By Matt Snyder

Royals general manager Dayton Moore has taken a page out of the Andrew Friedman playbook. Monday evening, the Royals announced that they have agreed to a five-year contract, that also has three club options, with young catcher Salvador Perez. That means that the Royals effectively have control over keeping Perez through the 2019 season.

Perez, 21, hit .331/.361/.473 with three homers, 21 RBI and 20 runs in his 39 games for the Royals last season. He began the season as a highly-touted prospect in Double-A, where he spent 79 games. He played in just 12 Triple-A games before getting his call to the bigs, where he spent the last six weeks of the season.

Like Friedman's masterpiece deals with Evan Longoria and Matt Moore in Tampa Bay, the risk for the Royals is minimal. If Perez hits all his incentives and the Royals pick up every option, Perez will make just $26.75 million, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. And if the Royals do pick up all three club options, one would expect Perez is playing at a level higher than just over $3 million per season.

Obviously, we can't paint Perez as the victim, either. This is a mutually beneficial deal. What if Perez flames out and never meets his potential? What if a series of injuries ends his career? Wel, the base of the contract is $7 million (per Dutton), money Perez would never sniff if not signing this deal.

Perez is part of an excellent young core of players the Royals hope will get them in pennant contention for the next several seasons. Along with Perez, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Johnny Giavotella lead the movement for position players, complementing still-young veterans like Alex Gordon and Billy Butler.

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By Matt Snyder

What if players were only permitted to stay with the team that originally made them a professional? No trades, no Rule-5 Draft, no minor or major league free agency ... once you are a professional baseball player, you stay in that organization. This series shows how all 30 teams would look. We give you: Homegrown teams. To view the schedule/past entries of this feature, click here.

Long a punching bag for fans and media alike, the Kansas City Royals have become a darling in recent years due to their strong farm system. We keep hearing about how they'll be a World Series caliber team by 2014 and the first wave of strong talent hit the bigs in 2011 -- with Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas leading the charge. There's more on the way, too. For the purposes of this exercise, though, the Royals get to add two All-Star veterans to the lineup who have long since departed. Oh, and they get back an aloof ace.

Lineup

1. Alex Gordon, LF
2. Johnny Damon, RF
3. Eric Hosmer, 1B
4. Carlos Beltran, CF
5. Billy Butler, DH
6. Mike Moustakas, 3B
7. Salvador Perez, C
8. Johnny Giavotella, 2B
9. Mike Aviles, SS

Starting Rotation

1. Zack Greinke
2. Luke Hochevar
3. Aaron Crow
4. Danny Duffy
5. Chad Durbin

Bullpen

Closer - J.P. Howell
Set up - Jeremy Affeldt, Greg Holland, Blake Wood, Tim Byrdak, Mike MacDougal
Long - Louis Coleman

Notable Bench Players

Matt Treanor, Kila Ka'aihue, Mark Ellis, David DeJesus, Mitch Maier, Jarrod Dyson

What's Good?

That really looks like a nice lineup. There's obviously some growing up to be done in the 6-7-8 spots, but that's a lot easier done when the top five spots are that strong. And remember, Wil Myers is on the way ...

What's Not?

With Beltran and Damon getting up into their high-30s, the outfield defense would lack range. Of course, DeJesus and Dyson are both available off the bench as late-inning defensive replacements, so the situation wouldn't be dire. There is no real closer, but that's a bit overrated anyway. And the starting rotation leaves something to be desired, for now, until Crow and Duffy prove their worth and some of the other prospects (like John Lamb and Mike Montgomery) start to arrive.

Comparison to real 2011

It's actually pretty similar, aside from a few huge names. These Royals have Beltran and Damon instead of Melky Cabrera and Jeff Francoeur, while Greinke has been thrown atop the rotation. Those are upgrades and, remember, the real-life Royals didn't get full seasons out of many of their young players. It's reasonable to put this squad above .500 and maybe even lingering around in the playoff chase into August.

Up Next: Atlanta Braves

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By C. Trent Rosecrans

Another season gone, another disappointment for 29 teams as one is immortalized forever. Let’s take a look back at 2011 and forward in Eye on Baseball’s R.I.P. series...

