Winter meetings notebook: Royals looking for situational lefty reliever

By BOB DUTTON

The Kansas City Star

More News

DALLAS | Adding former All-Star closer Jonathan Broxton doesn’t necessarily mean the Royals are done beefing up their bullpen. The search is on for a veteran situational lefty to serve as an alternative to inconsistent Tim Collins.

“We’re looking to upgrade into a guy who can get a tough out in the seventh or eighth to get us to (Joakim) Soria or Broxton or (Greg) Holland,” manager Ned Yost said.

Collins, 22, filled that role last season as a rookie while going 4-4 with a 3.63 ERA in a club-high 68 appearances.

But his 48 walks in 67 innings amounted to 6.4 per nine innings, a rate that topped all American League pitchers who worked as least 35 innings.

Alternatives are in short supply.

“That’s always a hard spot to fill,” general manager Dayton Moore said, “because those lefties are either really, really good or they’re just ordinary. It’s very competitive financially. I’ve found, though the years, they’d better come up through your system.”

The Royals have no obvious in-house alternative.

Everett Teaford and Aaron Laffey are the only other lefty relievers on the 40-man roster, and both are swingman types. Club officials show no inclination to shift top prospect Mike Montgomery to the bullpen as an acclimation step.

“Collins could be that guy,” Yost said. “I’m hoping he comes to camp, like Holland did last year, as a different guy. As a guy who has great stuff and now, all of a sudden, throws strikes. He’s capable of doing it. He’s more than capable of doing it.”

Rumor mill

Both teams debunked this rumor and debunked it emphatically. But the best rumors come spiced with a dose of believability, which is why this doozy caromed around the Hilton Anatole’s spacious lobby for a few hours on Monday afternoon:

The Royals were poised to acquire right-hander James Shields from Tampa Bay for closer Joakim Soria and two top prospects — outfielder Wil Myers and middle infielder Christian Colon.

The Royals do like Shields, who would fill the club’s need for a rotation front man. The emergence last season of Greg Holland, coupled with the signing of free agent Jonathan Broxton, makes Soria somewhat available.

But Myers and Colon are two of the Royals’ top prospects.

More rumors

ESPNdesportes.com reports the Royals are one of five teams showing interest in veteran infielder Carlos Guillen. It also linked Guillen to the Marlins, Twins, A’s and Mariners.

The Royals are searching for a right-handed-hitting utilityman, and a healthy Guillen, even at 36, would be a good fit for a number of clubs. But he played only 28 games last year — and just 177 games over the last three years — because of injuries.

“Players with that type of track record and history,” Moore said, “you certainly give them the benefit of the doubt.”

So the Royals might be interested — but only at the right price.

“I think there are going to be quite a few players like that around in January if we want to supplement our team,” Moore said. “Last year, we picked up Pedro Feliz in late January. He didn’t make our team, but he gave us insurance.

“So we’ll stay in the market for players who can finish off our 25-man roster.”

Rumors also continue to tout the Royals’ interest Oakland left-hander Gio Gonzalez. Club officials acknowledge interest but not at the A’s asking price, which is multiple impact prospects.

Awards tickets

Tickets are on sale for the 2011 Royals Awards Luncheon, which is at noon Jan. 11 at the Overland Park Convention Center. The luncheon is a one-year replacement for the FanFest, which was canceled this winter because of preparations for the All-Star Game.

Individual tickets to the luncheon are $150 with tables of 10 selling for $1,000.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.royals.com/awards or by calling 816-504-4040 and pressing option 1. They can also be purchased at Kauffman Stadium from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Online and phone orders are subject to service fees.

Etc.

•The Pirates and Mariners are showing interest in former Royals left-hander Jeff Francis.

•The average salary for major-league players this season, according to the union, was just more than $3 million. The Yankees were on top at $6.54 million, and the Royals at the bottom at $1.34 million. (List of average salaries through the years, B7)

•The Cardinals have yet to increase their preseason offer to first baseman Albert Pujols of roughly $200 million for nine years. The Marlins and Cubs appear the biggest threats to pry him from St. Louis.

•The Twins reached agreement with Matt Capps on a one-year deal with a one-year option.

Capps projects as the closer after the departure of free-agent Joe Nathan to Texas.

•The Nationals, Marlins and Rangers appear to be the teams pushing hardest to sign free-agent lefty Mark Buehrle with bids believed to be approaching $40 million over three years.

But at least 10 other teams are showing interest.