Will Kimmey: Thanks for stopping by. Let's get right into it. Bautista, and every other Royals prospect in the upper levels, will get a shot to play on the major league club as soon as proven ready. The Royals want to develop and deploy their young guys and won't let stopgap veterans stand in their way. Bautista will have a shot to make the rotation out of spring training. There ought to be all kinds of competition for those five spots, and I'd guess only Zack Greinke can really count on one. Kyle Snyder, Miguel Ascencio, Runelvys Hernandez and Mike Wood are among the other candidates, along with Brian Anderson.

Will Kimmey: He's under contract to the Royals, so he just can't go pitching all winter for shiggles. As far as where he starts 2005, that's going to be determined in the spring. His stuff says No. 2 starter, so he'll get some opportunities, but needs to throw strikes to make the most of his chances. He's been throwing well this winter, so that should start helping his confidence immediately. As alluded to in the earlier question, I'd guess that Bautista could land in the bullpen if he doesn't crack that rotation. Maybe some time at Triple-A first, but his fastball has enough velocity that he could jump right into a bullpen spot doing short work. His body reminds some of Guillermo Mota, so that might be a working comparison should Bautista move to the pen.

Will Kimmey: Burlington seems the most likely, but the Royals sort of compare Butler's hitting ability--the way he works and thinks through an at-bat--to how Greinke works hitters from the mound. It's very advanced, very cerebral. That tells you he could move fast. I'm sure Butler will be at High Desert at some point, and that launching pad ought to help his numbers, and there is a good chance he will start there if he proves ready in the spring. The Royals won't hold him back, but they also won't run him ahead of his developmental pace to a place where he could really struggle.

Will Kimmey: That should end up very interesting. The Diamondbacks pick first overall, and Justin Upton seems to be the consensus No. 1 guy, but Arizona has trended toward college players early in the last few years under Mike Rizzo and, under the new management, have also been wary of paying big bucks to Stephen Drew this year. That's the kind of cash Upton will probably want, something similar to the $4.6 million B.J got in 2002. That said, the Royals haven't been shy of preps in the first round, taking one with their top pick in each of the last five years. Upton could be there for the taking, though the Royals have been somewhat cost conscious the last few years, I think his talent could be too much to pass up. With Deric Ladnier working with Donny Rowland on that decision, I'm thinking whichever way they go should turn out well.

Will Kimmey: It's hard to say either system is in great shape. As far as straight rankings, know that on the Royals list, from say Bautista at No. 2 maybe down into the early teens, a lot of players are interchangeable. I'd probably have had Bautista around 4 or 5 for the O's, but I see a dropoff after his place there. For the Royals, there are a lot of ways to go at No. 2. It is a weird mix, though, in Kansas City's system. A lot of the higher-ceiling guys such as Butler and Cota and Ambiorix Burgos are in the lower levels while the upper-level players such as Teahen and Murphy and Blanco might not have the same ceilings, but are more likely to be major leaguers. So there's a balance there. Bautista shoots to No. 2 because he's advanced and also has a good ceiling. I think Teahen was the top candidate for a few people inside the organization, a lot of that having to do with how much more major league ready he is than say Butler.

Will Kimmey: Chris Lubanski, Brian McFall (who should just mash there), Ambiorix Burgos ought to be your headliners, with the late possibilities of Butler, and maybe JP Howell and Matt Campbell.

Will Kimmey: There's an outside shot, but he still needs to make a few adjustments at high A before taking that jump. He's always been a patient, disciplined hitter, but slumped a bit in those areas in high A last year. So he's likely to start at High Desert, then move on up to Double-A in the second half.

Will Kimmey: Mario Lisson, a ridiculously athletic Dominican who played shortstop at Idaho Falls is a favorite of GM Allard Baird. He was signed as a catcher, and has played first, outfield, shortstop and third base. He's got great baseball instincts and is one of a rare group of young hitters to show some nice pop and already sound plate discipline. He's probably a third baseman long term, but has the skills to play all over. I also like Ryan Braun,, who signed for $1,000 in 2003 because of health concerns during his college career. He ranked second in the Carlina League in saves in 04 thanks to a 93-96 mph fastball. He, Bautista and Burgos are three legit late innings guys, though Braun's history dictates he'll never pitch in a rotation.

