Lorenzo Cain to officially retire as a Royal this summer

Lorenzo Cain has informed Andy McCullough of The Athletic that he will officially retire, and will return to Kauffman Stadium this season for a retirement ceremony. The Royals are figuring out the logistics of having him retire as a Royal.

“He’s going to be a Royal Hall of Famer,” Kansas City general manager JJ Picollo said. “Just the times that he rose to the occasion speaks volumes about what type of competitor he was. I don’t think he had the prettiest swing. I don’t think he was the most talented guy. But when it was a big moment, he loved those moments. And that was pretty special.”

Lorenzo Cain was acquired by the Royals after the 2010 season from the Brewers in a six-player trade with Alcides Escobar for Zack Greinke. After a late start due to injuries, he became a regular in centerfield for them in 2013, and was an integral part of their 2014 and 2015 pennant-winning clubs.

Royals ink Franmil Reyes to minor league deal

Former Guardians slugger Franmil Reyes and the Royals agreed on a Minor League contract with an invite to big league camp on Wednesday, and Reyes will join position players in Arizona by the time full squad workouts start next week.

The deal has an opt-out at the end of the spring, a source told MLB.com; if Reyes doesn’t make the team, he can sign anywhere else.

Still only 27 years old and under control for two years if he sticks on a big league roster, Reyes struggled in 2022 with the Guardians and Cubs but has had two 30-plus-homer seasons in his career. He mashed 37 dingers in 2019 in stops with San Diego and Cleveland and then hit 30 homers in ’21 for the Guardians with a career-best .846 OPS and 126 wRC+.

Ned Yost named to Royals HOF: ‘The plan worked perfectly’

The winningest manager in Royals history brought a World Series to Kansas City. Now, the Royals are presenting Ned Yost with the ultimate honor.

Yost has been voted into the Royals Hall of Fame, the team announced Thursday morning. He will become the 27th inductee during on-field ceremonies prior to the Royals’ Sept. 2 game against the Red Sox at Kauffman Stadium.

Yost, 68, found out about the election results when Royals officials called him while he was in his skid steer, working on his farm in Georgia.

“You sit back and look at everything we accomplished, and to be part of it was tremendous,” Yost said. “Even though I was a small part of it, I’m the one that reaps the benefits of it. I’m very honored for this to happen. It’s a great honor. One that I truly appreciate.”

Reports: Royals, RHP Zack Greinke agree on deal for 2023

The Royals and Zack Greinke have agreed to a contract for the coming season, according to multiple reports, making it nine seasons over two stints in Kansas City for the six-time All-Star pitcher.

The financial terms of the deal, which was first reported by Kansas City sports radio host Bob Fescoe, were not immediately available. Greinke was paid $13 million last season by the Royals, where he spent his first seven seasons before returning last year and going 3-9 with a 3.68 ERA and striking out 73 over 137 innings for the rebuilding club.

Greinke did spend two stints on the injured list but allowed two runs or fewer in 17 of his 26 starts last season.

Zack Greinke has a one-year deal with the Royals, per source. It’s expected to be between $8-10 million plus performance bonuses. @bobfescoe was on it.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 30, 2023

Red Sox acquire Adalberto Mondesi in trade with Royals

The Boston Red Sox have acquired shortstop Adalberto Mondesi in a trade with the Kansas City Royals, it was announced Tuesday.

The Royals will get left-handed reliever Josh Taylor in exchange for Mondesi and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Mondesi, 27, has played in only 50 games over the past two seasons because of injuries.

He was limited to 15 games during the 2022 season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on an attempted pickoff play in April. He played in only 35 games in 2021 because of left hamstring and left oblique injuries.

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Sources: Twins acquiring Michael A. Taylor in trade with Royals

The Minnesota Twins are acquiring outfielder Michael A. Taylor in a trade with the Kansas City Royals, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel on Monday.

An elite defensive center fielder and former Gold Glove Award winner, Taylor batted .254 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs with a .670 OPS in 2022.

Taylor, who turns 32 in March, is entering his 10th major league season. He played the first seven years of his career in Washington, where he won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, before signing with Kansas City during the 2020 offseason.

