Noel Arguelles via Jen Nevius

Arguelles made his professional debut with High-A Wilmington in 2011 and held his own. There, the lefty was 4-5 with a 3.20 ERA in 31 starts.

That performance earned him a promotion to Double-A NW Arkansas for the 2012 season. There, he struggled until his last five starts (four of which he allowed two runs or less). Overall, Arguelles was 4-14 with a 6.41 ERA in 25 starts (119.1 innings). He allowed 146 hits, 12 homeruns, and 66 walks. He struck out just 59.

Arguelles’ plus command was lost a bit in 2012. When the command is there, it allows his fringy stuff to play better. His fastball sits around 87-89 mph and apparently the velocity has returned since his shoulder issues. His best pitch is his changeup, which he will throw in any count. He also throws a curveball.

The Royals still see some promise and believe he is ready to regain his potential. Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star ranks Arguelles at number 24 in the Royals Top 25 prospect list at the end of the season. I expect that he will return to Double-A to start the 2013 season, but you never know. I thought I’d see him again in Wilmington in 2012 after his disastrous start with the Naturals, but never did.

Check out video from an Arguelles May 2011 start with Wilmington via royalsprospects:

Both teams collected 15 hits, as five Storm Chasers had multi-hit games. Mitch Maier hit a two-run homerun in the 2nd inning that gave Omaha the early lead.

Noel Arguelles in 2011 with Wilmington

NW Arkansas received a great starting performance from Noel Arguelles en route to their 4-0 win over Arkansas. Arguelles allowed just two hits and a walk over seven shutout innings. Ethan Hollingsworth, who was named the Texas League’s Pitcher of the Week, pitched two perfect innings of relief to pick up his second save.

Carlo Testa went 2-for-3 with a two-run homerun in the 7th inning.

Wilmington enjoyed their off day before beginning a homestand on Tuesday against Winston-Salem.

After Cedar Rapids took a 4-1 lead in the top of the 6th inning, Kane County came back with a four-spot to defeat the Kernels, 5-4. Catcher Kevin David drove in two runs in that 6th inning with a triple and scored on a wild pitch.

David and Justin Trapp each collected two hits in the win.

Edwin Carl picked up the win with 1.2 scoreless innings of relief. Kellen Moen picked up his first save with two scoreless innings of relief.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 1-for-4 with two RBIs and two strikeouts in Burlington’s 5-3 win. He also was caught stealing for the very first time in his professional career.

April 15, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Cleveland Indians center fielder Mitch Maier delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the ninth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

If you thought Monday night’s KC Royals game was bad, then you didn’t get a chance to check out the Omaha game. They lost to OKC, 16-6. The game was actually semi-close (OKC led 4-2 heading into the 6th inning), before OKC scored ten runs in the 6th inning.

Chris Dwyer made his Triple-A debut and allowed seven runs on 11 hits and three walks over 5 innings (plus three batters into the 6th). Roman Colon followed by allowing seven runs in that 6th inning (his only inning of work). Granted, only one run was earned (Omaha made four errors on the night).

The best part of the night may have been the move from right field to the mound for Mitch Maier (yet again) in his return to Omaha. He allowed two unearned runs on two hits in his one inning of work (he went 0-for-3 at the plate).

Brian Fletcher hit two homeruns, but NW Arkansas lost to Arkansas, 11-6. It was the Naturals fifth loss in a row. Fletcher drove in four runs.

Noel Arguelles had another tough start, as he threw 110 pitches over just 4.2 innings. He allowed seven runs on seven hits and six walks. Those runs were scored over the 4th and 5th innings. In Baseball America’s latest issue, Arguelles was named the Royals biggest disappointment at midseason.

Wilmington collected just five hits and lost in Myrtle Beach, 2-0. Two of those hits came from Matt Fields.

Matt Ridings was the hard luck loser, as he allowed both runs on six hits over six innings.

The Blue Rocks made a roster move, sending catcher Kevin David (who was struggling and receiving less and less playing time) to Kane County. Murray Watts will join the team on Tuesday.

Kane County was the only Royals affiliate to win on Monday night, as they beat West Michigan, 9-5. The Cougars scored six runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning.

Tim Ferguson started the 3rd inning with a solo homerun. They went on to collect six more hits in the inning (Ferguson had two hits in the inning), a walk, and a sac fly.

All of that scoring made a winner of Aaron Brooks, who allowed three runs on six hits and two walks over six innings.

Bubba Watch: Burlington beat Princeton, 10-3 and Bubba Starling went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.

September 21, 2011; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher

Omaha pounded Round Rock on Friday night, 11-5, as the Storm Chasers collected 21 hits (everyone had at least one hit except Jason Bourgeois). Salvador Perez, who continues his rehab assignment, went 5-for-5 with four runs scored and caught all nine innings.