Will Kimmey: Some here, and some there. He's precocious, as I mentioned with the Greinke comparisons being talked about inside the organization. Plus, really looking at upside, there's no player in the system who better profiles as a productive middle-of-the-order hitter than him. His plate discipline and knowledge of hitting and how to take certain pitches in an at-bat, some feel he actually sets up pitchers during an at-bat. There aren't really a lot of other players in the system who seem like they could be future all-stars without really dreaming on them.

Will Kimmey: There are a lot of questions about Burgos. He's a guy who could have easily placed higher on the list, but has some maturity issues to overcome first, so he's sitting at 11 now. He's come a long way getting used to the culture and enviorment, but needs to still grow up some and show consistenbt location. Burgos has been topping out in the upper-90s for La Romama in the Dominican this winter, pitching under Royals coach Nelson Silverio, who's keeping an eye on the young man's pitch counts. His slider can also be a plus pitch, but again lacks consistency. He struck out 172 batters in 133 innings, but also walked 75. He could emerge as a dominanting closer, and that's a role he wishes to assume. His mindset is set best for that role. He's going to stay in the rotation for now, to get regular work.

Will Kimmey: Cota hasn't been pitching very long, so his feel for working hitters and location are already good realative to his experience and should continue to get better. He's got the potential for a two or maybe three plus pitches, so that's No. 2 starter stuff.

Will Kimmey: None of the above. Why is it necesaary to say he'll be just like either of these guys? I'm thinking Teahen's defense might end up playing sort of like Rolen thanks to his solid actions and strong arm. Offensively, it seems he's more likely to give you a Rolen-like average near .280 or so, but not as much power. I'd guess in the teens for a home run total with some doubles factoring in. He was pulling the ball more during the Arizona Fall League, so there could be more power coming, as the Royals advise and hope. I think he'll be a very solid third baseman, a little better hitter and fielder than the recently departed Joe Randa.

Will Kimmey: He's a first baseman now, and the move seems to have helped his offense and he's had less to worry about defensively. He's got that light-tower power, but also the piles of K's that come with it for now. He's still plenty raw.

Will Kimmey: He'll go as fast as he's capable of. There's not a rotation of Cy Youngs in KC, and I'm not saying Howell will be that either, but it's not like he's got a lot of rad blocks. A lot of people can hate on Howell because he doesn't have great velo, but he can take his four, five-pitch repertoire and make it work like 10 pitches because he can add, subtract and locate. I hate to keep bringing Greinke back up, this has to be the fourth time in this chat, but it's a similar feel for pitching for Greinke and Howell, who's the consummate crafty lefty. He'll be a solid middle of the rotation guy because of his guys and guile, and at worst he's going to reach the majors as a shutdown LH setup guy because his breaking stuff can eat up lefties.

Will Kimmey: I don't think you can say they're worried about starting a service time clock when you say Gotay, Blanco, and that righthander whom I must stop referring to in this chat all debuting last year. The reason is simple. If the club doesn't feel Teahen is immediately ready to handle the everyday job on Opening Day, why rush him to that spot and take a chance on him struggling, developing bad habits and losing confidence? Remember Jose Guillen? He'll be the guy by the end of the year, and you should write that down. A lot of Royals officials think he can break camp with that job won, but Chris Truby is there just in case.

Will Kimmey: He's still not been able to grasp the ability to thow strikes consistently. He must do that if he's to ever succeed. He works hard on it, but his lack of figuring it out has frustrated both him and the organization. Griffin probably has a better chance of getting things together in the pen than rotation because he can just concentrate on throwing fastballs for strikes and not having a varied repertoire. But he's still got a ways to go with that pitch.

Will Kimmey: Gotta love this scrappy little guy. All ballplayer, no filler. That said, he's got to keep producing at each level, hitting and hitting and hitting. Otherwise, his tools don't say major leaguer. I think he's going to settle into the majors as a Tony Graffanino type who can player either middle infield slot and swing the singles stick OK.

Will Kimmey: He's a major league regular. Realize how many all-stars there are in the American League. What, like 10 outfielders fit the bill? He's not going to emerge as one of the 10 best outfielders in the AL. He can contribute as a regular with his knack for getting on base and could have a solidly productive career.

Will Kimmey: Hughes is scouting director Deric Ladnier's sleeper. He's a lefty who can command the heck out of a fastball that touches 90. He fearless in working inside with it, and his deceptive motion makes it seem a bit faster. He's got a tight little slider that's an out-pitch. He can sneak into the back of the rotation or also end up as a LH specialist. He's among the top 20.

Will Kimmey: He's a nice scouting find who pleasantly surprised the Royals with his offensive success. He was always a flashy defender and has great actions. But his hands get called "hitter's hands" because he trusts them and uses them well. He rates ahead of Josh Johnson, another 2004 draftee, for me.

Will Kimmey: We talked Vega earlier, but he could fall short contact-wise on the road to the majors. His power is real, but he really needs to work on contact if he's not to be a .240-type hitter. McFall rates at least average in all five tools. He runs well for his size, can throw low-90s heat off the mound--which plays fine in right--and should be able to hit for power and average. He slumped early at Burlington, and because he's a very emotional player who tends to harp on the struggles, needed to go back down to Idaho Falls to rebuild his confidence. I like him better between the two, each of whom rates in the 11-20 range.

Will Kimmey: Not sure where you got that rap from, maybe Master P, but I've never liked his skills. Murphy is more athletic than Gotay, and is a better defender at second base. He's not going to be a Gold Glover, surely, but his range is average, his arm is above-average and he turns the DP well. Still, it's an offensive second baseman profile, but not a below replacement level.

Moderator: Lightning Round begins now

Will Kimmey: Injuries sort of stole him from the land of prospects two years back. He's sort of on the comeback trail, but it's hard to dream a situation that he's better than a situational lefty.

Will Kimmey: You don't build a kingdom in a day, and the Twins are atop the heap, with the Royals down near the bottom as far as impact minor leaguers. Butler would be in the second half of the Twins top 10. Both teams did have nice drafts, but the Twins have been churning out these efforts for years.

Will Kimmey: The difference in their rankings is in plate discipline and age.

Will Kimmey: No, at best he could be a No. 5 starter, but more likely a long reliever. He has no pitch to get out lefties.

Will Kimmey: Acquiring Teahen means they don't have to force Maier or Butler to become 3B. Each will stay at the position until they can't any more, with Butler going to 1B and Maier a corner outfield spot.

Will Kimmey: If things click for him, a 20-20 season could happen. He gets some Kirk Gibson comparisons, because ultimately, he's probably not going to play as fast as his speed currently is but could add more pop.

Will Kimmey: His fastball's up to 90-93 with sink, he's locating his changeup and curveball better. The elbow strain that shut him down most of the year seems to have no lingering affects.

Will Kimmey: Pretty stout, and lfew walks aside from Burgos.

Will Kimmey: Aviles is likely a utility type, Blanco has to prove he can hit enough to play everyday. His defense is basically major league gold glove caliber right now. Blanco could replace Berroa, if he's traded to fill another hole, or play alongside him. But he's got to hit first.

Will Kimmey: It's hard for KC to read Campbell since he really didn't get to prove anything professionally. All three guys have good stock in the org, and remember that Buckner missed about a month in college with mono, so it's not like he got to cruise by Campbell. I rate em Howell, Campbell, Buckner, but they're all close. They all need to work off the fastball more than continuing to rely on the breaking balls they hammered hitters with in college.

Will Kimmey: Griffin's velo is enticing, but can you chance that he can be effective at all if he can't throw strikes? Middleton or Stodolka don't have the one plus pitch they'd need to survive even as one-inning guys in the majors.

Will Kimmey: He's an organizational guy who can play all over the OF and in the INF. He runs well and is high-energy, but doesn't make the top 30. He'll be on the depth chart.

Will Kimmey: The last three drafts have been pretty solid, the problem is they might have more depth guys than stars, and you win with stars. Every team drafts players on potential, and on average getting 4-6 major leaguers from a draft is considered pretty good. So every team picks guys who don't pan out.

Will Kimmey: Tupman's the best defender, and hit for the first time as an older guy in high A. He's probably a major league backup. Donachie has a ton of potential but also a ton of injuries. Staying healthy and producing are musts for him in 2005. Tonis is probably an organizational guy right now.

Will Kimmey: He's the best signing they'll have, and there's no shame there. He re-stocked the Angels system during his time there and should help KC as well. The Royals are going to blow their wads on FAs now. They'dhave to overpay to get a player to pick a team that's not going to win the title in the next two years. They've got to develop their own stars. It's a budget thing.

