The i70baseball teams, the Kansas City Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals, will combine to send 13 players to the World Baseball Classic in 2013.  Among those 13, nine of them will come from the Kansas City organization.

In addition to the large amount of players being sent to the WBC, the Royals will also achieve a historic moment for one team.  Bruce Chen will pitch for the team from China, becoming the first major league ball player to do so in the history of the event.

The Royals press release states:

The selections are as follows:  Left-handed pitchers Bruce Chen (China) and Tim Collins (United States), right-handed pitchers Kelvin Herrera (Dominican Republic), Luis Mendoza (Mexico) and J.C. Sulbaran (The Netherlands), catcher Salvador Perez (Venezuela), infielders Irving Falu (Puerto Rico) and Miguel Tejada (Dominican Republic), and outfielder Paulo Orlando (Brazil).

You will notice three of those players have yet to play in Kansas City as a member of the Royals: Tejada is a non-roster invitee to spring training and Orlando and Sulbaran spent last season in Double-A.

According to the Cardinals press release:

Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina were among four Cardinals named to participate in the 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC). Both will be on Team Puerto Rico and this marks the third WBC appearance for each.

Relievers Mitchell Boggs and Fernando Salas were also selected for this year’s WBC. Boggs will play for Team USA while Salas will be on the roster for Mexico.

The major concern for the Cardinals was an earlier rumor about Jaime Garcia being invited to pitch for the team from Mexico.  The bullet may have been dodged as it appears he was left off the roster while teammate Salas gets the nod. Editor’s note: more on this subject tomorrow as i70 writer Jacob Mayer takes an in depth look at Garcia not pitching in the WBC.

The WBC will commence in March as these 13 players take the field for their respective countries in an exciting and competitive environment.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

In an unexpected move last Sunday, the Royals designated infielder Yuniesky Betancourt for assignment. I’m sure there’s some Royals fans who think this is an elaborate joke being played on them and the Yunibomber will be back. But it’s true. Yuni is no longer a Royal. Really! (I think.)

Remember when the Royals signed Betancourt to a one-year, two million dollar contract, telling shocked and disappointed Royals fans Yuni was going to be a part-time utility infielder? So what happened? Yuni got more playing time than fans wanted and he even had a decent June. But then Yuni became Yuni and went back to his worst everyday player in baseball self.

No team wanted to trade for him or claim him on waivers, so the Royals let Yuni go. Was it for his lack of defensive range? No. Was it for his .228 batting average? No. Was it for his -1.2 WAR? No. Yuni wanted more playing time, so the Royals cut him loose. According to Manager Ned Yost, one of the reasons Yuni was let go was to change the Royals losing culture. Are they serious? Did the Royals think signing Yuni would bring in a winning culture?

It’s things like this which frustrate Royals fans to no end. Never mind the team could have used infielder Tony Abreu, who they signed as a non-roster invitee, as a low-cost utility infielder. Or longtime Royals farmhand Irving Falu, who’s toiled ten seasons in the team’s minor league system. Instead, the Royals signed Yuni for two million and he performed like Yuni.

And the kicker? Abreu, the player who replaced Yuni, has some offensive pop but his defense is suspect. That sounds like a player the Royals just designated for assignment. Oh well, better late than never.

In another move, Doug Sisson was fired last Saturday. Doug who? You know, Doug Sisson, the former first base, base-running, outfield and bunting coach. Taking his place is Rusty Kuntz, who spent the last year and a half as a special assistant to the general manager while Sisson was first base coach. Now Kuntz is back, taking over Sisson’s duties. Why was Sisson fired? It’s hard to say. Maybe the players didn’t like him or his coaching, or perhaps Sisson and Yost weren’t on the same page.

Will this make a difference? Doubtful. It’s true Kuntz helped Alex Gordon convert to left field and he’s worked with outfielders Jarrod Dyson and Lorenzo Cain. But the Royals changing their first base coach in the middle of the season is just a symbolic blip in a long, disappointing season.

Then last Monday afternoon the Royals allowed the San Francisco Giants to claim situational lefty Jose Mijares off waivers. In return, the Royals got a $20,000 waiver claim fee. In other words, the Royals let Mijares go for next to nothing. The Royals did try to trade Mijares, but there wasn’t any takers.

