Billy Butler signs 4-year, $30 million extension with Royals:

"1B Billy Butler says he's agreed to a four-year, $30-million deal with the Royals through 2014, avoiding arbitration. Read more on MLB.com."

Royals' Spring Training Non-Roster Invitees:

Pitchers:
Louis Coleman
Tim Collins
Danny Duffy
Chris Dwyer
Blaine Hardy
Gaby Hernandez
Patrick Keating
John Lamb
Luis Mendoza
Zach Miner
Mike Montgomery
Steven Shell
Will Smith

Position Players:
Cody Clark
Ryan Eigsti
Salvador Perez
Joaquin Arias
Irving Falu
Johnny Giavotella
Eric Hosmer
Mike Moustakas
Lance Zawadzki
Brett Carroll

For that special person on your Christmas shopping list...

Diagramming Mark Teahen's Defense

Royals recall OF Jarrod Dyson from Class AAA Omaha. Will join club for today's game at Minnesota.

Royals make bullpen move; Bullington up: Marte down.

On Jose Guillen rumors: Was told by one club that KC has "no real options" to move him, even if they take $ & ask very little back

In fact, the same source speculates KC "might be done." DeJesus hurt. Very little action on Guillen, Bannister, Davies, Farnsworth

Billy Buckner released.

"To make room for Jeff Larish and Will Rhymes on their 40-man roster, the Tigers have designated Casey Fien for assignment and released Billy Buckner, according to the team's official Twitter feed."

"Buckner, meanwhile, came to Detroit from Arizona in the Dontrelle Willis trade and struggled with the team's Triple-A affiliate. In 37.1 IP for Toledo, the right-hander posted a 9.40 ERA."

Does this mean we can sign him and we got Will Smith and Sean O'Sullivan for nothing?

Royals like Francoeur. GM Moore had him with Braves. $5M salary an obstacle. Also: Frenchy 1 more year of arb; potential non-tender.

With DeJesus out, the Royals are summoning Alex Gordon to the big leagues.

News on David DeJesus:Best-case scenario, he'll miss two weeks, worst case scenario is he'll need some sort of surgery and will miss 6 weeks

Slightly OT (and late): Sad day for laughter

Dave Cameron ranks Zack #20 in a listing of the top 50 players by trade value.

"#20 – Zack Greinke, SP, Kansas City

It would have been unfair to expect Greinke to repeat his remarkable 2009 season, and thus far, he hasn't been able to do it. However, even after taking a step back, he's still among the game's best pitchers, and he is signed to a bargain contract that will pay him just $27 million in 2011 and 2012. Of all the guys in the Top 50, he's probably the most likely to be moved before his current contract expires, so it will be interesting to see if we actually find out what Greinke's trade value is in the next year or so."

Royals 3B prospect Mike Moustakas has been officially promoted to AAA Omaha

Moustakas will actually go back to AA for a few games first, then head to Omaha

Info from last week's ESPN Magazine:

From MLB Player X on the All-Star Game: "I also know for a fact that guys around the majors are not psyched about the prospect of spending All-Star week in Kansas City in 2012. The park isn't great and there just isn't much going on in that town."

The "For Love or the Game" article ran on Podsednik (they ask him questions and then ask his wife and a current or former teammate the same questions about Scott and see who gets the most right - this time they asked Buerhle). Some things you may not have known about Pods (photoshop junkies, eat your hearts out):

Loves the Rambo movies.
His hidden talent is singing country songs.
Believes that others can jinx his hot streaks.
He's OCD (or anal, as he says).
Afraid of snakes and ghosts.
Has a crush on Charlize Theron.
Weirdest fan request is signing boobs (but he says he "absolutely sign[s] them").

Also, Buster Olney comments in the MLB section that he thinks Pods is one of the most likely candidates of all MLB players to be traded to a contender before the deadline and that KC would get a prospect in return.

Royals sign third-round pick Michael Antonio. He is 6 foot 1, 170 pounds. Shortstop out of George Washington High in New York, NY

Buster Olney praises the Royals' approach against Strasburg:

"The Kansas City Royals had an excellent approach against Stephen Strasburg on Wednesday, often taking the ball to the opposite field and through the middle; four of their nine hits against the phenom were to the opposite field, and the other five went up the middle."
"It would only work to Strasburg's advantage if he could instill the same fear in other hitters, especially if other clubs take the same approach to swinging against him as the Royals did, in leaning over the plate to slap the ball to the opposite field. "

Heard Royals have agreed to terms with Christian Colon for somewhere around $2.8 million. He'll report to high-A in about ten days.

BP Interview with Bruce Chen

Hoch to DL with sprained elbow. Lerew to KC.

John Parrish released because of shoulder problems.

Royals 2nd rd pick Eibner playing with broken hand. Picollo's son plays baseball with buddy's son. Discussed draft and found out

If The Pirates take Pomeranz, SS Manny Machado may fall into the lap of the Kansas City Royals at No. 4 -- but at this stage they don't appear poised to call his name, and he doesn't figure to be in the plans of the Cleveland Indians at No. 5, either.

Completely hypothetical question:

I was reading this post and it made me think about what we would do if the Yankees didn't resign Jeter. So, if Derek Jeter became available as a FA and the Royals had a chance to sign him, would you? I realize that he will almost assuredly be a Yankee forever, but that's why it's hypothetical.

Are there any other upcoming FAs (see this list for options) that you would want to chase? We likely won't have much money to work with, but if we went after one or two, who would it be?

Keith Law sees the Royals taking Chris Sale at 4:

"Chris Sale, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast University
Similar to the situation in Baltimore, the Royals were supposedly told by ownership to take a college player after Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer (both top-four picks out of high school) had disappointing 2009 seasons, but I imagine that's changed because those might be the two best-hitting prospects in the minors right now. Royals scouting director J.J. Picollo went to see Sale three consecutive Fridays in April, and that's not something a scouting director typically does unless it's for a top candidate for his first pick."

Great article by Schaum on Calling up Players Early (eg. Moose)

Grandal and Machado update:

Yasmani Grandal went 2-3 with a double and a homer against Deck McGuire of Georgia Tech on Friday, who KLaw ranks as the #7 prospect in the draft. The rest of the lineup for the fifth-ranked Hurricanes went 4-27 with 9 Ks. Grandal followed that performance with a 2-4 Saturday with a double, homer, and walk.

Grandal is now hitting .427/.548/.772 with 34 XBH (21 2Bs, 1 3B, and 12 HR), 44 BB, and 27 K on the season and is leading the ACC in hitting in conference games.

I have limited stats on Manny Machado, but I know that he was hitting .689 on the season with 49 RBIs and 11 HRs in 61 ABs as of April 28th. He also went 2-3 with a HR and 3 RBIs in a playoff game. He unsurprisingly made the county's All-Star team and was the player of the year in his district. There's an article on him here.

Those are the two I would want the Royals to draft, but if you want someone else, either post their stats or I can try to dig them up.

Royals fire 3B coach Dave Owen, shift 1B coach Eddie Rodriguez to 3B, and return Rusty Kuntz on staff as 1B coach.