The Twins are acquiring OF Michael A. Taylor from the Royals for LHP Evan Sisk and RHP Steven Cruz, per source.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 23, 2023

Royals agree to deal with closer Aroldis Chapman

The Royals have agreed to a one-year deal with hard-throwing reliever Aroldis Chapman, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Thursday. The club has not confirmed the deal, which is expected to be worth $3.75 million plus performance bonuses. Kansas City will be banking on a turnaround from Chapman, who was known for his consistent triple-digit velocity earlier in his career.

The 2022 season was a miserable one for the seven-time All-Star. It saw Chapman record some of the worst stats of his 13-year career and was blemished by multiple injured-list stints as well as questions regarding his willingness to be a team player.

Orioles acquire 1B Ryan O’Hearn from Royals for cash

The Baltimore Orioles acquired first baseman Ryan O’Hearn from the Kansas City Royals for cash Tuesday.

The 29-year-old O’Hearn hit .239 with a home run and 16 RBIs last season. He has spent his first five big league seasons with the Royals.

O’Hearn has played mostly first base in his career, but he has also spent time in the corner outfield spots.

New Pitching Regime in Kansas City: What Does That Mean for Daniel Lynch and Jackson Kowar? — Prospects Live

Royals pitching development can only trend up because it has been horrific.

Conclusion
There is still hope for many of the former Royals pitching prospects in guys like Daniel Lynch and Jackson Kowar. We saw Brady Singer take significant strides and with the new pitching regime, the hope is that both Lynch and Kowar can take significant strides in their development by changing up their pitch mix, diving deep into data and analytics, and finding ways to keep hitters off their fastball. For both Lynch and Kowar, the hope is to make their secondary pitches more primary to help their fastballs become more efficient and effective.

We have seen new pitching coaches come in and quickly change the dynamics and talent of a pitching staff for the better. We have seen arms like Andrew Heaney and Tyler Anderson go to organizations that are known for developing pitchers and completely revitalize their careers. Outside of Lynch and Kower, Kris Bubic, Angel Zerpa, Jon Heasley, and many others could really benefit from this new change in Kansas City. There is hope that Brian Sweeney and Zach Bove can do that in Kansas City with the plenty of talented arms in the Royals system that has yet to maximize their potential.

Jordan Lyles nearing 2-year deal with Royals

In keeping with their target of adding veteran arms tasked with logging innings next season, the Royals are moving toward a deal with right-hander Jordan Lyles, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Monday night.

The deal would be for two years, sources told MLB.com, but the financial details were not available. The club has not confirmed the deal, which was first reported by MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman, and nothing is expected to become official until Tuesday or later.

The Orioles declined Lyles’ $11 million option this offseason, making him a free agent. He made $7 million last year as a member of Baltimore’s rotation.

Lyles, 32, has a 5.10 ERA pitching for seven teams in his 12-year career, which began in 2011 with the Astros. He made 32 starts last year, logging 179 innings, and posted a 4.42 ERA. In 2021, he threw 180 innings for the Rangers. That many innings over the past two years piqued the Royals’ interest this offseason as they build their pitching staff.

The KC Royals have a new pitching coach ... and they took him from an AL Central rival

The Kansas City Royals have settled on a new leader for their pitching staff, and they scooped him up from a division rival that has been among the top organizations in Major League Baseball in producing pitching talent in recent years. The Royals hired former big-league pitcher Brian Sweeney, who has been the bullpen coach for the Cleveland Guardians for the past three years, as their new pitching coach.

Do The Royals Have A Problem Behind The Plate? - MLB Trade Rumors

The Royals should start transitioning Melendez into their #1 catcher. A 60/40 split of Salvy and Melendez this year would be a good start, with Salvy picking up a lot of DH time.

Defensive Runs Saved has placed Perez at -5 in 2021 and -4 in 2022. Baseball Prospectus’ Catcher Defensive Adjustment gave him a -14.8 last year, which was last in the majors, and -14.1 this year, which was third-last. Though Perez has had success throwing out baserunners in his career, his pop time was ranked by Statcast as 50th out of 83 catchers this year.

In terms of framing, the problem appears to be more chronic. FanGraphs has only given him a positive grade in that department once, which was the shortened 2020 season. He posted a -19.6 and -12.6 over the past two campaigns, bringing his career tally to -106.5. That’s last in the majors among all catchers from 2011 to the present. Baseball Prospectus is fairly similar, as Perez has been tagged with a negative number in each season except for 2013 and 2020, with a -14.3 and -14.2 in the past two years. Statcast framing data only goes back to 2015, but it also isn’t fond of his work. Apart from an even zero in 2020, he has all negative numbers there, including a -8 this year, fifth-worst in the league, and a -18 last year, which was dead last.

