Kansas City
Royals

News: Wilson has signed a minor league deal with the Royals.
Impact: He'll once again be a depth guy at Triple-A, while it's unlikely that Wilson will see significant at-bats in Kansas City at any point during the 2010 season. 

News: According to the New York Daily News, Jose Guillen may be on the Mets wish list if they can't nail down one of the top-tier free agents.
Impact: Based on the Mets current finances they aren't in a great position to land Matt Holliday, Jason Bay or John Lackey, so they'll likely be targeting second-tier free agents like Mark DeRosa or Randy Wolf, or exploring the trade market for players like Guillen. He is owed $12 million next year though, so if the Royals aren't willing to eat a substantial amount of his salary, the Mets could easily find a cheap free agent outfielder without having to give up anything in exchange. 

News: Jorge Campillo has signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals, according to MLB.com.
Impact: Along with Brad Thompson, the Royals have now snagged the free agent market's two biggest prizes. Campillo has a lifetime 4.23 ERA in 180.2 innings. 

News: Campillo (shoulder) signed a minor league deal with the Royals on Friday, the team's official site reports.
Impact: He dealt with shoulder tendinitis for most of the 2009 season, pitching in just five games for the Braves. Campillo has a much better chance of getting a shot in the Royals' rotation than he did in Atlanta, but he'll need to prove he's healthy during spring training before fantasy owners should even consider him as an option in AL-only leagues. 

News: Former Cardinal Brad Thompson has reached a one-year deal with the Kansas City Royals, according to Fox Sports.
Impact: The contract doesn't guarantee a spot on the Royals' 40-man roster, but it's believed he will make the team out of spring training. Thompson has 185 career appearances (32 starts), and a lifetime 4.36 ERA. 

News: Thompson signed a minor league contract with the Royals on Thursday, the Kansas City Star reports.
Impact: Thompson went 2-6 with a 4.84 ERA in 32 appearances, including eight starts, with the Cardinals last season. Thompson will have a chance to earn a spot in the Royals' bullpen during spring training. 

News: Royals' starting pitcher Zack Greinke has been named the AL Cy Young award winner, according to the team's Twitter page. Greinke was 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA and 242 strikeouts this season.
Impact: Greinke faced some tough competition from guys like Felix Hernandez and CC Sabathia, but he deserved the award. It has been a bumpy road for Greinke in his career, but he has come all the way back to be named the best pitcher in the American League. 

News: Greinke has won the American League Cy Young Award, beating out Felix Hernandez after a spectacular season short on wins but long on domination.
Impact: Greinke had a 16-8 record with a 2.16 ERA for the Kansas City Royals. He tossed six complete games and struck out 242. 

News: Greinke was named the American League Cy Young Award winner on Tuesday, the Royals' official website reports.
Impact: "Zack Greinke has always been a potentially tremendous talent and we were all fortunate to watch him perform this past year," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "He was everything that he and all of us expected him someday to be." Greinke dominated opponents in 2009, finishing with a 16-8 record and a 2.16 ERA. 

News: The Royals reinstated Waechter (shoulder) from the 60-day DL on Monday, the Kansas City Star reports.
Impact: He's going to need some time to rehab back from a torn labrum, so Waechter's return to the 40-man roster could be brief. 

News: Aviles (elbow) was reinstated from the 60-day DL on Monday, the Kansas City Star reports.
Impact: He hopes to be ready for the start of spring training, but Aviles may have to compete for his starting job if things in the middle infield remain crowded with Yuniesky Betancourt at short and Alberto Callaspo at second base still on the roster. 

News: Guillen (knee) was removed from the 60-day DL on Monday, the Kansas City Star reports.
Impact: Entering the final year of a three-year, $36 million contract, Guillen was openly embarrassed by his performance in 2009 and could head into the winter with a chip on his shoulder as he begins his offseason workouts. The Royals are stuck with him, but Guillen could actually be a viable source of a decent average and RBI if he can stay healthy, especially with Billy Butler developing into an offensive force in the heart of the Kansas City lineup. 

