Royals give Guthrie $25 million over three years

[ThomasTomasz]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Two-and-a-half months in Kansas City changed the course of Jeremy Guthrie's career.

Now, he's going to try to keep it going for three more years.

The 33-year-old right-hander agreed to a $25 million, three-year deal to return to the Royals on Tuesday, solidifying another piece for what should be a retooled starting rotation next season.

Guthrie will make $5 million in 2013, $11 million in 2014 and $9 million in 2015.

"Jeremy pitched very well for us," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said on a conference call shortly after announcing the deal. "He's someone we liked a great deal. We feel he can give us innings, give us consistency and everything you want in a starting pitcher."

Guthrie struggled the first half of last season, going 3-9 with a 6.35 ERA for the Colorado Rockies, before getting traded to Kansas City for another struggling starter, Jonathan Sanchez.

Guthrie flourished at pitcher-friendly Kauffman Stadium, rediscovering the stuff that twice allowed him to win 17 games in a season for Baltimore. He went 5-3 with a 3.16 ERA in 14 starts for the Royals, and the team went 10-4 in his starts, winning 10 of the final 11 outings.

Guthrie was 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA in his final 11 appearances.

"The way I pitched in Kansas City was much more indicative of how I've pitched over the course of my career," said Guthrie, who is 55-77 with a 4.28 ERA over parts of nine seasons.

"I believe in myself," he said. "I made a couple of minor adjustments. I don't think I changed everything. Obviously that's where it starts, and after that, it was just getting that confidence and getting people out and believing I could do it again after struggling so bad."

Both sides expressed interest in a new contract after Guthrie became a free agent, but talks didn't intensify until the last few weeks. Guthrie was overseas this weekend when his agent called to let him know that the Royals had extended an offer that he thought was acceptable.

He flew back to Kansas City to undergo a physical and sign the contract.

"I'm happy to be part of it, and I'm happy they wanted me as one of their pitchers going forward," said Guthrie, who earned $8.2 million last season. "This gives them the ability to focus all their energies on getting another starting pitcher."

The Royals have been hard at work this offseason in attempt to bolster a starting rotation that was 11th in the American League with a 5.01 ERA last season, and logged fewer innings (880) and wins (47) than any AL team but the Minnesota Twins.

Their biggest move was to trade for Angels right-hander Ervin Santana, giving up only a minor league pitcher and getting cash in the deal. But the small-market, budget-conscious club also is taking on the 2008 All-Star's hefty contract -- Santana is owed $13 million next season.

Moore said there's a possibility the Royals could still add another starter during the offseason, perhaps during the winter meetings in December. Left-hander Bruce Chen and right-hander Luis Mendoza will be back, and Luke Hochevar is eligible for arbitration after once again failing to live up to the expectations that come with being an overall No. 1 draft pick.

The Royals also will get left-hander Danny Duffy and right-hander Felipe Paulino back from elbow ligament-replacement surgery at some point, though Paulino is also eligible for arbitration.

"We're going to continue to look to upgrade," Moore said. "We feel we've made a lot of contacts with other clubs and laid some groundwork for potentially some future deals. You never know if they'll come to fruition. We still feel we have plenty in the farm system to make a deal that impacts us not only on the pitching staff but also in the starting lineup."

The Royals made a series of moves later Tuesday to set their 40-man roster.

They designated for assignment right-hander Chris Volstad, whom they claimed off waivers from the Cubs. They also designated right-hander Vin Mazzaro, left-hander Ryan Verdugo, catchers Adam Moore and Brayan Pena, infielder Clint Robinson and outfielder Derrick Robinson.

That freed up space for left-handers Chris Dwyer, Donnie Joseph, John Lamb, Justin Marks and Mike Montgomery, and right-hander J.C. Gutierrez.

Kansas City also agreed to a $600,000, one-year contract with catcher Brett Hayes, leaving only Hochevar, Paulino and second baseman Chris Getz as unsigned arbitration-eligible players.

The Royals fielded one of the youngest lineups in baseball last season, and all of the key pieces will return. They also expect outfielder Wil Myers, ranked by many as the top minor league prospect in the game, to make his big league debut at some point next season.

