Royals sign Maroth to minor-league deal
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star
The quest to find a left-handed starting pitcher prompted the Royals to sign veteran Mike Maroth to a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to big-league camp.
Maroth, 30, was a combined 5-7 with a 6.89 ERA last season while splitting time with Detroit and St. Louis. He pitched just 13 games for the Tigers in 2006 before suffering season-ending elbow surgery to remove bone chips.
Jorge De La Rosa is the only experienced left-handed starter on the club’s 40-man roster.
Maroth is 50-67 in his six-year career with a 5.05 ERA in 161 games. He was 30-29 with a 4.42 ERA in 76 starts for the Tigers in 2004-06.
The signing swells the Royals’ camp roster to 61 players, including 31 pitchers. The club opens camp Wednesday when pitchers and catchers report to its facility in Surprise, Ariz. The first full-squad workout is Feb. 19.
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