News: Aaron Crow dazzled in today's AFL start as he retired his final 11 batters faced, according to MLB.com. He worked four innings, with four strikeouts and no walks. He did not collect a win, as the Rafters lost 4-2 to the Scottsdale Scorpions.
Impact: The first-round pick (12th overall) gave a preview of great things to come. Crow bounced back after going 0-2 with a 7.92 ERA over his previous three AFL starts.  

News: Crow tossed four shutout innings and gave up just one hit for Surprise (AFL) on Saturday.
Impact: He struck out four and did not walk a batter. Crow has been touched up in two of his four AFL outings thus far, but he's displayed a good combination of strikeout stuff and command with a 12:2 K:BB ratio in 15.1 innings. Even if the Royals start him at High-A, Crow could move through the system quickly and make his big league debut during the second half of the 2010 season. 

News: Bellorin signed a minor league contract with Kansas City, the Kansas City Star reports.
Impact: He'll add depth at Triple-A and likely won't be a factor in the majors. 

News: Yabuta chose to become a free agent rather than accept an assignment to Triple-A Omaha, the Kansas City Star reports.
Impact: Yabuta saw limited action with the Royals in 2009, appearing in 12 games posting a 2-1 record with a 13.50 ERA. Yabuta does not provide more than organizational depth at this point in his career. 

News: The Kansas City Star reports that left-hander Lenny DiNardo refused an assignment to Triple-A Omaha and has opted for free agency.
Impact: A stud in the minors last season, DiNardo was brutalized while pitching for the Royals. He held an embarrassing 10.13 ERA and 2.63 WHIP over five starts, so don't expect anyone to give the 30-year-old a shot in their rotation. Some team will likely pick him up in hopes that they can turn him into a lefty specialist. 

News: According to the Kansas City Star, the Royals have signed third baseman Wilson Betemit to a minor league contract.
Impact: The Royals needed someone to fill the void left by Mark Teahen, and since the organization is notoriously stingy, the Betemit move makes sense. He had a depressing .200/.280/.311 line in 45 at-bats with the White Sox last season, so he won't be popping up on any fantasy radars come draft day. 

News: The Royals have agreed to terms with infielder Wilson Betemit, a 28-year-old infielder who spent last season in the Chicago White Sox organization. The Royals signed the switch-hitting Betemit to a minor league contract.
Impact: Betemit opened last season on the White Sox roster and hit .200 in 20 games, playing first and third base. In 72 games with Triple-A Charlotte in 2009, he hit .241 with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs. 

News: The Royals are close to signing Betemit, the KC Star reports.
Impact: Betemit split time between the White Sox and their Triple-A Charlotte affiliate last season. He was the primary haul for the White Sox in the Nick Swisher deal last offseason. 

News: After passing through waivers, DiNardo declined his assignment to Triple-A Omaha and is now a free agent, the Kansas City Star reports.
Impact: Though DiNardo went 0-3 with a 10.13 ERA in five starts for the Royals last season, he actually pitched very well in the minors and was selected as Omaha's pitcher of the year. He should latch on with a new team at some point this offseason. 

News: Betemit agreed to a minor league contract with the Royals on Thursday, the Kansas City Star reports.
Impact: Betemit has experience at all infield positions, so it's possible that he'll be used as a utility infielder for the Royals at some point. 

News: If the Reds are unable to re-sign Ramon Hernandez, they might try to pursue Olivo, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Impact: Great, the Reds can go from one low OBP guy with some power to an even lower OBP guy, with more power. 

News: Wilson Betemit will likely sign a minor league contract with the Royals, according to FOX Sports.
Impact: The Royals would use him as a cost-effective alternative for Mark Teahen, who was dealt to the White Sox.  

News: Crisp disclosed Sunday that he's going to have surgery on both his left and right shoulder.
Impact: Crisp, who has been on the disabled list since June 14, will have surgery to repair a torn labrum. The operation will be performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. Crisp was batting .228 with 14 RBIs and 13 stolen bases before the injury. 

News: Meche is probably done for the year with a shoulder problem.
Impact: Royals manager Trey Hillman said on Thursday that Meche would most likely be shut down for the final weeks of the season, but he did not disclose the exact nature of the problem. Meche is 6-10 with a 5.09 ERA. 

