The Royals have signed righty starting pitcher Brett Tomko to a 1-year, $3 million dollar contract. Tomko did not pitch well last season for the Padres and Dodgers. Last year Tomko pitched in 40 games (19 starts) and he was 4-12 with a 5.55 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. Tomko has now pitched in 346 games (250 starts) and he has a record of 93-92 with 2 saves, a 4.62 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. Tomko should make the Royals rotation this season in the #4 or #5 slot.

The Kansas City Royals deserve credit for taking the revenue sharing money they get from the richer teams and using it on the major league payroll. Last season they added Gil Meche and Octavio Dotel in free agency and that worked out well for them. This season they upped the ante a little bit more by bringing in outfielder Jose Guillen, lefty reliever Ron Mahay and catcher Miguel Olivo. Guillen gives the team a potent stick for the middle of the order on a team that lacked power last season. Mahay gives the Royals a dependable lefty reliever to pitch late in ball games. Miguel Olivo will put pressure on John Buck as they will compete for the starting job at catcher. It’s nice to see a team putting the revenue sharing money they get to good use.

The Royals have signed 31-year old righty starter Brian Lawrence to a minor league contract. Lawrence pitched in 6 games last season for the Royals and he was 1-2 with a 6.83 ERA and a 1.93 WHIP. Lawrence has now pitched in 168 games (152 starts) in his major league career and he is 50-63 with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. Lawrence is a long shot to make the Royals rotation as he looks like he’s not all the way back after missing the 2006 season after major surgery.

The Royals have signed Ryan Hollins, Ken Huckaby, John Foster and Ben Hendrickson to minor league contracts. Ryan Hollins is a 33 year old righty swinging outfielder that can handle all three outfield positions defensively. Hollins last played in the majors in 2006 with the Devil Rays. He has played in 256 games in his major league career and he is 172 for 712 (.242 avg, .701 OPS) with 85 runs scored, 28 homers, 86 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. Ken Huckaby is a 36 year old righty swinging catcher. Huckaby last played in the majors in 2006 with the Boston Red Sox. He has now played in 161 games in his major league career and he is 95 for 427 (.222 avg, .537 OPS) with 42 runs scored, 3 homers and 31 RBIs. John Foster is a 29 year old lefty reliever who last pitched in the majors in 2005 with the Braves. Foster has now pitched in 90 games in his major league career and he is 7-2 with 1 save, a 4.90 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. Ben Hendrickson is a 26-year old right handed starting pitcher who last pitched in the majors in 2006 with the Milwaukee Brewers. Hendrickson has pitched in 14 games (12 starts) in his major league career and he is 1-10 with a 7.41 ERA and a 1.85 WHIP. Hollins and Foster are the most likely of this bunch to make the Royals Opening Day Roster.

The Royals have signed righty starter Hideo Nomo to a minor league contract. The 39-year old righty starter last pitched in the majors in 2005 with the Devil Rays. It will be amazing if Nomo has anything left as he started 37 games his last two seasons in the majors and he was 9-19 with a 7.70 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP. Still, Nomo has been a decent pitcher over his career that has covered 320 games (318 starts) in which he is 123-109 with a 4.21 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP.