The next step in the Royals&rsquo; offseason makeover is to acquire a catcher before Dec. 12 and therefore provide an alternative to offering a contract to arbitration-eligible John Buck.</p><p> &ldquo;We led all of baseball (last season) in passed balls and wild pitches,&rdquo; general manager Dayton Moore said. &ldquo;That will be fixed in 2010. Our defense in general is our main objective to fix before next season.</p><p> &ldquo;And it starts behind the plate.&rdquo;</p><p> Moore arrives today in Chicago for the annual GM meetings, which typically set the groundwork for possible trades. The meetings run through Wednesday, but the hot stove is already bubbling.</p><p> One rumor to watch: A deal sending second baseman Alberto Callaspo to the Los Angeles Dodgers for catcher A.J. Ellis, a 28-year-old rookie who currently projects as a backup to Russell Martin following the anticipated free-agent departure of veteran Brad Ausmus.</p><p> Moore has already pledged an active winter in seeking trades to overhaul a club that reversed three years of incremental improvement last season by tumbling to 65-97.</p><p> &ldquo;Our free-agent pursuit will not be as aggressive as in the past,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to focus on trades first. We&rsquo;re going to exhaust every opportunity to make trades.</p><p> &ldquo;In the previous two offseasons, we&rsquo;ve been more likely to pop a free agent or two early on. I look for us to exhaust every possible trade scenario this offseason before we enter into the free-agent market.&rdquo;</p><p> The Royals signaled their determination to revamp their catching alternatives Friday by exercising a $100,000 buyout on veteran Miguel Olivo, 31, to avoid the possibility that he would accept a $3.3 million mutual option.</p><p> Buck, 29, is in line for a raise through arbitration from $2.9 million. Club officials view that as too pricey for his market value but acknowledge limited alternatives in the free-agent market.</p><p> The Royals say rookie Brayan Pe&ntilde;a, 27, made significant defensive strides last season, but they aren&rsquo;t ready to anoint him as their starter. That places an emphasis on swinging a trade before the Dec. 12 deadline for tendering contracts forces a decision on Buck.</p><p> Ellis is regarded as a strong defensive receiver with improving offensive potential. While he lacks pop &mdash; just 17 homers in 464 games over seven minor-league seasons &mdash; he batted .318 with a .437 on-base percentage in 174 games over the last two years in Class AAA.</p><p> Callaspo, 26, became expendable Friday when the Royals acquired second baseman Chris Getz from the Chicago White Sox along with third baseman Josh Fields in a trade for third baseman Mark Teahen and $1 million.</p><p> The Dodgers are seeking a second baseman because veterans Ronnie Belliard and Orlando Hudson are free agents. Callaspo would be an affordable alternative, especially if he fails to qualify, as expected, for free agency under the super-2 provision.</p><p> Money is an increasing factor for the Dodgers, whose owner, Frank McCourt, appears headed for a messy divorce.</p><p> Callaspo batted .300 last season with 11 homers and 73 RBIs in 155 games, but his lack of speed and range make him less appealing if the Royals follow through with a new emphasis on defense.</p><p> Ellis has just 13 plate appearances in 12 major-league games over the last two years and isn&rsquo;t likely to be eligible for arbitration, at the earliest, until after the 2011 season. He is a right-handed hitter who is 6 feet 3 and 230 pounds. </p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Gold standard</span></strong></p><p> Royals veteran David DeJesus will learn Tuesday whether he joins the rare group of American League left fielders to win a Gold Glove when Rawlings makes its annual announcement.