Mijares wasn’t a bad pitcher. He had a 2-2 record with a 2.56 ERA, pitching 38.2 innings in 51 games. But the Royals didn’t see Mijares in their long-term plans. Even though he wasn’t eligible for free agency until 2014, it’s possible Mijares would make $2.5 million in arbitration. The Royals felt that was too much money for a situational lefty.

Taking his place is lefty Francisley Bueno, who the Royals signed as a non-roster invitee. For AAA Omaha, Bueno had a 1-4 record with a 2.75 ERA, pitching 55.2 innings over 35 games. He also appeared in three games for the Royals.

The Royals believe Bueno is more of a long-term fit and could be more effective against right-handers than Mijares. Ok, fair enough. But if that’s the case, why did the Royals sign Mijares in the first place? I’m sure Bueno would be more affordable and if he was good, the Royals would have better luck signing him than Mijares. And if Bueno wasn’t bueno, the Royals could cut him loose with minimum fuss.

The Royals 2012 season is sinking into oblivion and these moves aren’t going to turn the team around or reverse what Yost calls a “losing culture.” But it’s doing something, and for the Royals, doing something is better than doing nothing.

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Kansas City Royals are just two games into the spring season, but already have shown a winning attitude.  They dominated the defending American League Champion Texas Rangers in a 6-1 win to open the year, and used a late rally to win 7-6 in their second game.

Many former Naturals have been a part of the team’s early spring success.  Johnny Giavotella scored two runs in the first game, while Mike Moustakas had a pair of hits and an RBI in game one.  Giavotella continues to have the upper hand in the battle with Chris Getz to be the Royals starting second baseman, but Getz has shown a better ability to drive the ball so far this spring.

Kevin Kouzmanoff, a non-roster invitee to spring training, capped the 6-5 win in game two with a two-run double in the ninth inning to drive home former Naturals Moustakas and Wil Myers.  Myers has picked up where he left off last fall in the Arizona Fall League this spring.  He has gone 2-for-4 so far this spring and scored twice in just two games.  Myers is trying to make the step up to Triple-A Omaha to start the 2012 season.  Derrick Robinson, who is trying to make that same step, also had a big day Monday for the Royals delivering a two-run single in yesterday’s game.

The Royals are in action Tuesday playing in two games (split squad) against San Diego and Cleveland.  The minor league affiliates will begin playing spring games next Thursday March 15th.  The last minor league game this spring will be March 28th.

Naturals/Texas League Notes

Naturals in Other Camps: Juan Abreu (2009) allowed one run in one inning of work so far this spring for the Astros.  Abreu, who made his major league debut with Houston last season is trying to make the team in a relief role.  Angel Sanchez (2008) is in camp with Houston as a non-roster invitee but has yet to see any game action for the Astros.  Kila Ka’aihue (2008) has gone 2-for-10 thus far in three games for the Oakland Athletics.  He is competing for playing time at first base and designated hitter with Daric Barton and former Texas leaguer Chris Carter (Midland, 2009).  Ka’aihue is out of options, and must make the big league roster or be exposed to waivers prior to being sent to the minor leagues.  Jeff Fulchino (2008) made his debut for the Nationals this spring tossing a scoreless inning March 4 against Houston.  Other former Naturals in spring training this season include a trio of players who are in camp with the Atlanta Braves, Dusty Hughes (2008), first baseman Ernesto Mejia (2010), and outfielder Jordan Parraz (2009).  Parraz has gone 2-for-4 with an RBI so far this spring, while Mejia is 1-for-5 with a triple and an RBI.  Hughes made his first appearance on March 3 throwing a scoreless inning against the Detroit Tigers while surrendering a pair of hits.  Former Natural Jeff Bianchi, who is in major league camp with the Milwaukee Brewers, made the highlight real last night tripping on two different occasions while trying to score on a botched fly ball in a game versus the San Francisco Giants. Bianchi had singled off Giants’ ace reliever Sergio Romo.

Transactions:  Former Natural Dan Cortes failed his physical last week.  This voided his minor league deal with the Washington Nationals, making him a free agent.  Longtime Natural Blake Johnson was signed to a minor league deal by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday March 2nd.   Johnson is the only player to suit up for Northwest Arkansas in all four seasons of their existence.  This season the right-hander will either find himself at Double-A Chattanooga or Triple-A Albuquerque.

Other Injury Notes: Felipe Paulino experienced some tightness in his hamstring last week during camp, but it does not appear to be something that will be a long term issue at this point.  Manny Pina is expected to miss the rest of spring training as he recovers from knee surgery, while Paulo Orlando who is recovering from surgery for a sports hernia is expected to be back soon for the Royals.

Check nwanaturals.com for our Spring Training Report, where we’ll continue to follow Royals’ minor leaguers in spring training as well as cover other baseball information that pertains to the Naturals and the Texas League.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

	Bryan Anderson Catcher AAA-Memphis Redbirds 23 years old Bats: Left Throws: Right Height: 6’1″ Weight: 200 lbs Drafted by Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2005 MLB Draft
Just like every week here on i70baseball, the Cardinal Farm Report spotlights one of the prized Cardinal minor leaguers. This week, it’s one of the most interesting prospects I have ever studied, Bryan Anderson. At the start of the 2010 MLB season, Anderson was a non-roster invitee to Cardinals Spring Training for the first time in his career. While he did not make the team and was optioned to AAA Memphis, Anderson was called up to the big leagues and made his Major League debut with the Cardinals on April 15th due to an injury to back-up catcher Jason LaRue. Anderson’s stint in St. Louis didn’t last long but he certainly made an impact. Appearing in four games, he was 2-for-7 with one run and one RBI. His shining moment came against Atlanta when his pinch-hit double brought in the tying run. The Cardinals later went on to win by a score of 4-3. Even though the team isn’t quite ready to see him at the MLB level, Andreson is putting together a fine season with the Redbirds as their starting catcher. In 191 minor league at bats, he is batting .283/.353/.461 with 9 home runs, 31 RBI, and 19 walks. Those numbers are not bad by any means, but this is actually a down year for Bryan. After being drafted in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Anderson spent his first four minor league seasons crushing the ball at a .306 clip. At the start of the 2008 campaign, Baseball America put Bryan Anderson in their Top-100 Prospects list at #85. In 2007 and 2008, Anderson represented the St. Louis Cardinals in the annual Futures Game. However, in 2009, the prospect backstop suffered a strain to his non-throwing shoulder. Fortunately, the injury does not appear to be limiting him in any way. He only played 58 games last season and many people totally forgot about him as a prospect. The fact is, he’s still only 23. A 23-year-old starting catcher that is doing well in AAA should always be considered a prospect. Anderson projects as a high-average MLB player with potential to hit the long ball at a pretty good rate. The problem for the Cardinals is that he has also been described as a “true disignated hitter”. There is no doubt that he can hit the ball, but his defensive ability behind the plate is rough. Of course this can be worked on, but ideally he is a future first baseman or DH in the Majors. I think it’s pretty obvious that the Cardinals need neither of those. That is why many fans believe Anderson is one of the Cardinals main trading chips as we approach the trade deadline. If we don’t plan on trading him, it may be time to give him another shot with St. Louis. After all, neither of the Cardinal’s catchers are hitting. Yadi is batting a whopping .226, and LaRue’s average is even worse at .205. Molina needs a rest every once in a while but LaRussa is obviously uncomfortable starting LaRue (three starts in the past month). TLR has also expressed that he would like to add a left-handed hitter to the bench. Bryan Anderson is left-handed. To me, calling him up makes sense. Why not?
MiLB WEEKLY ROUNDUP
AAA-Memphis Redbirds
Memphis was visiting Round Rock earlier in the week and managed to win the seven game series 5-2. Lance Lynn led the way on Sunday with six strong innings of work to get the win and take the fourth game of the series 2-1. Ruben Gotay also had a productive day, going 2-for-4. Monday was much different however. Instead of the pitching duel, it was a slugfest that Round Rock ended up winning 11-6. Allen Craig blasted a grand slam to cut the Round Rock lead to one, but it wasn’t enough. Much like Sunday, Memphis inched out Round Rock again on Tuesday night with a 5-4 victory anchored by a huge game from Kevin Howard. Howard went 3-for-4 with one run, a double, a triple, and two RBI. P.J. Walters seemed to find his groove again as he pitched six beautiful innings only allowing one earned run while striking out nine. Round Rock’s luck changed a little on Wednesday, beating the Redbirds 