Chris Getz also continues to rehab with Omaha and he went 2-for-5 as the DH. Jonathan Sanchez (another KC Royal on a rehab assignment) picked up the victory. He allowed three runs on five hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out five while throwing 78 pitches (46 for strikes). He did allow two homeruns that accounted for all of the runs. Veteran Doug Davis relieved him and allowed a two-run homerun over his three innings of work.

There was no homerun hit by Wil Myers tonight, but he did go 2-for-5 with a run scored. He did however hit a triple. Irving Falu continues to hit after his demotion, as he went 3-for-5 (.340 average) with four RBIs.

After Arkansas took the lead in the top of the 10th inning, NW Arkansas walked off in the bottom of the 10th inning with a 5-4 win. With the bases loaded and two outs, Christian Colon worked a walk to tie the game (he went 2-for-4). Eric Duncan followed with a walk-off RBI single to the pitcher (he went 3-for-6).

John Whittleman fell a double short of the cycle. He homered in the 2nd inning, singled in the 6th inning, and tripled in the 8th inning.

Noel Arguelles picked up the no decision. He allowed just one run on six hits and a walk over seven innings. It was his best start of the season. With their sixth straight win, the Naturals have moved into a tie atop the Texas League’s North Division.

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Mike Montgomery may be getting back on track. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

In 2011, Mike Montgomery toiled in Omaha, racking up a 5.32 ERA in 150.2 innings. He walked too many, gave up 15 homers, and by many accounts was nowhere near the same pitcher he’d been through the middle of 2010.

His first two starts of 2012 weren’t very encouraging either, as he only got through 7.2 innings and had an 8.22 ERA entering Thursday night’s game at Round Rock. He had walked four and gave up five runs in 3.1 innings at Albuquerque in his second start after opening the year with 4.1 innings and two earned runs.

So his taking the mound on Thursday had many fans – including myself – hoping for any sign of progress.

In a way, another rough start would have been just as painful as the seven straight losses from the big league team. Montgomery is arguably the most important part of The Process. He’s been touted as a potential ace (though that ceiling is less and less reachable) and at worst a solid #2 starter. Now, he’s got as much boom and bust potential as any other pitching prospect.

But on Thursday, he looked like the guy we expect him to be. He looked like he was in charge. He located his pitches, induced ground balls, and didn’t get hit hard until his last inning. Most significant is that he walked just two batters and struck out seven on 89 pitches. Eleven of the outs he recorded were ground ball outs.

Of course he isn’t out of his funk yet. He still has to keep it going into his next start. If he continues progressing and can string together some strong starts, he may see Kansas City before the All-Star break.

But that’s getting ahead of everything. One start at a time.

In other pitching prospect news:

Montgomery wasn’t the only Royals prospect who threw a good game on Thursday.

In Wilmington, Yordano Ventura followed up Jason Adam‘s fine start for Wilmington with a good showing of his own. In five innings, he struck out nine batters, walking only one. He currently has a 16/7 K/BB ratio.

Noel Arguelles had two rough starts for Northwest Arkansas before tonight, but he threw 5.2 innings, giving up just one run. He walked none, but only struck out one and gave up nine hits. After the solid showing tonight, though, his ERA drops to 6.08 after 13.1 innings. He’s moving in the right direction at least.

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The wacky Puffy Taco mascot of the San Antonio Missions AA Baseball team

The first thing you need to know about the Naturals’ road trip to San Antonio is that they were confronted with possibly the wackiest mascot in baseball.  Nuttier than the Flying Squirrel in Richmond, VA; loonier than the Lansing, MI Big Lug Lugnut; much cuter than Gnate the Sand Gnat of Savannah; and equally as crazy as the Sushi Rolls of Vancouver, Canada.  You’ll almost never see him on a list of the most off-the-wall minor league characters, but I’m smitten with the mascot of the San Antonio Mission’s (the AA affiliate of the San Diego Padres), the Puffy Taco and his trusty companion, Ballapeño.  And don’t forget their best friend H.E.Buddy, the grocery bag mascot (yes, grocery bag) from the dominant local grocery store chain H.E.B.

Once you get past the kitschy trappings of minor league baseball, they actually play some fun games that are meaningful – at least to the players and the fans of players with high potential that we expect to eventually see in the majors.   And that’s the reason you’re reading this story right now.

I wish I could give you a sunshine and roses report of the Naturals performance, but that wouldn’t be the truth.  So, what I’m going to do is offer you is my list of “takeaways” from the game, both good and bad.

Here’s my first takeaway, and you aren’t going to like it.  Will Myers was not impressive.  Not at all.  I only saw him play one game, but he looked completely lost at the plate and nothing like the guy who tore up the Arizona Fall League a few months ago.  In the first inning he struck out swinging on 3 pitches (and looked bad doing it) immediately after the first two batters of the game hit solid singles up the middle and we needed him to move the runners.  In his second at bat he popped straight up to the catcher.  He struck out again in another at bat.  The only hit he received in 5 at bats was against a pitcher who was on the ropes, following a long delay and a coach’s visit to the mound, he squirted a broken bat single over the second baseman’s head.  Not an impressive day’s work for Mr. Myers.

