Royals close to signing Reggie Sanders
 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5...0813162&ATT=49

Royals close to landing Sanders
Ken Rosenthal / FOXSports.com
Posted: 3 hours ago

The Royals, continuing their effort to add established veterans, are closing on a two-year deal with free-agent outfielder Reggie Sanders for approximately $10 million, FOXSports.com has learned.

Sanders, 38, is expected to play left field for the Royals, who earlier this week signed first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, right-handed starter Scott Elarton and backup catcher Paul Bako.

Several teams, including the Dodgers, were reluctant to give Sanders a multi-year deal. But the Royals, after losing out to the Cubs for free-agent outfielder Jacque Jones, valued Sanders' leadership as well as his production.

The Royals will be Sanders' eighth team in the past nine seasons. He spent the past two years as a regular with the Cardinals, reaching the World Series in 2004 and National League Championship Series in '05.

Sanders was leading the postseason with 12 RBIs last October when he suffered neck and back injuries after an awkward spill in the outfield in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series.

During the regular season, he missed nearly two months after suffering a broken bone in his right leg in a collision with Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds. But for the most part he has been durable, averaging 26 homers over the past five seasons.

A career .267 hitter, Sanders is eight homers short of 300.

It also doesn't mention that he's 3 steals short of 300, joining a pretty elite 300HR/300SB club that consists of: Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, and Andre Dawson. That would be pretty cool if he could get that in a Royals uniform. He's had double digit homers and steals every year for the last 14 seasons, so I think he'd get it.

Look out Yankees!

ROFL

The Sanders Odyssey really puzzles me. This guy doesn't seem like a clubhouse cancer, produces every year, but just keeps getting moved from town to town to town. He gets hurt a little, but it's not an outrageous amount of time he's missed.
:shrug:

That 12 rbi streak was amazing, I hope the Royals see some of that.

Probaly because he strikes out 30% of the time. He is a career .267 hitter that has only hit above .300 once in 15 seasons. He gets hurt atleast once every season After his prime years in Cincy, he has become exactly was he is, which is a journeyman.

There is nothing wrong with that though. You can find flaws in everyones game. I just find it hard to pay 5mil per season to a 38yr old journeyman on the waning years of his career.

Since we're in a baseball thread, you may just have to indulge me here. Or, skip this post, your choice.

Orioles' bullpen coach and former catcher Elrod Hendricks died yesterday. He would have been 65 today. He spent the better part of 37 seasons in an Orioles uniform, 12 as a player, and was simply a first class human being, coach and father figure, and a great baseball ambassador for the Orioles. RIP, Ellie.
http://www.canadianbaseballnews.com/...geQuality=Full
(1970 World Series.)http://members.aol.com/vibaseball/carbo2.gif

As long as I don't have to read that our starting outfield consists of Chip Ambres/Aaron Guiel, David DeJesus, Emil Brown.

Sucks to have missed out on Jacque Jones.

I have his autograph on a baseball.

I lived in Rochester, NY, from 1980-83. The Orioles' AAA team was there for many, many years. Each year, the O's would come to town to play an exhibition with the Red Wings. Before one game, Hendricks was one of several O's to sign my baseball.

Cal Ripken Jr. was with the Red Wings at that time, and I was one person away from getting his autograph when he quit and went into the dugout. :deevee:

Reggie Sanders is the kind of player that seems like he would have retired five years ago.

I'd rather have Sanders than Jones anyway. Jones may be a little better with the glove, but Reggie would be better protection for Sweeney in the lineup. 21 HR's in only 93 games last year.

He's a true pro, and a player the young guys coming up would be wise to listen to.

Although I still think he should have been fired after last season, Baird has had a pretty good off season, and hasn't had to give up a single prospect to do it.

youth movement continues.....

2 years eh? Hopefully that's just one year, with the other year as a club option.

Maybe he'll be trade bait if he produces. its just a stop gap anyway.

Gonna miss having Elrod around.

That Cal story is kind of ironic, given his "sign 'til ya drop" reputation. Maybe someone gave him shit about leaving too soon, and you're responsible for his solemn vow never to do that again. :)

Man, **** Jacque Jones. He is shit.

Horrible signing.

Combine that with Juan Pierre, and... :shake:

Nah, I'm not saying Cal stiffed me. Time just ran out. I was simply unlucky. Same thing happened to me with Eddie Murray.

But I DID get Tippy Martinez's autograph!

