Offseason news is dominated with big trades (like the Miami Marlins shipping a part of their roster to the Toronto Blue Jays) and wondering where star free agents like Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton will sign. But there’s a lot of small moves Major League clubs make in an effort to improve their teams and the Royals are no different.

Last week, the Royals traded reliever Jeremy Jeffress to Toronto for cash and reliever Tommy Hottovy to the Texas Rangers for cash and our old friend player to be named later. And on Monday outfielder Jason Bourgeois elected to become a free agent. Earlier this month, the Royals designated the three players for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster.

Jeffress, 25, appeared in 13 games with the Royals with a 6.75 ERA. He’s out of options and the Jays will give him to opportunity to make the team. Kansas City native and lefty specialist Hottovy, 31, appeared in nine games with the Royals with a 2.89 ERA and hopes to be a part of the Ranger’s bullpen. Bourgeois, 30, had a .258 average in 30 games with the Royals and has yet to sign with a team.

With their limited roles, Jeffress and Hottovy were the odd men out in an already solid bullpen. And Bourgeois was expendable since the Royals already have speedy outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson on their roster.

To be honest, Jeffress, Hottovy and Bourgeois had a small role with the Royals and they weren’t going to be a part of the team’s future. These minor moves in the middle of November will be a fading memory as the 2013 season commences. But it’s the business of baseball and I hope Jeffress, Hottovy and Bourgeois have good luck with their new teams.

KANSAS CITY, MO (November 2, 2012) — The Kansas City Royals today announced several 40-man Major League roster moves.  Following the moves, the Royals now have 40 players on the club’s 40-man roster.

The club has reinstated left-handed pitcher Danny Duffy and right-handed pitcher Felipe Paulino from the 60-day Disabled List.  Both pitchers underwent ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (Tommy John surgery) during the 2012 season:  Duffy on his left elbow on June 13 and Paulino on his right elbow on July 3.

In addition, the club claimed right-handed pitcher Guillermo Moscoso on Outright Waivers from the Colorado Rockies and claimed catcher Brett Hayes on Outright Waivers from the Miami Marlins.

Leaving the Royals organization is right-handed pitcher Blake Wood, who was claimed on Outright Waivers by the Cleveland Indians.

Catcher Manuel Pina was assigned outright to Omaha while left-handed pitcher Tommy Hottovy, right-handed pitcher Jeremy Jeffress and outfielder Jason Bourgeois were designated for assignment.

The 28-year-old Moscoso (name is pronounced “jee-AIR-moh mahs-KOH-soh”), who will turn 29 on November 14, has pitched for parts of the past four seasons in the Majors with the Rangers (2009-10), Athletics (2011) and Rockies (2012).  The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder made 23 appearances, including three starts, for Colorado last season and went 3-2 with a 6.12 ERA.  His best season came in 2011 with Oakland when he compiled an 8-10 record with a 3.38 ERA in 23 games (21 starts), allowing three hits or fewer in eight starts.  Born in Maracay, Venezuela, Moscoso was originally signed by the Detroit Tigers as a non-drafted free agent in 2003.

Hayes, 28, has worked as the Marlins backup catcher for parts of the past four seasons.  In 39 games in 2012, he batted .202 with six doubles after hitting .231 with five home runs and 16 RBI in 64 contests in 2011.  Known as a strong defensive catcher, Hayes has caught 19 of 74 attempted basestealers in his career (26%).  The 6-foot, 201-pound right-handed hitter was the Marlins’ second-round selection in the 2005 draft out of the University of Nevada.  His father, Tim Hayes, was drafted by the Royals but never played professionally.

KANSAS CITY, MO (August 31, 2012) – The Kansas City Royals have named their Minor League Pitchers and Players of the Year for their respective affiliates.  The Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year and George Brett Hitter of the Year will be announced this offseason.

A majority of the players are expected to be at Kauffman Stadium for Futures Night on Friday, September 14, where they will take part in an autograph session at Gate A from 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., as well as be honored in an on-field presentation prior to the Royals game against the Angels.

OMAHA (AAA)

Right-handed pitcher Jake Odorizzi has been named the Omaha Pitcher of the Year.  The 22-year-old is 11-3 with a 2.93 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) for the playoff-bound Storm Chasers after going 4-2 with a 3.32 ERA in seven starts with Northwest Arkansas (AA) to begin the campaign.  Odorizzi’s 15 combined victories are tied for the second-most in the minors.  He started for the U.S. squad in the SiriusXM MLB All-Star Futures Game this July at Kauffman Stadium, tossing an inning.  Odorizzi, who was acquired with shortstop Alcides Escobar, outfielder Lorenzo Cain and right-handed reliever Jeremy Jeffress from the Milwaukee Brewers on December 19, 2010, was the 2011 Wilmington Pitcher of the Year.

