Kelly's Westport Inn and The Kansas City Baseball Vault Present: Brad Penny, Arbitration and More.

This week, we discussed a few Royals news and notes as we wait for spring training to arrive. First, we talked about Jeremy Guthrie's contract restructuring and what it means for the 2014 Royals. At the time, it seemed like a change that might have bigger impacts down the line (and still could), but after reflection, Mike saw it as more of a clerical move, but was hopeful that it might mean another acquisition could happen. Jeff interpreted it as a way to kick back some money to ownership this year. We also discussed other theories. Then, we brought up the minor league signings of Brad Penny and Guillermo Mota and wondered if they have anything left in the tank. The Royals like to try out reclamation projects, and these two fit that description. Where does Penny fit in the rotation competition? What are the odds he makes the team? And how would Mota fit into an already stacked bullpen? After pondering those questions, we talked briefly about salary arbitration and which cases were still unsettled. We also talked about Baseball America's top ten Royals prospects, including a name you don't hear about very often, and we brought on Chris Kamler for a moment to add some nonsense to the show. Kamler has been helping Troy put together a video for the MLB Fan Cave that urges everyone to #VoteRoyalman. You can see that video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y9BHkL-qGw #MLBFC2014