Home MLB Kansas City Royals bag Broxton

Kansas City Royals bag Broxton

by Matt Smith

The Royals have made another pitching addition to their roster as we come out of the Thanksgiving lull and get ready for the coming Winter Meetings.

Former Dodgers reliever Jonathan Broxton has agreed a one-year deal to sign on as Joakim Soria’s set-up man in Kansas City. His proposed signing follows the Royals’ trade for starter Jonathan Sanchez from the Giants earlier in November.

Had the Phillies not jumped in and signed up Jonathan Papelbon, the Royals may have gone for a Jonathan trio, although perhaps a move for the Brewers’ catcher Jonathan Lucroy is on the cards to complete the set another way.

Lucroy is unlikely to be heading to K.C., irrespective of any Jonathan quest, as the Royals have a promising young catcher in Salvador Perez. He was one of the Royals’ prospects that made the jump to the Major Leagues in 2011, alongside the likes of Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas, and there are more on the way.

Royals fans certainly deserve some good news about good players after so many years in the doldrums. There is an exciting youth movement taking place in Kansas that will hopefully put the Royals back into contention in the AL Central in the near future. Adding an established Big Leaguer or two into the mix isn’t a bad idea so long as it doesn’t block any of the young talent from progressing.

Signing Broxton on a one-year contract for a basic salary of approximately $4m (£2,563,000, or £49,290 per week) looks like a good deal for both parties. Broxton gets a chance to rebuild his value after pitching only 12.2 innings in 2011, while the Royals get a pitcher with significant high-pressure experience (dealing with both success and failure) to add to their relatively young pitching corps on a contract that potentially offers a decent reward for little risk.

While it’s far from a blockbuster, it’s a neat move by the Royals.

And potentially it will light the touch paper on a busy period of free-agent signings and trades as we head into December.

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