Wil Myers was named the Omaha Player of the Year.  The 21-year-old, like Odorizzi, began the 2012 season with Northwest Arkansas.  After batting .343 with 13 home runs and 30 RBI in 35 games, the Royals third-round selection from 2009 was promoted to Omaha where he is hitting .293 with 23 home runs and 75 RBI in 95 games.  The 2010 Burlington (IA) Player of the Year’s 36 combined home runs are the second-most in the minor leagues while his 105 RBI place him seventh.  An outfielder on the 12-member All-PCL team, Myers also competed in the SiriusXM MLB All-Star Futures Game this July at Kauffman Stadium, was named the “Star of Stars” at the Triple-A All-Star Game and is a finalist forUSA Today Minor League Player of the Year.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS (AA)

Right-handed pitcher Michael Mariot, 23, has been named the Northwest Arkansas Pitcher of the Year.  The University of Nebraska alum, who was recently promoted to Omaha, went 6-3 with one save and a 3.40 ERA in 31 games, including 14 starts, for the Naturals.  Mariot was the club’s eighth-round pick in 2010.

23-year-old Christian Colon is the Northwest Arkansas Player of the Year.  The middle infielder saw his season end prematurely in mid-August due to a right eye injury after batting .412 in five games for Omaha.  Colon, the club’s first round pick (fourth overall) in 2010 out of Cal State-Fullerton, hit .289 with five home runs and 12 stolen bases in 73 games for Northwest Arkansas.  The right-handed batter drew 37 walks and struck out just 27 times in 85 combined contests in 2012.

WILMINGTON (A-ADVANCED)

Right-handed starter Yordano Ventura was named Wilmington Pitcher of the Year.  The 21-year-old, who started and tossed a scoreless inning for the World team in the SiriusXM MLB All-Star Futures Game this July at Kauffman Stadium, is currently pitching with Northwest Arkansas.  He opened the 2012 season with Wilmington, posting a 3-5 record with a 3.30 ERA in 16 starts, striking out 98 in 76.1 innings.  The five-foot-11 Ventura was signed out of Samana, Dominican Republic, as a non-drafted free agent on October 8, 2008.

Whit Merrifield, 23, is the Wilmington Player of the Year.  Now at Northwest Arkansas, the former national champion from the University of South Carolina hit .258 with 20 doubles, eight homers, 59 runs scored and 25 stolen bases in 30 attempts in 101 games for the Blue Rocks.  Merrifield, who has played extensively in both the infield and outfield, was the Royals’ ninth-round pick in the 2010 Draft.

KANE COUNTY (A)

21-year-old Angel Baez was named the Kane County Pitcher of the Year.  The six-foot-three right-hander is 6-5 with a 3.17 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) with the Cougars, striking out 83 in 76.2 innings.  Baez, a resident of Juan Baron, Dominican Republic, was acquired as a non-drafted free agent on July 21, 2008.

19-year-old outfielder Jorge Bonifacio was named the Kane County Player of the Year.  Bonifacio will make his third-consecutive trip to Kansas City after being named the 2010 Dominican Royals Player of the Year and the 2011 Burlington Royals Player of the Year.  The younger brother of Marlins outfielder Emilio Bonifacio, he is batting .282 with 20 doubles, six triples, 10 home runs, 61 RBI and 54 runs scored in 105 games for the Cougars.  Born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Bonifacio was signed by the Royals as a non-drafted free agent on December 9, 2009.

IDAHO FALLS (ROOKIE-ADVANCED)

Left-handed pitcher Sam Selman, selected by Kansas City in the second round this June, is the Idaho Falls Pitcher of the Year.  Selman, 21, was recently named the Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year.  He is 5-3 with a league-leading 2.11 ERA in 12 games (11 starts), allowing just 41 hits in 55.1 innings, holding Pioneer League batters to a .202 average, best in the circuit.  The six-foot-three hurler from Austin, Texas, by way of Vanderbilt University, has struck out a league-best 84 and walked just 22.

Outfielder Ethan Chapman, 22, has been named the Idaho Falls Player of the Year.  Chapman, selected in the 30^th round of the 2012 Draft out of Cal State San Bernardino, is batting .314 with eight triples, tied for third in the league, 52 runs scored, fifth in the league, and 22 stolen bases, tied for second in the league.