Here's a quick funny story: One of the autographs I got was of Bobby Bonner, a SS prospect. His career was derailed by a bout of hepatitis and the fact he was stuck behind Cal. Had a cup of coffee in the bigs.

Anyway, years later (we're talking about 1990-91), I'm covering a Single A game between Savannah and some other South Atlantic League team. I notice one of the opposing team's coach's is none other than Bob Bonner. After the game, I go to the visitors' lockerroom to do a couple of interviews; on my way out I go up to Bonner and ask "Are you the Bob Bonner who used to be in the Orioles organization, played in Rochester a couple of years?"

He looks up stunned and goes "Yeah!" I said "I've got a baseball at home with your autograph on it."

He gets all wide-eyed and exclaims, "Wow, I'm going to go home and tell my wife that somebody knows me!"

:)

I hate you!

Sincerely,

Chris Demaria

ROFL

I hate you too, Demaria!

Here's some free advice. Next time you get called up to The Show, try not allowing a HR every 3 innings.

Heh. Bob Bonner. I remember that name. Maybe I should call his wife.
Here's a Tippy bit that I've heard. Seeing the name "Martinez", Latin writers would go to him for quotes, and ask questions in Spanish. Tippy was from Colorado, and didn't speak Spanish.

I've heard of that guy before, kind of the Orioles' version of Buck O'Neill. RIP

I wish I could make 10 mil for doing jack squat............

Yep. If Butler is ready by the end of the year, we just dump this guy for prospects. Not a bad move.

He has an unusual career path. If I am not mistaken, the older he gets, the less time missed to injuries. If he can stay healthy, he's an above replacement-value player, which is very odd for the Royals to have these days.

HEY, HOTSHOT!

It's not about production, it about how good your hair looks. Just ask Johnny Damon.

Your pal,

Chris D., or is it Christy...............

If the Royals aren't careful they might have a .500 season this year...

picking up Sanders would be an improvement at least

Perish the thought.........

Actually, I'd be good with some REAL improvement. Good production from their starters, seeing the young'ns develop, winning close games and getting 75 wins. They do that, and have Butler, Gordon, Lubanski, Huber & Howell ready for the start of 07, and I'm good to go as a fan.

I'm with you there. Eliminate the stupid errors, and at least show us the team is moving in the right direction.

Yep.
Is it too early to get excited about September call-ups yet?

You have got that right.

If the team looks like it is headed in the right direction and goes through growing pains, the area will support it.

However, if the team doesn't improve on the basics, they will want to help the Royals pack and get the heck out of town.

Man we are becoming St. Louser West with all these ex-Redturds on the team.

Heh
The Cardzification of the Royals continues.....

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/13466572.htm

Royals near deal with Reggie Sanders
By JEFF PASSAN
The Kansas City Star

The Royals have found their corner outfielder.

Reggie Sanders is expected to agree to a two-year, $10 million contract later today, filling out the team’s everyday lineup with a 15-year veteran who is eight home runs short of 300.

“We’re well on our way to getting it done,” said Mike Powers, Sanders’ agent. “Reggie’s excited about the way things have happened and where they’re going. But like everything else, it’s not done until we dot the I’s and cross the T’s.”

Once they do, the Royals will land their cleanup hitter and right fielder, and Sanders will join his eighth team in nine seasons.

Sanders, 38, had been out of the Royals’ plans despite being among the first free agents to visit Kansas City. He was seeking a three-year deal, and the Royals’ offer was for two seasons.

Once Jacque Jones signed with the Cubs and Kenny Lofton with the Dodgers, both sides were compelled to reopen negotiations. Powers and Royals general manager Allard Baird spoke until about 3 a.m. today hammering out details, which still need to be finalized before Sanders signs the contract.

Sanders was on his way to the best season of his career with St. Louis last year before a broken foot sidelined him for almost two months. In 93 games, he batted .271 with 21 home runs, 54 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.

A free swinger, Sanders has struck out more than 100 times in nine seasons. He was an All-Star in 1995 with Cincinnati, where he played the first eight seasons of his career. Since then, Sanders has been with San Diego, Atlanta, Arizona, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.

The common thread: Sanders wins almost everywhere he goes. He got a World Series ring in 2001 with Arizona and has appeared in 14 postseason series and 64 playoff games. His best showing was last season with the Cardinals, when he drove in 10 runs in a three-game sweep of San Diego in the first round of the NL playoffs.

