Royals Sign Willie Bloomquist; Resign Davies

The Royals signed infielder Willie Bloomquist to a two-year deal yesterday that is believed to be worth $3.1 million. Sounds like he’ll compete for the starting job at second base, along with Alberto Callaspo, and presumably Esteban German. With Mike Aviles already penciled into the lineup, and Tony Pena firmly entrenched on the bench, I really don’t get the Bloomquist signing.

Yeah, he gets on base, and is above average defensively, but he doesn’t hit for average (.263 lifetime) and he certainly doesn’t have any power (6 HR in 7 seasons). And really, how many backup infielders do we need? I can see going after a legitimate starting second baseman and then letting the chips fall where they may regarding Callaspo, German, and Pena, but why add another guy who has never really been a starter to the mix? And for two years? Why two years?

He’s scrappy, plays hard, is said to have a good clubhouse presence, and all of that. I probably put more value in those those qualities than many other people do, but there comes a point in which scrappiness and playing hard aren’t enough. You need players who produce at high levels. I certainly don’t want more Jose Guillen’s on the team, but I don’t think we need any more David Eckstein’s either.

Turning the page . . . the Royals also signed Kyle Davies yesterday. According to this website, he signed a one-year deal worth $1.3 million, which seems about right—especially given how well he pitched last September when he went 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA. He was 9-7 for the season with a 4.06 ERA in 21 starts. But with all of that said, last season was the best of his career. If he can sustain his momentum, he’ll be well worth the money.

A couple of other items to note:

• The Royals caravan hits the road next week with stops in Nebraska and Iowa. It’ll stop in Omaha on Thursday. I may try to get to it if my schedule allows. Here’s a link with info about all of the upcoming stops.
  


• The Royals Award Night is scheduled for January 16 in Overland Park. Tickets are available. Here’s a link for more info.