The Royals don’t have many free agents set for this winter. They only have a trio of them and here is a look at who is staying and who is leaving:

Jason Kendall: 37-year old righty swinging catcher Jason Kendall sat out the whole 2011 season due to a serious injury. He played in 118 games for the Royals in 2010 and he was 111 of 434 (.256 avg, .615 OPS) with 39 runs scored, 0 homers, 37 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. PREDICTION: RETIRING

Bruce Chen: 34-year old lefty starting pitcher Bruce Chen pitched in 25 games (all starts) for the Royals last year and he was 12-8 with a 3.77 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. He is likely to get a lot of offers on the free agent market. PREDICTION: LEAVING

Jeff Francis: 30-year old lefty starting pitcher Jeff Francis pitched in 31 games (all starts) for the Royals in 2011 and he was 6-16 with a 4.82 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. PREDICTION: LEAVING

The Royals have designated 28-year old righty reliever Jesse Chavez for assignment. Chavez pitched in 4 games (0 starts) for the Royals last year and he was 0-0 with a 10.57 ERA and a 2.22 WHIP. He pitched in 27 games (0 starts) in his two years with the Royals and he was 2-3 with a 6.95 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP. The Royals are flat out loaded in the bullpen from the right side, so they won’t miss Chavez in 2012 or beyond.

UPDATE: (10/21/2011) - The Royals have lost Jesse Chavez on waivers to the Blue Jays.

The Royals have claimed 26-year old lefty reliever/starter Aaron Laffey off waivers from the Yankees. Laffey pitched in 47 games (0 starts) for the Mariners and Yankees last year and he was 3-2 with a 3.88 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP. He has now pitched in 126 games (49 starts) in his first five years in the majors and he is 21-23 with a 4.34 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. I like this pickup for the Royals.

UPDATE: (12/12/2011) - The Royals have decided not to tender Aaron Laffey a contract for the 2012 season, making him a free agent.

29-year old righty reliever Robinson Tejada has elected to become a free agent rather than accepting an outright assignment to the minors. Tejada pitched in 9 games (0 starts) for the Royals in 2011 and he was 0-1 with a 6.14 ERA and a 2.05 WHIP. He pitched in 123 games (7 starts) in his four years with the Royals and he was 9-10 with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. The Royals are loaded in the bullpen, so they shouldn’t miss Tejada at all going forward.

The Royals finished in 4th place in the A.L. Central with a 71-91 record, which had them 24 games behind the Tigers. Still, youngsters stepped up in the everyday lineup and the bullpen for the Royals in 2011. If they can add some legit starting pitching to the roster over the winter, they might be a darkhorse to challenge for a division title in 2012. Here is what stood out to me about the Royals in 2011:

TEAM MVP: 27-year old switch-hitting CF Melky Cabrera had an outstanding year for the Royals. He played in 155 games for the Royals in 2011 and he was 201 for 658 (.305 avg, .809 OPS) with 102 runs scored, 18 homers, 87 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. It will be interesting to see what the Royals do with Cabrera as Lorenzo Cain appears to be ready.

BEST PITCHER: 25-year old righty reliever Greg Holland really stepped up for the Royals in 2011. He pitched in 46 games (0 starts) for the Royals in 2011 and he was 5-1 with 4 saves, a 1.80 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP. Holland gave up only 37 hits and 19 walks while whiffing 74 batters in 60 innings for the Royals last year, which is pretty darn impressive for the rookie.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: 27-year old lefty swinging Alex Gordon shifted from 3B to LF last spring. He finally repaid the Royals for their patience in him in 2011. Gordon played in 151 games for the Royals in 2011 and he was 185 for 611 (.303 avg, .879 OPS) with 101 runs scored, 23 homers, 87 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: 27-year old lefty swinging 1B/DH Kila Ka’aihue was supposed to be able to handle 1B for the Royals in 2011. He didn’t cut it and he was sent to the minors. He played in 23 games for the Royals in 2011 and he was 16 for 82 (.195 avg, .612 OPS) with 6 runs scored, 2 homers, 6 RBIs and 26 whiffs. Ka’aihue upset the Royals’ so much that they dealt him to the A’s with a couple of days left in the 2011 season.