Developed Teams 2015: Kansas City Royals

Ladies and Gentlemen, without further ado, I give you the developed version of your 2015 World Champion Kansas City Royals! Would this team have been better off holding onto all of their developed prospects, or was the front office able to make the team better through trades and free agent signings? You decide!

Although I usually start with the batting order in these profiles, there's one player whose historic 2015 season jumps to the top of the list, and that's the NL leader in ERA, WHIP, and winning percentage, Zack Greinke. A first round pick back in 2002, the Orlando FL native won a Cy Young award seven years later for his original team, before being part of two high profile trades, first going to the Brewers, then to the Angels. In fact, the first Greinke trade points out an inherent flaw in the either/or statement from my intro paragraph, because it was that deal that netted Kansas City Jake Odorizzi, the number 2 pitcher on this staff (also World Series heroes Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain). Sometimes shrewd roster moves lead to acquiring prospects at an early enough stage in their careers that the acquiring team can also be the developing team. Either way, Greinke and Odorizzi join two homegrown/current Royals, Yordano Ventura and Danny Duffy, to form a very formidable "playoff rotation" - even though Duffy was used out of the pen in the actual 2015 postseason.

The last spot in their "regular season rotation" comes down to a battle between three rookie left handers, all of whom have since left the franchise that drafted them. Mike Montgomery went to the Rays (along with the well-traveled Odorizzi and Wil Myers) in the megadeal for James Shields and Wade Davis, but didn't make his debut until heading to the Mariners in another trade prior to 2015. Meanwhile both Brandon Finnegan and John Lamb were dealt to Cincinnati this season in the Johnny Cueto deal, the results of which contributed in large part to the Royals' 2015 championship. In the bullpen, if Greg Holland can recover from his Tommy John surgery, he could return to elite status sometime in 2017. In the meantime, this club will have to rely on the hotheaded Kelvin Herrera, former Rays closer J.P. Howell, and former prospect Luke Hochevar for save opportunities. And let's also not forget injured reliever Aaron Crow and prospect Sean Manaea when evaluating this staff.

The starting lineup features a "core four" of sorts in super-clutch Eric Hosmer, dugout-yelling Mike Moustakas, World Series MVP Salvador Perez, and free agent to be Alex Gordon, all of whom were well-heralded prospects, and all of whom delivered on their promise. The highest upside position player to have left the team is the above mentioned Wil Myers, whose transition to center field will help create room in the outfield for another former Rookie of the Year Carlos Beltran. And if neither of their defensive skillsets impress you, don't forget about Jarrod Dyson on the bench. Speaking of the bench, one person who's not on it is Christian Colon - I opted for the more experienced Andres Blanco, who played in a career-high 106 games this year - but if Colon's World Series heroics lead to more regular playing time, I could see him eventually eclipsing super utility player Mike Aviles as the starting shortstop. Billy Butler and Johnny Giavotella both went to the AL West prior to 2015 and had disappointing and breakout seasons, respectively, despite the fact that their fantasy production wasn't all that different. It's funny how expectations, contract size, and positional scarcity work, isn't it?

So there are the developed team profiles for all 2015 postseason participants. I'll be continuing this series with no discernible order throughout the offseason, hopefully culminating in a simulated season using MLB 15: The Show. So until then, enjoy the hot stove season and keep obsessively checking MLB Trade Rumors for the latest news. I know I will!