Royals Rumors

Mike Sweeney Retires

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 25, 2011 at 4:08pm CDT

Mike Sweeney signed a one-day contract with the Royals before officially announcing his retirement from baseball, the team announced.

Sweeney, 37, spent 13 years in Kansas City and represented the Royals in the All-Star Game from 2000-03 and in 2005. He'll retire with a career line of .297/.366/.486 in 16 seasons with the Royals, Mariners and Phillies. He appeared in the postseason for the first time last year and singled in the only playoff plate appearance of his career.

Sweeney ranks in the top six in Royals history in 17 offensive categories. He's second all-time in average (.299) and home runs (197). The Royals created the Mike Sweeney Award in his honor in 2008.

Kansas City drafted Sweeney in the 10th round of the 1991 draft, 262nd overall, as a catcher. He transitioned to first base and then DH, though the position shift didn't prevent him from making frequent DL trips. Sweeney earned nearly $73MM in his career, according to Baseball-Reference.

The Marlins’ Third Base Options

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 24, 2011 at 12:10pm CDT

The Marlins demoted third baseman Matt Dominguez today, so the slick-fielding prospect will start the season in the minor leagues, where he can work to improve his offense. The move opens up competition at third base and suggests the Marlins could look outside the organization for temporary help at the hot corner. Here's the latest:

A team source tells MLB.com's Joe Frisaro that the Marlins are not initiating trade talk about third base options with other clubs. Frisaro hears that the Marlins don't have any interest in Michael Young, though they did explore a possible deal earlier in the winter.
Manager Edwin Rodriguez repeated that Omar Infante will remain at second base, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Donnie Murphy and Emilio Bonifacio will get the most playing time at third, though Wes Helms and Greg Dobbs also have experience there.
The Marlins aren't sure that Royals third baseman Pedro Feliz is an upgrade over their internal options, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Marlins can absorb Feliz's $800K salary, according to Rosenthal.
The Marlins have not contacted the Royals about Feliz, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
Felipe Lopez, Eric Chavez and free agent Garrett Atkins are also potential options, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported last night that the Marlins are one of the teams monitoring Young, though they can't afford his annual salary of $16MM.

Brewers Acquire Brett Carroll

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 23, 2011 at 11:30am CDT

The Brewers acquired outfielder Brett Carroll from the Royals for cash considerations, the team announced. The Royals signed the 28-year-old as a free agent in November after the Marlins granted him free agency.

In parts of four seasons with Florida, Carroll has a .205/.284/.325 line in 319 plate appearances. Carroll, who broke camp with the Marlins in 2008 and '09, hit his first MLB homer off of Randy Johnson. The right-handed hitter was hitless in 15 at bats this spring before the Royals assigned him to minor league camp.

Though Carroll has struggled against MLB pitching in his short career, he has a more respectable .255/.323/.463 line in seven minor league seasons. The 2004 draft pick has played all three outfield positions in the majors and the minors.

Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star first tweeted news of the deal last night.

Royals Appear Likely To Keep Soria

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 16, 2011 at 3:45pm CDT

The Royals don’t seem inclined to trade Joakim Soria for anything less than an overwhelming offer, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. The 26-year-old closer, who is under team control through 2014, remains a big part of the Royals “today and for the future,” in the words of GM Dayton Moore.

“We do expect to be good at some point in time,” Moore said. “And to be good, it’s important that you’re able to match up over the last three innings of the game. Joakim Soria gives us that opportunity to do that.”

Soria, who has more continuous service with the Royals than anyone else on the team, says he’d likes the youth-oriented path the front office is taking. Unlike former teammate Zack Greinke, Soria wants to stay put. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes mentioned the closer on his list of midseason trade candidates in the American League, cautioning that the Royals were likely to keep him.

Soria said in December that he wouldn’t block a trade to the Yankees, but he later clarified that he meant to indicate that he didn’t plan to prevent the Royals from making a deal if that was their intention.

Make Or Break Year: Jeff Francis

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 15, 2011 at 10:57pm CDT

Jeff Francis seemed headed for stardom when, at the age of 26, he won 17 games and pitched in the World Series. This offseason, in his first appearance on the free agent market, he signed with the Royals for $2MM plus incentives. It's a modest guarantee for a pitcher who still has promise entering 2011.

Teams aren't going to commit aggressively to pitchers who post 5.00 ERAs, especially if they aren't far removed from serious shoulder issues. Francis' ERA sat precisely at 5.00 after 104 1/3 innings of work last year, in his return to the majors after missing the 2009 campaign with shoulder surgery. The former 9th overall pick wasn't in position to command much as a free agent, even after a successful return to the major leagues.

But things could be different next offseason. Francis, who just turned 30 in January, is still relatively young. And if he puts together a full season, he'll have an easier time convincing teams that his shoulder is no longer a concern.

Though Francis' 2010 ERA and 4-6 record don't look good, his peripheral stats do. He posted a robust 47% ground ball rate last year, striking out nearly three times as many hitters as he walked. What's more, his FIP and xFIP suggest he was more deserving of an ERA under 4.00. And while the American League has the DH, it doesn't have Coors Field, the only home park Francis has known as a big leaguer.

There are no guarantees for Francis or for his new team. If he encounters more shoulder problems or struggles to surpass last year's innings total, the market for him won't be strong after the season. But a healthy year and a little more luck could position Francis for the big free agent contract he didn't sign this past offseason.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Central Notes: Royals, Chisenhall, Theriot, Brewers

By Zachary Links | March 14, 2011 at 6:58pm CDT

Let's take a look at some items from both the AL and NL Central..

