(Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)
The KC Royals took a refreshingly robust approach to improving the club this past winter. That the team brought aboard several players it didn’t have last season wasn’t unusual; the quality and experience of the newcomers, and in three cases returnees, was.
The Royals were quiet at first but, when reports surfaced Nov. 29 of an impending deal with free agent starter Mike Minor, things moved quickly. The club announced the signing of outfielder Michael A. Taylor the next day and surprised the baseball world by wrapping up a two-year deal with first baseman Carlos Santana a week later.