The Naturals Christian Colon waits for a pitch while Wil Myers looks on from the on deck circle. April 9, 2012 CREDIT: Alan Barrington

On the other hand, on this particular day Christian Colon looked every bit the player and leader the Royals selected him to be.  He was 4 for 4 at the plate, and every hit was a ringing line drive.  He turned two nearly identical outstanding defensive plays in the field, running hard to his right, backhanding a ground ball before it could escape into left field, and throwing back across his body to force a fast runner at second base.  When Tim Melville, the Naturals starting pitcher, threw five straight balls to begin the game, Colon didn’t wait to act.  He showed leadership on the field, called time out and went to the mound alone to calm Melville down.  It must have worked, Melville didn’t give up a run and only allowed 3 hits, 1 walk (the first batter of the game), and 6 strikeouts in 5 innings pitched.

Colon stole second, only his first stolen base of the season, but when I describe the play I think you’ll agree he needs to make more attempts.  After he stole second base, he stood up and I probably could have counted three Mississippi’s before the ball arrived from the catcher.  Colon got an absurd jump on the pitch and made the Mission’s battery look like they were chasing shadows.

One other thing about Christian Colon – Baseball Reference says he’s 6’ 1” tall.  I didn’t take a measuring tape onto the field, but he doesn’t look anything close to that in my opinion.  But if you think his size might indicate he isn’t tough, consider this – He was hit by a pitch, and I don’t think he made any attempt to move out of the way.  Christian ended the night reaching base five times in five at bats.  I love the toughness and the willingness to do anything necessary to get on base and give his team a chance to win.

The Naturals starting pitcher Tim Melville warms up prior to the game. April 9, 2012. CREDIT: Alan Barrington

Tim Melville started the game on the mound for the Naturals and I didn’t know much about him before the game.  But this week I learned he knows how to mix his pitches and can make the opposing hitters chase balls in the dirt.  Unfortunately, I didn’t find the radar gun readout in the stadium until late in the game (it was lost in the sea of advertising signs on the outfield wall), so I don’t know how fast he was throwing, but he was definitely fooling people and pulling the string on occassion.

I was very impressed with the defensive play of light hitting second baseman Sharlon Schoop.  He made a fantastic play moving hard toward the right field line, throwing himself into a headlong dive, and came up firing a bullet to nail the runner at first.  It was “Frank Whitesque” and the best defensive play of the night.  However, I wish I had positive comments about the rest of his game.  He wandered two far off second and was nearly picked off by a snap throw from the catcher.  (How embarrassing would that be to get picked off second by the catcher?)  He struck out on a ball that was nearly over his head which got the crowd excited and a few of the drunk Missions fans sitting near me taunted him with a few choice words on his walk back to the dugout.  I considered joining them.

A few more miscellaneous notes:

• Melville was replaced on the mound by Elisaul Pimentel.  Pimentel got rocked and only lasted 2/3 of an inning.
• Catcher Ryan Jenkins did a good job of going with a tough pitch and poking it up the middle for a base hit to drive in 2 runs.
• Third Baseman Kurt Mertins laid down a picture perfect sacrifice bunt to move two runners, then hustled down the line and beat the throw to first on an error to load the bases.
• Edinson Rincon let a ball play him in left field.  He ran in to field a ball that was about to land in front of him, thought of diving for it (I think he could have gotten to it if he had committed rather than hesitating), changed his mind and backed off.  The ball bounced past him, but he was able to get it back to the infield before the runner could advance to second.
• Some of the guys I really wanted to see didn’t make it into the game: Promising pitchers Chris Dwyer, Noel Arguelles, Jake Odorizzi, and catcher Ben Theriot.  And of course, pitcher John Lamb is still recovering from surgery so it will be a couple more months before anyone has a chance to see him play.

Noel Arguelles, the only Naturals player on the Royals 40 man major league roster. April 9, 2012 CREDIT: Alan Barrington

This team doesn’t appear to be full of superstars in-waiting as the Naturals of the past two years have been.  But there is talent here that the fans of Northwest Arkansas will enjoy watching this Summer, and in particular a pitching staff that has the ability to completely shut down the opposing team on any given night.  Maybe I’ll get lucky and see some of those guys take the mound the next time I get to see the Naturals play.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

Can you picture Zack Greinke in a Royals uniform again? (Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE)

Every family has a weird cousin that doesn’t fit in with the other relatives.  No one wants to sit next to him at the kids’ table during Thanksgiving dinner or get stuck alone with him after everyone else has gone home.  We make fun of him behind his back, but as soon as he’s gone, we sorta miss him.

Zack Greinke was the weird cousin, a square-peg-in-a-round-hole, the guy that never quite fit in for the Royals after they drafted him with the 6^th overall pick of the 2002 draft.  Zack was a pitcher, the best pitcher in the majors (said Sports Illustrated in May 2009), but his career was unsatisfying to him because he longed to hit and play shortstop, and due to his love/hate relationship with the game of baseball.

Many would say Zack has led a charmed life.  He was the Gatorade National High School Baseball Player of the Year, he married his high school sweetheart / Miss Daytona Beach beauty queen / Dallas Cowboy cheerleader, he won a Cy Young award, and he’s a multi-millionaire with the prospect of life changing riches in his future when he reaches free agency at the end of the coming season.  But if you think all this makes Greinke happy, then you don’t know Zack.

I won’t rehash the details here again, but it’s well known that Zack has suffered from severe bouts of anxiety and depression.  This illness has interfered with his life so dramatically that he once considered giving up baseball and mowing lawns for a living.  We’re talking about an individual so socially withdrawn that when he was in school he hated to sit with other kids at lunchtime because he didn’t want to feel forced to fit in, who has grown up to work in a profession that requires him to stand on a pitcher’s mound in front of 35,000 screaming fans.  Imagine the angst you would suffer if you were asked to speak in front of a business group, in your underwear and forgot what you planned to say, multiplied by 100 – that’s the fear and dread Greinke experiences every time he delivers a pitch.  Zack doesn’t play baseball because he wants to, he does it because the expectations of his God-given talent demand it.

Yogi Berra once said that 90% of the game is half mental, and this statement has never been more true than when referring to Zack Greinke.  Among fans I’ve spoken with he’s been called an enigma, a clubhouse cancer, a prima donna whose talent doesn’t make up for his poor attitude, and much worse.  He pinch hits while wearing the wrong uniform.  He tells other pitchers they have a phony attitude.  He argued with his coach over which side of the rubber to pitch from.  Even Greinke apologists must admit that Zack is a strange guy.  There are thousands of fans who believe Zack’s gifts could take their team to the next level, and an equal number who are certain his addition to the clubhouse would destroy their team’s chemistry.

There is also strong disagreement about Zack’s value on the field.  On the one hand, ESPN’s fantasy baseball rankings has Zack listed as the 14^th best starting pitcher in the major leagues (above players such as Gio Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Mat Latos, Stephen Strasburg, Jeremy Hellickson, C. J. Wilson, Chris Carpenter, and many more coveted names), and on the other hand there is a vocal group of naysayers who observe that Zack is only as good as he wants to be and no one really knows how to motivate him to reach his full potential.

Zack will become a free agent at the end of the 2012 season and regardless of his baggage, there will be a bidding war for his services.  Our sister site “Reviewing the Brew” has already contemplated what it would cost to sign Greinke after next season.   They estimate about $18-20 million per year (I expect possibly for 5 years), unless the market changes significantly in the next few months.

Greinke recently dumped his agent (second time in the past couple years) and Brewer fans are hopeful they can use this opportunity to approach Zack directly and ask for a hometown discount at a more club-friendly $16 million per year.  The Brewers were one step away from the World Series last year and they know Zack would like to continue playing for a winner.  A couple problems with this plan for Milwaukee fans – the Brewers aren’t his home team and their future doesn’t look bright.

The Brewers could still potentially reach the playoffs next year in a weakened division that saw the Cardinals lose Albert Pujols this offseason, but they won’t be the same team without Prince Fielder.  In addition, the suspension of reigning MVP Ryan Braun for performance enhancing drugs doesn’t leave fans with lots of feel good optimism for the future of the franchise.  The Brewers traded away much of their high potential minor league talent to the Royals to obtain Greinke in a big push to make the Series last season.  Now that several of their key pieces are either gone or in limbo, and their future mortgaged for a present that didn’t materialize, I don’t see Greinke returning to Milwaukee at the end of his current contract.

Brewer fans were all a twitter this week when it was reported by the MLB Brew Beat blog (and then repeated by several more) that Greinke was asked about the possibility of an extension with Milwaukee.  Greinke’s polite response was, “I’ll talk to them about it.”  If I was a Brew Crew fan, I wouldn’t hang my hat on that comment and assume Zack was going to return in 2013.

Greinke has played all or part of eight major league seasons.  Seven of those seasons have been with the Royals, the team that drafted him, the team that was patient with him both before and after he was diagnosed, the team he won a Cy Young with, the team whose fans showed up in force just to cheer for him on nights when he was pitching.  At a time when the Royals desperately needed him and their pitching ranks were in shambles (can you say Runelvys Hernandez?), the Royals allowed Greinke to take time away from baseball, to put his life back together.  If anyone has a question about this, let me answer it – the Royals are Zack’s home town team.

You may remember Jim Eisenreich who played with the Twins, Royals, Phillies, Marlins, and Dodgers in the 80’s and 90’s.  Jim suffered from Tourette Syndrome (TS) and was forced to take about three years away from baseball to receive treatment for his disease.  TS is misunderstood by many, and often misinterpreted as an attitude problem which can result in the victim becoming isolated and outcast.  You may also recall it was the Royals who welcomed Eisenreich back into the major league family following his treatment and I clearly remember fans embracing him and rooting for him to succeed.  Jim was so accepted by the community that he made Kansas City his permanent home.  I see similarities between his story and Zack’s.

