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KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Third in the AL Central2012 Record : 72-90The fact that the Royals finished third in their division despite falling 18 games under .500 tells you all you need to know about the standard of the American League Central last year. This year is set to be different.

After five or six years of waiting on promising prospect after promising prospect to blossom, the Royals finally lost patience and went all out for a big trade. James Shields and Wade Davis, two top calibre pitchers arrive from Tampa Bay, with Will Myers going in the opposite direction. While there’s no way of knowing if this trade will be a success until we see just how Myers adapts to the big leagues, it’s certainly a deal that strengthens the perennially lacklustre Royals right now.

While the line-up remains largely unchanged, the new and improved pitching staff should see the Royals break the .500 barrier for what seems like the first time in a generation.

INCOMINGS

C Brett Hayes – Waivers (MIA), George Kottaras – Waivers (OAK)
IF Elliot Johnson – Trade (TB)
RHP Wade Davis – Trade (TB), Guillermo Moscoso – Waivers (COL), Ervin Santana – Trade (LAA), Luis Santos – Trade (PIT), James Shields – Trade (TB), Chris Volstad – Waivers (CHC)
LHP Luis Rico – Trade (PIT)

OUTGOINGS

1B Clint Robinson – Trade (PIT)
3B Patrick Leonard – Trade (TB)
IF Tony Abreu – Waivers (SF)
OF Wil Myers – Trade (TB)
RHP Jeremy Jeffress – Trade (TOR), Vin Mazzaro – Trade (PIT), Jake Odorizzi – Trade (TB), Joakim Soria – Free Agent (TEX), Blake Wood – Waivers (CLE)
LHP Tommy Hottovy – Trade (TEX), Mike Montgomery – Trade (TB), Brandon Sisk – Trade (LAA)

Outfielders

Lorenzo Cain is set to be the Opening Day centre-fielder and lead-off hitter. The 26-year-old batted .266 in 61 games last year, but showed some power with seven homers. He has yet to be an everyday player in the Majors (110 games in three years) so this season will be a test for him.

Alex Gordon and Jeff Francoeur will be his outfield partners. Gordon will bat in the three spot and provides both average and power. Having disappointed in the early part of his career, Gordon seems a legitimate threat now, averaging .298 with 18.5 homers in the last two seasons.

Francouer, meanwhile, has failed to live up to the expectations after lighting up the leagues as a rookie with the Braves. Jarrod Dyson and Irving Falu are set to be the main bench players in the outfield. Both are base-stealing threats, with Dyson bagging 30 in under 300 at-bats last year, while Falu got 28 between Triple-A and the Bigs. He batted .341 in 24 games with KC in 2012.

Infielders

Talking of base-stealing threats, short-stop Alcides Escobar is one of the best in the division. The speedster has 61 steals in his two years in a Royals uniform, with 35 last season. Chris Getz is likely to be his middle infield partner. He is hardly a slouch on the base paths too, but his batting has been inconsistent and he is set for the nine spot in the line-up.

A pair of exciting young lefties will man the corners. Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer. The pair combined for 34 homers last season, but haven’t yet been able to live up to the hefty expectations. Neither player topped the .250 mark last year, yet they both have time on their side and will be looking to take a step forward in 2013.

Billy Butler will DH, but can also play first, He led the team in batting average (.313), homers (29) and RBI (107) last year. Jonny Giavotella is set to be the main reserve, but struggled in his bit part role last year, batting just .238, while Elliot Johnson will also provide back-up having arrived from the Rays. With such a young line-up, what are the chances that 38 year-old Miguel Tejada makes the team?

Catchers

Salvador Perez is one of a slew of young exciting catchers in the game, the 22-year-old has a .311 average in 115 games over the last two years. Should he remain healthy, he will certainly be a player to watch out for this year. George Kottaras will be the no.2.

Starters

James Shields, Wade Davis and Ervin Santana join to bolster up a weak pitching staff. Shields will be the no.1 and has six straight double-digit win seasons. His career ERA of 3.89 in 217 starts makes him a formidable foe for opposing hitters. Davis was used in the bullpen last year to great effect in Tampa, recording a 1.09 WHIP and 2.43 ERA. He has been average as a starter, but the Royals will certainly be hoping he can provide solid performances.

Santana has had something of an up and down career. In eight years as a starter with the Angels he recorded either sub 4.00 or over 5.00 ERAs in six seasons, suggesting he’s either pretty decent or pretty awful. Bruce Chen and Jeremy Guthrie are the returning starters. Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino both performed well in their short stints last year, combining for a 2.62 ERA in 13 starts, but are out injured.

Relievers

After not pitching last season due to injury, Joakim Soria, and his 160 saves, officially left town this summer, leaving Greg Holland the undisputed closer. He notched 16 saves last season and had a 12.2 K/9 ratio. Supporting him will be a trio of youngsters who have done a great job thus far into their careers in Kelvin Herrera, Aaron Crow and Tim Collins. Ex-starters Luke Hochevar and Luis Mendoza will also form part of the bullpen, with Everett Teaford and Juan Gutierrez the favourites to fight over the remaining spot.