Royals manager Ned Yost told the Associated Press that he would like to have two left-handers in the bullpen to start the year, though he won't have two southpaw relievers just for the sake of it. For the time being, it sounds like Kansas City will look for an answer in-house, starting with their newest acquisition Robert Fish.
When asked if service time factored into the decision to demote Lonnie Chisenhall, Indians GM Chris Antonetti said, "That's certainly not the case," tweets Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
After being dealt from the Dodgers to the Cardinals, Ryan Theriot says that he's looking to play the way he did in 2008, writes MLB.com's Matthew Leach. In '08, Theriot posted a slash line of .307/.387/.359 for the Cubs.
Chris Cwik of Fangraphs wonders if the Brewers' acquisition of Zack Greinke has left them too thin in some areas.

Royals Acquire Robert Fish

By Steve Adams | March 13, 2011 at 1:27pm CDT

The Royals have claimed lefty Robert Fish from the Yankees on outright waivers, according to a team press release. In order to make room for Fish on their 40-man roster, Kansas City has moved right-hander Henry Barrera to the 60-day disabled list.

The Yankees selected Fish, 23, in the Rule 5 Draft this past December out of the Angels organization. Fish was lights out in High-A last season through 16 innings, allowing just two runs and striking out 25. He was torched upon a promotion to Double-A though, primarily due to allowing nine homers through 42 1/3 innings pitched. The result was an unsightly 8.93 ERA, but he maintained his big-time strikeout numbers, posting a K/9 of 10.4.

For his career, Fish has posted a strong 9.1 K/9 through 365 2/3 minor league innings, but he's also allowed far too many baserunners; he's walked 4.2/9 and allowed 9.5 H/9.

Quick Hits: Villone, Moorad, Lidge, White Sox

By Luke Adams 2 | March 12, 2011 at 10:05pm CDT

Links for Saturday night, as Alex Gordon continues to enjoy a productive spring….

The contract Ron Villone signed with the Nationals is non-guaranteed and worth $750K, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman.
Padres chief executive Jeff Moorad has officially vested himself of the portion of the Diamondbacks he owned, reports MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom.
Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com profiles a handful of prospects, including a pair of Royals, who could have an impact for subpar teams this year.
One scout discussed Brad Lidge with ESPN's Jayson Stark: "If I were the Phillies, I'd be worried. He's having a tough time getting his arm strength this spring." 2011 is the last guaranteed year of Lidge's contract, with the Phillies holding a $12.5MM club option ($1.5MM buyout) on 2012.
Ozzie Guillen says he doesn't care who emerges as the White Sox closer, since he has full confidence in both Chris Sale and the recently extended Matt Thornton, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
For the latest updates on the closer situations in Philadelphia, Chicago, and everywhere else, be sure to follow @closernews on Twitter.

Quick Hits: Chipper, Nix, Trout, Rockies

By Mark Polishuk | March 11, 2011 at 11:01pm CDT

Here's a potpourri of news items as we head into the weekend…

Chipper Jones talks to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince about his recovery from knee surgery and his future in baseball. Jones was thinking of retirement last summer before, as Castrovince writes, "he started to hit like Chipper Jones again….And where the knee injury might have been the straw that broke the camel's back in June, in August, it served as a motivating factor to keep going."
Laynce Nix has the been the subject of trade rumors, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Nix has a .251/.293/.445 career slash line against right-handed pitching and the Astros are reportedly in the market for a left-handed bench bat. Nix is currently in the Nationals' Spring Training camp on a minor league contract.
Star prospect Mike Trout is turning heads at the Angels' Spring Training camp, reports MLB.com's Lyle Spencer.
The Rockies will look internally to replace the injured Aaron Cook, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Already suffering from shoulder inflammation, Cook will be out until at least May due to a broken finger on his throwing hand.
Tyler Kepner of the New York Times looks at the Rangers' offseason and how the team had a more-than-adequate "plan B" (Adrian Beltre) in mind when they failed to re-sign Cliff Lee.
Jake Odorizzi might end up being the most important piece of the trade package the Royals received for Zack Greinke, says MLB.com's Dick Kaegel.
Mariners manager Eric Wedge has brought a number of former Indians coaches and players with him to Seattle, writes Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Brandon Wood has struggled this spring, while Mark Trumbo has had a big camp for the Angels. Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com thinks Trumbo's emergence means that the out-of-options Wood's "days in an Angels uniform appear to be numbered."
It was almost a year ago that Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland underwent life-threatening brain surgery. Today, MLB.com's Evan Drellich writes that "doctors have already been amazed at the speed of his recovery" as Westmoreland is trying hard to regain both his basic motor skills and his baseball abilities.

Royals Notes: Escobar, Cabrera, Ka’aihue

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 11, 2011 at 9:31am CDT

Royals GM Dayton Moore tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney that Alcides Escobar is different from some other players he has acquired in trades. Here are the details on Escobar and others in the Kansas City organization…

"Very rarely do you feel as good or better about a move after you get the player," Moore told Olney. But the Royals are happy with Escobar so far because he has been throwing well and making consistent contact at the plate. The Royals believe the shortstop has the potential to become a No. 2 hitter.
Melky Cabrera arrived to camp in good shape, but he isn’t guaranteed playing time. He, Jeff Francoeur, Kila Ka'aihue and Alex Gordon will all be competing for at bats.
As Olney reported yesterday, teams are expressing interest in Gordon, but Kansas City isn’t inclined to deal the former second overall pick because they think he could still flourish.
Though rival executives are in awe of Kansas City’s developing talent, the Royals want to see Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and others thrive in the big leagues before they get too excited.
Yahoo's Jeff Passan points out that Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA projection likes Ka'aihue and projects a 25 homer, .860 OPS output from him in 2011. Ka'aihue says he doesn't really buy into the projections, but says he thinks the forecasted stats are plausible.

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