Heck, at this point, our outfield might give their outfield a run for their money. I'm not even sure who their two corner OF'ers are supposed to be. John Rodriguez and Larry Bigbie? John Gall maybe? That doesn't even include that they'll probably have Hector Luna/Aaron Miles playing 2nd and their bullpen has been gutted. Cards are gonna look waaaay different next year, it'll be interesting to see how well they do, I have no idea.

Yeah, the Cards will be not as good as they have been in the past. But Jocketty will make some big move at the trade deadline that nobody will expect.

Yeah, he usually has some card up his sleeve. He may be one of the best GM's in pro sports at not showing his hand... out of nowhere, blammo, they'll add a Larry Walker or Mark Mulder. Nobody sees it coming. You'd think they'd have to add at least one corner OF. I don't know what Cards fans think about their offseason, I imagine some of them are upset with the fact they're coming off an outstanding attendance season and moving into a brand new really nice ballpark, and they've been kinda thrifty and let a bunch of guys walk.

just heard on 610, neal jones said that sanders agreed to a deal w/ the royals

bp

I want to be excited about this signing (Sanders), but a 38 yr old OF (making $5MM/yr) who strikes out a ton, just doesn't do it for me. I'm trying real hard to see how this is a great move, but I just don't get it.

I like it. I don't think it's the greatest move ever but it's not a bad one. It's less years than Jones, and we don't have to give up a draft pick. I think Reggie can give us 20 homers/15 steals. The strikeouts don't really bother me because he's supposed to be a middle of the order guy anyway. Obviously I'd like him to walk more, but he's got some pop. I'd rather he strike out than hit into a bunch of double plays and kill rallies the typical Royal way, and Reggie doesn't do that. He's actually never grounded into more than 10 double plays in a season.

Every team Sanders goes to gets in playoffs. Check his stats.

This streak will end with Royals.

The fact that Terrence Long isn't playing OF for KC this year is worth 5M alone, IMO.

From the article below:

I have noticed the last several years that it doesn't seem to matter where he is playing, the team goes to the post season. Why this is, who knows but it has to be encouraging for Royals fans.

Reggie Sanders WILL make the postseason this year.....

after the Royals trade him at July 31 deadline to a contender for more prospects that blow out their arms in September....

:clap:

Why? Why? :shake:

Color me suprised, I thought you were advocating building through young players.

if he goes to the post season every where he goes, that sounds like a good vetern to have around a bunch of young guys. its starting to sound like we might play some .500 ball, if we can keep our starting pitchers in the game longer than 5 innings. its hard to excited for royals baseball, but i find its easier if i think about going to the k, drink some beers, get a hotdog or two. especially if i think about warm summer nights, and compare it to whats outside right now. than its really easy, how long before spring training?

But see..there's a plan now, we need to buy time for our prospects to DEVELOP......aka the SAVE ALLARD's JOB plan.

Yeah, but if you don't have any prospects ready to play at a certain position, you have to put somebody there. You just can't say "oh, we won't have a RF this year". Look at last year, we were trotting Terrance Long and Eli Marrero out there in the OF. And at the same time, you can't just put a team of 25 youngsters out there. It's not like this move immediately blocks somebody like Billy Butler or Alex Gordon. They're still a year or two away.

Sanders is one I do not want, but Jones would have done shit here.. At least sanders would be short term with the 2yr contract, hopefuly voidable...

I like Reggie. If he has to leave St. Louis, I like the idea of him coming to KC. An oldie but a goodie.

Wow I can almost hear the crowds at the K chanting now, REGGIE, REGGIE, all dozen of them. And he will come up from the dugout in street clothes and give them a wave before going back on the bench to collect his paycheck.

Are they really trying to make this team worse or something-it seems like they are giving every effort to make this team a bigger laughing stock than last year.

I realize it doesn't take much to improve on 106 losses, but I think the signings have improved the ballclub. Like tk said, you can't simply go with all young guys and hope they'll figure it out. You have to have some sort of mixture. At least on paper, the vets they've brought in are an upgrade on the vets they had last year.

Elarton, Redmond, Sanders, Grudzielanek and Mientkiewicz this year.

Lima, Long, Marrero and whoever else last year.

What the fuck are you talking about? Sanders is GOOD. He damn near beat the Padres by himself in the first round of the playoffs.

Granted, he's not a long term solution, but he's certainly a big step up from whatever the hell was there before.

I understand, but it sure seems like you could someones 30 year old that hits .265 and at least have some hope of him making a 4 to 5 year contribution along with the Veteran leadership.