News: Bannister was outrighted from the Royals' 40-man roster on Monday.
Impact: If he refuses an assignment to Triple-A Omaha, he'll become a free agent. 

News: Chen (oblique) has filed for free agency.
Impact: He made nine starts and eight relief appearances for the Royals last season, but neither resulted in any sort of result that suggests he should be considered more than a last resort to chew up innings at this point. It's worth noting, however, that he was more effective as a reliever by holding the opposition to a .263 BAA while posting a 13:6 K:BB ratio in 14.1 innings out of the bullpen. 

News: The Royals placed Chen on the 60-day disabled list with a torn left oblique muscle.
Impact: Chen was 1-6 with a 5.78 ERA in 17 games, including nine starts. 

News: Kansas City declined the $4 million club option for 2010 in Yabuta's contract, instead paying a $500,000 buyout, the Kansas City Star reports.
Impact: Yabuta spent most of the last two seasons in the minors and had a 7.14 ERA in 43 games with the Royals. He has until Nov. 16 to negotiate a new contract with the Royals or will become a free agent. 

News: TheWhite Sox have acquired slugger Mark Teahen in a trade from the Kansas City Royals for infielders Fields and Chris Getz. The White Sox also get cash considerations.
Impact: Fields, a former college quarterback at Oklahoma State, appeared in 29 games and batted .222 with seven homers and 30 RBIs last season. 

News: The Royals acquired Getz and infielder Josh Fields from the Chicago White Sox on Friday for infielder/outfielder Mark Teahen.
Impact: Getz, who became Chicago's starting second basemen, batted .261 with two homers, 31 RBIs and 25 stolen bases in 107 games last season. 

News: Wright filed for free agency, the Kansas City Star reports.
Impact: Wright led the Royals in relief appearances with 65, posting a 3-5 record with a 4.33 ERA in 2009. Wright became one of the more reliable arms out of the bullpen for manager Trey Hillman. The Royals will look to retain his services for 2010. 

News: The Royals declined the 2010 contract option on Olivo, the Kansas City Star reports.
Impact: Olivo led the Royals with 23 home runs in 2009 and is reportedly seeking a multiyear contract. He immediately becomes a free agent. 

News: The Royals declined the 2010 contract option on Crisp (shoulder), the Kansas City Star reports.
Impact: Crisp, coming off shoulder surgery, is immediately eligible to file for free agency. 

News: Fields and Chris Getz have officially been traded to the Royals from the White Sox for Mark Teahen, the Royals' official web site reports. The Royals also sent cash in the deal.
Impact: The trade was widely reported on Thursday, but then later denied by both teams. After all the back and forth, it pretty much looks like the same deal that was initially reported except the cash involved. It's not clear where he'll play in Kansas City with Alex Gordon at third base, but he may get more opportunity with the Royals after failing to secure an everyday job in Chicago. 

News: Getz (sports hernia) and Josh Fields have officially been traded to the Royals from the White Sox for Mark Teahen, the Royals' official web site reports. The Royals also sent cash in the deal.
Impact: The trade was widely reported on Thursday, but then later denied by both teams. After all the back and forth, it pretty much looks like the same deal that was initially reported except for the cash involved. It's not clear where Getz will fit in with the Royals, but he should compete for an everyday role. Getz had surgery in early October to repair a sports hernia and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training. 

News: Teahen has officially been traded to the White Sox from Kansas City for Chris Getz and Josh Fields, the Royal's official web site reports. The Royals also sent cash in the deal.
Impact: The trade was widely reported on Thursday, but then later denied by both teams. After all the back and forth, it pretty much looks like the same deal that was initially reported except for the cash involved. Teahen could move into a starting job with the White Sox with Chicago declining to pick up Jermaine Dye's option for 2010. 

News: Neither the White Sox nor the Royals are confirming reports of a trade that would send Fields and Chris Getz to Kansas City for Mark Teahen, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The two sides are reportedly still negotiating additional prospects involved in the deal, the paper adds.
Impact: Several media sources reported the deal as done and even had unnamed sources from the White Sox confirming the trade, but now it looks in limbo. 