All of this isn’t to say that Perez is solely responsible for the club’s pitching woes. As mentioned, baseball teams have dozens of coaches and analysts who all play a role in the results. But these numbers surely aren’t ideal when trying to mold a batch of pitching prospects into effective major leaguers. It’s also possible that health is playing a role, since Perez underwent left thumb surgery in 2022. He was supposed to be out of action eight weeks but returned after just over a month and maybe wasn’t 100%. If better health in 2023 leads to better outcomes, that would be fantastic for KC. But if it doesn’t and the problem persists, finding a solution will have multiple challenges.

For one thing, there’s the fact that Perez, who turns 33 in May, is still under contract for at least three more seasons. As part of an extension he and the club agreed to in 2021, he’ll get $20MM in 2023 and 2024, $22MM in 2025, and then a $13.5MM club option for 2026 with a $2MM buyout. For a low-spending team like the Royals, he’s easily their highest-paid player.

In letter to fans, Royals owner John Sherman places $2 billion price tag on new stadium

Royals chairman and CEO John Sherman has talked for the past year about his vision for a possible new downtown Kansas City ballpark. On Tuesday afternoon, in a letter to fans shared on social media and sent to season-ticket holders, he divulged a bit more information about the potential project, including an estimated price tag: $2 billion. As Sherman notes in the letter, that would make the club’s for now hypothetical new home stadium — succeeding Kauffman Stadium, where the Royals’ current lease with Jackson County is set to expire after this decade — the most costly such project in Kansas City history.

Royals hire Matt Quatraro as next manager

Quatraro, 48, spent the last five seasons on Kevin Cash’s staff in Tampa Bay, including one season as the third-base coach and four as the bench coach. The Rays reached the postseason in four of Quatraro’s five years on their big league staff, including a World Series appearance in 2020.

Quatraro also served as Cleveland’s assistant hitting coach from 2014-17, overlapping with Royals owner John Sherman’s minority stake there. Quatraro’s experience and success in both helped his candidacy in Kansas City, as Sherman views both Tampa Bay and Cleveland as models for small-market success.

On top of all that, Quatraro has the respect and adoration of players, coaches and executives from around the industry. He has interviewed for several managerial openings, including with the Pirates and Giants after the 2019 season, the Tigers after ’20, the A’s and Mets after ’21 and the Marlins this offseason before they hired Skip Schumaker—allowing the Royals to finalize their offer.

“I’m grateful to Mr. Sherman and the ownership group, J.J. and the front office and everyone else with the Royals for this opportunity,” Quatraro said through the Royals. “I already knew the talent on the roster and how great the fans in Kansas City are, and the interview process convinced me that the terrific things I’d heard about the organization’s culture are true. I can’t wait to get started, and for my family to get to Kansas City and be part of that community.”

Royals part ways with manager Mike Matheny

Kansas City Royals Executive Vice President/General Manager J.J. Picollo announced on Wednesday that manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred will not return for the 2023 season.

“We are grateful to Mike for leading us through some unusual times these last three seasons,” Picollo said. “He met those challenges head on and helped us move forward in a positive manner. We thank him for his leadership and know his influence will have a positive impact moving forward.”

Matheny went 165-219 (.430) in three seasons as Royals Manager from 2020-2022, and his 165 wins rank 12th in franchise history. During Matheny’s tenure, he oversaw 29 different players make their Major League debut with the Royals, and several others who had individual success, including Salvador Perez, who won Silver Slugger Awards in 2020 and 2021, and matched the franchise’s single-season home run record last season. Three different Royals earned Rawlings Gold Glove Awards during Matheny’s tenure with Kansas City, including Alex Gordon (2020), Andrew Benintendi (2021) and Michael A. Taylor (2021).

MLB Trade Rumors: Bartolo Colon Agrees to Sign With Unknown Team

Bartolo Colon has agreed to a deal with an unknown club reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). The right-hander wouldn’t divulge the team because he has not yet passed his physical.

Pretty sure it’s either the All-Stars or the Champs.

George Brett says young Royals remind him of his playing days

Sans Zdebonair, of course.