"We expect to put a team on the field that's going to compete to win the Central. That's been our attitude from Day 1," Moore said. "I've said 2014 should be the year they produce from the first day to the last day, and stay competitive, but we're not putting limitations on our team."

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8656083/jeremy-guthrie-kansas-city-royals-signs-three-year-deal

I feel that this was too much to pay for Guthrie, but the bolded part makes it a little easier to understand, and the Royals have to overpay to bring someone in as well.

 

[Yawkey Way]

Call me crazy, but investing 38 million dollars into both Jeremy Guthrie and Ervin Santana doesn't sound like the most productive way to allocate the minimal resources you have in KC. I get that Guthrie pitched well last year at Kauffman, but his totals in 2009 and 2011 scare me. You just don't know what you're going to get, and now you have him for three years? The Royals need to make a splash, not invest in back-end/mediocre MLB players.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

We talked about this is the chatbox this afternoon. Guthrie hasn't had a good season since 2008, and will be 37 when this deal is over. He was insisting on a thrid year after they offered 2/$20M, so the essentially got him for a third year for only $5M. But I still would have told him to get lost. I would be uncomfortable with 2 years, let alone 3.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

So the Royals, who had an abysmal starting rotation last season, traded for Ervin Santana, re signed Guthrie, have Chen under contract for one more year, Hochevar is a Super 2, Luis Mendoza is under team control.

Where does this leave Danny Duffy, Jake Odorizzi, Will Smith, and Vinny Mazzaro? I thought this team was going to retool the rotation? All they did was add Santana. Guthrie not only eats $25M, but he blocks one of those four kids from potentially earning a spot.

 

[Yawkey Way]

Maybe Hochevar loses his spot? He's been pretty downright awful, at his best he's a 4-5 anyways. Who knows if Mendoza can repeat his stat line from last season, I could see a spot potentially opening up there. Maybe the Royals think the kids aren't ready yet? I really don't follow what Moore is trying to do with that team.

 

[Rudi]

Another contract that I just :smh: at. Of all the deals made this off-season so far, I can honestly say I'm not a fan of any of them but the Melky one. All these bum ass players getting paid a lot for my liking.

 

[Goober]

So the Royals, who had an abysmal starting rotation last season, traded for Ervin Santana, re signed Guthrie, have Chen under contract for one more year, Hochevar is a Super 2, Luis Mendoza is under team control.

Where does this leave Danny Duffy, Jake Odorizzi, Will Smith, and Vinny Mazzaro? I thought this team was going to retool the rotation? All they did was add Santana. Guthrie not only eats $25M, but he blocks one of those four kids from potentially earning a spot.

No team wants to go into spring training with just five starters. Unless you're the 2012 Reds, or 2011 Brewers; you'll need more then five guys throughout the course of the year. Plus there's no way they'd let the prospects you mentioned pitch all year. They'll throw 150 before getting shut down. Teams these days are very conservative with their young pitching, especially a team that hasn't had any in years.

I still think the Royals need to sign/trade for an ace, or at least a #2. Greinke would be ideal for them (but he's going to Milwaukee). Maybe sign Sanchez, or trade for Shields.

 

[Goober]

Another contract that I just :smh: at. Of all the deals made this off-season so far, I can honestly say I'm not a fan of any of them but the Melky one. All these bum ass players getting paid a lot for my liking.

What about the Scott Baker deal? Best value of the offseason so far by far. Also Colon at 3 million. Even Kuroda's 15.5 million is fair.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

No team wants to go into spring training with just five starters. Unless you're the 2012 Reds, or 2011 Brewers; you'll need more then five guys throughout the course of the year. Plus there's no way they'd let the prospects you mentioned pitch all year. They'll throw 150 before getting shut down. Teams these days are very conservative with their young pitching, especially a team that hasn't had any in years.

I still think the Royals need to sign/trade for an ace, or at least a #2. Greinke would be ideal for them (but he's going to Milwaukee). Maybe sign Sanchez, or trade for Shields.

I can't see them giving big money to Greinke, too much money for them to invest in one player at this point. He's staying in the AL by the way. I agree with trading for someone, but Shields only has one year left on his deal if I'm not mistaken. No way do they give up what is needed for him, only to walk next off-season.

 

[Goober]

I can't see them giving big money to Greinke, too much money for them to invest in one player at this point. He's staying in the AL by the way. I agree with trading for someone, but Shields only has one year left on his deal if I'm not mistaken. No way do they give up what is needed for him, only to walk next off-season.

Why do you think he's staying in the AL? I'm sure some NL clubs are willing to put just as much money on the table. For the record Greinke really likes being able to take his at bats, he fancies himself as a good hitter.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Why do you think he's staying in the AL? I'm sure some NL clubs are willing to put just as much money on the table. For the record Greinke really likes being able to take his at bats, he fancies himself as a good hitter.

Just busting your balls. I think the Angels can give him the most money, and they'll be able to continuously put money into their team. That is where I think he's going to go, so yeah, he'll still be in the AL.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

No team wants to go into spring training with just five starters. Unless you're the 2012 Reds, or 2011 Brewers; you'll need more then five guys throughout the course of the year. Plus there's no way they'd let the prospects you mentioned pitch all year. They'll throw 150 before getting shut down. Teams these days are very conservative with their young pitching, especially a team that hasn't had any in years.

I still think the Royals need to sign/trade for an ace, or at least a #2. Greinke would be ideal for them (but he's going to Milwaukee). Maybe sign Sanchez, or trade for Shields.

The bigger issue for me, is the rotation was abysmal last year, and the projected starters are identical to last year, aside from Santana. I'm not seeing an upgrade or even a real chance for some fresh faces to get a shot, unless Hochevar is purged.

 

[Goober]

The bigger issue for me, is the rotation was abysmal last year, and the projected starters are identical to last year, aside from Santana. I'm not seeing an upgrade or even a real chance for some fresh faces to get a shot, unless Hochevar is purged.

Hochevar is going into arbitration for the third time this offseason, he made 3.5 million last year, so I assume he'll make at least 5 million this year, despite his terrible performance. I'd dump him, but even if tendered a contract, he's hardly locked into a rotation spot. I would say the same can be said for Bruce Chen. Santana and Guthrie have their spots, the rest is up for grabs.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Hochevar is going into arbitration for the third time this offseason, he made 3.5 million last year, so I assume he'll make at least 5 million this year, despite his terrible performance. I'd dump him, but even if tendered a contract, he's hardly locked into a rotation spot. I would say the same can be said for Bruce Chen. Santana and Guthrie have their spots, the rest is up for grabs.

I'd like to see guys who suck get pay cuts in arbitration. Like, why on earth should Hochevar or Drew Stubbs warrant a gigantic raise? Or any raise at all?

Anyway, I would have non tendered Hochevar, told Guthrie to get lost if he was insisting on a third year, and spent that money ($30M or so) on somebody more stable or traded a bat to somebody like the Rays for a SP. I don't hate the Santana trade like some people do. And I think Chen is fine as innings eating filler and has actually not been all that bad.

My five would look something like this:

*New Guy*
Santana
Chen
young dude
young dude

Luis Mendoza, Luke Hochevar, and Guthrie would either be history (Guthrie) or mopping up in the pen (Mendoza). And i'd give those four kids a chance to crack the rotation. They need new blood, piecing together these shitbag veterans isn't working.

 

[Villain]

I think the Angels can give him the most money, and they'll be able to continuously put money into their team.

ORLY?

 

 

[Youk]

ORLY?

 

I remember when the Marlins went on a spending spree too.

 

[Villain]

I remember when the Marlins went on a spending spree too.

Good point! The Marlins and the Dodgers are totally the same!

:fail:

 

[Youk]

Good point! The Marlins and the Dodgers are totally the same!

:fail:

Starting to look like it. Seems if you had it your way, they'd open up their wallets wrecklessly (like the Marlins), which would go terribly, and when they realize it, they'll have to blow the team up.

Marlins, Red Sox, either or. The Dodgers will probably find a dumbass team to take Crawford's contract :smug:

 

[NAHSTE]

Good point! The Marlins and the Dodgers are totally the same!

:fail:

Nah, the Dodgers are more like the Omar Minaya era Mets.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Vin Mazzaro traded, and the Royals are trying to trade Bruce Chen & Luke Hochevar.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/11/royals-calling-everyone-to-trade-hochevar-chen.html

Looks like they are clearing out the rotation & some money to add another SP or two.