Well, I wouldn't disagree with that. Really, this FA crop sucked. That was the biggest problem. Jacque Jones sort of fit that mold, although he's had his struggles offensively, and he would've cost us a 2nd round draft pick. I was prepared to give that up for his defense but it didn't work out that way.

But there's a lot of guys out there in FA who are old or who have gone downhill like that. Look at the Tigers, they signed Kenny Rogers, who is 41 years old, to a 2 year deal at $8 mil a year. That's ridiculous. The Blue Jays gave a SP with a .500 record and a reliever who'd been a closer for 1 year a combined 100 million dollars. I really didn't want the Royals to get into that garbage, and they didn't.

It helps to say this though when we've got three hitters in the minors, Billy Butler, Justin Huber, and Alex Gordon, who project into 1B/OF type players that all have great bats.

Vlad is right-Yes Sanders had a great playoff series-But he is old, and will likely get hurt again. I for one, am tired of hearing about the so-called youth movement-yet we bring in guys like JaunGone, Bennie Santiago, and now Sanders. With all the high draft picks we have gotten in the last decade-you would think we would have a replacement before we let our last two AllStar Center fielders walk.

The Yankees have to pay almost as much in a luxury tax as our whole payrole. This club does not have any plan for the future, leadership, talent, and is a disgrace to the city. I grew up loving the Royals and am very bitter that this club has been run into the ground.

Uh, we do. Have you seen DeJesus play?

I am not impressed yet, but hopefully he will come around and get a big payday with another club when we let him walk.

dejesus is solid, i just wish he had more speed, hes like a boggs.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/13470174.htm

Royals add to the list
Veteran outfielder is latest free agent in KC’s lineup
By JEFF PASSAN
The Kansas City Star

And now, in the Royals’ offseason of change, comes this doozy: They’re actually outbidding teams for free agents.

Outfielder Reggie Sanders is the latest player impressed not only by the Royals’ checkbook but also by their plans for the future. Sanders said Thursday that he has agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract that is expected to be signed today.

General manager Allard Baird would not comment on the agreement, as the Royals are still awaiting results from Sanders’ physical taken Thursday afternoon in Arizona.

Sanders said he turned down an offer from potential playoff contender Cleveland to come to Kansas City, where he probably will play right field and bat cleanup behind Mike Sweeney.

“The Royals stepped up to the plate and did what they had to do,” Sanders said. “Other teams were close. But the Royals went a little further.”

Sanders, 38, had been out of the Royals’ plans despite being among the first free agents to visit Kansas City. He was seeking a three-year deal, and the Royals’ best offer was for two seasons.

Turned out that was good enough. Once Jacque Jones signed with the Cubs and Kenny Lofton with the Dodgers, both sides were compelled to reopen negotiations. Sanders’ agent, Mike Powers, and Baird spoke until about 3 a.m. Thursday hammering out the contract, which will pay Sanders $5 million this season and $5 million in 2007.

“They had a game plan,” Sanders said. “Kansas City wined and dined me at the beginning. We sat down for a good three hours talking about where they’re going and what they’re trying to do. I needed to be the last piece of the puzzle. If I sign early, I’m left out to dry, no matter how much money I’m making. Now I see they got (Mark Grudzielanek), they got all these guys.”

Indeed, the Royals have spent generously in an effort to restock a team that lost 106 games last season. Emboldened by owner David Glass earmarking at least $22 million to upgrade the team, the Royals have added Sanders, Grudzielanek at second base, starting pitchers Scott Elarton and Mark Redman, first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, reliever Elmer Dessens and catcher Paul Bako for $21.75 million.

Sanders was on his way to the best season of his career last year with St. Louis before a broken bone in his leg sidelined him for almost two months. In 93 games, he batted .271 with 21 home runs, 54 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.

Injuries have troubled Sanders throughout his 15-year career. He has played more than 130 games only seven times, and his career high was 140 in 2002. After driving in 10 runs during a three-game sweep of San Diego in the first round of the playoffs last season, Sanders landed awkwardly diving for a ball in the NL Championship Series and hadn’t fully recovered from the whiplash until the offseason.

“I couldn’t lie on my back. I couldn’t sit down,” Sanders said. “Now I have no problems with it.”

Sanders’ lone problem with Kansas City was its league. Never before has he played in the American League, and with his family so familiar with the cities in the NL, Sanders was concerned. So his wife, Wyndee, spoke with Dana Suppan, wife of former Royal Jeff Suppan, and Sanders was OK with joining former teammates Grudzielanek, Matt Stairs and Emil Brown.

After all, Sanders is baseball’s biggest nomad. The Royals are his eighth team in nine seasons, after Cincinnati, San Diego, Atlanta, Arizona, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.

The common thread: Sanders wins almost everywhere he goes. He got a World Series ring in 2001 with Arizona and has appeared in 14 postseason series and 64 playoff games. And Sanders said he wouldn’t have signed with the Royals unless he envisioned similar success.

“If it’s meant to be, it will,” Sanders said. “And it was meant to be.”

■ SAY HEY, MAYS: The Royals have offered right-handed starter Joe Mays a major-league contract and view him as a potential fifth starter.
“We do have interest in him,” Baird said.

Mays’ best season was in 2001, when he went 17-13 with a 3.16 ERA. Last year, he went 6-10 with a 5.65 ERA with the Twins.

■ NO DEAL: Two teams have inquired about trading for Royals center fielder David DeJesus this week. Safe to say, he’s not going anywhere.
“He’s been popular,” Baird said of DeJesus, who turned 26 this week. “I’ll listen on anybody. But realistically, and this shouldn’t surprise you, he fits in our direction.”

One team also asked about shortstop Angel Berroa and got the same response.

■ OUTFIELD SURPLUS: If the Royals do make a trade, it could come from their outfield, a spot of decent depth once Sanders is signed.

Matt Stairs, with a desirable salary of $1.35 million, probably will lose at-bats considering Mientkiewicz and Sanders will be starting. Even Brown, expected to start in left field, could be a possibility if the Royals acquire a younger outfielder.

“Right now, I’m in an add mode, not a subtract,” Baird said. “I’m trying to add to this team.”

----------------------------------------------------------

Comparing Sanders to those guys is funny. They are not even close to the same kind of guys. You're completely missing the point of this free agent market is terrible and the money being thrown around is ridiculous. There were basically no outfielders this year, Reggie Sanders is a better player than Jacque Jones is.

Some people don't know what they want. You can't have a team of all young players, it doesn't work.

Thank you. That's exactly the thing. It's one thing to do a youth movement, it's another thing to throw them all in there when they're not ready. Guys like JP Howell and Bautista and these guys jut need more seasoning in the minors before they're ready. This way we can take our time with our pitchers, with Huber, with gordon, with Lubanski, with Butler, without having to worry about a veteran guy being entrenched forever in front of them. These vets are all 1-2 year contracts, giving our guys plenty of time to develop and meanwhile giving our current young guys a corp of players who they can play with and learn how to (theoretically0 be successful with...

Bingo.
I'm not sure why this concept is so difficult for some here to grasp.

Oh wait, it's because they're morans. I keep forgetting.

Because some people will never be happy with what the Royals do. They expect them to go sign guys like A.J. Burnett. When the Royals sign guys jumping in with "I thought this was suppose to be a youth movement" gets really old after awhile. If you don't have a player for the position and no one ready in the minors. It's better to sign a player for a couple of years than rushing someone to the majors.

The "I thought this was supposed to be a youth movement" is all they have left. The "David Glass won't spend any money" card doesn't work right now.

Rep to DaWolf and Mecca.

Heh, just wait. peterpuffer will be along in a minute to explain how if the Royals had a $70 million payroll, we'd be in the playoffs every year.

I'm waiting for Halfcan to explain how Eric Warfield is ruining the Royals.....

Cardinals signed OF Juan Encarnacion and 2B Junior Spivey today.

God help me,

I actually do like this signing. This guys been on a lot of winners and goddamn if the Royals don't need someone who knows how winning teams work out and act. And, hopefully, this guy can still get it done on the field so they listen to him.

The only way the little guy can compete in baseball is to get in contention at the trading deadline, then rent high cost players to push you over the top.

And, if we STILL suck, a contender needing a bat is likely to take him off our hands for prospects.

Royals signed P Joe Mays.

That's a move I DON'T like, in any way, shape or form.

Apparently he's 5-0 with a 2.13 ERA life time at Kauffman.

Yeah, facing us.

Against everyone else he's about 30-150 with a 5.75 ERA and 1.55 WHIP. Or thereabouts.

He's Jose Lima, with the added bonus of TJ surgery scars.

Meh, there's nothing wrong with competition. Heck, his numbers last year (6-10, 5 something ERA) would have made him our second best SP.
Maybe this means Baird is close to dealing Affeldt...

ROFL - I was being sarcastic. I don't like this signing any more than the Sanders signing.

Crap! :banghead:

:doh!:

Sorry.