The words are flowing quickly from George Brett’s mouth. The greatest player in Royals history can’t stop talking about winning baseball in Kansas City.

He’s saying the same names and phrases you’ve heard before.

Eric Hosmer can be a star. And the young left-handed pitchers can turn into studs. And guys like Johnny Giavotella and Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez can win with talent AND chemistry.

“What were they doing in Double-A two years ago?” Brett says. “They were voted the best (darn) team in all of minor-league baseball.”

BTF Flashback: David Brazeal’s “The Peña”

Once upon a spring so dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious contest of forgotten score.
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my office door.
“‘Tis just Mr. Glass,” I muttered, “tapping at my office door—
Only him and nothing more.”

How distinctly I remembers how it’s been in past Decembers,
As each season’s dying embers wrought their ghosts across the plain.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; vainly I had tried to borrow
From Herk’s legacy of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Jermaine.
For the rare and radiant player whom the angels name Jermaine—
I got Neifi - oh, such pain.

And the silken sad uncertain promise of each high school pitcher
Thrilled me—-filled me with fantastic fervor never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
“‘Tis some young phenom entreating entrance at my chamber door,
Affeldt or Runelvys entreating entrance at my chamber door.
This it is, and nothing more.”

Our young arms I thought were stronger; hesitating then no longer,
“Sirs,” said I, “for those high pitch counts, your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is, I was napping, while Old Muser did his yapping,
Now the doctors, elbows zapping, zapping like Rosado’s sore,
Promise me that they will fix you.” Here I opened wide the door—-
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into the outfield peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing
Doubting, dreaming dreams no GM ever dreamed with such élan;
Half Dos Carlos still has impact, and I want a long-term contract,
He’s the biggest prospect intact.  Faintly came the word, “Beltran,”
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Beltran!”
Sign or trade him fore he’s gone.

Back into my office turning, for that long-term deal still yearning,
Soon again I heard a tapping, something louder than before,
“Surely,” said I, “surely, that’s a closer at my window lattice.
Let me see, then, who thereat is, and this bullpen depth explore.
Mike McDougal, Ryan Bukvich, Hill and others do implore.
All will have some saves in store.

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Peña, of the Pirates’ days of yore.
Not much of OPS knew he; loss of veteran pride did rue he;
Grounding to the right side knew he, was the perfect way to score.
Perched upon a bust of Dave Glass, just inside my office door,
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this manager beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By his bright and warm decorum made me want to scale a wall,
“Though thy attitude is sunny, we,” I said, “don’t have no money,
Optimistic silly Peña, Michael Tucker can’t play ball.
Tell me what the lordly plan is ‘ere this team impact the wall.”
Quoth the Peña, “Little ball.”

Much I marveled this ungainly man to hear discourse so plainly,
This the answer I’d been searching, all to end the Royals’ fall,
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Should be always cursed with seeing such a bad display of ball,
Randa, Quinn or Mayne may slug .350 but at least they all,
Might make runs with “Little ball.”

But the Peña, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only
Those two words, as if the world with those two words he did enthrall.
I was struck with inspiration—“Hitters: heed the situation!”
Called Ibanez: “Raul, come quickly! Even if your swing is sickly,
Make your outs always productive, lest the ump a third strike call.
Chirped the skipper, “Little ball.”

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
“Doubtless,” said I, “what he utters is the offense to install,
But with slugger Michael Sweeney, surely Peña’s not a meanie.
If our slugger bats with man on second and no outs at all—-
Surely then a mighty swing will not this Peña’s ire recall.
Still spoke Peña, “Little ball.”

This new manager beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of him, to heed his call;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to thinking
What about the shortstop stinking?  What if Angel’s bat should fall
Like it did for all last season, Though his glove did not appall?
Came the answer, “Little ball.”

Thus I sat engaged in guessing, Desi Relaford assessing,
While the Peña’s eyes cried tears of loss for Royal Byrd named Paul;
Thoughts on Mark D. Quinn alighting, hopes for no more Kung Fu fighting—
That his hamstring he’ll be righting, and can finally heed the call,
Even if his leather glove he leaves upon the bench till fall,
DH, too, plays Little Ball!

I had praised payroll taxation, contemplating my rotation.
Yankee seraphim whose money trickling, to KC would fall.
“Cash,” I cried, “Steinbrenner spent thee—by these dollars he hath
Pent the talent up in Gotham, leaving little for us all.
Leaving only Darrell May, Asencio to throw the ball.”
Quoth the Peña, “Little Ball!”

