Royals Rumors

Odds & Ends: Torre, Royals, Colome, Hawpe

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 18, 2010 at 1:09pm CDT

Links for Wednesday, a year to the day after the Rangers acquired Ivan Rodriguez…

Check back in at 2pm CDT and join our weekly chat.
After speaking to Dodgers manager Joe Torre about his future, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports is starting to believe the skipper will retire after the season.
The Royals spent slightly under $6.7MM on this year’s draft, according to Daniel Paulling of the Kansas City Star.
The Rangers signed Jesus Colome, who has already been released by the Mariners and Dodgers this year. The transactions page for the Pacific Coast League says Texas assigned the righty to Triple A.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Marc Carig of the Star Ledger that he doesn't expect to make any trades this month.
Troy Renck of the Denver Post fully expects the Rockies to have parted ways with Brad Hawpe by the weekend (Twitter link).
Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic likes what he sees from D'Backs interim GM Jerry Dipoto and interim manager Kirk Gibson.
The Pirates spent a franchise-record $11.9MM on this year’s draft, according to data obtained by Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Count Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos among those who wouldn't mind moving the deadline to sign draft picks earlier in the summer. He told the FAN 590 that he would also prefer to see the deadline in the evening, rather than late at night.

Draft Pick Signings

By Tim Dierkes | August 17, 2010 at 12:07am CDT

Today's draft pick signing deadline passed at 11pm central time. This post contains notable signings outside of the first round, with the latest up top.

The Padres signed sixth-rounder John Barbato for $1.4MM, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter).
The Blue Jays signed fourth-rounder Sam Dyson for $600K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter).
The Tigers signed second-rounder Drew Smyly for $1.1MM, according to Kendall Rogers of Yahoo (on Twitter).
The D'Backs signed 14th-rounder Ty Linton for $1.25MM, according to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo.
The A's signed second-rounder Yordy Cabrera for $1.25MM, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (via Twitter). The team has since confirmed the deal, but not its value.
The Pirates have signed second-rounder Stetson Allie, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The 19-year-old, who plays third and pitches, had committed to the University of North Carolina. He gets a $2.25MM bonus, according to Hoynes (on Twitter).
The D'Backs signed eighth-rounder Tyler Green for $750K, according to Aaron Fitt of Baseball America. The prep righty can hit 95 mph with his fastball.
The Reds signed sixth-rounder Drew Cisco for $975K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America.
The Cardinals signed second-round right-hander Jordan Swagerty for $600-650K, according to Kendall Rogers of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
The Giants signed second-rounder Jarrett Parker for $700K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. The 21-year-old outfielder set multiple single-season records at Virginia last year.
The Mariners signed second-rounder Marcus Littlewood for $900K, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter). Here's Law's scouting report on the prep shortstop.
The D'Backs agreed to sign sixth-round right-hander Blake Perry for $500K, according to Aaron Fitt of Baseball America.
The Nationals agreed to sign 12th-round left-hander Robbie Ray for $799K, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
The Red Sox will sign Garin Cecchini, according to Kendall Rogers of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The fourth-round pick was looking for about $1.35MM and Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter) that he'll get $1.31MM.
Eighth-rounder Alex Lavisky agreed to terms with the Indians on a $1MM bonus, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The prep catcher is "a good athlete with arm strength," according to Baseball America.
The Red Sox signed second-rounder Brandon Workman for $800K, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
The Red Sox agreed to sign third-rounder Sean Coyle, a 5'8" shortstop, for $1.3MM, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. That's more than $1MM more than MLB recommends for the 110 slot.
The Dodgers signed 11th-rounder Joc Pederson, a prep outfielder, for $600K according to Baseball America's Jim Callis. That quadruples MLB's recommended maximum. BA ranked Pederson #154 in their draft preview.
The Rangers signed fifth-rounder Justin Grimm, a righty out of Georgia, for $825K plus incentives ($677K over slot), reports Baseball America's Aaron Fitt. BA ranked Grimm at #109 in their draft preiew.
The Indians signed fourth-round pick Kyle Blair for $580K ($334K over slot), reports Baseball America's Jim Callis. Blair is a righty drafted out of the University of San Diego; BA ranked him 84th overall in their draft preview.
The Royals signed second-round pick Brett Eibner and fifth-rounder Jason Adam, according to a press release. Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that Eibner gets $1.25MM (almost $600K over slot), while Adam gets $800K ($629K over slot). Eibner is a center fielder and pitcher out of the University of Arkansas, and Adam is a righty drafted out of high school. Baseball America rated Eibner the 23rd-best player in the draft, calling him the "best two-way prospect" in the class. The Royals instead plan to use him as a center fielder.

