In a (final?) attempt to revive his career, Joba Chamberlain opted out of a minor league deal with the Blue Jays after not pitching very well and signed a minor league pact with the Royals.
He did so because the Royals had shown interest in him previously and because Kansas City is close to his Nebraska roots. But he mainly did so because Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland knows Chamberlain so well, with first-hand knowledge of what Chamberlain looked like when he was great.
Eiland was the Yankees minor league pitching coordinator in 2006 when Chamberlain was drafted and his pitching coach with the Yankees from 2008-10 when there were Rules for how to use the righty and controversy over whether those Rules – and bouncing him between the rotation and pen – were diminishing his effectiveness and health.