News: The trade of Teahan to the White Sox for Chris Getz and Josh Fields has not been confirmed by the Royals, the Kansas City Star reports. "There is nothing to announce yet, and we won't comment (about trade rumors) until there is something to announce," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. However, WDAF-TV in Kansas City reports the Royals have confirmed the trade.
Impact: The New York Post initially reported the trade and the New York Daily News added unnamed confirmation from the White Sox. However, neither club is on the record confirming the deal. But neither club has denied the deal either, so it may just be a matter of time before the trade is finalized. 

News: The Chicago White Sox have traded infielders Josh Fields and Chris Getz to Kansas City in exchange for Mark Teahen, according to the New York Daily News.
Impact: Be careful what you wish for Josh. Field requested a trade from the team earlier this season after being sent to the minors, and now he finds himself heading to Kansas City. 2009 was a year to forget for Fields, but maybe a change of scenery will allow him to fulfill his potential. 

News: Chris Getz has been traded to the Kansas City Royals slong with Josh Fields in exchange for Mark Teahen, according to the New York Daily News.
Impact: Getz appeared in 107 games for the Sox last season, and he hit .261 with two homers and 31 RBI. He also stole 25 bases and got thrown out only twice, so his value obviously lies in his speed on the bases. 

News: Getz (sports hernia) was reportedly traded along with third baseman Josh Fields from the White Sox to the Royals for Mark Teahen, ESPN-AM 1000 in Chicago reports.
Impact: The Royals get a pretty good prospect in Getz, who hit .261 for the season along with 18 doubles and stole 25 bases in 27 attempts. For the White Sox this might mean that Gordon Beckham goes to shortstop and Alexei Ramirez goes back to second base. 

News: Fields was reportedly traded along with second baseman Chris Getz by the White Sox to the Royals for Mark Teahen on Thursday, ESPN-AM 1000 in Chicago reports.
Impact: Fields never got ahold of the third base job after the White Sox let go of Joe Crede. A new team might give him new life, but he may still be blocked at third by Alex Gordon. 

News: The Cardinals released Thompson on Wednesday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Impact: Thompson will become a free agent after going 2-6 with a 4.84 in 32 appearances (eight starts) for the Cardinals this year. Bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen probably didn't help his cause. 

News: According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the Cardinals have released right-hander Brad Thompson.
Impact: The club is cleaning up it's 40-man roster and with Thompson arbitration eligible for the first time, it made sense for the team to let him go instead of retain him. In his Cardinal career he held a respectable 4.36 ERA in five seasons, but was mostly relegated to mop-up and meaningless spot-start duty the last two years. Expect another team to take a flyer on his as a starter, reliever or even swingman, but don't expect him to pay any fantasy dividends. 

News: The Royals are interested in re-signing Pena if he's willing to continue his conversion to pitching, the team's official site reports.
Impact: It's doubtful that he'll try to play shortstop again, but Pena may be able to draw interest with a minor league deal or a non-roster invite elsewhere after having some success throughout his minor league stops after making the switch to pitching in July. Pena had an 18:6 K:BB ratio in 19.1 innings across three levels while also showing an ability to generate outs on the ground. Pena has worked four scoreless innings in the Dominican Winter League as a reliever this fall. 

News: Fanhouse.com is reporting that outfielder Coco Crisp isn't likely to return to Kansas City next season. The team has an $8 million option on Crisp, but they can buy him out for $500,000.
Impact: The Royals want to avoid wasting money, and Crisp was less than impressive last season with the team. It seems almost inconceivable that they would pay him $8 mil next season, so expect him to find a new home. 

News: The Major League Baseball Players Association has named Royals' ace Zack Greinke the AL's most outstanding pitcher for 2009, according to MLB.com. Greinke finished the season with 242 strikeouts in 229.1 innings pitched.
Impact: Greinke was the best pitcher in the league for most of the season, and he hopes to be announced as the AL Cy Young winner as well. He has some tough competition in Felix Hernandez and CC Sabathia, but this award can't hurt his chances.