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Royals Agree To Sign Miguel Tejada

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The Royals have announced, via Twitter, the signing of infielder Miguel Tejada to a minor league contract. Dionisio Soldevila of the Associated Press, who first reported the agreement, has been told by both Tejada and his agent it is a MLB deal and the contract is worth $1.1MM plus $400K in performance bonuses (all Twitter links). ESPNDeportes.com's Enrique Rojas reports the deal will be converted to a Major League contract as soon as there is an opening on the Royals' 40-man roster (Twitter link in Spanish). Rojas also tweeted (link in Spanish) that Tejada told ESPNDeportes.com he's been given guarantees by the Royals he will make the team as a utilityman and second baseman.

"I'm very pleased with this. The contract with the Royals is a done deal. I'm going to try to help this team and their younger players. I'm so happy because this is what I was aiming for, a chance to get back to the majors," Tejada told the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).

Tejada signed a minor league contract with the Orioles last May. The 38-year-old requested his release after appearing in 36 games at Triple-A Norfolk with a slash line of .259/.325/.296 covering 151 plate appearances. Tejada last appeared at the MLB level with the Giants in 2011 posting a .239/.270.326 hitting line before being released.

The Diamondbacks and Marlins had also shown interest in the SFX client this offseason.

Royals Sign Endy Chavez

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The Royals have announced the signing of outfielder Endy Chavez to a minor league contract.  Chavez is represented by Peter E. Greenberg & Associates and is the third veteran outfielder the Royals have signed this month, following their minor league contracts with Xavier Nady and Willy Taveras. 

Chavez (who turns 35 in February) signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Orioles last offseason and hit .203/.236/.278 in 169 plate appearances for Baltimore in 2012.  Chavez spent most his 64 games as a defensive replacement in left and right field and it's likely he'll fill a similar backup role in Kansas City.  On paper he fits as a left-handed hitting complement to Jeff Francoeur in right field, but Chavez's career .676 OPS against right-handed pitching is even less than Francoeur's much-maligned career numbers (.702 OPS) against righties.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports was the first to report the signing, with ESPN's Jerry Crasnick adding that it was a minor league deal and that the Giants also had interest in Chavez's services (both links are to Twitter).

Quick Hits: Yankees, Royals, Orioles, Hochevar

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MLBTR would like to wish all of our readers a very Merry Christmas.  Here's tonight's look around baseball..

  • Yankees catcher Austin Romine could make an impact this season following the departure of Russell Martin, writes MLB.com's Bernie Pleskoff.  Martin signed a two-year, $17MM deal with the Pirates in November.  The Yankees still could make a play for a starting catcher, but as it stands, they'll head into spring training with Romine, Chris Stewart, and Francisco Cervelli.
  • Royals left fielder Alex Gordon appreciates the moves that General Manager Dayton Moore has made in order to win in the short-term, writes Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star.  “To be honest, it seems like we’ve been sitting on prospects the last six years…It’s given them that option to be able to do that and go get a guy like James Shields and some of the other guys they’ve picked up. Yeah, it’s a risk-reward, but it’s something that you sometimes need to pull off," said the soon-to-be 29-year-old.  Gordon is signed through the next three seasons with a player option in 2016.
  • Some have theorized that the Orioles won't be able to bank on the good fortune that they enjoyed last season in 2013, but Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com notes that the club has plenty of setbacks to overcome.  The O's roadblocks led them to go through 52 players in the regular season and 178 roster moves in total.
  • While many Royals fans would like to see them dump Luke Hochevar and Jeff Francoeur, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter) doesn't see either player being given away for nothing.  Either player could be traded, but Kansas City will want something of consequence in return.  The Royals reportedly called the Rockies about Hochevar earlier this month, but nothing materialized from those talks.
  • Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) looked ahead to the biggest storylines of 2013.  The Blue Jays now find themselves at center stage after acquiring R.A. Dickey, Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, and others this offseason.  The Dodgers will also feel immense pressure to win as they'll claim the highest payroll in baseball in 2013.
  • Left-hander Scott Kazmir is grateful for another shot at the major leagues, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.  The soon-to-be 29-year-old inked a minor league deal with the Indians late last week.  Kazmir last pitched at an All-Star level in 2008, when he posted a 3.49 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9.

