Royals close to signing Reggie Sanders

[tk13]

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.

[tk13]

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.

[Jim Jones]

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.

Look out Yankees!

[Abba-Dabba]

Originally Posted by Jim Jones

Look out Yankees!

[chefsos]

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.

[HemiEd]

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

[Abba-Dabba]

Originally Posted by chefsos

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.

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.

[chefsos]

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.

(1970 World Series.)

[DaWolf]

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

[teedubya]

Sucks to have missed out on Jacque Jones.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by chefsos

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.

(1970 World Series.)

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.

[Ultra Peanut]

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

[shakesthecat]

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.

[Demonpenz]

youth movement continues.....

[Coach]

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