Writings on baseball by Matt Barnard and Dan Stein.

Allard Baird's winter-to-date (Kansas City Royals)
 
The notable moves made by the Kansas City Royals since the end of the 2003 season. Please send me any comments/omissions/questions here.

10/29/03 -
Declined option on Brent Mayne ($3 million for 2004, $250K buyout).

A no-brainer. Mayne's been stinking on wheat for each of the last three years (.245/.307/.344 in 2003), and spending $3 million on him would've been akin to flushing it down the toilet. Gone to the Diamondbacks, where he'll be a bad backup catcher again.

10/31/03 -
Signed Joe Dawley to a one year, $300,000 contract.
Signed manager Tony Pena to a two year contract extension through 2006.

There aren't going to be comments for every one of these, but the extension of Tony Pena is probably worth commenting on. It's awfully tough to quantify managerial contributions, so what've we got to go on aside from record relative to talent on hand? Pena's Royals were pretty damn good in 2003, and it's hard to find a good reason to be against keeping him around a little while longer. I don't have financial terms on the extension, but I assume it's nothing ridiculous. I doubt Dawley's much more than minor league filler at this point (he's old and has very limited and crappy major league experience), he obviously isn't costing much - and who knows?

11/06/03 -
Invited Brent Abernathy to spring training.
Invited Brandon Berger to spring training.
Invited Shawn Camp to spring training.
Invited Shane Costa to spring training.
Invited Gookie Dawkins to spring training.
Invited Zack Greinke to spring training.
Invited Mitch Maier to spring training.
Invited Calvin Pickering to spring training.
Invited Dennys Reyes to spring training.
Invited Eric Thompson to spring training.
Invited Mike Venafro to spring training.

A few interesting names here, and some that you almost certainly know in Zack Greinke (one of the premier pitching prospects in baseball) and Mitch Maier (one of the team's first round picks in 2003, a young catcher). You've then got guys with major league experience like Gookie Dawkins, Mike Venafro and Dennys Reyes and a reasonable prospect in Shane Costa (2003 second rounder). I don't know how good a shot any of these guys have at breaking camp with the team, but the young guys (particularly Greinke) will certainly be able to make an impression. Calvin Pickering will be a guy to watch as well.

11/13/03 -
Released Brent Abernathy.

That was quick.

11/21/03 -
Signed Kevin Appier to a one year, $300,000 contract.

The Angels are still paying him through the nose (they released him last year), so the Royals could pick up an old, mediocre pitcher on the cheap. Because the starters aren't great right now, he'll probably open the season somewhere in the back end of the rotation.

11/26/03 -
Signed Brian Anderson to a two year, $6.5 million contract.
Signed Curtis Leskanic to a one year, $1.375 million contract with a club option for 2005 ($1.25 million, $125K buyout).
Signed Joe Randa to a one year, $3.75 million contract.

Seems like a lot in this market for Joe Randa, but I guess third basemen are hard to come by these days, and he's not terrible. There aren't any ready major league options within the system, and it's only for a year. The other two contracts seem perfectly reasonable, Leskanic will be an important part of the bullpen (he had a nice 2003) and Anderson slots in over his head as the #1 starter.

12/06/03 -
Signed Donnie Bridges to a minor league contract.

12/07/03 -
Signed Jason Grimsley to a one year, $1 million contract.

One of a ton of one year, $1 million contracts signed this offseason, Grimsley'll be a part of the bullpen again. He hasn't been good since 2001, but I don't know that the Royals are awash in better options.

12/08/03 -
Declined arbitration to Mike DiFelice.
Declined arbitration to Al Levine.
Declined arbitration to Jose Lima.
Declined arbitration to Graeme Lloyd.
Declined arbitration to Brent Mayne.
Declined arbitration to Tom Prince.
Declined arbitration to Rondell White.
Declined arbitration to Jamey Wright.
Offered arbitration to Michael Tucker.

Pretty easy decisions all the way around. I don't know why you'd offer arbitration to Michael Tucker, but the Giants took care of that - no harm done.

12/09/03 -
Signed Matt Stairs to a one year, $1 million contract.
Signed Scott Sullivan to a two year, $5 million contract with a club option for 2006 ($2.75 million, $300K buyout).

Stairs can still hit and will play some left and DH. Hauling him in for a million bucks seems like a pretty good move to me. I've read about Sullivan being something of an injury and ineffectiveness risk, but he had a fine 2003 and can be an asset to a bullpen, pitching a lot of innings (relatively, out of the pen) and doing a good job with them. $2.5 million per seems alright.

12/11/03 -
Signed Benito Santiago to a two year, $4.3 million contract.

He's ancient, but is a major upgrade over the garbage the Royals have trotted out there in recent years. If he's able to replicate his .279/.329/.424 of a year ago (or something like that), he'll help the team. That said, he's far from a long term solution at catcher, but I guess Mitch Maier is on his way.

12/14/03 -
Signed Tony Graffanino to a two year, $2.2 million contract.

Awfully versatile and relatively cheap. He'll be the backup at second, third and short and do an adequate job at the plate...as a Yankee fan, I'd certainly like to have him around.