Minor Moves: Luis Rodriguez, Aneury Rodriguez

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Here are Monday's minor moves from around the league…

  • The Angels have signed infielder Luis Rodriguez to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, tweets Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. Rodriguez, 32, last appeared with the Mariners in 2011. The switch-hitter has also seen time with the Twins and Padres. He owns a .238/.314/.324 batting line in 1,123 Major League plate appearances and has extensive experience at shortstop, second base and third base. Rodriguez is represented by Greenberg & Associates.
  • Former Astros hurler Aneury Rodriguez has signed with the Samsung Lions, according to MyKBO.net (on Twitter). Rodriguez, 25, has a 5.12 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 91 1/3 Major League innings — all for Houston. He started one game for the Astros this past season.
  • Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star tweets that the Royals have released four minor league right-handers: Ysrael Abreu, Jose Brazoban, Adelso Polanco and Yerinson Tatis. 

Trade Notes: Hochevar, Athletics, Bourjos

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The latest on some potential trade scenarios from around MLB…

  • The Royals called the Rockies about Luke Hochevar, but nothing has materialized, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports (on Twitter). The Royals tendered Hochevar a contract before acquiring James Shields and Wade Davis from the Rays, which means they’re responsible for his projected $4.4MM salary. Hochevar would have been a better fit in Colorado if he had hit the open market as a non-tendered player.
  • The Athletics are likely to explore trade options to acquire a shortstop now that Stephen Drew is off of the market, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). The Red Sox agreed to sign Drew for $9.5MM, which is “quite a bit more” than Oakland offered, according to Slusser. Jed Lowrie, Asdrubal Cabrera and Dee Gordon are among the shortstops who could be traded in my view.
  • The Marlins would have interest in a Ricky Nolasco for Peter Bourjos type of deal, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). The Angels seek pitching depth and the Marlins are willing to trade Nolasco. Joe Frisaro of MLB.com wrote today about the possibility of a Nolasco-Bourjos swap, noting that Miami has longstanding interest in the Angels outfielder.

Angels In Contact With Tigers About Rick Porcello

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The Angels have been in contact with the Tigers about Rick Porcello, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. The Pirates, Padres, Rangers, Phillies, Twins, and Royals also have interest in the right-hander, though Knobler says Detroit doesn't have interest in Pittsburgh closer Joel Hanrahan.

Drafted 23rd overall in 2007, the 23-year-old Porcello zoomed to the big leagues after just one season in the minors. He owns a 4.55 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 120 starts and 691 2/3 innings. His 52.3% ground ball rate helps make up for the lack of strikeouts. Porcello earned $3.1MM in 2012 and projects to earn $4.7MM in his second trip through arbitration this winter. He's a Super Two and will be eligible for free agency after 2015.

The Tigers re-signed Anibal Sanchez a few days ago, rounding out a stellar front-four that includes also Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, Max Scherzer. Porcello and Drew Smyly are the front-runners for the fifth starter's spot. The Angels have acquired Tommy Hanson and signed Joe Blanton this winter, but they're still looking for rotation depth behind Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson.

AL Central Notes: Royals, Francoeur, Indians, Perez

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News out of the American League Central..

  • The Royals are already $12MM over their stated breaking point, which means that money will be a factor in what moves they make, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.  Furthermore, they appear committed to starting the season with Jeff Francoeur in right field, limiting interest in  possible alternatives (Twitter link).
  • The adding of bullpen arms doesn't mean that the Indians are necessarily looking to move Chris Perez, General Manager Chris Antonetti told Glenn Moore of Cleveland.com.  "We didn't look at it that way. I think we just looked at it as an opportunity to just improve our team. And Chris is our closer. As we sit here today, I have every reason to think he’s going to be our closer on Opening Day," said the GM.
  • Tony Paul of The Detroit News looks at trade scenarios for the Tigers' Rick Porcello, including the Pirates, Rangers, and Angels.  Several National League teams including the Padres have been said to have interest in the right-hander.

Royals Sign Xavier Nady

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The Royals announced that they signed outfielder Xavier Nady to a minor league contract. The deal figures to include an invitation to Spring Training, though the Royals won't confirm their list of invitees until later in the winter.