Will Kimmey: Both are OK, but strike out too much. There's power there for each, but neither really profiles as a long-term guy for the majors.

Will Kimmey: A spot starter is a spot starter, you need a fresh arm when you do. Villacis isn't a guy they've got long term plans for. Bringing up younger guys is about seeing what they have and need to improve on. That's one way of evaulating players, seeing what they do when thrown into the fire. According to reports, Berroa's demotion was for a wakeup call.

Will Kimmey: He was reallly over anxious to prove his abilities, so he played every inning in high gear, hacking away and rushing defensively. He's a great athlete, but needs to work on translating the athleticism into baseball production.

Will Kimmey: Burgos, Bass, Campbell, Buckner are the next group. Eric Cordier, the HS draft from Wisconsin, is raw but has a great arm and potential for three plus pitchers. Devon Lowery is a sinker-slider type who gets grounder after grounder.

Will Kimmey: You got it. He could find himself in left field or at first base, maybe catching once per week. Think of Matt LeCroy versatility-wise. His on base skills are his ticket to the majors.

Will Kimmey: How'd we sour? He dropped two spots, but it was behind three guys who weren't in the org last year at this time. He didn't really fall back, the system just got more talented around him.

Will Kimmey: Quick, like his Texas teammate Huston Street. He could be the second 2004 draftee to the majors--after Street, but probably not until 2006.

Will Kimmey: Fenster is a good guy and a scrappy player who can field several positions. Those qualities make him good to have in the organization for versatility on a roster, and decent for morale. He's probably a bit short on tools to make it to the majors, but he's long on heart and guts.

Will Kimmey: The biggest difference is that Butler has the best strike-zone discipline in the system with Vega being near the end of that line.

Will Kimmey: Clearly it's Buck. They like his D now, and expect him to push 15 to maybe even 20 home runs.

Will Kimmey: Murphy.

Will Kimmey: I have my questions, but the Royals point out Omar Vizquel's career offensive path. It's at the very least, an interesting comparison. Vizquel struggled early on.

Will Kimmey: Command consistency is hard for him; he throws four pitches but rarely has more than 2 working on any given day. He's more valuable as a starter, yes, but maybe more realistic in the bullpen.

Will Kimmey: Wilmington was on the east coast, the only KC affiliate in that part of the country. It's easier travel-wise for the staff and for player transactions to be all in the center of the country on West Coast, where the AZL and training complexes are.

Will Kimmey: He's got a deceptive delivery, resilient arm that helped him lead the NCAA Division I in saves last year and can locate his fastball, slider and changeup for strikes in any count. He's a setup guy, but will move up fast.

Will Kimmey: We rated their draft the second-best this year. Not sure I understand this question.

Will Kimmey: He's a sad story with the personal issues he's faced. He hasn't ever played a regular season game for the Royals since they drafted him in 2001. He hasn't been with the team since 2003 spring training. Chances don't look good for a return.

Will Kimmey: Barraera does have a great up, pushing it upward of 98. His slider is around 84-87, but his mechanics and delivery are very inconsistent and far from where he needs to be for any sort of command. Nice upside, long way away.

Will Kimmey: Lingo first, because he played in high school against Danny Manning. I gotta have Alan Matthews at one guard because he's our best athlete.

Will Kimmey: I like Teahen better defensively and think he'll be a bit better hitter overall long term.

Will Kimmey: My mistake there. Like I said, it's crowded. So much so I couldn't recall every name. But Gobble's probably as sure as anyone else to make that rotation.

Will Kimmey: We should have them on our site early next week. The official date to submit them is Saturday, though many teams are getting it done before the weekend,

Will Kimmey: He's an Idaho Falls guy, and will probably do better there than the Wisconsin native did as he struggled with being in the Arizona heat for the first time.

Will Kimmey: Master P's down the depth chart a bit. Much better at hoops, Percy Miller is. I'm more a Roots guy personally.

Will Kimmey: You got it. He locates and has a pretty good changeup, but nothing that's really going to lead to a ton of major league success.

Will Kimmey: He's not Ian Stewart. Or Delmon Young. Those guys have produced over full seasons already. But he did have the best offensive debut of any high school player drafted, so there's reason to be high on him. I think I might take Butler over Eric Duncan, but it's gotta be close.

Will Kimmey: That's all the time I've got. I enjoyed it.