Team name: Kansas City Royals
Record: 70-89, 22 games back in AL Central
Manager: Ned Yost
Best hitter: Alex Gordon -- .303/.376/.502, 23 HR, 87 RBI, 101 R, 45 2B, 17 SB
Best pitcher: Aaron Crow -- 4-4, 2.80 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 64 K, 61 IP

Few seasons that end with a team 22 games back will garner as much optimism as the 2011 Royals, a team with few expectations other than playing time for young players and giving a glimpse of the future. Even before 2011, that future was bright -- but with some of the performances by the Royals' youngsters and even its less-youngsters -- have made that future seem even brighter.

2011 SEASON RECAP

For the 2011 Royals, the wins and losses were never part of the proposition, it was progress by the likes of Eric Hosmer, Alcides Escobar, Mike Moustakas, Johnny Giavotella and Salvador Perez. What the Royals found was that Hosmer is an absolute stud, Escobar can contribute enough at the plate to keep his glove in the lineup and Moustakas, after a rough start, has shown the ability that had so many excited. 

Not only were the new toys impressive, so were some of the other, slightly older types, such as Gordon, Billy Butler, Melky Cabrera and Jeff Francoeur (none of whom are older than 27). In all, the Royals were sixth in the American League in runs (719), fourth in batting average (.274) and fifth in OPS (.743) -- all marks better than league average.

The problem for the Royals was finding pitching, finishing 12th out of 14 AL teams in team ERA at 4.46, allowing the third-best OPS by opponent batters (.763) and their starters had a 4.83 ERA. 

2012 AUDIT

The rotation remains a mess, and without a significant trade or two in the offseason will likely stay that way. It's never a good sign when your best starter was Bruce Chen. There are, of course, good pitching prospects, but the arms the organization was banking on breaking through all took steps back in 2011, with lefty John Lamb undergoing Tommy John surgery, another lefty, Mike Montgomery, struggled in Triple-A, while yet another lefty, Chris Dwyer, struggled in Double-A.

Left-hander Danny Duffy had his ups and downs, going 4-8 with a 5.64 ERA in the big leagues, but his stuff was never in question. Many talented young pitchers have struggled in the big leagues before finding their control.

Former Astro Felipe Paulino (an actual right-hander) pitched relatively well this season for the Royals, going 3-6 with a 4.10 ERA for the Royals in 118 2/3 innings. Luke Hochevar, a former No. 1 overall pick, has teased with his talent -- but seems to do so every year. If this is the year he puts it all together…

FREE AGENTS
C Jason Kendall
RHP Kyle Davies
LHP Bruce Chen
LHP Jeff Francis

OFFSEASON FOCUS

The offseason focus is pitching, namely starting pitching. Of course, few teams aren't looking for starting pitching. The difference is the Royals still have some talented prospects to dangle.

• Every offseason there seems to be a pitcher that most didn't think was available, but yet the thoughts of a big-named prospect can get another GM excited (think Shaun Marcum last offseason). The Royals have the prospects to flip for a high-quality pitcher -- and any chance they get, they should take.
• The Royals missed their shot to trade high on Joakim Soria, who went from one of the game's best closers to being that guy in Kansas City. That said, he has a track record and team-friendly contract. He could bring back a starter for a team desperate for a reliever. The Royals have a $6 million options or 2012 and options for 2013-14. He does have a limited no-trade clause, but that could be waived.
• Move Crow from the bullpen to the starting rotation. He can always go back, and going back is easier during the season than moving into the rotation. Crow was a starter until this season and still projects as one.
• Offer arbitration to Melky Cabrera -- sure, he's due to regress and he'll probably make more than he's worth right now, but he could bring something at the trade deadline if nothing else works out. It also doesn't seem like the team has a center fielder ready to take over quite yet.
• Ricky Nolasco has talent, but his recent struggles mean the Royals won't have to give up much to get the right-hander from Florida. A middle-tier Royals prospect is better than some team's top-tier prospects and it may not even take that to get Nolasco. Kauffman Stadium is a place where pitchers can succeed, so a change of scenery could help. He's owed 20.5 million over the next two seasons, but the Royals are said to have some money to play with. If they take his salary, they won't even have to give up much in prospects.

