- After releasing Clint Barmes earlier this week, the Royals are working to bring back the infielder on a minor league deal, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (Twitter link). Barmes was an Article XX(B) free agent, meaning Kansas City would have had to offer him an active roster spot or pay him a $100K retention bonus by this past Tuesday. Instead, the team opted to release the 37-year-old and could now re-sign him to a new contract. Barmes, who has long excelled as a defender, owns a career .245/.294/.379 line in 1,186 major league plate appearances with four different teams. He spent last season in San Diego, where he was a replacement-level performer in 98 games.
Royals Rumors
Royals Re-Sign Peter Moylan To Minor-League Deal
- The Royals have released outfielder Travis Snider, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star tweets. They had signed Snider to a minor-league deal after he hit .232/.313/.350 with the Orioles and Pirates last year. He had been looking to compete for a bench job.
- The Royals have also re-signed righty sidearmer Peter Moylan to a minor-league deal, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star tweets. The 37-year-old came back to pitch for the Braves last season after having Tommy John surgery, and the Royals signed him to a minor-league deal only to release him earlier this week to avoid paying him a retention bonus.
Royals Release Brian Duensing, Peter Moylan, Clint Barmes
The Royals have released a trio of veterans who were in camp on minor league deals, per a club announcement. Pitchers Brian Duensing and Peter Moylan were let go along with infielder Clint Barmes.
All three players were Article XX(B) free agents, meaning that Kansas City would have had to offer them an active roster spot or pay a $100K retention bonus tomorrow. Instead, the organization obviously elected to cut ties — though it’s worth noting that some such players end up reaching alternative deals to re-join the same organizations they spent camp with.
Duensing had actually exercised an opt-out clause in his deal earlier today as well. The Royals would have owed the southpaw $2MM on the major league roster. The 33-year-old had established himself as a capable LOOGY after failing to stick in the rotation, but had a rough 2015 (4.25 ERA, 4.4 K/9 vs. 3.9 BB/9).
The 37-year-old Moylan, a side-arming righty from Australia, had a surprising 2015 with the Braves last year. He had joined the organization as a minor league player-coach, but ended up reaching the MLB pen. Moylan is far removed from his excellent run with Atlanta earlier in his career, but still managed to allow only four earned runs in his 10 1/3 innings last year, while striking out eight and avoiding any walks. (Of course, those frames also came in 22 appearances, as Moylan was almost exclusively allowed to face right-handed batters.)
Barmes, meanwhile, has never shown much with the bat in his thirteen MLB seasons, but still holds some appeal as a utility piece due to his highly-regarded glove — though metrics have soured on his defense of late. It always seemed he’d face long odds in Kansas City, and a healthy spring from the club’s other middle infield options left him without a chair.
Brian Duensing Opts Out Of Royals Contract
- Lefty Brian Duensing told reporters (including Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star) that he will be opting out of his minor league deal with the Royals, giving the team 48 hours to either release him or add him to the 25-man roster. As per the terms of his contract, Duensing will make $2MM in base salary if he makes the team. It isn’t yet clear if K.C. will part ways with Duensing or not; while the Royals are deep in relief options, most of them are right-handed. Danny Duffy is the only southpaw slated for a bullpen job.
Tim Collins To Undergo Second Tommy John Surgery
Royals left-hander Tim Collins will require a second Tommy John procedure after his previous elbow graft failed, the team announced to the media (including Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star). Collins underwent his first TJ surgery in March 2015 and subsequently missed the entire season.
Collins was limited to just 21 innings in 2014 due to a strained flexor tendon in his left elbow. Between that injury and two Tommy John surgeries, it’s fair to wonder if Collins’ pitching career is in serious jeopardy. Though he won’t be able to pitch until late in the 2017 season (at the earliest), Collins isn’t giving up, telling Dodd and other reporters that he’s ready to once again go through the arduous rehab process. “I’m still young. I’m 26,” Collins said.
The southpaw posted a 3.54 ERA, 9.4 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 211 relief innings for the Royals from 2011-14. Despite his control issues, Collins had good splits against both right-handed (career .675 OPS) and left-handed (.702 OPS) batters and held all hitters to a modest .226/.334/.353 slash line.