Zack’s gorgeous and outspoken wife Emily enjoyed her time in Kansas City, and the Greinke’s still own a home in town.  They both grew up in a suburb of Orlando (Apoka = Overland Park), which aside from the palm trees and gigantic amusement parks, and the fact Orlando doesn’t have a professional baseball team, it isn’t really all that different from Kansas City.  There is little doubt the couple feel at home in KC.

Based on what we know about Zack and his condition, it seems reasonable to assume that his family and advisors would encourage him to stay away from the bright lights of the major markets when determining where he’ll play next.  It doesn’t fit with Zack’s personality to be the center of attention, and he’d be constantly hounded in New York, Boston, LA, or even Chicago and Atlanta.

My guess is that Zack has enjoyed playing in the National League which gives him an opportunity to hit and run the bases, so I could see him signing with a “smaller market” team on the senior circuit like St. Louis or the Miami Marlins.  Hopefully, his .143 batting average last season helped to put his dream of being the next Miguel Cabrera to bed, forcing him to focus on the one thing he does better than almost anyone else – pitch.  If so, then an American League team should be on equal footing with a National League team in any bidding war.

You’ve probably figured out by now that I’d like to see Zack wearing a Royals uniform again in 2013.  I realize that many people disagree with my perspective, including some of my fellow writers here at Kings of Kauffman and many of the people who comment below our stories who think it would be a mistake to pursue Zack next year.

If you believe it might be farfetched for the underfunded Royals to afford Greinke, or that he wouldn’t want to return, it might interest you to know that the hosts of the MLB Networks’ Hot Stove Live don’t think it’s a stretch.  On their January 20, 2012 program, they boldly predicted Greinke would return to KC in 2013.  Their reasoning was that Zack and the Glass family have a strong relationship, he and his wife enjoy Kansas City, and the Royals will be poised to field a competitive team in 2013, which would make them attractive to Zack.

I’d like to re-sign Greinke, partially because I like his story.  I almost always root for the guy who overcomes adversity, in whatever form, to succeed.  I’ve personally known people who suffer from the same afflictions as Zack and I discovered that you can’t take this ailment lightly.  It’s real, it impacts lives, and it causes outsiders to question the victim’s judgment and sanity.  But when treated properly and supported by patient friends, family, and coworkers, this sickness can be overcome.

I also know the Royals are two front-line starting pitchers away from having the talent to compete with the best teams in the American League.  With a stable of young and strong pitching arms like Mike Montgomery, Jake Odorizzi, John Lamb, Noel Arguelles, Aaron Crow, and others, I’m relatively confident the Royals can develop one of these starters in-house.  My best guess is that the other will need to come from a trade or free agency.  Who better to fill this gap than with the one that got away, our crazy cousin Zack.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.

After trading Yamaico Navarro for two low-level minor leaguers and trading Rule 5 selection Cesar Cabral for cash, the Royals roster sat at 39. They’ve also announced that they won’t tender a contract to Aaron Laffey, claimed off waivers from the Yankees. That puts them at 38.

Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and the rest of the prospect crew will be tendered contracts and are still under team control. Jonathan Sanchez, acquired from the Giants, is in his last year of arbitration. Alex Gordon, Luke Hochevar, Brayan Pena, Chris Getz, Felipe Paulino and Mitch Maier will all be eligible for arbitration this year as well. After being tendered contracts, that will be the next step, as they and the Royals negotiate their 2012 salary with an arbitration hearing deciding the amount if both sides cannot agree after submitting proposals.

It’s worth noting that Dayton Moore has never had a player go to an arbitration hearing, agreeing to terms before that step became necessary.

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Hello again! For the last month I’ve been standing on the banks of Lake Kauffman. From time to time I’ve dipped my toes in the water but have been unable to take the plunge and publish my first article here since November 11th of last year. Now, things have changed.

As you have read, Jeff Herr has moved on to head up our network’s KU coverage over on Through the Phog. His departure leaves a gap in the minor league coverage on this site, but if you’re a long time reader of Kings of Kauffman you may remember my days as this site’s lead. You may also remember that I spent a lot of time writing about prospects and the draft. Since leaving KoK, my nomadic writing tendencies have taken me to several sites, but at all of my stops I’ve tried to work in coverage of the minor leagues as it has always been a facet of the game that I love to follow and write about.

With the launch of Seedlings to Stars just over a month ago, I’ve been able to hone my content focus more fully to minor league coverage. So when Jeff notified us that he was leaving KoK and S2S to take a lead position, it seemed natural that I pick up the baton and carry forward the weekly minor league feature here on this site. (more…)

The Royals were rumored to be the frontrunners on Hernandez back in June.  With the official international signing period starting July 2, Hernandez was among the first announced signings.

