Royals Interested In Jeff Francis
The Royals are one of seven teams with interest in Jeff Francis, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). Crasnick named the Nationals, Pirates, Rangers, Yankees and Mets as suitors for the left-hander late last month. Those clubs, along with the Rockies, maintain interest in Francis, Crasnick writes.
Francis missed all of the 2009 season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. He was generally healthy in 2010, when he logged 104 1/3 innings and posted a 5.00 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 for the Rockies.
The Royals expressed interest in Kevin Millwood early in the offseason. Now that they've traded Zack Greinke, their need for starting pitching is even more apparent. Kyle Davies, Luke Hochevar, Sean O'Sullivan and Vin Mazzaro are internal rotation candidates, but GM Dayton Moore figures to add at least one starter by the time Spring Training begins.
Twins Notes: Thome, Pavano, Greinke
So far this offseason, the Twins have made a number of minor league deals, traded J.J. Hardy to the Orioles and added Japanese infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Twins GM Bill Smith isn't done yet, though. The club could still add Jim Thome, Carl Pavano and/or others. Here's the latest on the defending AL Central champions from La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
- There are indications that Thome’s representatives raised some “eyebrows” when Lance Berkman signed for $8MM. Thome, who signed for a $1.5MM guarantee last winter, posted a .283/.412/.627 line, while Berkman hit just .248/.368/.413.
- There are no indications that Pavano has a three-year offer, according to Neal, who wonders whether the Twins have even offered a two-year deal.
- It’s not clear that the Twins can afford both Thome and Pavano, since both are coming off strong seasons and the Twins’ payroll is already high.
- There’s word that the Royals were not interested in discussing potential Zack Greinke trades with their AL Central rivals. The Indians and Twins did appear to have interest in Greinke, Neal writes.
Odds & Ends: Aardsma, Rendon, Miner, Germano
Let's help ring in the New Year with some links..
- "I've grown to really like that mlbtraderumors.com site," said David Aardsma to Kirby Arnold of The Herald. "I find out so much information about everybody – who we're bringing in, who we're looking at. So, it's kind of hard to miss it. In a way, I'm flattered they believe other teams would want me to be their closer." Welcome to the site, David!
- Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon has been cleared to resume full baseball activities according to Joseph Duarte of The Houston Chronicle. Rendon suffered severe injuries to his right foot and ankle this past July, and is the early front runner to be the first overall selection in a loaded 2011 draft.
- The Royals see Zach Miner as a potential starter depending on how well and how quickly he comes back from Tommy John surgery, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Earlier today the Royals signed the right-hander to a minor league deal.
- Indians reliever Justin Germano has accepted an assignment to Triple-A Columbus, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Meanwhile, the club's signing of Austin Kearns is not yet official due to the holidays.
- Gabe Lacques of USA Today writes that there are no major gaps for the Tigers to fill.
- Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues wonders what the next collective bargaining agreement could mean for the MLB draft.
Royals Sign Zach Miner
The Royals have signed pitcher Zach Miner to a minor league contract, according to a team press release. The 28-year-old missed all of 2010 after undergoing surgery on his right elbow in late May.
In four seasons for the Tigers, the right-hander registered a 4.24 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9. Miner has 35 starts to his credit but the bulk of them came in 2006 and 2008.
Detroit designated Miner for assignment in late November but the two sides discussed a new deal soon after. Miner gave the Tigs a solid 56.1% groundball rate in 2007 but that number slipped in '08 and '09.
Unfinished Business: AL Central
We've covered the unfinished business for teams in the NL East, Central, and West as well as the AL West. Now it's time to tackle the AL Central.
- White Sox: Swingman or reliever. A week ago, MLB.com's Scott Merkin opined that Chicago's biggest remaining need was a fourth or fifth starter type who could move to the bullpen when Jake Peavy returns. Or, the Sox could add another reliever and put Chris Sale in the rotation to start the season. GM Kenny Williams could theoretically clear some payroll space by moving Mark Teahen. Another remaining offseason goal could be to lock up John Danks, who is entering his second arbitration year.
- Indians: Veteran starting pitcher, third baseman, utility infielder, Shin-Soo Choo extension. A Choo extension is unlikely, but MLB.com's Jordan Bastian suggests the Tribe will attempt to find bargains for the other needs. Here's a look at the unsigned third base candidates. Bartolo Colon is the type of pitcher on the radar to compete for a fifth starter job.
- Tigers: Starting pitcher, lefty reliever. MLB.com's Kelly Thesier suggested a couple weeks ago that the Tigers could add a fifth starter/swingman type as well as a lefty reliever later in the offseason. On a later conference call, GM Dave Dombrowski said he's comfortable with the team's pitching staff but remains open-minded. They were linked to Brad Penny that same day.