Giants Acquire Jose Guillen

By Tim Dierkes | August 13, 2010 at 2:37pm CDT

The Giants acquired outfielder Jose Guillen from the Royals for a player to be named later and $250K. The Royals, who gave Guillen an ill-advised three-year, $36MM deal in December of 2007, designated Guillen for assignment on August 5th. The $250K is about $138K more than the pro-rated portion of the major league minimum salary.

Guillen still has $3.39MM left on his contract, but the Royals are covering some of that, according to a press release. The 34-year-old is hitting .255/.314/.429 on the season with 16 home runs in 437 plate appearances. He has logged only 169 innings in right field, so playing him regularly in the outfield would be risky. The Giants probably don't have an everyday role in mind for Guillen anyway – there's no reason he should supplant Pat Burrell, Andres Torres, Aubrey Huff, or Travis Ishikawa.

Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes first reported that a deal was close and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Ed Price of AOL FanHouse and Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle also broke elements of the story (all Twitter links).

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Royals, Rays, Burrell

By Mike Axisa | August 13, 2010 at 11:00am CDT

On this date 41 years ago, Major League owners unanimously elected Bowie Kuhn to a seven-year term as commissioner. It was under Kuhn that the reserve clause was eliminated, paving the way for free agency as we know it.

We've got a lot of links to get to, so let's dive right in…

Joe Posnanski tries to determine who the worst everyday player in baseball is.
Royals Review breaks down all the changes the Royals have gone through since the start of last season.
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness congratulates Garret Anderson on the worst offensive season in Dodgers history.
Bright House Sports Network looks at the Rays' history of waiver trades, plus some names they might target this month.
The Process Report wonders if this season will be Dan Wheeler's last stand in Tampa.
DRays Bay tries to figure out if Gabe Kapler should be designated for assignment.
Disciples of Uecker thinks the Jim Edmonds–Chris Dickerson trade was the best for everyone.
Around The Majors posted a two part series looking at the events that have brought Andres Torres' career back from the dead (parts one & two).
Meanwhile, Joe Pawlikowski at FanGraphs examines Pat Burrell's resurgence since joining the Giants.
The Nats Blog breaks down Stephen Strasburg's first bump in the road.
Red Sox Beacon re-introduces us to Carlos Delgado.
U.S.S. Mariner looks at the job security of Major League managers, or the lack thereof.
Camden Crazies explains the Buck Showalter magic going on in Baltimore.
Randall On Baseball revisits the trade that sent Brandon Morrow to the Blue Jays for Brandon League.
Baseball 101 looks at a different way of valuing relievers based on the work of Bill James.
Baseball Analysts analyzed the Rule 5 Draft.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Odds & Ends: White Sox, Olsen, Adam, V-Mart

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 11, 2010 at 9:26pm CDT

Another round of links for Wednesday, as Cliff Lee falls short of eight innings for the first time in two months…

The White Sox are cautiously optimistic about signing the team's top remaining unsigned picks, amateur scouting director Doug Laumann told MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
Scott Olsen made $250K in incentives for starting his 11th game of the season tonight, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link).
2010 draftee Jason Adam is close to signing with the Royals, according to Daniel Paulling of the Kansas City Star. Adam, ranked by Baseball America as the 54th-best prospect in this year’s draft awaits approval from the commissioner’s office.
Victor Martinez told Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio that the Red Sox have not offered him an extension (Twitter link). The catcher hits free agency after the season.
The Yankees agreed to sign third-rounder Rob Segedin for a $377K bonus, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. Segedin, a third baseman, receives about $100K more than MLB’s recommended bonus for his slot.
Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News explains why he believes the Rangers shouldn't try to sign Cliff Lee long-term just yet. It's probably a moot point, since Lee seems destined to reach the open market.
MLB owners and executives approved the sale of the Rangers to the group led by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). The final vote occurs tomorrow.

Dodgers Interested In Jose Guillen

By Tim Dierkes | August 10, 2010 at 3:23pm CDT

3:23pm: The Dodgers' interest in Guillen is "thin," according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter).

1:32pm: The Dodgers have "strong interest" in Jose Guillen for a part-time role, tweets ESPN's Enrique Rojas. He adds that the Dodgers might wait for Guillen to be released, as the DH/outfielder was designated for assignment by the Royals five days ago. The Giants are the only other team known to have some measure of interest in Guillen.

The Dodgers are 5.5 games out of the wild card, but it is surprising to see them showing interest in another outfield type. The current group includes Scott Podsednik, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Reed Johnson, and Jay Gibbons. Manny Ramirez is on the DL with a calf injury.