Since he’s only 16, it will take a while for him to work up the ladder, but Hernandez has the fabled five tool label and sees himself as another Andruw Jones (we can only assume he means late-teens, early-20s Andruw Jones and not Los Angeles Andruw Jones).

Hernandez, from the Domincan Republic, is described by Baseball America as a high-risk, high-reward player, but “if the hitting comes, he’ll be a superstar.” Clint Scoles at Pinetar Press has video posted of Hernandez as well as an interview with International Prospect League founder Jim Sanson about the outfielder.

The Royals have had success recently with other international signings.  Cheslor Cuthbert hit his fifth home run on Friday for Kane County in Low A.  Meanwhile, Noel Arguelles has been dominating in Wilmington and may be the next pitcher to get promoted to Double A.  Hernandez should end up in the instructional leagues and then on to winter ball with the target of 2012 for short season leagues.  From there, the sky’s the limit.

For more on Elier Hernandez, check out the IPL online.

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Well this will be my last ‘Princes of Kauffman’ update as I am leaving to take over the Kansas Jayhawks blog for Fansided (if you get a chance please stop by at www.throughthephog.com).  There is one small victory here as the promotion I have been calling for for Jake Odorizzi has finally been given and he is on his way to Northwest Arkansas.  The Kane County Cougars are making many strides as they have won 6 of their last 7 and the infusion of solid talent down there is definitely encouraging.  Well I have enjoyed writing this post and I hope you have enjoyed reading it.  Wally Fish will continue the minor league updates after I am gone, so expect a new format but quality information nonetheless.  Here is where the affiliates stand:

Arizona Royals (Rookie): 2-7 (4th place)

Idaho Falls Chukars (Rookie Advanced): 6-5 (3rd place)

Burlington Royals (Rookie): 1-9 (5th place)

Kane County (A-): 6-1 (1st place)

Wilmington Blue Rocks (A+): 3-5 (3rd place)

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (AA): 1-6 (4th place)

Omaha Storm Chasers (AAA): 44-37 (1st place)

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royalsblog.com

Your weekly minor league update is here.  With the exception of Kane County the afiliates are all moving in the direction we thought they would be.  The Storm Chasers have won 9 straight, Wilmington continues to dominate and Northwest Arkansas is maintaining their hold on the Texas League.  This is what you would expect from the best farm system in the majors and it only gives credence to the excitement we all feel waiting for these guys to come up.  Here are the standings:

Kane County Cougars (Low A): 7-14 (7th place)

Wilmington Blue Rocks (High A): 12-7 (1st place)

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Double A): 10-8 (2nd place, 0.5 games behind)

Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple A):  13-7 (1st place)

(more…)

royalsblog.com

Here it is, your weekly update on how the Royals minor league affiliates are doing.  It was a decent week for the affiliates as Burlington and Northwest Arkansas continue to be top teams in their leagues and Kane County and Omaha have been righting the ship, Omaha especially as their bats are starting to wake up and they are now 8-7.  They have lost a couple of key relievers this week with the promotions of Blake Wood and Louis Coleman but make no mistake, this team still has a lot of pitching talent and will be fine.  Here is where the affiliates stand as of today:

Kane County Cougars – 6-9 (7th place)

Wilmington Blue Rocks – 9-4 (1st place)

Northwest Arkansas Naturals – 7-5 (1st place)

Omaha Storm Chasers – 8-7  (2nd place)

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Pitchers and catchers officially report to Surprise on Monday.
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And just like building a piece of furniture out of the box from Walmart, there are a lot of other pieces laying about, and I have a feeling they’re important.

These are a handful of prospects who I think warrant mentioning, but fall just short of getting a full profile:

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To pass the time until spring training starts, how about you fill up part of your day by checking out some Royals related links out in the wild blue yonder that is the internet…

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Montgomery’s a different story. After dominating at Wilmington, he’s been pitching well for Northwest Arkansas in Double A until running into some elbow soreness at the end of May. Since then, he’s made one start on a pitch count and spent time on two disabled list stints.
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Arguelles, 20, had been touted as equal to a first-round pick when he was being courted by Major League teams as an international free agent.  His signing with the Royals is a testament to their new aggressiveness in the international market and was a surprise to many, as they signed him ahead of the Red Sox, Yankees, and others.  The Royals hadn’t discussed his progression very much while he was in extended spring training but his first potential assignment was to start at Wilmington in Low A ball.  He was more or less shut down, however, so the Royals are being very careful with their investment.

The diagnosis of “shoulder soreness” is vague, of course, and could just be an excuse to take things very slowly with his pitch counts in training.  Or, and less pleasant, he could have some kind of arm injury that hasn’t been determined or that the Royals aren’t comfortable reporting yet.  We’ll have to see.  Arguelles wasn’t expected to contribute much anyway in the short-term, though this may slow his future debut in Kansas City by 6-12 months (my thoughts, but I’m no sports physician, mind you).

You can read Wally’s breakdown of Arguelles here, as he checks in at #9 in the Kings of Kauffman prospect rankings.

You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.

I meant to get this published last night, but that was before my Market Fresh Update took twice as long to pull together than I though it would.

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The “Big” News:

According to Bob Dutton 3B-Mike Moustakas may miss the first two weeks of the regular season.  Apparently Moose strained his right oblique on a swing earlier this week and now his debut for Northwest Arkansas will be delayed.  J.J. Picollo recapped the action:

He felt something and the next swing, with two strikes he hit a single, but you could see that his swing was a little funny. He jogged down the line and called the trainer out.

Moustakas becomes the 3rd top-12 prospect in the organization, joining Danny Duffy and Jeff Bianchi, to be cut down by the injury bug this spring.

Also of note is the report that the Colorado Rockies have shown interest in RHP-Juan Cruz.  Personally, I think Dayton should try to move him in a deal and eat some of his contract if necessary.  Cruz strikes me as a good bet to bounce back this season after a dismal 2009 campaign anyway but a return to the NL would likely help him find his way a little faster.  He never seemed to settle in or get all that comfortable in Kansas City last season.

If this deal actually happens, the open bullpen slot could be used to evaluate one of the younger arms in the system with Blake Wood and Carlos Rosa being the two guys I most want to see in the Royals pen right now.  Since this is Dayton Moore we are talking about, we’d probably end up with on of the guys who were signed to minor league contracts this offseason like Brad Thompson or Josh Rupe.  I’ve got nothing against either Thompson or Rupe, and they really aren’t that old (28 and 27 respectively) but I don’t view either player as part of the team’s future.  Rosa and/or Blake Wood could be but we will never really know unless they are actually given a chance.

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Royals Bloggin’:

Royalscentricity – Logjammin: Middle-Infield Style

Royals Authority - Taking Stock of Spring

Royals Junkie – Anxiety in Baseball: Modern Techniques Can Ease The Burden

14 for 77 – Bees rotation as intriguing as any in the system

The Hardball Times – Five Questions: Kansas City Royals

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Transactions:

On Monday, LHP-Noel Arguelles was optioned to high-A Wilmington and SS-Jeff Bianchi was optioned to Double-A NW Arkansas.

On Tuesday the Royals optioned RHP-Carlos Rosa and RHP-Victor Marte to Triple-A Omaha.  I’m not surprised by either player being optioned down, especially Marte who has been battling injury.  I am however surprised that Rosa wasn’t given a longer look this spring.  It should be sink or swim time in the majors for Carlos, but Dayton and Trey won’t even let him get into the water.  Matthew Pouliot of Hardball Talk* took notice of the move as well.

*When did Circling the Bases become Hardball Talk?

On Wednesday the Royals optioned RHP-Aaron Crow to Double-A NW Arkansas.  Like the Rosa and Marte moves, this certainly didn’t come as a shock.  I have been extremely impressed by Crow thus far between his AFL and spring training innings and he is further along than I thought he would be.  I know some people wanted him to make the opening day roster, and some people believe the Royals should be conservative and keep him in the minors all season.  Typically I’d be in league with the latter group, but when it comes to Aaron Crow I hope the Royals let his pitching determine how quickly he moves up instead of sticking to a preconceived plan, time frame, or basing it on need at the major league level.  If Crow is the special talent we all hope and think he is, I wouldn’t be at all opposed to seeing him in Kansas City before the All Star break.

OF-Rene Oriental (25) is back with the Royals after a very bizarre detour.

According to Baseball America, the Royals signed LHP-Oswaldo Bravo at the end of February.

The latest from Baseball America Minor League Transactions indicates that the team signed LHP-Jose Sanchez last week and also released RHP-Deybi de la Cruz, LHP-Aneidy Toribio, 3B-Josh Johnson, and OF-Shawn Griffin.

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Former Royals:

Everyone’s favorite, RHP-Sidney Ponson, has signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League.  The linked MLB Trade Rumors post on the topic sums it up perfectly with the following:

He became a free agent in August after Kansas City designated him for assignment, and this is the first time we’ve heard his name since.

Blue Jays C-John Buck hit two home runs yesterday and is now hitting 0.375/.375/.875 through 16 spring at bats.

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Random Stuff:

Remember the A.J. Ellis for Alberto Callaspo trade rumors?  Thanks to the pulled groin of catcher Russell Martin, it looks like we’re going to find out if Ellis has what it takes to survive in the major leagues.  He’s going to get his shot wearing a Dodgers uniform instead of a Royals one and I am completely okay with that.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen tells it like it is in his own very unique way.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are going to try and set the world record for the “largest gathering of people wearing fleece blankets.”  Tim Lincecum in a Giants knock-off Snuggie is cool.  Tens of thousands of Angels fans showing up to a game to don their own Hideki Matsui “blankie”?  Not so cool.  Snuggie-mania is running wild throughout this great country and I refuse to get on board.

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I should be back with more tonight including the latest edition of the Baseball Side of FanSided and the reveal of KoK Prospect #8.