- Royals: Starting pitcher, reliever. The Royals' 2011 rotation is looking barren at this point, and their bullpen is light too. The additions of Jeff Francoeur and Melky Cabrera imply that Dayton Moore likes a little veteran presence on his team, so I expect him to add some stopgaps to augment the pitching staff. Things have been quiet on the rumor front since the Zack Greinke trade, however.
- Twins: Starting pitcher, reliever(s), backup infielder, Jim Thome situation, Francisco Liriano extension. The Twins will have to figure out a Plan B if they fail to re-sign Carl Pavano. They lost Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, and likely others from the bullpen, so some kind of veteran addition seems likely. We haven't read much on the Twins' desire to re-sign Thome since this December 7th report. The Liriano idea is pure speculation on my part, but perhaps discussions will occur.
Soria Wouldn’t Block Trade To Yankees
The Royals have looked firm this offseason in their unwillingness to ship off Joakim Soria. The All-Star closer, on the other hand, appears comfortable with migrating to another market and, more specifically, to New York. In an interview with the Mexican paper Vanguard (link in Spanish), Soria told Roberto Espinoza that he doesn't give much weight to the no-trade clause in his contract, which reportedly allows him to block trades to the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Phillies, Cardinals, and Cubs.
"I didn't put it there, my agent did, as a strategy," Soria said. "But if the Royals decide to trade me to New York I would gladly go to play with the Yankees or any other team… I repeat, I would not block a trade to the Yankees. I like to play baseball and I would play with any team."
The Yankees reportedly dangled top catching prospect Jesus Montero in a Soria discussion last July, and the subsequent departure of Zack Greinke and David DeJesus has spawned a fresh crop of speculation about the haul Soria could bring to the already deep Royals system. The one cambio that Soria seemed eager to block, though, is a switch to the Royals' starting rotation.
"I really don't believe that could happen," Soria told Espinoza. "As I've always said, why fix something that isn't broken?… Furthermore, if they asked me if I would like to change into a starter, I would say no."
Soria emphasized in the interview that he is happy with the Royals, who have him under control through 2014 via a series of team-friendly options. And while there is a case to be made for keeping Soria right where he is while a roster's worth of elite talent inches ever-closer to the Royals' major league squad, Dayton Moore will no doubt continue to field queries about "the Mexecutioner" for as long as he remains the Royals' elite stopper.
About 18% of 11,000 MLBTR readers would convert Soria into a starter and 69% said the Royals should trade him by next July 31st.
Odds & Ends: Diamondbacks, Lindstrom, Lee, Ramirez
Merry Christmas everyone! Let's see what tidbits of information Santa has for us under the tree..
- It appears that the Diamondbacks' offseason revamping has already come to a close, writes Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic.
- Even though the Astros didn't get a ton in return for Matt Lindstrom, they didn't get fleeced either, opines David Golbiewski of Fangraphs.
- Alex Rodriguez told Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News that he thinks the Yankees will be just fine without Cliff Lee.
- Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets that the Rockies aren't too worried about resigning Joe Beimel because they trust Matt Reynolds and, to a lesser extent, Franklin Morales.
- More from Rubin as he suggests that the Yankees could have brought up Manny Ramirez's name while discussing Johnny Damon with agent Scott Boras.
- The Royals should be able to fill out their rotation with talented, cost-controlled pitchers in the coming years. In the meantime, however, their rotation could use a boost after the Zack Greinke deal, writes Golebiewski.
Discussion: Billy Butler’s Future In Kansas City
With Zack Greinke now a Milwaukee Brewer, the last thing Royals fans want to think about is another of their team's few established stars leaving Kauffman Stadium. No, it's not Joakim Soria, but rather Billy Butler. The young first baseman is headed to arbitration for the first time this winter, and how the Royals approach this situation will tell us if the club considers Butler to be part of their long-term plans.
Butler, 24, has blossomed into one of the game's up-and-coming stars, posting an .855 OPS over the last two seasons as Kansas City's everyday first baseman. Even though his home run numbers dropped from 21 in 2009 to 15 last season, Butler is still far and away the biggest threat in the K.C. lineup, especially now that David DeJesus has been traded.
With Butler's production and young age in mind, surely it makes sense for the Royals to sign Butler to an extension that carries at least through his arbitration years, right? Well, not necessarily. The Royals already have another promising first baseman on the major league roster in Kila Ka'aihue, and another (Eric Hosmer) is one of the top prospects in K.C.'s vaunted minor league system.
