KANSAS CITY ROYALS

2005 finish: 56-106, 6^th place in AL Central

Manager: Buddy Bell (1^st full season)

Incoming: OF Reggie Sanders, 2B Mark Grudzielanek, LHP Mark Redman, RHP Scott Elarton, 1B Doug Mientkiewicz, RHP Elmer Dessens, RHP Joe Mays, C Paul Bako, LHP Bobby Madritsch, RHP Joel Peralta, IF Esteban German

Long gone: RHP Jose Lima, LHP Brian Anderson, RHP Scott Sullivan, OF Matt Diaz, IF/OF Denny Hocking, RHP Jonah Bayliss, RHP Nate Field, RHP D.J. Carrasco

Rotation: RHP Runelvys Hernandez, RHP Scott Elarton, RHP Joe Mays, LHP Jeremy Affeldt, RHP Denny Bautista, LHP Mark Redman (DL), RHP Zack Greinke (left camp), LHP Bobby Madritsch (DL)

Relievers: Closer: RHP Ambiorix Burgos; Setup men: LHP Andy Sisco, RHP Elmer Dessens, RHP Mike Wood, LHP Jimmy Gobble, RHP Joel Peralta, RHP Mike MacDougal (DL)

Regulars: CF David DeJesus, 2B Mark Grudzielanek, DH Mike Sweeney, LF Reggie Sanders, RF Emil Brown, 1B Doug Mientkiewicz, 3B Mark Teahen, SS Angel Berroa, C John Buck

Role players: C Paul Bako, 1B/OF Matt Stairs, IF Esteban German, IF/OF Joe McEwing, OF Chip Ambres, OF Aaron Guiel

The pressure is on: Buddy Bell deserves a better fate. He’s one of the game’s good guys, nonetheless, his managerial career has been anything but. With stops in Detroit, Colorado and Kansas City, his career record is 388-531 (.422). And it’s not likely to get much better this season, either.

Breakout candidate: Andy Sisco – all 6-10, 270 pounds of him – posted a 3.11 ERA last season at age 22 in his first season as a reliever and his first above Class A ball. Needless to say, there is plenty of upside here.

Rundown: According to Baseball Prospectus, among non-expansion teams since World War II, only the 2002-03 Tigers and 1952-53 Pirates lost more games in two consecutive seasons than the 2004-05 Royals’ total of 210. And only six non-expansion teams since 1900 have lost 100 or more games in at least three consecutive seasons, the last coming 64 years ago. The Royals have a chance to become number seven, so this is historically bad baseball we’ve been watching here. With that in mind, the payroll was increased, allowing the signings of a handful of free agents. But all they could get was a bunch of stop-gap veterans who might make things better, but not by much -- and not enough to escape the AL Central cellar. At least they didn’t spend a ton, or get locked into anything more than two-year deals for Reggie Sanders, Scott Elarton and Elmer Dessens. Mark Grudzielanek and Doug Mientkiewicz got one-year deals to form a 24-wide wall of vowels and consonants on the right side of the infield, and veteran lefty Mark Redman was acquired to help a rotation that truly was awful last season. But he’ll miss the first few weeks after undergoing spring knee surgery. Otherwise, the Royals are going to have to get improvement from their core of young players if they want to get out of triple-digits in the loss column. And in fact, that’s what their approach has to be if they’re ever to contend again – something along the lines of the A’s-Twins-Indians model of small-market success. After all, they haven’t exactly been producing many George Bretts, Frank Whites, Bret Saberhagens and David Cones lately, now have they? One area that does have some promise is a power back end of the bullpen that will include closer Mike MacDougal (although he’s out for six weeks with a back/shoulder injury), 6-10, 270-pound lefty Andy Sisco and Ambiorix Burgos. You know that several teams tried to break up that group by acquiring one in a deal this winter, but GM Allard Baird wisely has hung onto all three of them. Burgos will be in the closer role until MacDougal’s return. Throw in capable middle relievers/spot starters Mike Wood and Dessens, and the Royals have a chance of protecting leads if they can get them. That didn’t happen often last year, when Royals starters posted a mind-bogglingly bad 6.00 ERA, worst in the majors. At least Jose Lima, the biggest offender at 6.99, is gone. Redman (when healthy) and Elarton will have spots along with Runelyvs Hernandez, last year’s victory leader with eight. But 22-year-old Zack Greinke, who was 4-6 in the second half of a 5-17 nightmare season, left camp to deal with personal issues, and the Royals aren’t sure when he’ll be back – an ominous sign for certain. Jeremy Affeldt, Joe Mays and Denny Bautista are the leading contenders for the last two spots, although there is trade interest in Affeldt as well as Jimmy Gobble, another lefty who is out of options.. The offense was third from the bottom in the AL in runs, and with Grudzielanek and Sanders as the only major additions, things don’t figure to get much better unless David DeJesus, Angel Berroa, Mark Teahen and John Buck make strides. The other thing to look at here is how much veteran salary dumping the Royals might do when they are hopelessly buried near the trade deadline. Some of their winter acquisitions could go, and there always is a chance of a Mike Sweeney deal, although he says he wants to stay put. Why, we’re not sure.

Predicted finish: 5^th place, 62-100

2006 SEASON PREVIEW Click for the latest on your favorite teams AL EAST Baltimore Boston N.Y. Yankees Tampa Bay Toronto NL EAST Atlanta Florida N.Y. Mets Philadelphia Washington AL CENTRAL Chi. White Sox Cleveland Detroit Kansas City Minnesota NL CENTRAL Chi. Cubs Cincinnati Houston Milwaukee Pittsburgh St. Louis AL WEST L.A. Angels Oakland Seattle Texas NL WEST Arizona Colorado L.A. Dodgers San Diego San Francisco

MORE FROM BASEBALL

Baseball Section Front

Victor Zambrano's mother rescued in Venezuela   MLB blog: Mariners are bringing back Griffey ... why? Wainwright: Holliday wants to return to Cards Ex-Dodgers CEO responds in divorce battle Cuban ‘not on prowl’ for Dodgers, or any team Sosa’s skin undergoing color change Blyleven: Pitching to be had beyond Halladay Damon, Matsui and Pettitte all could return Yankees’ Jeter, Teixeira win Gold Gloves Baseball GMs pass on expanding instant replay Baseball Section Front   Add Baseball headlines to your news reader: