Royals outright Pina to Triple-A

The Royals have outrighted catcher Manny Pina to Triple-A.

Pina hit .260 in 162 Double-A plate appearances during the 2012 season.

Analysis: Pina is still young so a team might take a flier on him, but hasn't really hit in the minors so I wouldn't be surprised if a team is scared off by his bad offensive numbers.

Royals designate Jeffress, Hottovy, Bourgeois for assignment

The Royals have designated pitcher Jeremy Jeffress, pitcher Tommy Hottovy, and outfielder Jason Bourgeois for assignment. The moves create space for the newly acquired waiver claims, and pitcher's Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino, who were reinstated off of the 60 day disabled list today as well.

Jeffress, a former first round pick by the Brewers, posted a 4.97 ERA in 58 Triple-A innings of work. Hottovy spent most of the 2012 season in the Triple-A bullpen, posting a 2.52 ERA with 11.0 K/9 in 50 innings of work. Bourgeois hit .258 in 66 plate appearances with the big league club in 2012.

Analysis: This is very surprising. I am certain that a team will put a claim on Jeffress, who came over to the Royals in the Zack Greinke deal a few years ago. He has high upside and a power arm. He may only be a setup man in the future, but there will definitely be quite a bit of interest in him. Hottovy also might get claimed, but is older than Jeffress so team's may pass on him. Bourgeois is a fourth outfielder who lives off of his speed, and may get claimed as well.

Indians claim Wood off of waivers

The Indians have claimed pitcher Blake Wood off of waivers from the Royals. Wood hasn't pitched since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May.

Wood pitched out of the Royals' bullpen in 2010-2011, posting a combined 4.30 ERA in 119 1/3 innings. He will be arbitration eligible for the first time this off-season, and should see a slight salary increase.

Analysis: Wood is a decent bullpen piece to have, assuming he's healthy. This is a good pickup by the Indians because it is a low risk, moderate reward move.

Royals claim Moscoso, Hayes off of waivers

The Royals have claimed pitcher Guillermo Moscoso off of waivers from the Rockies, and catcher Brett Hayes off of waivers from the Marlins.

Moscoso appeared in 23 games for Colorado in 2012, posting a 6.12 ERA in 50 innings. Hayes hit .202 in 118 plate appearances with the Marlins in 2012.

Analysis: Moscoso had a rough go of it with the Rockies, and I'm assuming that the Coors Field dimensions screwed up his stats. He will probably serve as a spot starter with the Royals, as they look to get younger. Hayes will serve as catching depth behind Salvador Perez and Brayan Pena.

Royals acquire Ervin Santana

The Royals have acquired pitcher Ervin Santana and cash considerations ($1 million) from the Angels in exchange for minor league relief pitcher Brandon Sisk. Los Angeles will exercise Santana's 2013 option ($13 million) before completing the trade.

Santana posted a 5.16 ERA in 178 innings as a starter last season, and has been a fixture in the Angels' rotation since 2005.

Sisk posted a 2.54 ERA in 50 Triple-A relief appearances in 2012.

The Royals have made it clear that they are willing to search for pitching. Earlier in the off-season they claimed Chris Volstad off of waivers. Volstad could be a non-tender candidate, but Santana will join a Royals' rotation that consists of Bruce Chen, Luis Mendoza, Felipe Paulino and Danny Duffy.

Analysis: I like this trade for both sides. The Royals need pitching and, even though Santana is inconsistent, he is still an upgrade over whoever else they have. Santana will definitely look to rebound his career in Kansas City, and hopefully he does. Unfortunately the Royals are going to have to pay for $12 million (out of the $13 million) on his salary, and that is a tough pill to swallow for a small market team. I like this deal for the Angels because they get pitcher Brandon Sisk, who has put up very nice minor league numbers and will probably be in the bullpen next season. They also get cap space that can be used to retain Zack Greinke. Don't be surprised if you see Dan Haren being traded soon to free up even more cap space.

Royals decline option for Soria

The Royals have declined their 2013 club option for pitcher Joakim Soria. Soria will now earn a $750k buyout instead of the $8 million salary.

Soria missed the entire 2012 season following Tommy John surgery. Before that he proved to be one of the most reliable closer's in the game. He has a career 2.40 ERA with 160 career saves.

Analysis: This does not surprise me at all. The Royals are looking to get younger and cheaper-along with starting pitching. Soria is a great reclamation project to take a flier on, and I can certainly see him coming back to the Royals on an incentive based deal. However, I believe that the closer's job should belong to Greg Holland because Holland is younger, cheaper , and has an explosive arm.

Royals claim Chris Volstad

The Royals have claimed pitcher Chris Volstad off of waivers from the Cubs.

Volstad had a rough season with Chicago, posting a 6.31 ERA in 111 1/3 innings pitched. He originally came over to Chicago in the Carlos Zambrano trade, and is a former first round pick by the Marlins. He earned $2.7 million in 2012 and is going to be arbitration eligible when the World Series is over.

