KC Royals - Offseason

[SubGod22]

And they did... Royals agree to deal with pitcher Broxton

The team has agreed with free-agent right-hander Jonathan Broxton on a one-year contract, according to major league sources. The deal is contingent on Broxton passing a physical.

Broxton, 27, did not pitch in the majors after May 3 last season because of a bone spur in his right elbow. He had arthroscopic surgery to remove the spur and bone chips at the end of the season.

[SubGod22]

If he's healthy it looks like a great pickup for the Royals and the bullpen. It does make one wonder if they're going to be shopping Soria or not. Is Broxton being brought in as a setup man? What does that mean for Holland? Holland, Broxton, Soria could make a heck of a 7, 8, 9 finish to a game. Does this mean if Crow doesn't make the rotation he may be sent to Omaha to develop as a starter?

[RoyalShock]

Signing Broxton sure is going to create some anticipation in the next couple of weeks.

I don't buy the latest rumors about the front office not believing Cain is ready to be an everyday CFer. Could Soria be going to Toronto for Rasmus to setup a trade involving Cain for a starter from Atlanta? Or maybe a mega trade of Cain-Soria for a top-of-the-rotation starter?

Oh, the possibilities!

[SubGod22]

I've been catching up on Twitter and the rumor of Cain and Soria for Rasmus is interesting. Also some 3 way talk with Toronto and Atlanta where we get Rasmus and a pitcher in the deal. If Soria can get us some help I'm all for it. And the one year deal for Broxton looks like it could just be a bridge to develop Holland or Herrera a bit more before giving them the closers role. Or a move to put Soria in the rotation? I doubt it, but always thought he'd make a pretty good starter.

So much for a quite Winter Meeting... Things just got interesting

[SubGod22]

Royals Sign Broxton

Reports are trickling in that the Royals have signed former Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton to a one-year deal pending a physical. Aside from trying to corner the markets on Jonathan’s acquired this off-season, I think this is a fantastic move for the organization. I love their bullpen and their depth, but it never hurts to have another option out there, especially one who has done it before. He struggled mightily in 2011 posting a 5.68 ERA in just 14 appearances before going down with an elbow injury. He had also complained of shoulder pain during his time injured.

From 2006 through 2009, Broxton was simply one of the best in the game, striking out 398 batters in just over 300 innings while walking 114. His game is simple. It’s straight gas. His fastball is explosive, but that started to lose some velocity as it peaked in 2009 at 97.3 miles per hour and was “just” 94 in 2011. He also used his fastball less in 2011 than any other season, which is a bit concerning to me as someone hoping he can facilitate a potential trade of Soria. I’ll get to that in a bit.

What the Royals are getting in Broxton is a big boy who is a big time competitor on the mound. When he’s on, he’s about unhittable, but I don’t think you’ll see him put forth the types of seasons we grew accustomed to with Soria. He has bouts of wildness because his control is simply not pinpoint like we got used to with Soria up until last season. He can blow hitters away and would form a lethal combination with Greg Holland in the back end of that Royals bullpen that could get the Royals out of many jams that just can’t be done by a finesse pitcher.

Apparently the Pirates have McCutchen available for the right trade as well.

The Royals are interested in Colby Rasmus

The weather is cooling here in Kansas City and there is no baseball being played. So step over here by this hot stove and warm your hands upon the pyre of rumors. Few of these logs will be around long and many are merely invented out of thin air, but occasionally there is some smoke and the discussions become reality. Today’s bit of wood comes from the great white north and therefore we have a bit of music to listen as we contemplate.

Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun dropped this nugget in his column yesterday:

The Kansas City Royals will start with Lorenzo Cain in centre, but with concerns about whether the 25-year-old (42 career starts) will hit has the Royals looking at Colby Rasmus of the Jays

My initial reaction on this rumor is “YES, YES, YES, YES, OH PLEASE YES!”

The gist of the column referenced above is the fact that the Blue Jays are looking at Heath Bell to be their closer. While it isn’t mentioned is who, if anybody the Royals have offered for Colby Rasmus, if the Jays need a closer then Joakim Soria should be floated.

