KANSAS CITY, MO (December 31, 2010) – The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has signed right-handed pitcher Zach Miner to a minor league contract for the 2011 season.

The 28-year-old Miner missed the entire 2010 campaign with a right elbow injury that required surgery in late May. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder is 25-20 with a 4.24 ERA in 157 career Major League appearances, including 35 starts, for the Detroit Tigers from 2006-2009. Selected by the Atlanta Braves in the fourth round of the 2000 June Free Agent Draft, Miner was acquired by the Tigers along with pitcher Roman Colon in exchange for pitcher Kyle Farnsworth on July 31, 2005.

By DAVE HELLING

The Kansas City Star

Kansas City’s mayoral race — already a bit chippy — turned to trash talk this week over an unlikely subject: the playoff-bound Chiefs.

Mayor Mark Funkhouser issued a press release Monday calling the football team’s coming playoff appearance “the best holiday gift possible” and offering congratulations to the team’s owner and staff.

Harrumph, replied opponent Jim Rowland, executive director of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority.

Nothing against the Chiefs, he noted, but just this month Funkhouser was the only vote against a city-county deal providing $2 million for maintenance at the stadiums where the Chiefs (and Royals) play.

Rowland and others say that city subsidy is crucial for fully funding Jackson County’s leases with both professional sports franchises. Had the mayor prevailed, they argue, there might not be an NFL team to support.

“The hypocrisy of the mayor knows no boundaries,” Rowland said. “Literally two and a half weeks ago, to vote against funding for the complex, and now to be congratulating the team and boasting about the playoff game. … Does he have no shame?”

In an interview, Funkhouser defended the statement, saying his enthusiasm for the Chiefs should not be confused with his lack of enthusiasm for stadium subsidies.

Several other mayoral hopefuls, offered a chance to pile on Funkhouser’s go-Chiefs statement, demurred.

But they also said that the issue of city funding for the sports complex will be an important part of the coming campaign — and that Funkhouser’s opposition to that subsidy is misguided.

“The stadiums … are economic generators, they’re job creators, and they’re good for the psyche of this city,” said Sly James, who helped lead the campaign that led to the recent renovations at the stadiums.

“It’s an investment that pays off,” said Mike Burke, referring to the $2 million payment.

Deb Hermann — a current city councilwoman who voted for the stadium deal in December — called the payment an obligation.

“The message to the Chiefs and Royals needs to be we’re working together for the region,” she said.

Henry Klein said he would look for ways to reduce the city’s stadium contribution, but would not do so unilaterally.

“We made a deal,” he said. “If we’re going to change that deal, we need to do it in conjunction with the partners we made the deal with.”

Kansas City’s contribution to the sports complex has long been controversial, but no public figure has criticized the subsidy longer or louder than Funkhouser.

“I’m not interested in paying it,” he said. “I’m interested in using the money on something else. … Do I want them to win? Of course I do.”

For their part, county officials say any lapse in city subsidies might eventually lead to default on the stadium leases.

While the stadium subsidy issue is likely to get a full airing in the coming mayoral campaign, all candidates agree the Chiefs’ success (or failure) in the playoffs shouldn’t affect that debate. For a couple of weeks, at least, stadium squabbling is likely to take a back seat to the candidates’ rooting interests.

“I started going to Chiefs games with my father,” James said. “How can you be anything but excited?”

To reach Dave Helling, call 816-234-4656 or send e-mail to dhelling@kcstar.com.

While the Kansas City Royals don’t appear to be interested in trading closer Joakim Soria(notes), he has told Mexican paper Vanguard that he’s ready to waive the no-trade clause in his contract if necessary to leave K.C.

The clause supposedly allows the All-Star closer who had 43 saves last season to block trades to the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago Cubs.

“I didn’t put it there, my agent did, as a strategy,” Soria told Vanguard, according to a translation by MLBTradeRumors.com.”But if the Royals decide to trade me to New York I would gladly go to play with the Yankees or any other team… I repeat, I would not block a trade to the Yankees. I like to play baseball and I would play with any team.”

One thing Soria doesn’t want to do is become a starter for the Royals. “I really don’t believe that could happen,” Soria said, according to the MLBTR translation. “As I’ve always said, why fix something that isn’t broken?… Furthermore, if they asked me if I would like to change into a starter, I would say no.”

The 26-year-old had a 1.78 ERA and struck out 71 in 65.2 innings last year while holding opposing batters to a .216 batting average.

Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: VanguardMLBTradeRumors.com

Related: Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals

KANSAS CITY — Everything was going to be all better in 2010. Zack Greinke was coming off a Cy Young Award-winning season, fellow starter Gil Meche had conquered his back issues, premier closer Joakim Soria anchored a revamped bullpen, catcher Jason Kendall arrived to guide that staff, first baseman Billy Butler was flexing more power, third baseman Alex Gordon was back from hip surgery, Chris Getz was acquired for superior second-base defense, there was a fresh look to the outfield, DH Jose Guillen was finally healthy and so on.