The Royals avoided arbitration with Collins by agreeing to a one-year, $1.475MM salary for the coming season, and MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports that K.C. will have to eat that salary since the club doesn’t insure one-year contracts. Collins also earned $1.475MM for his lost 2015 season, so you can count on that same figure for Collins’ third and final trip through the arb process next winter if Kansas City decides to hold onto the lefty. Since Collins could be out until 2018, however, the Royals could look to re-sign him at a lower salary after a non-tender.
Royals Potential AL Central Favorites
- Despite a gap between the team’s recent won-lost records and computer projections, the Royals might just be able to pull off another AL Central title, CBS Sports’ Jonah Keri writes in his preview of the division. The team has a young core, and projection systems may struggle with valuations of defense and bullpens, both of which are Royals strengths.
Ross Ohlendorf Opts Out Of Royals Contract, Is Granted Release
WEDNESDAY: Kansas City has given Ohlendorf his release rather than adding him to the 40-man, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan tweets.
MONDAY: Veteran righty Ross Ohlendorf has opted out of his minor-league deal with the Royals, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. The Royals now have 48 hours to place Ohlendorf on their roster or release him.
Ohlendorf is one of several players fighting for what would could be one bullpen spot, with Wade Davis, Joakim Soria, Kelvin Herrera, Luke Hochevar, and perhaps Danny Duffy and the recently-rostered Dillon Gee all likely to win jobs. Chien-Ming Wang has thrown hard and gotten good results so far this spring, and could have the inside track on a spot as well. Ohlendorf has pitched eight innings in Spring Training and allowed six runs, although he’s struck out nine and walked only three.
The 33-year-old Ohlendorf fared well in 19 1/3 innings of relief with the Rangers in 2015, posting a 3.72 ERA, 8.8 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 while throwing considerably harder than he had in much of his earlier big-league career, most of which he had spent as a starter. He’s the veteran of eight big-league seasons, also playing for the Yankees, Pirates, Padres and Nationals.
Chien-Ming Wang Has May 1 Opt-Out
- Earlier today, we noted that one potential competitor for a spot in the Royals’ bullpen, Ross Ohlendorf, had opted out of his contract, giving the Royals 48 hours to place him on the roster or release him. Another potential competitor for one of the bullpen spots Ohlendorf is trying to win is Chien-Ming Wang, who has looked good in Spring Training. Wang’s opt-out date is May 1, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star tweets. That means that, unlike with Ohlendorf, the Royals have a bit of time to figure out how they want to use him.
Ross Ohlendorf Can Opt Out Of Royals Deal Today
- Ross Ohlendorf can opt out of his minor league deal with the Royals today, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star reports. If the team wants to keep the veteran righty, it will have to put him on the 40-man roster. Ohlendorf posted good results in 19 1/3 innings of the Rangers bullpen last season, though his path to a similar role in K.C. could be difficult given the number of other good arms in the Royals’ relief corps.
Royals Notes: Free Agency, Wang
It’s undeniably been a special couple of seasons for the Royals, and many of the team’s core players tell Bob Nightengale of USA Today that they are enjoying the time they have together for at least the next couple of seasons. To a man, they expressed an interest in sticking around long-term, though of course it would be hard to predict how many will ultimately do so. Meanwhile, GM Dayton Moore suggested that the organization is taking much the same approach. “You can’t be so consumed with what players are going to be here for just this period of time,” he said. “There’s urgency every day. We’re not going to focus on next year, two years, or three years from now. I can’t predict the future. We’re just going to go out there and do the best we can.”
- One Royals newcomer, veteran righty Chien-Ming Wang, is hoping to become the organization’s latest pitching turnaround success, as MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports. The sinkerballer has thrown six impressive frames and worked into the mid-90s with his fastball after taking a different approach to his preparation over the winter. Wang, who will soon turn 36, has a May 1 opt-out date but is making a real run to crack the roster in the bullpen.