Guillen, 34, is hitting .255/.314/.429 with 16 home runs in 437 plate appearances this season. The Royals are expected to assume most of his remaining pay one way or another.

Royals Sign Venezuelan Shortstop For $1.1MM

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 10, 2010 at 3:09pm CDT

The Royals officially signed Venezuelan shortstop Humberto Arteaga for $1.1MM, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. The Royals like the 16-year-old’s quickness, positioning and running speed. Arteaga has a compact swing, so the club expects him to make contact and produce lots of line drives, though his power potential seems limited.

As Badler points out, Arteaga joins Adonis Cardona (Blue Jays), Ariel Ovando (Astros), Renato Nunez (A’s), Phillips Castillo (Mariners) and Danry Vasquez (Tigers) in the group of international prospects who have signed for more than $1MM this summer.

The Royals have been spending big on draftees and international players. Last year, for example, the club committed millions to both Noel Arguelles and Wil Myers.

Odds & Ends: Garcia, Guillen, Dunn, Reds

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 9, 2010 at 9:52pm CDT

Links for Monday night, as Brandon Phillips' choice words make this week's Reds-Cardinals series that much more intriguing…

Freddy Garcia told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that he would like to return to the White Sox in 2010 if there's room in the team's rotation.
Talks between the Royals and Giants about Jose Guillen are not progressing noticeably, but not completely dead, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
MLB.com's Bill Ladson believes the Nationals should sign Adam Dunn to an extension if they can't find a player who can hit and play defense.
The Reds agreed to sign Dominican shortstop Olivel Florentino for $250K, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.
Bobby Cox tells MLB.com's Steve Gartner that Alex Gonzalez has been excellent on defense since the Braves acquired him for Yunel Escobar last month.

Greinke Pessimistic About Royals’ Rebuilding Plan

By Mark Polishuk | August 5, 2010 at 8:07pm CDT

Though "some of the best prospects in the minors" are in the Royals organization, K.C. ace Zack Greinke expressed doubt that these youngsters will develop quickly enough to help the team while he is still wearing Royal blue. Greinke told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star that "there’s no reason for me to get real excited about it…because the chance of more than one of them making a major impact by the time my contract is up is pretty slim.”

While Greinke stopped short of saying he wants out of Kansas City, he said that "it’s been six years with me, and most people (who are Royals fans) have been through a lot more than I have. But for me, it’s the third complete re-start/rebuilding phase….I like Kansas City….It’s a town that fits me pretty well. But I don’t know…at least put a team together that has a fighting chance (to win).”

These aren't the inspiring words that the Royals want to hear from their star pitcher, and it furthers speculation that a Greinke trade might be a key piece of K.C.'s (latest) rebuild. The Royals were at least listening to offers for the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner before the trade deadline, and perhaps in the wake of the Cliff Lee deal were wondering what their own ace might draw on the market. Greinke's contract runs through 2012 and he is set to earn $13.5MM in each of the next two seasons. It's a reasonable price for a top-line starter who has posted a 3.18 ERA and 3.78 K/BB ratio since 2007.

As Dutton points out, Greinke could just be venting in the midst of yet another losing season. But Greinke does make the logical point that even if the likes of Eric Hosmer or Mike Moustakas eventually live up to expectations, they probably aren't going to be the type of instant breakout stars that can lead a young team to earlier-than-expected success. The Royals have been openly shopping their veteran players this season and should this strategy continue, trading Greinke sometime before the 2012 trade deadline could provide the final influx of talent necessary to finally turn Kansas City into a winner.

Royals Designate Jose Guillen For Assignment

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 5, 2010 at 5:38pm CDT

5:38PM: Good news and bad news for Guillen. San Francisco may still have an interest in him, as Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports that the Giants are "discussing" making a move for the outfielder. The bad news comes from an anonymous executive who told Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman (Twitter link) that "no contender" should go after Guillen since only Milton Bradley is considered to have a worse "personality/clubhouse rep."

12:55PM: The Royals designated Jose Guillen for assignment, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). The team, which called up Philip Humber in a corresponding move, now has ten days to determine Guillen's future. A trade seems likely, though a release is possible.

The 34-year-old drew interest from the Giants and other clubs before the trade deadline. Since the deadline, Guillen is hitless in 19 at bats, so he hasn't helped his trade value this week. After the Royals traded Scott Podsednik, GM Dayton Moore told reporters that he'd consider dealing players who are on the brink of free agency.

Guillen has $3.8MM remaining on his contract before he hits free agency this winter. Despite his recent slump, he has 16 homers and a .255/.314/.429 line thanks to strong performances in April and June.

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