BURLINGTON-NC (ROOKIE)

18-year-old left-handed pitcher Colin Rodgers has been named the Burlington Pitcher of the Year.  Rodgers, the team’s third-round selection in this year’s draft out of Parkview Baptist School in Louisiana, went 3-1 with a 2.05 ERA in 11 starts for the B-Royals, allowing opponents to hit just .226 against him.  Rodgers made the start last night in the second game of Burlington’s first-round playoff series.

Outfielder Bubba Starling, 20, is the Burlington Royals Player of the Year in 2012.  The club’s first-round pick (fifth overall) in last year’s draft out of Gardner-Edgerton (Kan.) High School batted .275 with 10 home runs, 33 RBI and 35 runs scored in 53 regular season games.  The six-foot-five centerfielder also swiped 10 bases in 11 attempts.  Starling last night was 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI as Burlington evened their best-of-three playoff series at a game apiece.

SURPRISE (ROOKIE)

Matt Tenuta, an 18-year-old left-hander, has been named the Surprise Royals Pitcher of the Year.  The six-foot-four hurler from Apex High in North Carolina went 3-5 with a 4.58 ERA in 13 games (one start) with Surprise, surrendering just one home run in 39.1 innings.  Tenuta was selected in the 25^th round of the 2012 Draft.

Outfielder Alexis Rivera has been named the Surprise Royals Player of the Year.  Rivera, 18, was sixth in the league batting .341 with seven doubles, four triples, three home runs, 34 RBI and 35 runs scored in 48 games and was named to the Arizona League All-Star team.  The left-handed hitter originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico, was the Royals’ 10^th round pick 2012 out of Montverde Academy in Florida.

DOMINICAN ROYALS (ROOKIE)

Right-handed pitcher Miguel Almonte is the Dominican Royals Pitcher of the Year.  The 19-year-old made 10 starts for the Dominican Royals, recording a 6-1 record with a 1.44 ERA, allowing just 34 hits and 8 walks with 46 strikeouts in 50.0 innings.  The six-foot-two resident of Santiago, Dominican Republic, who signed as a non-drafted free agent on November 20, 2010, is currently pitching for Burlington after a brief stint with the Surprise Royals in Arizona where he went 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in six games (two starts).

Infielder Wander Franco, signed by Kansas City as a non-drafted free agent on September 26, 2011, is the Dominican Royals Player of the Year.  Franco, 17, hit .315 with 14 doubles, five triples, 38 RBI, 45 runs scored and 13 stolen bases in 66 games.  The switch hitter currently resides in Bani, Dominican Republic.

It’s not yet time to close the books on the Zack Greinke trade of a year and a half ago. That day won’t come for a long time.

But now is a great time to check the bottom line, to begin to gauge who is coming out better on the trade – the Royals or Brewers.

It will be years before we can judge just what the Royals let get away in Greinke, what they got in return in Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress, and what the Brewers got in trading away Greinke on Sunday. But we can take a first look now that Greinke’s time in Milwaukee is finished.

By one standard, the Brewers came away from the trade as the decided victors. After all, they did reach the NL Championship series with Greinke, while the Royals haven’t sniffed the playoffs in a generation. After all, in the end, you play to win the World Series. The Brewers did what they could to make a run at it.

But taking a bit more of a long-term perspective, the balance tips currently in favor of the Royals.

While the Brewers have plummeted to fourth in the NL Central (nine games below .500 at the time of the trade), the Royals’ “process” sputters along. The Brewers found themselves in such need of help at a host of positions that it made sense to pack Greinke off rather than attempt to re-sign him.

Meanwhile the Royals are plugging into the process the pieces acquired a year and a half ago.

So the Greinke Adventure in Milwaukee lasted just a year and a half. But how good really was Greinke in Milwaukee?

At the time of the trade that sent him to Anaheim, his ERA of 3.44 this year was just 20^th in the National League. His WHIP of 1.20 was also just 20^th. His nine wins were tied for 16^th. His WAR this year was 2.3, good for 15^th among pitchers.

And while the Brewers made a run in the playoffs in 2011, you could argue Greinke was even worse that year than this. Last year his ERA, 3.83, was 34^th in the NL. His WHIP of 1.20 was 15^th. His WAR was just 1.4, 52^nd in the league. His 16 wins did at least tie him for 6^th in the NL.

But when the Brewers needed Greinke most, he was far from the star they traded for. His ERA in one playoff game against Arizona ? 7.20. And in two games, one a win and one a loss, in the NLCS versus St. Louis, his ERA was 6.17.

Greinke failed to make the All-Star Game in either season as a Brewer. He was not a fan favorite. He was not popular with teammates. He was not a leader.

In short, Greinke hasn’t been the Greinke of 2009 since, well, since 2009. That season stands out more and more as a statistical anomaly. A one-hit wonder who keeps cranking out tunes, but just can’t quite capture the sound of his Cy Young season.

The Brewers dealt away the shortstop of their future – Alcides Escobar – to get Greinke. So this year they were so in need of a shortstop that that’s essentially what they traded Greinke to get. They got Jean Segura, with a total of one game in the bigs to his credit. He’s currently getting his legs under him at Double A.

Meanwhile, Alcides Escobar may not be an All Star, but he should be. Just three years older than Segura, Escobar has established himself as one of the top fielders and hitters at the position in the American League.

Added recently to the Royals otherwise dismal lineup is Lorenzo Cain. The man who could soften the blow of the Melky Cabrera/Jonathan Sanchez disaster has rebounded from injury to flash some tremendous potential. So far he’s provided some pop with the bat. And when he’s fully healthy, he should be a dynamic fielder in center and a dangerous base runner too.

The Brewers also acquired from the Angels in Sunday’s trade two 23-year-old pitchers who were laboring unspectacularly in Double AA for the Angels.

In contrast, the Royals got in the 2010 Greinke trade 22-year-old Jake Odorizzi, who has asserted himself this year as one of the best pitching prospects in all the minor leagues.

And one final wild card in the equation is Jeremy Jeffress, who is still just 24 and is working to harness the talent that made him a first round draft choice in 2006.

Escobar and Cain are under team control through 2017. If “the process” is to finally succeed, they will be key components of it. Odorizzi will almost certainly be in the KC rotation next season. Jeffress might be back in KC before it’s all over too.

A year ago, the Brewers looked like they made the right move to get Greinke. But the more time passes, the more it looks like the Royals will come out the winners in that trade.

Check back in about a decade to see the final result. But right now, it looks like Dayton Moore is the winner in this trade.

With last Friday’s return of catcher Salvador Perez (and yesterday’s DFA of Humberto Quintero), starter Felipe Paulino out for the year with an elbow injury, the All-Star caliber play of Mike Moustakas and the struggles of the starting rotation, it’s easy to overlook shortstop Alcides Escobar. But Escobar is quietly becoming one of the Kansas City Royals top players.

Escobar is not a product of the Royals farm system, but he is an example of getting a good player in a trade. As part of Zack Greinke trade in 2010, Escobar has brought the most value. Pitcher Jake Odorizzi is in AAA Omaha (but could be up soon), outfielder Lorenzo Cain‘s 2012 season has been fraught with injuries and reliever Jeremy Jeffress is still stuck in Omaha.

When the Royals signed Escobar to a long-term deal during spring training, many fans liked it. But the signing didn’t get the attention like Perez’s or Alex Gordon‘s long-term deals. It was almost like, “oh, we got Escobar for a reasonable long-term deal. That’s nice.”

And the signing of Escobar has been nice. Escobar leads the team with 82 hits and a .315 batting average. He’s not a power hitter, but Escobar is second on the team with 19 doubles and third on the team with a .353 on base percentage. He also has 12 stolen bases, which is one behind team leading Jarrod Dyson. And unlike fellow infielders Chris Getz and Yuniesky Betancourt, Escobar doesn’t get hurt and has played 71 of 73 games at shortstop, a demanding position.

Now Escobar isn’t the perfect shortstop. In 260 at bats, He’s struck out 43 times and only has nine walks. He’s grounded into eight double plays and committed eight errors. He has a .975 fielding percentage, which is just below the league average .978. His RF/9 is at 4.41, just below the 4.51 league RF/9 average. But Escobar does play good defense, gets hits, gets on base and steals bases.

While Moustakas gets most of the attention in All-Star voting, Escobar is fifth in voting among American League shortstops, behind players such as Derek Jeter, Elvis Andrus, J.J. Hardy and Asdrubal Cabrera. It’s likely the Royals will have only one representative in the All-Star Game and it will probably be Mike Moustakas. But if there’s a second Royals All-Star player, Escobar would be a strong candidate.

It’s easy to take a player like Escobar for granted. He doesn’t get the attention or the press coverage of players like Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Billy Butler, Alex Gordon and Jeff Franceour. All Escobar does is show up to play every day, stays healthy, doesn’t make boneheaded mistakes and plays his position well. If all the Royals players were like Alcides Escobar, the team would be in a lot better shape than they are now.