[SubGod22]

Royals reportedly have deal with Broxton

The signing raises the question as to who will close games for the Royals, who have relied on Joakim Soria to occupy that position in their bullpen since 2007. Soria has saved at least 28 games in each season since 2008, with a career-high 43 in 2010.

Soria could move to the rotation, though he has never started a game in the Major Leagues.

[RoyalShock]

Bob Dutton is now saying that KC believes the price of an impact starter is too high, so they are making sure they have a killer bullpen.

Now, that does fit with what the front office has been saying since the season ended. But Moore has been known to say one thing then do the other (which I think is smart GM'ing), so who knows.

[SubGod22]

A case can definitely be made for that approach. As one of the articles I believe yesterday said, when you have guys like Sanchez and Duffy who have a tendancy to run up the pitch count early, you have to be prepared in the pen. It's why the writer felt the Royals would carry 8 in the pen from the start. And if someone like Monty makes the rotation, that could add another arm that may not go as deep as you'd like, especially early. A strong and deep pen could make a lot of sense.

Even if we do trade Soria, we have a deep pen with Broxton, Holland, Teaford (if they don't try to convert him to SP), Herrera, Collins, Coleman, Crow (see Teaford), Wood, Adcock (see Teaford/Crow), Jeffress, Laffey, Hottovy. I may have missed someone. Even a Will Smith could slide in I suppose.

[SubGod22]

"We are delighted to add someone as talented as Jonathan to our bullpen," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "He will be used in a setup role to closer Joakim Soria and will help solidify what we feel is a young and talented bullpen."

At least for now, it sounds like they're keeping Soria. However, I'm not sure what else he could say right now. It strengthens the bullpen if true, and if not, the pen still looks pretty good.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

It just means it makes more sense to move Crow to the rotation until Duffy and Montgomery are ready. Or Holland for that matter. This move adds flexibility. Starting pitching is a question mark. The top prospects in the minors are question marks. The MLB team has two guys that could move into that role to eat innings at worst.

Of course the market is currently overpaying for closers so we may be able to trade Soria for A-Rod and Jesus Montero

[SubGod22]

I'm not sold on Crow as a starter and not sure he'd be the type to eat many innings. I guess we'll see what happens in the spring with that move. I think Duffy will be fine now that he's experienced it. But he does have work to do. Wouldn't mind seeing Holland get a shot but don't think that's in the plans.

I expect to hear that Soria is traded in the next couple of weeks. The market has been overpaying and a guy like Soria with a few years still left on his deal could fetch something good. If it's there, he'll be gone. We have a lot of potential closers on the roster.

I kinda hate to say it, but I hope that Soria is traded in the near future.

[RoyalShock]

Regarding Soria ... I have my concerns that he will not return to his 2009 form. He was really missing bats and inducing weak contact. The defense was having to work a lot harder behind him this last year, and it showed in his results. His stuff is not overpowering, so hitters may have just adjusted. He could return to form, but I'm betting he doesn't. He's too fragile to be a starter and has even said he prefers the bullpen. More on Joakim in my Broxton section.


Regarding Broxton ... If last year was a result of the bone spur in his elbow then there's a good chance he can be successful again, almost as if we have two closers. Imagine getting to the 7th inning with a lead and knowing you have Holland, Broxton and Soria ready to stop the opposing offense in its tracks? Looking at the situation differently - with Broxton, Holland and Herrera - Soria is whatever KC wants him to be this offseason. If a team wants a closer, believes Soria can still give them 35-40 saves, and is willing to part with major-league talent (say a CF or 2B), then KC would be nuts not to sell high and make the trade.


Regarding Crow ... Count me as having zero confidence he will have any further success in the bullpen, let alone the rotation. He struggled to retire high-A hitters. He had early success in the majors but began to falter even before getting named to the all-star team. I would love nothing more than to hope I'm wrong. And the Royals have nothing to lose in trying him out as a starter in the spring or putting him back into the bullpen. I just hope his leash is much, much, much shorter than the one they clasped to Davies' collar.