12/15/03 -
Acquired Rule V pick Rich Thompson from the San Diego Padres. (for Rule V pick Jason Szuminski and cash)
Selected Jason Szuminski from the Chicago Cubs in the Rule V Draft (1st round, 10th overall).
Traded Rule V pick Jason Szuminski and cash to the San Diego Padres. (for Rule V pick Rich Thompson)

I have no idea whether or not Thompson will stick. I've heard good things about Szuminski, and have no clue why these Rule V Draft day swaps occur.

12/18/03 -
Signed Kelly Stinnett to a one year, $500,000 contract.

Adequate backup catcher, I don't know what else there is to say. The Royals have drastically improved the catching corps from 2003 (Brent Mayne and Mike DiFelice), and in Santiago and Stinnett, have done so at a reasonable cost.

12/20/03 -
Declined to offer a 2004 contract to Kris Wilson.

12/22/03 -
Signed Mendy Lopez to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
Signed Kris Wilson to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.

Not offered arbitration because his salary would've been more than the team wanted to pay, it's conceivable that Wilson could be a part of the Royals staff in 2004. He's been pretty crappy through the first 235 innings of his major league career (11.1 hits per 9 innings, 5.32 ERA, 49 homers allowed) but the rotation is pretty weak right now, so a good spring and his versatily (can start or relieve) might allow him to contribute. He's only 27, so maybe there's still something there.

01/06/04 -
Invited Ruben Gotay to spring training.
Invited Donald Murphy to spring training.
Signed Adrian Brown to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
Signed Juan Gonzalez to a one year, $4.5 million contract with a mutual option for 2005 ($7 million).
Signed Wilton Guerrero to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
Signed Erik Hiljus to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
Signed Jimmy Serrano to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
Signed Rick Short to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
Signed Les Walrond to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.

Murphy and Gotay are pretty decent prospects, but neither is going to impact the Opening Day roster. We're all familiar with the good and bad Gonzalez brings to the table: he's a very talented hitter, but he's moody, frequently injured, and something of a liability in the field. That said, the Royals alternative in right field was probably going to be either Matt Stairs (as an everyday guy, he should still play a lot), Dee Brown, Brandon Berger or maybe, with some shuffling, David DeJesus (which wouldn't have been bad). In any case, this is only for a year...and he's a legitimately productive bat when healthy. He certainly bolsters the middle of the Royal lineup.

01/20/04 -
Signed Carlos Beltran to a one year, $9 million contract. (avoided arbitration)

You'd certainly like to get him locked up with a long term deal, but Beltran at $9 million is pretty reasonable.

01/23/04 -
Signed Darrell May to a two year, $4.95 million contract. (avoided arbitration)

The Royals and their shaky staff are depending on May replicating his 2003 success, having pitched 210 fine innings last season. Of course, he's nearly 32 and has had exactly one really good season, so I think it's safe to say that the Royals are playing with fire going with Anderson and May at the top of their rotation, even in the AL Central. $2.5 million bucks a year is far from breaking the bank though, and May's a decent bet to be productive and useful enough to be worth it.

01/26/04 -
Acquired Jaime Cerda from the New York Mets. (for Shawn Sedlacek)
Traded Shawn Sedlacek to the New York Mets. (for Jaime Cerda)

There's probably some reasoning for this move from the Mets' perspective, but I don't see it. Cerda's had some major league success, is several years younger than Sedlacek, and can actually pitch. Cerda may have a role this year in the Royal bullpen, and will undoubtedly be the more valuable player going forward.

02/06/04 -
Invited Alan Moye to spring training.
Signed Doug Linton to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.

02/13/04 -
Signed Rudy Seanez to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.

As best I can see it, the Royal bullpen has a few guys who will definitely be there: Mike MacDougal, Curt Leskanic, Scott Sullivan and Jason Grimsley. I suppose D.J. Carrasco is in there too, which leaves us without a lefty, assuming Jeremy Affeldt is going to be in the rotation. This should give some hope to guys like Dennys Reyes and Jaime Cerda - while discouraging the likes of Seanez and Linton. Sure, Seanez can and has been effective, but he's coming off two poor years and trying to break into a bullpen that doesn't seem to have a need for him. Linton has pitched nine major league innings (last year in Toronto) since 1999, and while he was good, it's hard to see him slotting in above those other guys. I suppose there's not much harm in taking a look at camp though.

02/17/04 -
Invited Chip Alley to spring training.
Invited Tony Arnerich to spring training.
Invited Scott Walter to spring training.

Nothing of note here. Tony Arnerich is exactly three years older than me.

02/22/04 -
Signed Greg Swindell to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.

Swindell's had a pretty nice career, with success as both a starter early in his career in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Houston and as a reliever over the last decade. However, he didn't pitch well at the end of his run with the Diamondbacks, didn't pitch at all last year, and is 39. He's a lefty, and maybe there's a spot for him somewhere, but he'll have to prove his worth this spring.

posted by VZW Watcher at 4:55 PM -