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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

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.

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: November 29, 2011 at 03:56 PM | 33 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
  Tags: dodgers, royals

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   1. valuearbitrageur Posted: November 29, 2011 at 05:58 PM (#4002969)
Broxton wanted $6M?

That's almost $20,000 per pound!
   2. Dan Posted: November 29, 2011 at 06:01 PM (#4002974)
I'm pretty surprised that the Red Sox weren't in on Broxton if his price tag was that low.
   3. RB in NYC (Now Semi-Retired from BBTF) Posted: November 29, 2011 at 06:08 PM (#4002986)
I'm surprised a lot of teams weren't in. I wonder if his health reports are that bad.
   4. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: November 29, 2011 at 06:12 PM (#4002992)
I'm surprised Broxton would sign in a place where he doesn't have a clear shot at the closer's job.

Unless KC is resurrecting the Soria to the rotation idea?
   5. TerpNats Posted: November 29, 2011 at 06:16 PM (#4002999)
Great news for Arthur Bryant's; we'll wait and see regarding the Royals.
   6. Crispix Attacksel Rios Posted: November 29, 2011 at 06:27 PM (#4003016)
Jonathan Broxton was a free agent already? How time flies.

I'm pretty surprised that the Red Sox weren't in on Broxton if his price tag was that low.

I'm sure they can have him later this summer.
   7. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: November 29, 2011 at 06:33 PM (#4003020)
Royals outfielder and fellow Georgia native Jeff Francoeur played an active role in recruiting Broxton, baseball sources said. Francoeur, Broxton and Kansas City manager Ned Yost recently went on a hunting trip together in Georgia.


Everything at BTF always relates to Frenchy somehow.
   8. Davo Posted: November 29, 2011 at 07:11 PM (#4003056)
I'm pretty surprised that the Red Sox weren't in on Broxton if his price tag was that low.

I'm sure they can have him later this summer.
I predict the Royals will be buyers at the deadline this year.
   9. Walt Davis Posted: November 29, 2011 at 07:23 PM (#4003071)
I predict the Royals will be buyers at the deadline this year.

Sure ... it'll be time to re-stock the hot dog supply.
   10. Jose is an Absurd Sultan Posted: November 29, 2011 at 07:29 PM (#4003077)
I'm pretty surprised that the Red Sox weren't in on Broxton if his price tag was that low.


From the Boston Herald;

According to a baseball source, the Red Sox expressed interest in Broxton, either as a setup man or a closer option. But the former Los Angeles Dodgers closer wanted to sign before the winter meetings, which begin Monday in Dallas, and his timetable was “a little quicker than they were comfortable with” given his medical history, the source said.
   11. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: November 29, 2011 at 07:49 PM (#4003093)
Francoeur, Broxton and Kansas City manager Ned Yost recently went on a hunting trip together in Georgia.


Man: The most dangerous game of all.
   12. and Posted: November 29, 2011 at 07:59 PM (#4003104)
They both suck?
   13. Greg K Posted: November 29, 2011 at 07:59 PM (#4003105)
Something has to be up with Soria right?
Broxton surely feels he's signing as a closer, and Kansas City doesn't seem like the kind of team that has $4-5 mil on a non-closing reliever.
   14. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: November 29, 2011 at 08:13 PM (#4003113)
Soria had some shaky moments last year and has battled some nagging minor injuries that the team can't seem to diagnose. He's owed $6 mill next year then gets pretty pricey the next two years ($8 mill and $8.5 mill in '13 and '14, but club options). I guess it wouldn't shock me if they moved him, let Broxton close for a year and let Greg Holland ease into the closer's role for 2013. But that doesn't seem like Dayton's MO. I think he thinks he is close to contending, sees the talented young pen as still unproven and wants to satisfy his fetish for "eight inning guy" (e.g. Kyle Farnsworth, Juan Cruz).

But it makes you wonder why Broxton signed when he probably had chances to close elsewhere. Money? Seems a bit similar to Rafael Soriano a year ago, except at least he had a chance to pitch for a contender.
   15. Tripon Posted: November 29, 2011 at 08:17 PM (#4003116)
Broxton can't survive at 92-95. He needs that really fast fastball in order to be effective.
   16. Zach Posted: November 29, 2011 at 09:09 PM (#4003145)
It seems like an odd place to drop $4 million for the Royals. The bullpen has a lot of young, cheap arms already, and their real need is for a starter.
   17. Davo Posted: November 29, 2011 at 09:46 PM (#4003164)
The Royals finished 24 games behind the Tigers in 2011.

...but just 11 games behind using their Pythag record (the Tigers were very lucky, the Royals very unlucky).

If I were Dayton Moore, I would be making decisions this offseason with an eye on competing for the AL Central title in 2012 (and beyond, of course).