Nady spent the 2012 season with the Nationals and Giants, appearing in 59 games at the MLB level. The 34-year-old client of the Boras Corporation posted a .184/.253/.316 batting line in 166 plate appearances while playing left and right field. However, Nady has a career batting line of .270/.324/.432 in 11 MLB seasons. A right-handed hitter, Nady has a career .284/.352/.441 line against left-handers. In that respect he resembles Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur, who also hits lefties better than he hits righties.

Central Notes: Soriano, Pierzynski, Adams, Royals

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Happy birthday to Cubs great Fergie Jenkins, who was born 70 years ago today in Chatham, Ontario.  The 1971 NL Cy Young Award winner won 167 games in 10 years with the Cubs and wore the red 'C' into the Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 1991.

Here are some items from Chicago and elsewhere around both the AL and NL Central divisions…

  • The Braves don't have any interest in trading for Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  The Cubs are willing to pay $26MM of Soriano's remaining $36MM salary in a trade and have shopped the veteran to the Astros and Phillies this offseason.
  • The White Sox would like to bring back A.J. Pierzynski but only at the team's price, writes Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago.  While the team has kept in touch with Pierzynski's agent, the Sox are prepared to go ahead with Tyler Flowers as their everyday catcher.
  • The Brewers can probably be counted out of the Mike Adams hunt, opines Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link) as the free agent reliever will likely be priced out of the Crew's range.  At least seven other teams besides Milwaukee are known to be interested in Adams.
  • Also from Haudricourt, he outlines how the Brewers have been historically unable to keep their major stars, a trend that may continue given the team's small local TV contract.  The one exception was Ryan Braun, who was already on an eight-year contract when he signed his major extension with the Crew.
  • We heard last month that the Royals were trying to trade Bruce Chen and Luke Hochevar, but Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports that while the team will listen, they "feel no urgency" to move either pitcher.  The Royals want a lot of rotation depth and could just put either Chen or Hochevar in the bullpen, though K.C. could also wait until March to find better trade offers. (All links to Dutton's Twitter account.)
  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty told reporters (including John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that his team is pretty much done its winter shopping, though he hinted that the Reds could add a left-handed reliever.
  • As the cost of high-end pitching has risen, Adam Wainwright is in position to receive a huge payday as he enters the final year of his contract with the Cardinals, writes the Associated Press.  Both Wainwright and the Cards are open to the idea of discussing a new contract before Opening Day.
  • From earlier today, the Cubs and Tigers are the final two suitors for Anibal Sanchez.  The Cubs thought they had Sanchez signed to a five-year, $75MM offer, but Sanchez is giving the Tigers a final chance to match or top the offer.

Quick Hits: Soriano, Astros, Dickey, Grilli

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On the most recent edition of the Rosters & Rumblings podcast, MLBTR’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts discussed the Rays–Royals trade, Zack Greinke’s deal with the Dodgers and the most recent rumors from around MLB.  Here's more from around baseball to cap off a busy Tuesday evening..

  • The Cubs previously shopped Alfonso Soriano to the Astros as a possible DH, but Houston doesn't have enough money even with Chicago picking up the bulk of what is owed to him, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.  Earlier today we learned that the Phillies have talked with the Cubs about a deal for Soriano.
  • Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner wonders if the Mariners should now make a play for the Mets' R.A. Dickey.  Cameron argues that it's something to think about if Justin Upton stays put in Arizona, Josh Hamilton returns to Texas, and if Nick Swisher passes on Seattle's offer.
  • Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) notes that Jason Grilli's new contract with the Pirates doesn't include performance incentives for games finished.  A bonus for games finished might have given an indication of his role in the bullpen going forward.
  • Kevin Youkilis now joins Johnny Damon, Mark Bellhorn, Doug Mientkiewicz, Derek Lowe, Mike Myers, and Alan Embree as members of the 2004 Red Sox to later play for the Yankees, tweets Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
  • Josh Johnson told Barry Davis of Sportsnet (video link) that he first found out about being traded to the Blue Jays via MLBTradeRumors' mobile app.  If you haven't already, you can pick up the iPhone MLBTR app right here.
  • The Red Sox appointed Gary DiSarcina as manager of Triple-A Pawtucket, according to Maureen Mullen of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).  DiSarcina just recently agreed to serve as a special assistant to Angels GM Jerry Dipoto.
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