The Royals Rumor Mill: Santana, Tomas, Butler and of Course Torii

It's that time of year again. Rumors run rampant and everyone begins to play the speculation game regarding who will get what and how and who they will give up and yada yada yada….I hate this time of year in the baseball world.

No one ever seems to be right, and some of the ideas borne out of left field become so preposterous they are a waste of internet space to even publish them. But…being as it is all we have to do, lets look at see what is being talked about in regards to the Royals.

First, it was reported by Phil Rogers at MLB.com that Billy Butler had received a 3-year $30 million offer from a mystery team, presumably the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles GM denied that report and said its "not even close." If Billy Butler did in fact receive an offer worth that kind of money, then he should most likely take it without hesitation before someone changes their mind.

The Royals certainly have no business (nor does it seem intention) to match any offer even close to that, though have been rumored to be willing to discuss something in the 2 year range. After finishing the worst season of his career, it would be a tough pill to swallow if the Royals were to pay $10 million a year to continue to watch a DH only player decline even farther. If Billy does return to Kansas City, I would expect it to be in the 2 year and $14-16 million range, manageable enough that they can cut losses without being obligated by money.

Dayton Moore stated that the Royals may enter the bidding for the Cuban Yasmani Tomas. The bidding for the 24 year old outfielder is expected to approach the $100 million mark and it will be interesting to see how far the Royals are willing to go. Coming off of a World Series appearance and having more cash available that he has in the past, it is possible that Dayton looks to make a splash in his quest to find a solution in right field to replace free agent Nori Aoki. Right field in Kansas City has been a bit of a turnstile the last several years, with the likes of Jeff Francouer, Nori Aoki, Lorenzo Cain, and David Lough all logging significant innings there in just the last 2 years. With most other places on the diamond fairly secured for at least the short term, it would stand to reason that Dayton would want to implement a long(er) term player.

Other possible options being discussed in the return of Melky Cabrera, who had a successful run while in Kansas City. The now 30 year old outfielder finished with an .809 OPS during the 2011 season with the Royals and has stated he would be open to a reunion. Torii Hunter is another name Dayton has been rumored to be after. The Royals lost out on the Hunter sweepstakes 7 years ago, and may look to remedy that this go around, though he is a much older version who does not provide value with the glove as he once did.

Also, the Royals could be looking at the possibility of trading for a player, perhaps one of the surplus outfielders currently employed by the Dodgers (Matt Kemp and Scott Van Slyke being the 2 most talked about), or Carlos Gonzalez with the Colorado Rockies. Gonzalez has put up video game numbers during much of his time in Colorado, but considering the venue in which he did it as well as the fact he has only played more than 135 games once in his career, he seems like a risky proposition. He is also still owed $53 million over the next 3 years.

The same risk factor applies when assessing the report that the Royals might be interested in Phillie Ryan Howard. He is still owed a minimum of $60 million and the Phillies have stated they will be willing to foot the majority of that bill to be rid of the first baseman. It is believed he would be best suited in a DH role, so look for him to be traded to an AL team willing to take a chance.

As with most any trade, it will seemingly be about the give and take. If the Royals can take on a player without having to commit to a large amount of dollars and year, it might be a risk worth taking. However, in order to achieve a deal where the dollar amount is lessened, the return from the KC front office may have to be more by ways of prospects and players. Finding an acceptable balance may be tough to do with some of the large contracts many of the available trade pieces carry.

The Royals are also said to be meeting with the representatives for both Brett Anderson and Ervin Santana. With the departure of James Shields, there is a void left in the rotation that the Royals must fill. With no pitchers quite ready to come up through the ranks to fill that hole by April, they must once again turn to the free agent market. Santana had a good run in KC during the 2013 campaign, though faltered down the stretch some and did not have a spectacular year in Atlanta.

What's the lesson here? The Royals are in on everyone, everybody and everything. As are most teams. Expect the rumor mill to keep churning.

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