(Wally Fish is the lead blogger for Kings of Kauffman and FanSided’s MLB Director.  Subscribe to his RSS feed and add him on Twitter to follow him daily.)

Who: Noel Arguelles
DOB: 1/12/1990  Cuba
Position: LHP
Height: 6’3″ or 6’4″
Weight: 220
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Acquired: International FA 1/10

Rankings:
~ Baseball America #3a
~ Diamond Futures #6
~ Royals Review #6b
~ The Royal Tower #9a
~ John Sickels C+
~ Scouting Book #5

Stats:

No Stats Available

Noel agreed to terms with Kansas City on a contract back in early December, but due to visa issues he didn’t actually sign his deal until January 7th.  The contract will pay Noel $7 million over the next 5 seasons with the ability to earn up to another $2 million by way of incentives.  His presence augments what was already, in my opinion, the most impressive collection of LHP prospects in all of baseball.  There is not an organization that can match the Royals group of top-shelf lefty starters that includes Arguelles, John Lamb, Danny Duffy, Mike Montgomery, and Chris Dwyer.

Of course we have no stats to dissect and we have no real firm scouting reports to work from.  Arguelles just turned 20 years old and we have no idea how he will continue to adapt to life in the United States let alone how he will handle pitching in the minor leagues.  After reading Sam Mellinger’s piece for the Kansas City Star, I’m encouraged about his future not just because how his pitches grade out but because of things like this that Sam’s article shared with Royals fans everywhere:

Arguelles is taking one-on-one English lessons, intent on learning as quickly as possible. Sal Artiaga is the Royals’ cultural coordinator and says Arguelles is among the most eager, mature and hard-working players he’s met.

Arguelles isn’t much for patience. He wants things now. Convinced he needed to clean up his mechanics, he hired Pedro Martinez’s old pitching coach. When he finishes drills, even mundane ones like pitchers’ fielding practice, he asks anybody who understands Spanish how he did and how he can improve.

Eager, mature, and hard-working are always good characteristics when talking about a guy who just graduated from his teens.  Throw those words around when talking about a pitching prospect and I get downright giddy.

When it comes to the specifics of his pitches, we know he throws left handed and features a fastball, curve, and changeup.  His fastball sits in the low 90s and tops out at 94.  Prior to signing with the Royals his fastball was reaching up to only 89-90 in some sessions, but in others he was throwing in his customary range of 91-94.  The drop in velocity in some sessions could be due to a lack of regular work or he could have simply been having a bad day.  Either way, as he gets older, he should have no problem throwing heat in the low to mid-90s.  His changeup projects to be a plus pitch at the major league level, and his current level of mastery with the pitch will go a long way toward determining how fast he can climb the ranks of the system.  The opinion of Noel’s curveball varies but at worst it projects to be an average major league offering.  Some believe the curve, like his changeup, has the potential to be an above average or plus pitch.  Beyond his arm, Arguelles receives praise for his athleticism and at 20 years old he has a lot of unlocked potential that could be realized as he matures and gets stronger.

As is the case with most pitchers his age, control is the area that needs the most work, but taking a regular turn in a rotation, logging innings, and learning to refine his mechanics will all help his command.  There is no question that the raw stuff is there to wind up as a legitimate 2 or 3 starter on a competitive team.

On March 4th, Noel pitched a bullpen session at the Royals spring training complex and Bob Dutton published a short article on the event which included the following:

“He was out in the outfield shagging (fly balls) the other day,” McClure said. “I went over there and watched, and he catches the ball like he’s a center fielder. He’s very athletic.

“Since he wasn’t supposed to throw the ball yet, he just picked it up right-handed and threw it like a right-hander. I couldn’t tell whether he was right-handed or left-handed. I’m serious. I was thinking, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ ”

When the Royals landed Arguelles, it sent shockwaves through the Royals blogosphere and fanbase.  He joined Aaron Crow, Wil Myers, and Chris Dwyer as 1st round caliber talents that Dayton managed to add to the system in approximately six months.  It only added to the excitement that the announcement seemingly came out of nowhere.  I was unaware the Royals were even in the running to make him a viable offer and I was not alone.  Even though the initial shock has died down, I am still excited and giddy that he signed with the Royals.  A very large part of me wanted to rank him higher than number 9 on my list, but I am trying to stay objective and level-headed.

Noel Arguelles will make his professional debut in Wilmington for the high-A Blue Rocks.  A strong performance there should earn him a relatively quick promotion to NW Arkansas.  Since he is on the 40-man roster by way of his major league contract, the organization will want him to advance through the system quickly to maximize the return on their investment.  The phrase “be quick but don’t hurry” seems very applicable to Noel and his future.

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If you want to check out some video of Arguelles, the blog Cuban Ball Players has this posted from back in November which came from Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus.

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(Wally Fish is the lead blogger for Kings of Kauffman and FanSided’s MLB Director.  Subscribe to his RSS feed and add him on Twitter to follow him daily.)