SPRINGDALE, AR - The Naturals’ parent club, the Kansas City Royals announced a pair transactions on Wednesday morning affecting the Northwest Arkansas roster.  Outfielder Wil Myers has been promoted to Triple-A Omaha, and outfielder Nick Van Stratten has been transferred from Extended Spring Training to Northwest Arkansas.

Myers spent the early part of the 2012 season terrorizing Texas League pitching.  At the time of his promotion he ranked tops in the league in hitting at .343, extra base hits (25), and runs scored with (32) second in home runs (13), third in RBI (30), second in hits (46).

The outfielder leaves Northwest Arkansas with 21 career home runs with the Naturals.  The 21 home runs tie him for the sixth most in Naturals history with Corey Smith, and current Kansas City Royal Mike Moustaksas.  Myers was originally selected by the Kansas City Royals in the third round of the 2009 draft.

Odorizzi, 22, leaves Northwest Arkansas with a 4-2 record and 3.32 ERA in seven starts.  He is second in the Texas League in strikeouts (47) and fourth in WHIP (0.97).  He has been most impressive over his last four starts, going 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA, allowing six earned runs in 27.1 innings for a 1.98 ERA while fanning 33.  Odorizzi has limited opposing hitters to a collective .191 batting average through his first seven assignments.  He was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers on December 19, 2010, along with Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar and Jeremy Jeffress in exchange for Zack Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt.  Odorizzi was the 32^nd overall pick of the Brewers in the 2008 First Year Player Draft and he also had a taste of big league spring training this year as a non-roster invitee.

Nick Van Stratten returns to Northwest Arkansas after starting the season in extended spring training, after suffering a spring injury.  Van Stratten spent parts of the last two seasons in Northwest Arkansas appearing in 68 games in 2011, and 86 games in 2010.  The outfielder’s best year in Double-A came in 2010 when he hit .262 with two home runs and 34 RBI for the Naturals.  Van Stratten was originally selected by the Kansas City Royals in the tenth round of the 2006 draft.

Van Stratten will wear number nine for the Naturals, and there is another number change to report as Ethan Hollingsworth will now wear number 36.  Following the transaction, the Naturals’ roster is at the Texas League limit of 25 active players.

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.

KANSAS CITY, MO (April 25, 2012) — The Kansas City Royals selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Tommy Hottovy from Triple-A Omaha today and optioned right-handed pitcher Jeremy Jeffress to Omaha. With the selection of Hottovy, who is expected to be in uniform tonight (#46) in Cleveland, the Royals 40-man roster stands at 40.  In addition, the club returned outfielder Lorenzo Cain from his rehab assignment with Northwest Arkansas (AA).  Cain remains on the 15-day D.L.

Hottovy, 30, was 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in seven relief appearances with the Storm Chasers.  The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder had allowed three earned runs on eight hits in 10.0 innings, walking five and striking out 17.  A Kansas City, Mo., native, Hottovy made his Major League debut for the Boston Red Sox last season, recording no record and a 6.75 ERA (4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO) in eight relief outings.  Hottovy graduated from Park Hill South High School in Riverside, Mo., and Wichita State University.

Jeffress, 24, combined to toss 1.0 scoreless inning over two relief appearances for the Royals, allowing four hits and walking two.

Cain, who has been on the Disabled List since April 13 with a left groin strain, made three rehab starts for the Naturals and was 1-for-9 at the plate. He exited last night’s game and is currently being re-evaluated by the Royals medical staff in Kansas City.

Triple-A
The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) are tied for the best record in the Pacific Coast League going 14-5 over the first week plus.  The Storm Chasers are an even more impressive 10-1 while playing at Werner Park.  They will look to defend their Pacific Coast League Championship and certainly have the talent to do so.

Who’s Hot
The offense has carried Omaha early in the season and a pair of former Naturals, Clint Robinson and Derrick Robinson have been right in the middle of things.  Clint has seen his power return of late and is second on the Storm Chasers in home runs with four and has driven in 10.  Derrick has moved back into the number two spot in the lineup now that Jarrod Dyson has returned from Kansas City to take over the leadoff spot.  The outfielder is hitting .352 with ten runs scored and four stolen bases.  On the mound Jeremy Jeffress has gone 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in six games out of the bullpen, and earned a call-up to the major leagues when the Royals placed Greg Holland on the disabled list.  Nate Adcock has been phenomenal as he has transitioned back to the starting rotation. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 1.37 ERA in four games.  He has worked 26.1 innings allowing just 16 hits and four runs, and has held opponents to a .174 batting average.