If they can get Kelly Johnson to a 1 or 2-year deal, DO IT.
   18. cardsfanboy Posted: November 29, 2011 at 09:48 PM (#4003167)
For these type of deals, if I'm a team I really try to push for a second year option with a bump in pay based upon appearances or just a team option. He's coming back from surgery, it's likely he won't be in great form until half way through the season if ever, and he may not even be a viable trade candidate at that point in time.
   19. Davo Posted: November 29, 2011 at 09:58 PM (#4003176)
In a world where Joe Nathan is good for a 2-year, $14.5MM deal, getting Broxton for 1 and $4MM is a steal.
   20. Joyful Calculus Instructor Posted: November 29, 2011 at 09:58 PM (#4003177)
When I saw the headline, I knew exactly what to post. [12] beat me to it.
   21. Davo Posted: November 29, 2011 at 10:04 PM (#4003181)
2011 AL Central standings (using pythagorean record):

1. Detroit Tigers 89-73
2. Kansas City Royals 78-84
3. Chicago White Sox 75-87
4. Cleveland Indians 75-87
5. Minnesota Twins 62-100
   22. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: November 30, 2011 at 12:52 AM (#4003253)
Royals outfielder and fellow Georgia native Jeff Francoeur played an active role in recruiting Broxton, baseball sources said. Francoeur, Broxton and Kansas City manager Ned Yost recently went on a hunting trip together in Georgia.


So it wasn't so much the recruiting skills of Francoeur and Yost as it was the likely scenario that Broxton ate all of his beef jerky early in the trip and agreed to sign with the Royals in exchange for some of Francoeur and Yost's jerky stash.
   23. Joyful Calculus Instructor Posted: November 30, 2011 at 01:11 AM (#4003265)
Even in Broxton's best season as a closer, he only converted 85% of save chances. I'm glad to see him gone.
   24. cardsfanboy Posted: November 30, 2011 at 01:54 AM (#4003300)
Even in Broxton's best season as a closer, he only converted 85% of save chances. I'm glad to see him gone.


I hope this is a jab at the silliness of the msm and their obsession with save percentage.
   25. Joyful Calculus Instructor Posted: November 30, 2011 at 02:54 AM (#4003327)
No, it's somebody who watched the games.
   26. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: November 30, 2011 at 02:54 AM (#4003328)

If they can get Kelly Johnson to a 1 or 2-year deal, DO IT.


Meh. I like KJ, but I want to see what Johnny Giovotella can do, and they also have Christian Colon waiting in the wings (although he has sucked in the minors). I can see the case for getting a utility infield type with some on-base skills as a backup, but I don't see the need to bring in a guy like KJ. I'd rather they use those resources for starting pitching, although I wish the answer to how to get more starting pitching wasn't "re-sign Bruce Chen."
   27. Darren Posted: November 30, 2011 at 03:36 AM (#4003347)
I'd argue that $4-$6 mil. is high for any team signing Broxton. For that amount, you can usually get a pretty good set-up reliever--that seems like a much better use of the money than a probably injured, out-of-shape closer (see Bobby Jenks).
   28. ...and Toronto selects: Troy Tulowitzki Posted: November 30, 2011 at 04:56 AM (#4003386)
It seems like an odd place to drop $4 million for the Royals.

Moore drops some curious $$ sometimes does he not? ...Broxton wanted to sign somewhere near home is what a report was saying in the last couple days, and ta da, look where he signed, thus not Boston, Minnesota, Toronto, etc.
   29. bobm Posted: December 01, 2011 at 07:00 AM (#4004280)
[22] http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/big_game_hunter_ZaWc1wdbuP8lzxC6uDexeM

"NYPOST: Francoeur sways Broxton away from Mets"

Francoeur recently went bow-hunting with free-agent closer Jonathan Broxton in Georgia on the property of comedian Jeff Foxworthy, along with Royals manager Ned Yost, and helped convince the big right-hander that Kansas City would be a much better landing spot than the Mets or anywhere else.

Broxton loved the sales pitch, and yesterday agreed to sign with the Royals. He must pass a physical today to make the deal official. ...

[The Mets] even had David Wright make contact with the former Dodgers closer, who will be a set-up man for the Royals. ...

[Francoeur] jokingly added, “Make sure you tell David that I’m a better salesman than he is.’’ ...

Francoeur said he did not bash New York to Broxton and even told Broxton he loved the experience of playing for the Mets, but cautioned the reliever that with the Mets he would have to be ready to go right from the start of the season. In Kansas City, everyone would be a little more patient with Broxton’s comeback. It’s just a different baseball world.

That turned out to be one quality sales pitch.
   30. cardsfanboy Posted: December 01, 2011 at 07:11 AM (#4004283)
No, it's somebody who watched the games.


ok, but did you watch every single closer in baseball over the prior 5 plus seasons to determine if 85% is actually a good or bad number?

I mean considering the stupid ass comment which was factually wrong in 2009 he converted 86% by the stupid math method(saves divided by blown saves+saves) and that he converted 88% in 2011...and over his career his true save percentage has been 81%.... it's hard to understand the people that argue for save percentage while ignoring holds.

What do you honestly think is the average save percentage in baseball?

in 2011 the average reliever converted 73% of the save opportunities. the fact is that a closer hitting 80% of true saves is pretty decent.
Broxton is pretty decent by the standards set in mlb.
   31. Something Other Posted: December 01, 2011 at 08:47 AM (#4004293)
@29: Broxton would have been the closer on the Mets, with exactly no one on the 40-man threatening to take over the job. I doubt there's going to be much pressure for Mets players this season. Is anyone anywhere expecting anything from them?
   32. RollingWave Posted: December 01, 2011 at 09:05 AM (#4004294)
Bow hunting??? you'd think millionares could afford a rifle or something
   33. Something Other Posted: December 01, 2011 at 08:33 PM (#4004615)
Killing nature's creatures for sport just feels more manly when that thrum from an arrow loosed vibrates in your groin.

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