“Peña!” said I, “dugout leader!  Ask a Baseball Primer Reader!
Little Ball, they say, is not conducive to Mike Sweeney’s call.
What of Harvey’s blooming power, just last Fall his finest hour—
Arizona’s budding flower, whacking line drives off the wall?
Is there room for sluggers herewith, shall we his sweet swing forestall?”
Quoth the Peña, “Little Ball.”

“Peña!” said I, “clubhouse leader, we don’t have a Derek Jeter!
On the grave of Ewing Kauffman—by the Game we heard us call—
Tell this soul if there’s a reason, to believe sometime this season,
We shall be our fans a-pleasin’, by a fine display of ball—
Pass the Tigers?  E’en the Twinkies! Pass them in the standings all!
Quoth the Peña, “Little Ball.”

“Be those words our sign of parting, Muser clone!” I shrieked, upstarting—
“Get thee back into the dugout.  Let thine quips the press enthrall!
When our bullpen lost Hernandez, what I came to understand is,
There’s a hundred cheap Joe Randas waiting to receive a call.
Woe to Mr. Glass for nixing Randa to the Cubs et al.
Quoth the Peña, “Little Ball.”

And the Peña, offense stunting, still is bunting, still is bunting
On the green expanse of Kauffman though my head hurts from it all;
And the team has kept on losing, while the fans in seats are snoozing.
And a record of .500 teases as the seasons crawl
And the team from out that cellar where it’s buried every Fall

Wins renown for Little Ball.

Andy Carey, helped preserve Larsen’s perfecto, dies

RIP,

Andy Carey, a former Yankees third baseman who helped preserve Don Larsen’s 1956 perfect game, passed away on Dec. 15 in Costa Mesa, Calif., his family announced. He was 80.

A career .260 hitter, Carey played in 11 Major League seasons from 1952-62, beginning with the Yankees at age 20 in ‘52 and spending nine seasons wearing pinstripes.

Born on Oct. 18, 1931, in Oakland, Calif., Carey signed with the Yankees after spending a summer playing semi-pro ball in Weiser, Idaho. As New York’s everyday third baseman in ‘55, Carey led the league with 11 triples and was known as a solid defender and clutch hitter.

Carey played on four Yankees World Series teams, winning rings with the 1956 and ‘58 squads. He is remembered as playing a key role in Larsen’s Oct. 8, 1956, perfecto against the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium.

[Yuniesky] Betancourt Back With Royals

When he fits in well around the clubhouse, he really fits in well AROUND the clubhouse!

The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has signed utility infielder Yuniesky Betancourt to a one-year Major League contract for 2012. Consistent with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed…

“We have been looking for a utility infielder who could play short, third and second base and we feel Yuni is a great fit,” said Royals’ General Manager Dayton Moore. “He brings a right-handed bat with some power and is a guy we know fits in well in the clubhouse.”...

Betancourt is a career .268 hitter with 189 doubles, 60 home runs and 375 RBI in seven seasons for the Mariners (2005-09), Royals (2009-10) and Brewers (2011).

Grantland (Rany J): The MLB Prospect Bubble

In 21st-century baseball, when teams do overpay in prospects, it’s usually for stars. Most famously, in 2007 the Braves gave up Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (who started to find himself this season after a trade to Boston) — but at least they traded for Mark Teixeira, an acknowledged superstar.

The blowback from the Teixeira trade seems to have made teams even more conservative about trading prospects, even for elite major league talent. As a result, for perhaps the first time in baseball history, minor league prospects seem to be overvalued by MLB front offices. ...

To put this in terms that Billy Beane can understand: We’ve reached a point where trading away prospects is the new market inefficiency. ...

For that reason, an ambitious team with a deep farm system — the Royals, for instance, or the Nationals — should take advantage of MLB general managers’ prospect fetish to cash in some of their lottery tickets for established players who might help them win in 2012.

Rany makes some excellent points here. Prospects can serve two purposes for an organization - building blocks on the parent club or trade chits for the pieces that will get you over the hump - and teams seem to be more inclined these days to use them for the first purpose without giving enough thought to using them for the second purpose.

Kevin Goldstein: Royals Top 11 Prospects

System in 30 Words Or Less: Despite graduating five players from last year’s Top 11 to create one of the most exciting young teams in the majors, this system remains among the best.