Analysis: I don't mind this waiver claim. I know Volstad gets a lot of hate because he hasn't lived up to his first round pick standards, but he could be a decent addition. Is he going to be an ace? Probably not. Volstad is a contact pitcher and MAY get rocked in the American League, but we'll see. It's a low risk move and Kansas City is looking to rebuild its rotation, so why not?

Royals re-sign four to minor league deals

The Royals have announced that they have re-signed four players on minor league contracts. Those players are pitcher Devon Lowery, catcher Max Ramirez (pictured), infielder Matt Fields, and outfielder Nick Van Stratten.

 In 2012, Lowery posted a 4.80 ERA in 11 Triple-A appearances. Ramirez hit .300 with 17 homers and 77 RBI in 445 Triple-A plate appearances. Fields hit 17 home runs and 41 RBI in 289 Single-A plate appearances. Van Stratten hit .366 in 79 Single-A plate appearances.

Analysis: The stats on some of these guys look surprisingly good, but these are all depth signings. Lowery really isn't anything special, even though early on in his career his stats looked promising. Ramirez is actually a decent hitter, but hasn't been able to translate his numbers to the big leagues as an everyday starting catcher. Fields and Van Stratten hit well, but at Single-A. You need to play at the higher levels of the minor leagues to see if you are any good.

Royals sign Juan Gutierrez

The Royals have signed relief pitcher Juan Gutierrez. Kansas City originally signed him last December, but released him earlier this year.

Gutierrez posted a combined 4.79 ERA in 167 1/3 innings for Arizona from 2007-2011 while serving as their closer from time to time. He posted a 10.45 ERA in 20 2/3 Triple-A innings this year while facing some injury problems.

Analysis: Gutierrez has always had an electric arm but doesn't really possess much control. He can dial his fastball up to around 96-98 mph, but I wouldn't trust him in a big situation. He was a mess with the Diamondbacks, and I don't expect him to contribute at the big league level for the Royals.

Fantasy talk: Billy Butler status report

The Royals have had yet another dreadful season in 2012, but their cornerstone player, Billy Butler, is having a great season. It seems like Butler has been with the Royals for a long time, but its only been 5 years. He has definitely lived up to his hype, and is really developing into a solid baseball player, thus making him a safe pick in fantasy baseball.

The Royals drafted Butler in the 1st round of the 2004 draft expecting that he would bring the franchise around. The guy absolutely crushed the ball in the minor leagues. In 2005, at the lower levels of the minor leagues, he hit .340 with 30 homers and 110 RBI in 121 games. He kept moving through the farm system, and got the call to the big leagues in 2007. He went on to hit .292 with 8 homers in 92 games that year, and the Royals made him their starting first baseman. Butler had a decent 2008 season, but opened some eyes in 2009 when he smacked 21 homers and 51 doubles in 159 games while maintaining a nice batting average of .301. That was when the Royals knew that Butler was going to be a keeper. In 2010-2011, Butler pretty much continued to be a consistent hitter. One knock about Butler is that he doesn't possess much power, and that is odd for a first baseman. In 2010 he hit 15 homers, and in 2011 he hit 19. When the Royals called up Eric Hosmer last year, Butler lost his first baseman job (not because he wasn't performing) and was converted into a designated hitter. 

Coming into this season, I would have expected Butler to simply put up the same stats as he did in the previous 3-4 seasons. I drafted him thinking that he would hit slightly over .300 with maybe 15 homers if I was lucky. I also knew that he was a double's machine, therefore making him a great pick. Butler has actually played way better than I thought he would this year, and is probably the best hitter on the Royals at the moment. (I don't know how big of an accomplishment that is, but it stands for something.) He has hit .311 with 26 homers and 93 RBI in 143 games this year. He has 25 doubles, which is well below his career norm, but I'm definitely not worried about that. Butler has turned himself into one of the most reliable players in the game, and is getting better and better. There is a reasonable chance that he could finish the year with 30+ homers and 100 RBI, and I'm sure that the Royals would gladly take that. 

In conclusion, there can be a lot of great things said about Butler, and rightfully so. He is a great player, and will continue to get better. Its hard to believe that he is only 26 years old, and hasn't even reached his prime yet. He is going to be a key piece in the Royals' organization for years to come, and should also be an important fixture in your fantasy lineup everyday. 

Chris Getz out for season with broken thumb

The Royals have announced that infielder Chris Getz will miss the rest of the season due to a broken thumb. The club recalled infielder Johnny Giavotella from Triple-A, where hit .323 with 71 RBI.

Getz hit .280 with 17 RBI on the season, and will be arbitration eligible after the season.

Royals release Yuniesky Betancourt

The Royals have released infielder Yuniesky Betancourt. Kansas City designated Betancourt for assignment nine days ago, and were unable to trade him.

Betancourt has hit .266 with 67 homers in his career. This was his second stint with Kansas City.

Giants claim Jose Mijares

The Giants have have claimed left handed relief pitcher Jose Mijares off of waivers from the Royals. Mijares will give Manager Bruce Bochy a third left handed relief option to go along with Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez.

Mijares has a 2.56 ERA in 38 2/3 innings for Kansas City this year. He will earn $925K this year, and is going to be arbitration eligible this fall. He will remain under team control through 2014.