The Royals are unlikely to contend in 2012, but the promising start of 2011 should continue and if the pitching talent develops or the team makes some big moves to get pitchers to Kansas City, the playoffs could reach KC by 2013.

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By Evan Brunell

Daniel Hudson, Diamondbacks: Hudson has emerged as a go-to guy in the Arizona rotation, and he shut down the Rockies over seven scoreless innings, giving up six baserunners and punching out eight. The victory was the seventh straight for a team that has now pushed their division lead to five games, with Hudson tacking on a RBI single in the 5-1 victory. The righty is projected to crack 220 innings pitched, which would be over 40 innings greater than his previous major-league career high. It's a trend the D-Backs may want to monitor down the stretch, and he could be in line for a break once the postseason push ends.

Randy Wells, Cubs:  Wells threw the game of his life on Monday, handcuffing the Giants in a complete-game two-hitter, allowing just one walk and whiffing seven. The outing pushes Wells' ERA to 5.06, a sight better than the 6.08 ERA he was rocking back in early July. The 29-year-old's season has been a significant setback from the last two years, in no short part due to injury, but a strong September could make the picture look much different.

Salvador Perez, Royals: The Royals think quite highly of Perez, believing he can be a durable starter for them. But Perez's value is on defense, where he draws rave reviews despite being just 21. But for one night, he was the offensive star. During a 3-for-4 night, Perez hammered a 415-foot homer, the first of his career.  "I crushed that ball," Perez told the Associated Press. "I felt so happy -- it was unbelievable." Perez is now hitting .295 on the year.

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Max Scherzer, Tigers: "I don't know what it is about Scherzer," Royals second baseman Johnny Giavotella told the Associated Press after Scherzer couldn't solve Kansas City in an offensive attack that eventually rapped out 18 wins. "We've put good swings on the ball against a lot of pitchers and not gotten anything to show for it, but we've been better against him." Scherzer, who had been demonstrably better in the second half, took a big step back with 10 hits allowed in three innings, coughing up seven runs. It's his worst performance on the year, although others come close to rivaling it. This is a pitcher on the cusp of putting it all together, but a true stinker every now and then keeps setting him back.

Tim Lincecum, Giants: Lincecum had an uncharacteristically bad start, giving up three bombs for the first time in his career as the Cubs walked all over the slumping Giants. Lincecum got through six innings, giving up four runs and walking four, striking out just three. The loss pushes Lincecum to just one game over .500 at 12-11 despite a 2.58 ERA. That's what a moribund offense does for a pitcher's perceived effectiveness in wins and losses. With seven more strikeouts, Lincecum will get 200 whiffs for the fourth consecutive season. Once he does that, he will become the seventh pitcher since 2000 with at least four consecutive years with at least 200 strikeouts. Justin Verlander already became the sixth pitcher earlier this season.

Alex White, Rockies: Alex White is a talented pitcher, but he's got a long ways to go. Despite pitching in the minors with solid command, he's walked 16 over five starts and 27 innings, two of those starts coming with the Rockies. In those games, White has given up five runs per game. The sixth inning was White's downfall, as he gave up four runs and seven baserunners. All told, he walked six, while punching out just three. White has some serious upside long-term, but he's not ready to tap into it just yet.

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By Evan Brunell

The Royals have added another piece to their future by promoting catcher Salvador Perez to assume the bulk of catching duties the remainder of the season.

Perez is the fourth homegrown prospect to be promoted this season, with first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas and second baseman Johnny Giavotella preceding him, the Kansas City Star notes. The 21-year-old is known for his defense, but has bumped up his offense the last two years and now projects as a long-term starter. Perez has split the year between Double- and Triple-A, amassing 309 PA in Double-A and 49 in Triple-A for a total line of .290/.331/.437.

Perez drags down the average age of the starting lineup on Wednesday to 24, a big change from 2010 when only one position player was 24 or younger, Derek Larson writes on Twitter. That would be DH Billy Butler, who played first last season.

