There’s good news and bad news for the Royals in Baseball America’s annual ranking, just released, of the organization’s top 10 prospects.</p><p> Three of the top five were drafted last June.</p><p> That suggests the Royals either had a breakthrough draft or have little else of high quality within the organization. Or both.</p><p> “Kansas City has been willing to spend money on the draft,” analyst J.J. Cooper noted, “as the $37.1 million it has invested in the first 10 rounds of the last six drafts is more than any other club. But the Royals haven’t gotten a lot of bang for their buck.”</p><p> Until now.</p><p> Cooper writes the last draft produced “three players considered to be first-round talents: first baseman Eric Hosmer, left-hander Mike Montgomery and righty Tim Melville.”</p><p> Those three rank second, fourth and fifth on the Baseball America list. Third baseman Mike Moustakas, the second overall pick in 2007, is cited as the Royals’ top prospect. Right-hander Dan Cortes is No. 3.</p><p> The rest of the top 10: left-hander Danny Duffy, right-hander Danny Gutierrez, right-hander Carlos Rosa, first baseman Kila Ka’aihue and right-hander Blake Wood.</p><p> Assistant general manager J.J. Picollo, who directs the scouting and player-development staffs, contends the rankings lean too heavily toward the last draft. </p><p> “I like Montgomery and Melville,” he said, “but would have Gutierrez higher and (outfielder) Derrick Robinson should be in the top 10. He’s one of the fastest guys in pro baseball.</p><p> “I’m OK with the rest of it. I would probably not have Melville in there based on the fact he hasn’t thrown a pitch yet.”</p><p> <i>Baseball America</i>’s top-10 lists are a teaser for the magazine’s annual Prospect Handbook, which is published just prior to spring training and contains the top 30 prospects for each organization.</p><p><b>Minor signings</b></p><p> The Royals recently signed two more players with Atlanta ties to minor-league contracts, including switch-hitting shortstop Luis Hernandez, who batted .264 with Baltimore in 66 games over the last two seasons. </p><p> Hernandez, 24, played in the Braves’ system from 2002-06 before joining the Orioles on a waiver claim. His received an invitation to big-league camp and could battle Tony Peña for a backup infield job. </p><p> Left-hander Carlos Sencion, 24, was 6-4 with a 4.72 ERA in 25 games as a swingman last season for the Braves’ Class AA Mississippi affiliate. He has 264 strikeouts in 244 innings over three minor-league seasons.</p><p> The Royals also signed third baseman Corey Smith, who batted .266 with 27 homers and 82 RBIs in 135 games last season in the Angels’ system. Smith, 26, also received an invitation to big-league camp.</p><p> Hernandez and Smith are the fourth and fifth minor-league players invited to big-league camp. The other three are pitchers: right-handers Brandon Duckworth and Matt Wright, and lefty Tim Hamulack. </p><p><b>Rumor buzz</b></p><p> Chicago continues to buzz with rumors about outfielder Mark Teahen going to the Cubs. Sources with both clubs indicate the Cubs do have Teahen on their radar but do not view him as a solution to their search for a left-handed power bat.</p><p> That suggests the Cubs currently view Teahen as a fall-back option.