Analysis: Nice move by San Francisco here. Mijares has had a really good comeback season and I'm surprised that the Royals let him go. He is still 27, so he could have been part of Kansas City's future plans. Also, I'm surprised that the Royals didn't get anything for him. They definitely could have gotten a decent prospect or two out of him.

Royals designate Betancourt for assignment

The Royals have designated shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt for assignment. This move allows Kansas City to call up infielder Tony Abreu from Triple-A.

Betancourt rejoined Kansas City this past off-season after being shipped to Milwaukee in the Zack Greinke deal a few years ago. He has hit .232 in 56 games with the Royals this year.

Reds acquire Jonathan Broxton

The Reds have acquired relief pitcher Jonathan Broxton from the Royals in exchange for minor league pitchers Donnie Joseph and J.C. Sulbaran.

Broxton has had an excellent bounce back year, posting a 2.27 ERA in 35 2/3 innings. He has posted a career best 56.6% ground ball rate, which is mainly why he has only allowed one home run this entire season. Broxton will be a free agent after this season and has $1.4 million remaining on his contract.

Broxton will most likely be joining Sean Marshall in the setup man role. Aroldis Chapman is most likely going to keep his closer job.

Joseph has a 1.72 ERA with 11.7 K/9 in 52 1/3 relief innings at the Double-A and Triple-A levels this year.

Sulbaran has a 4.04 ERA in 19 games started at the Double-A level this year.

Analysis: Wow. The Reds' bullpen is going to be insane now. I imagine that if Madson didn't get hurt earlier in the year, Cincinatti probably wouldn't have acquired Broxton and they might have even used Chapman in the starting pitcher role. Joseph seems like a really good prospect, and Sulbaran seems like a decent prospect with high upside. I like this deal for both sides, but especially the Royals, who have been looking for young pitchers.

Jason Kendall has retired

 Catcher Jason Kendall has retired, according to a Royals press release. Kendall recently signed a minor league deal with Kansas City, and collected one hit in three plate appearances at the Double-A level.

Kendall missed the end of the 2010 season and the entire 2011 season to recover from shoulder surgery. He was a three-time All-Star who ranks fifth all-time with 2,025 career games caught.

Rockies, Royals swap players

The Royals have agreed to send pitcher Jonathan Sanchez to Colorado in exchange for veteran pitcher Jeremy Guthrie (pictured). Both players have had rough seasons and are pending free agents.

Sanchez was recently designated for assignment by Kansas City following his poor performance this year. The Royals acquired him in the ill-fated Melky Cabrera trade last winter. Sanchez posted a 7.76 ERA in 53 1/3 innings pitched with the Royals. He will earn $5.6 million this season and will likely get a minor league deal next winter unless he restores his value in the hitter-friendly Coors Field.

Guthrie was acquired by Colorado in the Jason Hammel deal last winter. He has posted a 6.35 ERA in 90 2/3 innings pitched. He has also allowed a league leading 21 home runs this year. He is set to earn $8.2 million this season.

Analysis: I think the Royals won this trade, because Guthrie has much better numbers on the road than he does at Coors field. He has a 9.50 ERA in 41.2 innings pitched at Coors field, and a 3.67 ERA on the road. I bet he's excited to get out of Colorado. As for Sanchez, I can see him getting hit hard with the Rockies. Like I've said a million times, Coors field is hitter friendly, and Sanchez just simply doesn't a great arsenal of pitches. Overall, Kansas City looks like the early winner of this trade, but we'll have to see how the rest of the season plays out.

Royals sign Jason Kendall

The Royals announced this morning that they signed veteran catcher Jason Kendall to a minor league deal. Kendall will report to Kansas City's Double-A affiliate, where he is scheduled to start tomorrow night.

Kendall missed the end of the 2010 season and the entire 2011 season to recover from shoulder surgery. He is a three time All-Star who has 2,025 games caught. He has 2,195 career hits, and spent the majority of his career with Pittsburgh.

Royals designate Jonathan Sanchez for assignment

The Royals have designated pitcher Jonathan Sanchez for assignment. Sanchez allowed seven earned runs against Seattle last night, and only pitched 1.1 innings.

Kansas City acquired Sanchez in the infamous off-season trade that sent Melky Cabrera to San Francisco. The Royals also acquired pitcher Ryan Verdugo, who is set to start tonight's game. 

Sanchez has posted a 7.76 ERA in 53 1/3 innings pitched this year. He has averaged less than 4.5 innings pitched per start. He is eligible for free agency after this season. 

Analysis: When the Royals traded away Melky last winter, I honestly thought their General Manager was high. Melky is/was still a young player and was coming off an underrated season. I guess Kansas City's front office decided they better sell high on him before his value would go back down. I knew Jonathan Sanchez would be awful in the American League. He was so-so in the National League and when you go to an American League filled with tough hitters left and right, it's tough to have success. A lot of teams are looking for starting pitching depth, so he'll definitely get claimed. 

Maier outrighted to Triple-A

The Royals have outrighted outfielder Mitch Maier to Triple-A. Kansas City designated him for assignment on July 4 and he has cleared waivers.

Maier hit .172 in 74 plate appearances for the Royals this season.