Juan Cruz News

RELIEF PITCHERS: With last offseason's top bullpen additions, Kyle Farnsworth and Juan Cruz, not exactly setting the woods on fire, the annual search is on to give closer Joakim Soria a firm foundation of setup men.

With the 2009 season and Arizona Fall League in the books, we take a look at the early results of each club's '09 Draft class: how their top picks did; late-round picks that fared well; which picks are likely to move up the ladder quickest; and which picks clubs were unable to sign.

The off-season marketplace should crystallize somewhat after Tuesday's deadline for clubs to offer arbitration to former players who are now free agents.

In an eerily similar spot as the rotation, KC features a top-of-line hammer that 90% of the teams in baseball would take without hesitation.A And, just like the starting five, the Royals are extremely thin after their stud.A Zach Greinke and Joakim Soria are not all that different.A Unfortunately, both All-Star's are surrounded by a lot of filth ...

Joakim Soria was unavailable Tuesday night when the Royals sought to protect a one-run lead in the ninth inning against New York at Yankee Stadium.

In many ways, the Royals handed the Twins a 9-4 victory on Friday night. Robinson Tejeda issued a career-high seven walks, and two of those came with the bases loaded.

Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz has been sent to Philadelphia for an MRI on his sprained left wrist.

Right-hander Anthony Lerew will be the Royals' starter on Thursday night against the Boston Red Sox.

The late-season evaluation of rookie catcher Brayan Pena remains on hold. 'Just having trouble getting him in because of the performance of the other two guys,' Royals manager Trey Hillman said prior to Tuesday's game against Boston at Kauffman Stadium.

It's looking more and more like Royals pitcher Zack Greinke will make his next start Tuesday, as scheduled, against the Boston Red Sox at Kauffman Stadium.

The 2010 schedule, released Tuesday, shows that the Royals won't play next season in St.

Jamey Wright has stood out in an injury-plagued season for the Royals bullpen. Wright, a starter for most of his career, has been manager Trey Hillman's iron-man reliever.

BELMONT In Devon Lowery's perfect world, he would be anywhere but Arizona this week.

General manager Dayton Moores back next year, thanks to an extension that will last through three Olympic Games and two soccer World Cups.Manager Trey Hillmans back next year, thanks to, well, Moore.Both men essentially have blamed injuries and bad performances by players for the Royals disappointing record, which means some of those players have ...

Joe Posnanski, the best baseball beat writer in the business, is now at Sports Illustrated and liberated from the Kansas City dungeon.

Reliever Doug Waechter's injury woes this season continue. He'll have arthroscopic surgery on the labrum of his right shoulder on Aug.

Reliever Doug Waechter's injury woes this season continue. He'll have arthroscopic surgery on the labrum of his right shoulder on Aug.

The Kansas City Royals activated pitcher Doug Waechter from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday and placed reliever Juan Cruz on the DL.

When a baseball team -- we'll call them the "Royals" -- is really bad, you can actually enjoy defeats like the one doled out at the hands of the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.

The Kansas City Royals have activated right-hander Doug Waechter from the disabled list and put reliever Juan Cruz on it with a shoulder strain.