Five-Star Prospects
1. Wil Myers, OF
2. Bubba Starling, OF
Four-Star Prospects
3. Jake Odorizzi, RHP
4. Cheslor Cuthbert, 3B
5. John Lamb, LHP
Three-Star Prospects
6. Mike Montgomery, LHP
7. Yordano Ventura, RHP
8. Jorge Bonifacio, OF
9. Kelvin Herrera, RHP
10. Jason Adam, RHP
11. Chris Dwyer, RHP

Nine More
12. Elier Hernandez, OF: This big-money signee ($3-plus million) from the Dominican has the potential to be a special bat in an outfield corner.
13. Christian Colon, SS/2B: His Double-A season was a big disappointment, especially for a player with a limited ceiling.
14. Bryan Brickhouse, RHP: This third-round pick has velocity and a curveball, but it’s not pretty.
15. Yamaico Navarro, INF: He’s ready to produce as a Wilson Betemit type with more positional flexibility.
16. David Lough, OF: Some still believe in him as a second-division starter, but most see a future fourth outfielder.
17. Noel Arguelles, LHP: This Cuban lefty has moxie and command, but will he miss bats at the upper levels?
18. Brett Eibner, OF: Injuries affected his full-season debut, but questions about his hitting remain.
19. Kevin Chapman, LHP: Chapman is a power lefty with mid-90s heat, but it can get straight.
20. Humberto Arteaga, SS: He’s a potential defensive wizard who will need to make great strides with the bat.

Rule V Results

1.Astros take Rhiner Cruz from Mets.
2.Twins take Terry Doyle from White Sox.
3.Mariners take Lucas Luetge from Brewers.
4.Orioles take Ryan Flaherty from Cubs.
5.Royals take Cesar Cabral from Red Sox; traded to Yankees for cash.
6.Cubs take Lendy Castillo from Phillies.
8.Pirates take Gustavo Nunez from Tigers.
  21.Braves take Robert Fish from Angels.
22.Cardinals take Erik Komatsu from Nationals.
23.Red Sox take Marwin Gonzalez from Cubs.
  25.Diamondbacks take Brett Lorin from Pirates.
  29.Yankees take Brad Meyers from Nationals.

Royals Review: Royals Fired Frank White For Being Too Critical?

I wasn’t pitch-fork ready when I heard that Frank White was not returning to Royals broadcasts in 2012. However, Jeff Passan has made the discussion a little more interesting:

I’m told the Royals fired Frank White because team thought he was too critical. To fire him is bad. To fire him for that is unconscionable.

...The Royals are in a tough spot here. The team/FSKC has every right to go in another direction, and in the past White has been fairly prickly about being denied or removed from similar Royal-for-life-I’m-a-Famous-guy roles. A number of fans are upset about Frank being fired and a few days the Royals are going to take some heat for it. For me, I’m much more concerned about why he was fired.

I agree with Passan—who is a nationally respected baseball writer with KC ties—that firing Frank for being critical of the team is a bad thing. The odd, and scary thing, is that I would have never considered him critical in the first place. I can begrudgingly understand and even warrant that a team would not want a truly critical voice on team broadcasts (although this could also mean more entertaining TV and maybe more money, etc). But if Frank White was too critical what could they possibly want? Can any of us name three negative things the man said? Coupled with the short-sighted decision to dump Fanfest in favor of focusing on out-of-town corporate junketers this summer, we’re looking at a rough winter from Royals leadership.

Are the bad old days of a paranoid ownership returning?

Thanks to Pa Tech.

Source: Jonathan Broxton, KC a match

Former Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton has reached agreement on a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, a baseball source told ESPN.com.

The deal is contingent on Broxton passing a physical exam Wednesday, the source said.

Broxton, 27, is 25-20 with a 3.19 ERA and 84 saves over seven big league seasons. He was a National League All-Star in 2009 and 2010, but made only 14 appearances for the Dodgers last season before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in September.

Broxton was attractive to numerous clubs because of his willingness to sign a one-year deal and go back on the market as a free agent next winter. The Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and New York Mets all actively pursued him before he decided to sign with Kansas City….

Terms of Broxton’s agreement with Kansas City weren’t immediately available, but sources said he was seeking a deal in the $4 million to $6 million range.