Ka'aihue got his first significant taste of major league playing time last season. He posted a .702 OPS in 206 plate appearances overall, and hit .274/.361/.548 playing every day in September. The Hawaii native has put up big minor league numbers over the last three years, and though it took him six years just to reach Triple-A, Ka'aihue began his pro career at age 18 and only turns 27 in March.
Hosmer was picked third overall by K.C. in the 2008 amateur draft, and has so far lived up to that selection by hitting .298/.378/.483 in his three pro seasons. Hosmer is projected to move up to Triple-A in 2011 and barring any unexpected setbacks will be a huge part of the Royals' future.
The question facing the cash-conscious Royals is simple: do they lock up Butler now in the hopes that he'll be entering his prime years when the club is ready to contend in 2013, or do the Royals shop Butler at the trade deadline and see if they can score even more premium prospects for the first baseman? If Butler is dealt, then Ka'aihue takes over first base duties and it frees up the DH spot for Hosmer in 2012 and beyond (or, vice versa, with Hosmer at first and Ka'aihue as the DH).
If the Royals sign Butler to a big multi-year extension, then they're going all-in with him and Ka'aihue becomes the one on the trading block once Hosmer is ready. If the Royals sign Butler to just a one-year contract for 2011 (worth probably between $3-4MM), then the team is basically just holding off on any long-term decisions until they can see what they really have in Ka'aihue and Hosmer. If I had to guess, I'd say the latter option is more likely to happen, though K.C. might also feel a Butler deal covering two arbitration years makes financial sense and gives a team a bit of good local press in the wake of the Greinke trade.
Arias, Zawadzki Clear Waivers
The Royals announced that they outrighted Joaquin Arias and Lance Zawadzki to Triple-A Omaha after the two infielders cleared waivers. Kansas City recently designated Arias and Zawadzki for assignment to create roster space. The Royals’ 40-man roster remains full.
The Rangers acquired Arias in the 2004 Alfonso Soriano–Alex Rodriguez trade. The Royals claimed him from the Mets after New York obtained him from the Rangers in the Jeff Francoeur deal. Arias did have a solid 2008 campaign as a reserve for the Rangers, but this year he hit just .258/.280/.320 between the Rangers and Mets. The 26-year-old is not yet arbitration eligible.
The Royals had claimed Zawadzki from the Padres in November. The 25-year-old appeared in 20 games for San Diego in May and June. He spent most of the season in the upper minors, where he played second, third and short and batted .225/.291/.316.
Odds & Ends: Uggla, Soria, Romero, LaRoche
Fallout from the Zack Greinke deal continues to dominate the baseball landscape. We have more on that and some other items of note, too…
- Dan Uggla and the Braves are still hammering out a contract extension, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta GM Frank Wren said the progress between the sides has been steady and there have been no setbacks, but nothing's imminent, according to O'Brien. We heard last week that the Braves remain optimistic about extending Uggla, who is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility.
- The teams that inquired with the Royals about Zack Greinke were told that Joakim Soria will not be traded, tweets Jack Curry of the YES Network. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported earlier today that the Royals don't intend to move their closer. Soria, who will turn 27 in May, is considered one of the best young stoppers in the game and is signed to team-favorable terms through 2014, his age-30 season. Perhaps the combination of Soria's age and fair contract have persuaded the Royals to see that he's with Kansas City while its highly touted wave of young talent trickles into the bigs.
- Free-agent reliever J.C. Romero hopes that Dennys Reyes' failed physical might facilitate his own return to Philly, writes Randy Miller of the Bucks County Courier Times. The 34-year-old Romero, who spent the past three-plus seasons with the Phillies after they acquired him in a midseason deal in 2007, said he'd "definitely" like to return, just as Cliff Lee did.
- The Orioles' first choice to fill their vacancy at first base remains free agent Adam LaRoche, writes Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com. Baltimore and LaRoche have been "heavily involved" in talks, and LaRoche is "waiting for a few things" before deciding on a team. The Nationals and Padres are also pursuing him.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports noted some leftover tidbits from the Greinke deal, and here are a few of the highlights: The Yankees made a strong push for Greinke in July 2010, but the pitcher didn't want to leave the Royals then. The Royals liked a package of prospects the Blue Jays offered for Greinke, but he didn't want to play for Toronto. One rival executive said the Brewers' acquisition of Yuniesky Betancourt with Greinke "nullifies" the benefits of adding the ace.
- Greinke was readying for an offseason move late in the 2010 season, going so far as to shelve his toxic but arm-taxing slider, writes Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports.