Royals want Guillen, Kuroda

[browntown653]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. | The primary challenge this week for Royals general manager Dayton Moore isn’t finding sufficient payroll in his 2008 budget to pursue the club’s two principal free-agent targets — outfielder Jose Guillen and right-hander Hiroki Kuroda.

Not at all. The Royals bring nearly $25 million in spendable cash to baseball’s annual winter meetings, which start officially today at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.

The bigger challenge looms down the road.

If the Royals succeed in signing Guillen and/or Kuroda, they will set benchmarks for future negotiations as their young players gain eligibility for arbitration and free agency.

“This time next year,” Moore admitted, “we’ll be looking to sign (Zack) Greinke, (Brian) Bannister and (Joakim) Soria, if they have the years we expect, to some type of deal to buy out a year of free agency.

“Whatever we do with a starting pitcher is going to play into it.”

The same situation exists if the Royals sign Guillen or another much-needed power hitter to a multi-year deal. That contract will serve as the basis for talks next year with outfielder Mark Teahen and catcher John Buck.

And for Alex Gordon and Billy Butler in another year or two.

The bite from those looming negotiations, which could be severe, won’t be felt for a while. But it’s coming, and that made the club’s recent bid of $70 million over five years to free-agent outfielder Torii Hunter all the more astonishing.

Not the $70 million, although that was eye-popping, too, for a traditionally cash-strapped franchise. The five-year commitment is what caused the real stir among industry insiders.

Why?

The Royals appear well-equipped to handle a major addition (or two) over the next two years. After that, their payroll figures to jump past $75 million just to retain their core of young players — even without any major additions.

It will only go up from there. Perhaps way up. And signing Guillen and Kuroda, or making a similar investment in other new acquisitions, would push the Royals’ projected payroll beyond $90 million by 2010 and 2011.

That ought to be a sobering reality for a franchise that set a club record last year by entering the season with a $58.2 million payroll — even if baseball continues its current financial boom.

Right?

“I want to win now,” Moore answered. “I’m a competitor. I feel we’ve got to put the best team on the field all of the time. I want to win, and I know we’re going to be successful here.”

Owner David Glass must feel the same way, because the Royals show no hesitation in entering the bidding wars required to sign Guillen and Kuroda. It’s the same hit-the-beach approach they adopted last year in pursuing free-agent pitcher Gil Meche.

The competition for Kuroda, a 32-year-old right-hander, promises to be particularly keen because the Mariners, Dodgers and Diamondbacks are also showing strong interest. Kuroda confirmed his intention last week to leave Hiroshima after 11 seasons.

“Considering my age,” he told the Kyoto News, “I’m not sure how much longer I can play. I made this decision in order to move further ahead as a baseball player.”

Kuroda is a sinkerball pitcher who was 103-89 with a 3.69 ERA in 11 seasons with Hiroshima in Japan’s Central League. He is seeking a four-year deal for at least $45 million, according to Japanese reports.

The Royals have fall-back options if Kuroda signs elsewhere. They could take another look at Twins right-hander Carlos Silva or pursue a veteran recovering from injury, such as Jason Jennings, Kris Benson or Matt Clement.

Club officials see no suitable free-agent alternative to Guillen unless the price on Andruw Jones drops significantly. Accordingly, the Royals seem willing to outbid all competitors for Guillen, who batted .290 last season with 23 homers and 99 RBIs in 153 games for the Mariners.

To a point, anyway.

Guillen, 31, is now asking for a four-year deal despite the possibility of a suspension next season for alleged involvement in steroids and human growth hormone. That might merely be a negotiating tactic since the Mets are the only other team currently showing more than marginal interest.

The Mariners, tellingly, were so wary at the possible lack of a market for Guillen that they declined to offer arbitration before Saturday’s deadline. In doing so, they forfeited a draft pick rather than risk the possibility of Guillen accepting the offer and returning for another year.

Further, Guillen was quoted recently in the Dominican Republic as saying he expects to reach a deal soon. Presumably that means before Thursday’s conclusion of the winter meetings.

Whatever happens, the Royals appear willing to spend as much or more in pursuing Guillen and Kuroda as they offered to Hunter — and accept the inflationary impact on future payrolls.

“I’m very comfortable and confident,” Moore said, “that we’ll get the support we need to sign a player who makes a difference. The one thing I know about this is I know we’re going to be successful here. Without a doubt.

“There’s no reason we’re not going to be successful.”

Good for them!...why not increase the payroll to become competitive. Guillen is not a great player but could fit into the middle of their lineup and we all know the Royals could use another SP.

[BuckFoston]

Great to see the Royals starting to get into the mix of things...Guillen would be a pretty good fit for this club.

[love_that_reefer]

Royals need someone to hit 20+ HRs unlike last year. Royals only had two players with double digits in HRs and no one had more than 70 RBI.

[love_that_reefer]

General manager Dayton Moore indicated Monday that the Royals' interest in Jose Guillen has cooled.
Kansas City has seemed like the front-runner for Guillen all offseason, but Moore is reportedly "becoming impatient" with the negotiations. Translation: Guillen is asking for too many years. "Every day that goes by, the more intrigued I get by other opportunities," Moore said. Of course, 12 hours ago the Kansas City Star reported that the Royals "seem willing to outbid all competitors for" Guillen, so it's likely that they aren't done talking to him.

Probably a ploy but Guillen should me worried as it looks like the Royals are the only ones willing to overpay for him. Moore might have also caught wind of the Mitchell report which Guillen's name will be mentioned.

[love_that_reefer]

The Royals are moving close to agreeing to a three-year deal with Jose Guillen worth $11 million-$12 million per season.
Sure, he's a cheater and an angry malcontent, but do you know how few right-handed power hitters are available right now? If Guillen plays right field, the Royals could put Mark Teahen at first base next year, leaving Billy Butler to DH.

How quickly the ind blows. Royals need him but good lord man!! $11 million a year for Guillen? That's a tad much but the Royals are starving for offense.