb struggled at times often pitching several good innings but mixing in a terrible one in starts. But in Lamb's last start of the season, when the Naturals needed a W to have a shot at the Texas League title, John Lamb went 6.2 innings, k-ed 5, allowed 2 hitts, walked 1, and allowed just 1 runner to cross the plate.

Lamb operates with a fastball that typically sits in the low 90s, but has been known to hit up to 95 on the gun. He also has the top changeup in the Kansas City system, and a curveball that at times shows promise of being another plus offering. When you combine this stuff with a top notch mentality and what Baseball America says is the top command in the system it is easy to get excited about the future or Mr. John Lamb.

John Lamb should begin the season in the Naturals rotation once again. If you live within a two hour radius of Springdale there is no excuse to not see him pitch at some point this season before he is promoted to Omaha.

4. Wil Myers OF



What Wil Myers did in his second professional season isn't normal. Myers, whom the Royals nabbed with an over-slot bonus of $2 million in the third round of the 2009 draft, returned the Royals investment by hitting .315/.429/.506 between two minor league stops. Considering how Hosmer and Moustakas didn't rocket up the prospect charts until after their third seasons, and how they both struggled during their first stints in low and high, there are a growing number of people who believe that Myers could be the best of the bunch.

Myers has a somewhat unorthodox stance, where he is open to the pitcher as he begins his delivery. However, by the time the ball is released Myers is in attack position and with a great eye is already in the process of determining what pitch is heading his way. It is this fantastic batting eye that has enabled Myers to post 94 walks compared to just 112 strikeouts in his 148 game professional career.

The only thing that was set to hold Myers back from quickly reaching the Majors was his defense, which left much to be desired. However just as many predicted, the Royals decided to shift Myers from behind the plate to the outfield corner. With the move to rightfield Myers plus arm should continue to be a tremendous asset and should also get Myers to Kansas City much faster.

Myers has drawn comparisons to Dale Murphy, both of which began their professional career as tall athletic catchers that eventually would have to shift to the outfield. These are nice comparisons for a guy that hasn't reached 150 professional games yet. Myers should eventually hit for both average and power, while also having the capability of drawing 100+ walks a season.

Myers should begin the season as the three hitter and rightfielder for the Naturals. I expect him to reach Kansas City at some point in 2012.


3. Mike Moustakas




Mike Moustakas is a beast. In his first game for the Naturals this summer he homered twice. Mike Moustakas is a leader. In his first stint in full season ball he once pinned an older player and cussed him out for not hustling on a play. Mike Moustakas is a baseball player. For half of the 2010 season I had the privelege of watching Moustakas play in games, take swings in the batting cages, and take infield on a regular basis. He loves the game. He works his ass off and someday Royals fans are going to love him for his fiery personality on big league diamond.

Moustakas struggled a season ago in Wilmington. He hit just .250 and posted a Francouerian obp of .297. He struggled against lefties and fans were concerned. When he began the 2011 season in extended spring training many thought of it as just another step back for the guy the Royals chose over Matt Weiters. But as soon as Moustakas got his time in the Texas League he took supreme advantage as he burned Texas League pitchers to a tune of .347/.413/.687. Had he not received a promotion to Omaha there is a little doubt that the triple crown title would have been his and not teammate Clint Robinson's.

Moustakas struggled a bit during his time in triple-A, but with the help of a 3 homer, 11 rbi night he finished his time in Omaha with a .293/.314/.504. For the year Moustakas hit .322/.369/.630 with 36 home runs and 124 rbi.

The concern with Moustakas is that his offensive game is fairly average dependent, meaning if he struggles to get hits, or luck favors the defense he could be a bit of a clog on the offense. The good news is that Moustakas has such supreme bat speed that he should be able to put enough balls in play to keep his average at a respectable level. Moustakas's power should also be strong enough that pitcher's will pitch around him much more than the typical hitter, which should enhance his on base percentage.

The other thing that the Royals will need to keep their eye on is how Moustakas fairs against left handed pitching. This will be a critical thing for him to improve on in order for him to develop into a superstar caliber talent. In his stint with Omaha Moustakas hit just .218/.244/.346. Because of these two concerns Moustakas doesn't come in as the top hitting prospect in the Royal Revival Prospect Countdown.

Heading into the 2010 scouts were afraid that Moustakas had filled out too much in his lower half to stick at thirdbase. Texas League managers tended to disagree and after watching Moustakas on a consistent basis I believe that Mous will have the range to stick at third for the early part of his career at least. He may not win any gold gloves but he should be at least average with a top notch arm from the hot corner.

With a strong Spring Moustakas could have positioned himself for a mid April callup. This would have delayed his service clock a year. However, due to a subpar Spring Moustakas is more likely looking at a callup sometime in late May or early June. I am unsure of the exact date necessary but this should delay both his free agency date and his arbitration eligible date.

This isn't just a good thing for the Royals from a financial standpoint but also from a development and evaluation standpoint. It will allow the Royals more time to figure out what they have in Chris Getz, Mike Aviles, and Wilson Betemit. But it will also give Moustakas more time to develop against lefties and refine his plate-discipline, two things that he needs to improve on before facing major league pitching. Nonetheless we will see Moustakas in Kansas City by season's end.

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