As Eye on Baseball scribe C. Trent Rosecrans observed, 24-year-old Alcides Escobar will be the oldest person in the infield on Wednesday, which makes the outfield of Melky Cabrera (26), Alex Gordon (27) and Jeff Francouer (27) old by comparison. And Jeff Francis, the starting pitcher, is ancient at 30.

Perez is replacing Brayan Pena, who was placed on paternity leave, as the starting catcher. When Pena returns, it will be to assume a backup role after hitting .257/.298/.361 in 208 plate appearances, sharing time with Matt Treanor, who is sidelined with a concussion.
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By Evan Brunell

The Kansas City Royals are flush with prospects, giving pained K.C. fans hope after the major league club flailed in recent years. While these prospects aren't quite ready for prime time, the first influx should start arriving in the summer and continue through 2012.

On CBSSports.com's Top 100 prospects list, the Royals walked away with a staggering 10 names, far ahead of Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Toronto, which tied for second with six representatives apiece.

In order, the Royals players that are among the 100 best are 1B Eric Hosmer (No. 5), 3B Mike Moustakas (No. 10), RF Wil Myers (No. 11), SP Mike Montgomery (No. 22), SP John Lamb (No. 28), SP Jake Odorizzi (No. 76), SP Danny Duffy (No. 79), SS Christian Colon (No. 84), SP Chris Dwyer (No. 98) and RP Jeremy Jeffress (No. 99).

Sheesh, that's a lot -- and that's not all, as Baseball America ranked right-hander Aaron Crow No. 9 and outfielder Brett Eibner No. 10 on the top 10 organizational prospects list. This was prior to the trade with Milwaukee that netted Odorizzi and Jeffress, but Crow and Eibner are no slouches either.

Once all these prospects hit, the Royals will be flush in elite talent making minimal dollars, so the Royals should be a force in short order. While other AL Central foes are in no hurry to see what K.C. can do, let's take a look at what the club could look like in several years. The only players included on this list are current members of the team, those that appeared on top 10 organizational lists by varied sources or are highly regarded but are unlucky enough to play in a system so stacked they don't fall on a top 10 list although they could in other organizations.

Here's a full 25-man projection:

C Salvador Perez
1B Eric Hosmer (pictured)
2B Christian Colon
3B Mike Moustakas
SS Alcides Escobar
LF Brett Eibner
CF Lorenzo Cain
RF Wil Myers
DH Billy Butler

Bench 1B: Clint Robinson
Bench IF: Johnny Giovatella
Bench IF: Jeff Bianchi
Bench OF: Jarrod Dyson
Bench OF: David Lough

SP Mike Montgomery
SP John Lamb
SP Jake Odorizzi
SP Danny Duffy
SP Chris Dwyer

RHRP Patrick Keatging
RHRP Luis Coleman
LHRP Tim Collins
RHRP Aaron Crow
RHRP Jeremy Jeffress
RH CL Joakim Soria

This potential roster doesn't even list a backup catcher, but it's pretty obvious that K.C. is absolutely stacked with talent -- especially since pitcher Noel Arguelles and others aren't even listed! (Note that Colon is a shortstop but is slotted at second here although questions remain about his ability to play second long-term. He may yet remain at short if Escobar does not pan out.)

Despite the impressive depth, keep in mind not every prospect pans out. Still, the Royals have quite a fair amount of assets at their disposal, as each name above is expected to at the very least debut in the majors at some point.

One gaping hole that appears here, however, is at catcher. Currently, the team is getting by with Jason Kendall, Brayan Pena and Lucas May, although only May figures to still be with the Royals when the full influx of prospects arrive. Salvador Perez is listed by BA as the projected catcher for 2014, which is why he is here. He is reportedly a gifted catcher with limited offensive potential, but who needs a bat behind the dish when you have a lineup like what K.C. projects to have?

That said, the massive amounts of trade chips the Royals have plus the oodles of money that will be at its disposal should import several other impact players into the team. This is a club positioned for one heck of a run in the middle part of the decade.

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