Regarding CF ... If Atlanta is so high on Lorenzo Cain that they would part with one of their proven starters or 2nd baseman (Prado?) then heck ya, see if you can find a CFer. If the rumor that KC has inquired about Colby Rasmus is even true, I'm torn. He has baggage, history of being a malcontent and a questionable attitude. But scouts are still high on his upside and if he panned out could be an upgrade over Cain.


That we're even discussing these things in the context of fine-tuning the roster is such a nice change from previous off-seasons!

[SubGod22]

Was Rasmus really that bad himself? Schaum seemed to think it had more to do with his dad trying to be too involved in STL. I'd like to see what Cain can do, but if you can add a solid bat with some pop and good D in CF, then it'd be hard to pass up. Is Rasmus a right handed bat? It'd make even more sense if he is. I'm too lazy to look that up today.

If they can swing Cain for a SP, that may be harder to pass up. Maybe not harder, depending on if we have someone else (Rasmus) ready to play CF. I'm not a big fan of the ATL name that I saw involved with that rumor, but that's me.

[ShockTalk]

I was glad to see Rasmus go from St. Louis. By the way, he's left handed.

I believe he's solid in the field, but unless he's going to be a late bloomer like Gordon, I'd pass. He did even worse away from his father. His numbers for the Jays: 35 games, 133 AB, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 5 walks with 39 SO, a .173 BA, .201 OBP, and .316 Slugging.

[SubGod22]

I'm torn on this issue. I'd like to see what Cain can do and he's under team control for quite a while. If Cain can fetch enough based on potetial and control, I wouldn't be opposed to trading him and bringing in a guy like Rasmus, or whoever, that can play CF.

Chen happy to return to Kansas City

KANSAS CITY -- There was one thing that Bruce Chen's beaming face conveyed on Tuesday as he talked with reporters at Kauffman Stadium. He was extremely happy to be back with the Royals.

"I wanted to be back here. I like the organization, I love my teammates, I love the city, I like the fans and I believe in this team," he said.

His return became official on Tuesday as Chen got a passing grade on his physical examination, final step to finalizing his two-year, $9 million contract that he signed as a free agent. Chen said he bypassed richer offers from other clubs.

I find it hard to believe he had better offers than what he signed, but whatever.

It's impossible not to like this guy and want to see him do well. He should help the rotation with his consistency and experience and be a valuable tool for some of the younger pitchers. Plus, he's great in the clubhouse.

For Want Of A Pitcher: Bruce Chen.

Last week I took my first real vacation in a long while, unplugging from the grid on a 7-day cruise with my family aboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, which along with its sister ship the Allure of the Seas is, I believe, the largest cruise ship in the world. So it says something about me that the most memorable part of the cruise for me was noticing Mitch Maier walking through one of the restaurants during breakfast one morning. Despite undoubtedly being mortified at seeing the only person on the boat wearing a Royals cap coming straight at him, he was very gracious when I said hello.

The world didn’t stop while I was on the boat, and the new Collective Bargaining Agreement that was finalized while I was gone contains some major implications for the Royals. I’ll discuss those when I get the chance, but meanwhile Dayton Moore couldn’t sit still, maintaining his reputation as a GM who, once the off-season starts, shoots first and asks questions later.

First, he re-signed Bruce Chen to a two-year, $9 million contract (with incentives of about $1 million a year.) If bad news is buried on a Friday evening, you have to wonder why the Royals slipped this signing in on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving.

The return of Chen is hardly bad news. He has been the Royals’ best starter over the past two seasons combined, whether you use the oldest of stats (Chen leads the team with 24 wins over the past two years; only Luke Hochevar has more than ten) or the newest (Chen had 4.6 bWins Above Replacement in 2010-11; Zack Greinke is second among starters at 2.3 bWAR.) Neither the time nor dollars committed in this deal are overwhelming. It’s been reported that Chen turned out slightly higher offers from other teams, and I don’t doubt that.

But I’m not convinced that this is particularly good news either. Chen had a 3.96 ERA over the past two years, and a starting pitcher who can give you a 3.96 ERA is worth a hell of a lot more than $4.5 million a year. But there’s little about Chen’s underlying performance to suggest he can maintain an ERA under four.