Who’s Not
Jamie Romak is off to a slow start.  The first baseman is hitting .190 in 21 at bats for Omaha.  He has a pair of doubles and has also knocked in two runs.  On the mound Ethan Hollingsworth struggled this past week.  He has given up seven earned runs over his last two outings, which totaled five and a third innings.  The last two outings have raised his ERA to 6.92, after it was just 3.52 in his first three outings of the season.

Double-A
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) are off to a 6-11 start so far this season.  The Naturals have returned to Arvest Ballpark where they are now 4-3 on the season after defeating Springfield last night.  The Naturals have struggled away from Northwest Arkansas posting a 2-8 mark on the road.

Who’s Hot
Kurt Mertins, although he is hitting just .190 at the plate for the season has been swinging the hottest bat in the Naturals lineup as of late.  He has gone 4-for-10 the teams last five games, and has played spectacular defense at third base robbing several players of base hits.  On the mound for the Naturals, Jake Odorizzi appears to have found his strikeout pitch.  Last night against the Cardinals, he set a Naturals single game record fanning 11.  It was also the deepest a Naturals starter has worked into a game all season as the right-hander threw seven allowing just four hits and walking one.

Who’s Not
Shortstop Christian Colon picked up a pair of hits in yesterday’s game that snapped a streak in which he had been 1-for-14 over his last four games.  He has also struggled in the field this season committing a team high four errors.  On the mound the back end of the rotation has been struggling as of late.  Justin Marks went three and two thirds innings his last time out allowing six runs, while Tim Melville went just an inning and two thirds last time out allowing eight runs.  Both pitchers had scoreless outings in their first starts.

Class-A Advanced
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) had a great week last week going 4-2 to improve to 8-8 on the season.  They defeated Salem yesterday getting the best of Boston Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Who’s Hot
Starting pitcher Jason Adam, is putting up unreal numbers for Wilmington.  The big right-hander threw five more shutout innings yesterday to earn his first win of the season.  He is now 1-1 on the year with a 0.40 ERA.  In 22.2 innings he has allowed just 18 hits and one earned run, while walking seven and fanning 21.  Nick Rogers has been brilliant out of the bullpen for the Blue Rocks throwing six innings allowing just three hits and fanning seven.  He has yet to allow a runs this season.  Angel Franco began the year on a cold spell hitting just .150 back on April 11.  Over his last six games he has gone 11-for-18 with five RBI and four runs scored.

Who’s Not
Outfielder Brett Eibner has been on a cold streak of late going just 2-19 in his last five games.  One of Eibner’s two hits was a home run that came in yesterday’s game.  Since he has returned to the lineup the team has hit better as a whole hitting .252 since his return compared to .217 for the entire season.  Chase Boruff has appeared twice in the last ten games for the Blue Rocks and surrendered four runs and four walks over three innings in that span.

Class-A
The Kane County Cougars have gone 3-5 since last week’s report and are now 9-9 on the season.  They are tied for third placed in the Midwest League’s Western division with the Burlington Bees and the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Who’s Hot
Outfielder Lane Adams has continued his hot hitting.  The native Oklahoman is hitting .375 on the season in 18 games, with 11 runs scored.  Adams has even hit lead off in a few games recently for the Cougars and has driven in 15 runs and stolen five bases so far this season.  Orlando Calixte seems to have found a rhythm at the plate.  Calixte enter the season as the number 20 prospect in the Royals system according to Baseball America.  The shortstop is hitting .412 (7-for-17) over his last five games with five RBI over that span.  On the mound for the Cougars Edwin Carl, has been hot of late.  In his last start Carl went a season long seven innings allowing just five hits and no runs, while striking out three.  Carl has gone 1-1 with a 1.77 ERA to start the 2012 campaign.
Who’s Not

Infielder Henry Moreno has been struggling at the plate so far this season.  He has posted a .149 batting average on the young season (7-for-47), and has struck out 16 times.  Jason Mitchell struggled on the mound his last time out, making just his second start of the season, although some of the fault could be placed on the defense behind him.  Mitchell allowed six runs only three of which were earned over four innings.

Alumni Report (Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization)

Who’s Hot
Ed Lucas now with Triple-A Salt Lake City was 0-for-3 Monday, but is coming off of a ten-game hitting streak during which in the previous four games he was 8-for-15 with 4 RBI.  His average is up to .333 from .278 in last weeks report.

Dusty Hughes, who is with Triple-A Gwinnett, has not allowed a run in his last four and a third innings with five strikeouts and not issuing a walk.  Outfielder Jordan Parraz, who is also with Gwinnett currently has an active six-game hitting streak, during which he has gone 10-for-22, including a four RBI effort last Thursday against the Norfolk Tides.  On the season he is hitting .359 in 18 games for the Braves.