But, except for Butler and Soria each having a fine year, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt making vast improvements and unheralded lefty Bruce Chen winning 12 games, not much went as planned on the field. Greinke slipped backward, and injuries struck. Among other things, long-time favorite David DeJesus’ season ended in July against the Yankee Stadium wall, and Meche’s shoulder got so bad that he moved to the bullpen from the rotation.

By mid-May, things had deteriorated so much that Trey Hillman was dismissed as manager in favor of Ned Yost, but while there were improvements down the stretch of the season, the club still finished last.

Yet Kansas City got a huge baseball boost when the Royals were awarded the All-Star Game for 2012, anointed in a personal announcement by Commissioner Bud Selig. Soria, their own All-Star this season, notched 43 saves, second most in the American League.

Looking back at 2010 MLB Year in Review • Game prospering • Final standings • Statistical leaders

The Royals dealt DeJesus and accomplished their goal of retooling the outfield at the Winter Meetings in Florida. A Greinke trade was the talk of those meetings, but that didn’t happen until Dec. 19, when he was sent to Milwaukee in a six-player swap.

The Royals’ top 5 storylines of 2010:

5. An ever-changing outfield
When the season began, the Royals had a revamped outfield: newly signed Scott Podsednik in left field and Rick Ankiel in center, with DeJesus moving to right and Guillen becoming the designated hitter. Before the year was over, all four were traded. The 2011 outfield shaped up with former third baseman Gordon in left field, Melky Cabrera in center and Jeff Francoeur in right, the latter two signed during the Winter Meetings.

4. Soria’s big season
Soria turned in one of the finest seasons ever by a Royals reliever, notching 43 saves in 46 chances. In 66 games, he had a 1.78 ERA with 71 strikeouts and just 16 walks over 65 2/3 innings. He also set club records for a reliever with 36 consecutive saves and 23 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. A Rule 5 draft selection in 2006, Soria also made the American League All-Star team for the second time.

3. Yost takes over as manager
Two seasons of losing and a bad start to a third one led to the dismissal of manager Hillman on May 13. Yost, hired as a special advisor in the offseason, took over, directing the club to a 55-72 record over the remainder of the season, as the Royals finished 27 games out in the division. Hillman compiled a 152-207 record in his two-plus seasons. Yost, former Milwaukee manager, made such a positive impression that he was given a two-year contract extension through 2012.

2. Kansas City awarded All-Star Game
After years of promises and teasing, the Royals finally got the official word on June 16, when Commissioner Selig came to KC to announce that the Midsummer Classic would be played at Kauffman Stadium on July 10, 2012. The only other time the Royals played host to the All-Star Game was in 1973, the year the stadium opened. Since then, the event has expanded to include a Future Game, a Workout Day, a Home Run Derby, a Red Carpet Show and a FanFest.

1. Greinke shipped to Milwaukee
Greinke won the American League Cy Young Award in 2009 with a marvelously meticulous season, but the magic wore off in 2010. His record slipped to 10-14, and his ERA leapt two runs per nine innings to 4.17. Because he was just two years away from free agency and expressed disillusionment over Kansas City’s lack of progress in the standings, the Royals decided to entertain trade offers from those willing to part with top young players. The Brewers came calling, and off went Greinke — with Betancourt thrown in, too — for four players, including ballyhooed shortstop Alcides Escobar, who the Royals feel will help them become a contender by 2012, if not before.

FUKUOKA —

The Softbank Hawks on Saturday announced the acquisition of former Kansas City Royals right-hander Anthony Lerew. The 28-year-old American has agreed to a one-year contract and is expected to compete for a spot in the rotation.

Lerew picked up his first major league career win in June this year and ended the season with a 1-4 record and an 8.54 ERA in six starts.

‘‘He is the type of pitcher who keeps hitters off-balance by mixing his down-angle fastball with a change-up,’’ said Itaru Kobayashi, a Softbank official in charge of baseball operations.

Lerew owns a 1-7 career record with a 7.48 ERA in 20 games, 11 of them starts, in five major league seasons, with the Atlanta Braves in 2005-07 and the Royals in 2009-10.

© 2010 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – This year the Kansas City Royals Alumni Association offered a helping hand for the holidays.

Royals Hall of Fame Outfielder Willie Wilson helped the association present a donation to the Kansas City Community Linc Tuesday morning.

Wilson feels the Linc serves a vital purpose.

“To have a place to stay for me that’s a foundation and when you have a solid foundation you can go other places.”

The organization provides transitional housing for homeless families.