KC Royals Put Ink To Paper With Mike Minor

The KC Royals continued to make moves on Friday when they signed left-handed pitcher Mike Minor to a deal.

KC Kingdom put out an article a few weeks ago on potential free agent target Mike Minor. While the input from that article had no bearing on Dayton Moore’s decision, it’s always fun when things like that fall into place.

According to MlbTradeRumors.com, Minor is signed on a two-year deal with a third-year option. The guarantee looks to be for $7.25 million but is riddled with performance incentives.

Mike Minor is the type of player that Dayton Moore has gambled on in the past. Usually his gambles pay off. Last season he signed Chris Young, Kendrys Morales, and Kris Medlen to short-term contracts. So far the only one who hasn’t fully panned out is Medlen and he could have a big impact this season.

Both Chris Young and Kendrys Morales gave the Royals an extra push last season. The Royals may never have gotten back to the World Series without them and while Morales was quiet in those games, Chris Young played a major role.

Minor becomes the second ex-Braves’ player in as many years to sign with the Royals on a ‘reclamation’ deal. Medlen also signed a two-year deal with a third-year option in last year’s off-season.

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Minor’s shoulder injury will probably keep him out for at least a month and a half if not longer. Minor received surgery in May of 2015 and CBS sports reported that he began his throwing program this past October (You know when the Royals were busy winning a World Series).

While the Royals were just getting ready to start their playoff run, Minor was just getting started on his recovery process. It’s unclear if he’ll miss any time this season, but the Royals are stocked with depth. Minor only adds to that very beneficial problem.

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The Royals are hoping that Minor can return to his 2013 form. 2013 was Minor’s best, and only actually good, season. He pitched to a 3.21 ERA across just over 204 innings of work. His other seasons have been less than stellar as he’s managed a 4.10 ERA in his career. He did pitch through his shoulder issues in 2014 which may have been partly to blame for his poor performance.

The good news is that Minor manages almost a strikeout per inning and doesn’t give up too many free passes. His ability to pitch to contact and keep free runners off the base paths may play up in front of the Royals’ defense and in a spacious Kauffman stadium. He’s also only 28 years old and has plenty of upside left.

He was at one point a teammate of David Price and was taken seventh overall in the 2009 draft. The ceiling for Mike Minor is anything but minor and could turn into a major deal for the Royals if he can return to form.

If he can overcome his injuries and pitch to his potential, this could turn into a very shrewd move by Dayton Moore. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s hit it big on a ‘reclamation project’.

Next: Starting Pitching Options

So what do you think Royals’ fans? Will this version for reclamation project be a boon or a bust for Dayton Moore? How soon will he be able to pitch? Will he make the rotation? Let’s discuss in the comments’ section below.