Blake Johnson who is now with Double-A Chattanooga in the Dodgers system has only allowed one run in his last four outings out of the bullpen, cover eight and two thirds innings.  Last Thursday he recorded a four inning save against Birmingham striking out five without issuing a walk.  Opponents are hitting just .186 against him.

Who’s Not
Slick-fielding infielder Chris McConnell who is in the Nationals system with Double-A Harrisburg picked up his first hit on Saturday night, but he is hitting .048 (1-for-21) while with the Senators.  Josh Johnson, who moved up to Triple-A Syracuse is hitting just .240 in his first 25 at bats with the Chiefs.

Jose Duarte is hitting just .152 (5-for-33) on the season with Double-A Jacksonville, in the Florida Marlins system.  Angel Sanchez is in the Astros system with Triple-A Oklahoma City, and is mired in a 3-for-27 slump dating back to April 14.

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.

Triple-A
The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) have started off another very strong season going 9-3 over the first week plus. The Storm Chasers are an even more impressive 7-1 while playing at Werner Park. They will look to defend their Pacific Coast League Championship and certainly have the talent to do so.

Who’s Hot
The offense has carried Omaha early in the season and a pair of former Naturals, Clint Robinson and Derrick Robinson have been right in the middle of things. Clint hit a pair of home runs in the team’s most recent series against the Albuquerque Isotopes and is hitting .320 on the young season. Derrick spent the first few games hitting in the number two spot in the order behind Jarrod Dyson, but since Dyson’s call-up to Kansas City has moved to the lead-off spot. Derrick has scored nine runs on the young season, driven home four, stole four bases, and is hitting .364 at the top of the lineup for the Storm Chasers. On the mound Jeremy Jeffress has gone 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA in five games out of the bullpen, already having worked 11 innings on the young season. Nate Adcock is also off to a good start. He has yet to surrender a run in his first two starts over 11.1 innings allowing only three hits.

Who’s Not
Mike Montgomery is off to a tough start in 2012. He has started two games for Omaha lasting 7.2 innings and allowing 14 hits and seven runs while walking seven and striking out five. At the plate for the Storm Chasers, Cody Clark is hitting .194 (6-for-31) on the young season, but has hit a pair of doubles.

Double-A
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) are off to a 4-7 start so far this season. The offense has started to pick things up after a slow start this season boosting the team batting average up to .254 on the season. The pitching staff has been nearly unhittable when they have thrown strikes, but have gotten into trouble when issuing walks.

Who’s Hot
Wil Myers has been on fire to start the year in Northwest Arkansas. He has a hit in all nine games that he has appeared in, and had a career game on Saturday April 14. He went 4-for-5 with a home run and a career best five RBI. He leads the Naturals in home runs and RBI so far in 2012. On the mound for the Naturals, Kendal Volz has been unhittable so far this season. He has appeared in three games out of the bullpen and thrown 7.2 innings allowing just one hit, no walks, and struck out seven. He is the Texas League leader in batting average against a reliever at .042.

Who’s Not
Third baseman Kurt Mertins has made some spectacular defensive plays this season, but has struggled at the plate. He is hitting .097 (3-for-31) on the season with a pair of sacrifice flies. A couple of members of the bullpen have been roughed up to start the season. Elisaul Pimentel has surrendered 13 runs, 12 of which have been earned in just 3.2 innings out of the pen this season. Bryan Paukovits, in his first season at Double-A has allowed nine earned runs in 5.2 innings of work, but did have a scoreless outing in the second game of a double-header against San Antonio on Monday April 16.

Class-A Advanced
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) have started the season 4-6 and are tied with the Potomac Nationals for third placed in the North Division. Wilmington has pitched well on the young season, and the bats are starting to heat up. Brett Eibner rejoined the team this past week and has already made an impact on the lineup offensively.

Who’s Hot
Starting pitcher Jason Adam, who spent last season with Kane County is off to a great start this season. He has yet to record a win or loss in his first two starts, but has gone 10 innings allowing eight hits and just one earned run, walking two and striking out 11. Catcher Kevin David has been getting it done at the plate going 4-for-4 on April 16 against Carolina. David’s big night included two doubles and a season high four RBI. He is hitting .304 so far in 2012.

Who’s Not
Outfielders Brian Fletcher and Roman Hernandez have struggled at the plate on the young season. Fletcher, who had a torrid spring, is hitting .184 this season as he continues to make the transition to first base. He has seen plenty of time in the outfield this season as well, but many believe his future is at first base. Hernandez has gone 4-for-33 (.121) as he continues to make his transition to playing baseball in the states. He defected from Cuba and was signed by the Royals on February 1 of this year.

