Kuzul

With Spring Training right around the corner, it is time to start looking forward to the '11 MLB season which begins at the end of next month.The Kansas City Royals will have some changes in their 2011 lineup, as they have acquired a slick fielding shortstop in the Zack Greinke trade and also signed a couple of former Braves prospects.These projections could be modified some as Spring Training gets going, but for now, this is the lineup is that I see the Royals going with this season.Begin Slideshow

When Kansas City Royals General Manager Dayton Moore took over back in 2006, the organization was going in a downward spiral with nowhere to go but up. In his first full season in KC, the team lost 100 games and once again finished in the cellar of the AL Central division. Moore, the former Atlanta Braves scout, got to see firsthand why this team has been the laughingstock of major league baseball for over two decades. A self-proclaimed Royals fan since he was young, Moore vowed that he would bring back this struggling franchise to the glory days that it once enjoyed so long ago. Fast-forward a few years to a couple months before the 2011 regular season begins. After four dreadful losing seasons and two more manager changes, the Royals are still one of the worst teams in baseball. But this time, there is actually some hope for an organization that has had just one ...

The Kansas City Royals made news this offseason when they announced that the team would be willing to deal All-Star closer Joakim Soria for the right price.Many began to think that the club was going to deal the talented 26-year-old Soria, especially after it was reported that Soria himself said that he would be willing to go to a team like the New York Yankees.Now, after most of the MLB offseason dust has settled, Soria is still a Royal. Here are some reasons KC will not trade him and he is here to stay in Kansas City.Begin Slideshow

The Kansas City Royals franchise have produced many great players since their inception in 1969.From Cy Young Award winners to Hall of Fame third basemen to speedy outfielders, the organization has seen a great amount of talent come and go.In this feature, I have examined the best 50 Royals that have played on the team over the course of the last four plus decades.Begin Slideshow

The Kansas City Royals made some surprising news earlier today as they announced the signing of free agent and former Colorado Rockies pitcher Jeff Francis. On one side, the move makes sense because KC needs immediate help in their starting rotation, after losing former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke via trade and not resigning veteran Brian Bannister for next season. Francis also has some upside to him, as he went 17-9 back in '07 as he helped lead the Rockies to a World Series birth later that year. On the other side of this deal, you can see that Francis has only pitched in 20 games combined during the last two seasons due to surgery on his left arm before the '09 season. I think the real question with this signing is can he be an ace for this mostly unproven starting rotation? The answer is still unknown, but most signs point to us ...

There has been some recent speculation that the Royals would be willing to trade All-Star closer Joakim Soria for the right price. Royals GM Dayton Moore has already made some fireworks of his own this offseason when he dealt former Cy Young Winner Zack Greinke and starting shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt to Milwaukee for Alcides Escobar and three prospects. If Moore were to trade Soria, this would be another way of him showing everyone in Kansas City and the rest of the MLB that he is indeed very serious about this Royals' new youth movement. Let's look at the pros and cons of trading away a player like Soria. We will see if giving up a young player at his caliber is worth it in the first place. On the pro side of the trade, the Royals wouldn't have to pay his soon $4 million salary for the '11 season and could take several million ...

The MLB's winter meetings have come and gone, and the former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke still has not been traded out of Kansas City.Royals GM Dayton Moore made statements during the winter meetings that KC would be willing to trade their star player to anyone that was interested. In the end, there were some teams that would have like Greinke's services, but could never come to an agreement with the Royals for what they wanted in return.Now, with the top prize of the free agent class, Cliff Lee, still unsigned, many, including Royals officials believe that after Lee signs, the interesting in Greinke will grow immensely.With many teams likely to have been interested and will be interested in the stud pitcher, some are more likely to acquire him than others in terms of what they have to offer in return for his services.Begin Slideshow

Earlier today, the Kansas City Royals made it official that they have indeed signed free agent outfielder Jeff Francoeur. The team announced that it was a one-year dear that includes an option for 2012, and is still pending a physical. The signing also puts to rest the rumors about Royals GM Dayton Moore trying to sign Francoeur many times in the past. Moore also mentioned recently that he was looking into adding a right-handed hitting corner-outfielder, and to him, "Frenchy" fits the bill for this. With Francoeur now in the mix, this now changes up a lackluster Royals outfield and give the offense a fresh, new bat in the lineup. He will likely be penciled in as the starting right-fielder for KC in '11, as Kansas City only has Mitch Maier and Gregor Blanco as the other likely candidates for that position. Overall, Francoeur is a low-risk, high-return kind of player as he has shown he ...

The talks about Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Zack Greinke are starting to heat up as KC has mentioned that they are willing to trade him, given the right price.With the MLB winter meetings starting today, the talks and rumors will be flying for awhile until one team is satisfied.The Yankees are one of those teams that has been very interested in the former Cy Young award winner's services and as usual, they have not been very shy about it.There are also many other teams other than New York that are interested in Greinke, and many of them would be better fits for Greinke than the pinstripes.Begin Slideshow

The future location of free agent outfielder Carl Crawford has been a hot topic this off-season and interest continues to grow in the star player since his contract ended with the Rays this past season.Although many teams might not be able to afford his large contract requests(some say he is looking for $100 million), he could still be an early Christmas present for any team that bids the right price for him.Many have reported that he won't sign until Cliff Lee, arguably the highest sought after free agent this off-season, signs his contract, there are many teams that are ready to grab the talented left-fielder right now.Begin Slideshow