7-2. While there weren’t many positives on the Memphis side of things, the recently called-up Mike Folli went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Thursday was the beginning of a new series as the Redbirds took on Nashville in a five-game set. Chuckie Fick took the mound and seemed to control the opposition for five solid innings, only allowing four hits and zero earned runs. Memphis shutout Nashville in game one, 3-0. The team had a double-header on Friday due to a rain-out in June. Memphis dropped game one by the score of 6-4. Bryan Anderson went 2-for-3 and, despite scoring four runs, was the only player to record two hits. Game two didn’t exactly go to plan as the ‘Birds had to watch their 4-0 lead disappear. Nashville scored two runs in the top of the sixth to take a 6-5 lead that they would hold on to for the victory. Next week, the Redbirds finish off the series with Nashville on the 11th before they enjoy a nice four-day vacation. They will then pick it back up in New Orleans for a four-game set.
AA-Springfield Cardinals
This was a pretty simple week for the Cardinals as they only played four games. Sunday was the start of a new series with Midland and one that the Cards won behind a fine performance from Nick Additon. Nick logged five innings of three-hit ball while the offense put up three runs to win 3-2. The roles seemed to reverse Monday as Springfield lost a tough one 3-2. Brian Broderick’s five shutout innings didn’t stop Midland from hitting the bullpen. Probably the best pitching performance for Springfield came on Tuesday as Ryan Kulik pitch a very efficient seven innings, only allowing two earned runs on six hits. Andrew Brown provided the offensive punch going 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI. The Cards then took two days off thanks to a rain postponement on Thursday following an off-day on Wednesday. The postponed game on Thursday was supposed to be the start of a series against Frisco. Instead, game one was on Friday but it didn’t look like the two days off helped any. Scott McGregor got beat up, giving up six runs in four innings of work. The final scored ended up being 7-4. Next week, Springfield will continue their series with Frisco on Saturday (double-header), Sunday, and Monday. They will then take on Midland once again on the 11th-13th, and then cross the border into Arkansas for a four-game series.
A-Palm Beach
Much like Springfield, it was a pretty easy week for the Single-A affiliate. It started with a 5-3 lost to Bradenton on Sunday. The offense was pretty dead, but Jerred Bogany had a 2-for-4 day with an RBI. The Monday night game was cancelled due to “wet grounds”. The off-day must have been very beneficial for Bradenton because they came out on Tuesday and dismantled the Cardinals, 9-0. Palm Beach learned their lesson though. The offense was clicking on all cylinders and led the team to a 9-3 win against Jupiter on Wednesday. Alex Castellanos went 2-for-4 with one run, a triple, and two RBI. Luis De La Cruz also had a two-hit night with a double and two RBI. Not to mention, Richard Castillo pitched another good game, going seven innings and only allowing three runs. The bats were at it again on Thursday and Jupiter could not keep up. D’Marcus Ingram, Chris Swauger, Niko Vasquez, and Alex Castellanos all had an excellent game at the plate to beat Jupiter, 8-1. Brett Zawacki may have pitched his best game of the season. He allowed four hits and zero runs in seven innings of work. The Cards continued their ways on Friday night in another blowout win, 7-0. The hitting and pitching were, once again, great. Kyle Thomas struck out six in five shutout innings and Alex Castellanos kept riding his hot-streak, going 3-for-4 with one run and two doubles. Next week, Palm Beach will play Bradenton at home for three games, and then travel to Lakeland for a four-game set.
POSITION PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Niko Vasquez, 3B, Palm Beach
.421 AVG (8-for-19), .500 OBP, .789 SLG, four runs, two doubles, one triple, one home run, ten RBI, three walks
Believe it or not, Vasquez was recently called up to the Single-A squad and wasn’t even having a very good season to begin with in Quad Cities. On the year, Niko is only hitting .251 but does have 52 RBI.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
P.J. Walters, SP, Memphis
Six innings, six hits, one run, one walk, nine strikeouts
There were several pitchers who had good weeks (Salas, Fick, Lynn, Kulik, Zawacki), but Walters was pretty dominating on Tuesday. This season, Walters is 2-2 with a 3.21 ERA and 52 SO in 47 innings.

Justin Hulsey covers the Cardinals for i70baseball.com and his blog, Cardinals Front Office, that is also dedicated to Cardinal baseball.You may follow him on Twitter @JayHulsey by clicking here.