Class-A
The Kane County Cougars have won three straight and are 6-4 on the young season. That mark puts them just a half game behind Quad Cities in the Western division of the Midwest League. The Cougars had their most recent contest on April 16 in Beloit postponed due to weather, but will play a double header on April 17.

Who’s Hot
Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio is arguably of to the best start of any player in the Royals entire organization. He is hitting a robust .410 (16-for-39) over the first 10 games of the season. He has five extra base hits including one home run and seven RBI. He has also walked seven times while striking out just six. He also has recorded seven multi-hit games in 10 games so far this season. Jonathan Dooley has gone 1-0 in relief for the Cougars and has posted a 1.00 ERA out of the pen. He went a season long four innings allowing three hits and no walks, while fanning three at Burlington.

Who’s Not
Infielder Henry Moreno has been struggling at the plate so far this season. He has only hit safely in one of his seven games this season. Moreno did show signs of breaking out of his slump getting three hits on April 14. He is sporting a .115 average and has gone (3-for-26). Eric Cantrell has struggled in relief in four games this season posting and has a 14.54 ERA. He has worked 4.1 innings allowing 10 hits and seven runs on the young season.

Alumni Report (Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization)

Who’s Hot
Several former Naturals now find themselves in Triple-A with the Braves in Gwinnett. Dusty Hughes has transitioned into the bullpen and has a 1.17 ERA in five games for the Braves. He has allowed just one run over 7.2 innings of work. Ernesto Mejia has split time between first base and designated hitter for Gwinnett and is hitting .311 in eleven games with a home run and six RBI. Outfielder Jordan Parraz is not far behind hitting .310 in Gwinnet with a home run and three RBI.

The Washington Nationals have four former Naturals in their system. Josh Johnson, Jeff Howell. Johnson started off the season on fire with Double-A Harrisburg hitting .395 with seven RBI in 11 games. Howell has appeared in just three games, but has been good at the plate hitting .364 (4-for-11) with two RBI.

Jeff Bianchi is off to a hot start for Double-A Huntsville in the Milwaukee Brewers system. He is hitting .326 with five runs scored in the first 11 games of the season. Bianchi has started all 10 of those games at shortstop. Ed Lucas has had a recent streak to lift his average to .278 for Salt Lake, the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate.

Who’s Not
Jose Duarte is now in the Miami Marlins organization and is off to a rough start with Double-A Jacksonville. Duarte is batting .176 (3-for-17) in nine games thus far for the Suns. He has appeared in four of those games as a pinch-hitter, and did hit a two run home run on April eighth off the bench against Huntsville. Juan Abreu is 2-for-3 in save chances for Triple-A Oklahoma City (Astros), but has an ERA north of 15.00 and has allowed three homers. Slick-fielding infielder Chris McConnell was recently re-assigned from Triple-A Syracuse to Double-A Harrisburg in the Nationals system.

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.

ROYALS SIGN UTILITY INFIELDER Yuniesky Betancourt TO A ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

KANSAS CITY, MO (December 20, 2011) — The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has signed utility infielder Yuniesky Betancourt to a one-year Major League contract for 2012. Consistent with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. With the signing, the Royals’ 40-man roster stands at 39.

“We have been looking for a utility infielder who could play short, third and second base and we feel Yuni is a great fit,” said Royals’ General Manager Dayton Moore. “He brings a right-handed bat with some power and is a guy we know fits in well in the clubhouse.”

Betancourt, 29, was the starting shortstop for the National League Central Champion Milwaukee Brewers in 2011. The 5-foot-11, 204-pounder hit .252 with 27 doubles, three triples, 13 home runs, 68 RBI and 51 runs scored during the regular season for the Brewers; then batted .310 with three doubles, a triple, a home run and six RBI in 11 postseason games as Milwaukee advanced to the NLCS before losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in six games.

Betancourt hit .253 with 20 home runs and 105 RBI in 222 games for the Royals in 2009 and 2010 after being acquired in a trade from the Seattle Mariners on July 10, 2009. Kansas City then traded him and pitcher Zack Greinke to Milwaukee on December 19, 2010 in exchange for shortstop Alcides Escobar, outfielder Lorenzo Cain and pitchers Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Odorizzi. Betancourt is a career .268 hitter with 189 doubles, 60 home runs and 375 RBI in seven seasons for the Mariners (2005-09), Royals (2009-10) and Brewers (2011). Born in Santa Clara, Cuba, he now resides in Miami, Fla.