Professional – Page 16 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Royals drop finale to White Sox 6-3

Posted on March 31, 2019

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lucas Giolito has mastered the Kansas City Royals, a trend that continued Sunday.

The rest of the major leagues? The Chicago White Sox hope the 6-foot-6 right-hander is ready to dominate there, too.

Giolito took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning in his first start of the season, and the White Sox beat the Royals 6-3 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep in the season-opening series.

“It feels good to start off on a good note,” Giolito said. “Throughout my whole career, I’ve always had my not as good starts earlier in the year, and I wanted to change that this year.”

Giolito (1-0) walked Whit Merrifield on four pitches to begin the game, but then retired 19 straight before Alex Gordon’s single with one out in the seventh. Gordon fouled off four consecutive pitches before lining a curveball into center field.

“Besides that curveball, he was pretty much on all day,” Gordon said. “Like I say, give him credit. It was a good at-bat, but he had a great game.”

Giolito couldn’t finish the inning. Ryan O’Hearn drove in Gordon with a double into the right field corner, and Lucas Duda chased Giolito with an RBI single. Giolito was charged with two runs in 6 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and a walk with eight strikeouts. He threw 99 pitches.

Giolito was 10-13 with a 6.13 ERA in 2018 and led the AL in walks (90) and the majors in earned runs allowed (118). In seven starts against the Royals in his career, Giolito is 4-0 with a 2.40 ERA. In 14 starts against the other AL Central teams, Giolito has a 5.62 ERA.

“He was attacking the strike zone,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “Breaking ball was working well, he was commanding his fastball, probably tired a little bit there at the end, but really did a really nice job.”

Ryan Burr got the final out of the seventh to end the threat.

Yonder Alonso preserved the no-hitter with a diving stop in the sixth, and he and Jose Abreu homered on consecutive pitches in the fourth off starter Jorge Lopez (0-1).

Alex Colome pitched a perfect ninth for his first save.

Alonso had two hits and three RBI. Four other White Sox had two hits in the game, including Abreu.

Alonso also robbed Billy Hamilton of a hit by diving down the first base line to snag a line drive in the sixth.

Lopez and reliever Tim Hill combined to walk three straight during the sixth inning, resulting in two runs. Lopez allowed four runs in five-plus innings.

Royals right-handers Kyle Zimmer and Chris Ellis made their major league debuts. Zimmer threw a scoreless eighth inning, surrendering a single and striking out two.

The fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft, Zimmer spent six seasons in the minor leagues and spent last year way from the organization while working on his mechanics at the Driveline baseball facility in Seattle.

“This is just the first of hopefully many outings. Hopefully the first of many zeros,” Zimmer said.

“We’re just scratching the surface,” Yost said. “This is nothing. He’s got the ability to put together a nice run this year and establish himself as a major leaguer. That’s what he’s got to do now.”

Ellis matched Zimmer with a scoreless ninth, giving up two singles and a walk in the inning after retiring the first two batters he faced.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: OF Jon Jay (right hip strain) will have his hip reevaluated when the team gets back to Chicago later this week, and RHP Ian Hamilton is throwing as he continues to work his way back from right shoulder inflammation. Renteria said both players, who have been on the 10-day injured list since March 25, are improving each day.

UP NEXT

White Sox: Ivan Nova makes his first start Monday as a member of the White Sox as Chicago travels to Cleveland for a two-game series.

Royals: Brad Keller will make his second start of the season Tuesday against the Twins. Keller has pitched 41 consecutive innings without allowing a home run, dating to Aug. 31. It’s the longest active streak in the AL and the second-longest streak in the majors.

— Associated Press —

Cardinals lose on a walk-off at Milwaukee Sunday

Posted on March 31, 2019

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich led the way for the Milwaukee Brewers, from his first swing to the very last one for the game.

So it was a pretty typical day for the reigning NL MVP.

Yelich hit his fourth homer in the first inning and a two-run double in the ninth, lifting the Brewers to a dramatic 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

“What we’re witnessing is greatness,” Milwaukee slugger Ryan Braun said. “It’s absolutely incredible.”

Ben Gamel led off the ninth with a pinch-hit double and advanced on Lorenzo Cain’s infield single off reliever Jordan Hicks’ glove. Yelich then hit a liner into the gap in left-center, driving in Gamel and Cain.

“We were just trying to find a way to push one across and tie the game,” Yelich said. “(Hicks) has great stuff. One snuck in the line, and Lo’s deflected off his glove and we were able to pull it off.”

Yelich tipped his cap to Gamel.

“It’s really hard to pinch-hit against a guy who throws that hard and has that good of stuff,” Yelich said. “(Gamel) was able to battle and sneak one in there. He got the whole thing started for us.”

Yelich tossed his helmet in the air in celebration as Cain slid face first across the plate, giving Milwaukee three wins its opening four-game set against rival St. Louis. Yelich’s teammates rushed the field and doused the reigning NL MVP with Gatorade in a raucous celebration at second.

The 27-year-old Yelich hit .326 with 36 homers and 110 RBI last year, leading the Brewers to the NL Central title. He is 6 for 12 with six walks and eight RBI so far this season.

“I’ve never seen anyone this good at baseball for this long,” Braun said. “I mean, maybe (Barry) Bonds in his prime. As great as (Mike) Trout is. I’ve seen (Albert) Pujols. I’ve never seen anyone this good for this long.”

Yelich began his day with a long drive into the second deck in right against Michael Wacha, tying the major league record for homers in consecutive games to start a season. He also became the first player to win the MVP award and then homer in his first four games of the next season.

“Candidly, I can’t recall a series like that,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “I’ve had some guys that are smoking hot against us, but I’ve never seen that kind of damage over four days.”

Paul Goldschmidt, Matt Carpenter and Paul DeJong homered for St. Louis, but Hicks (0-1) blew his first save opportunity of the season. Wacha struck out seven while pitching six innings of one-run ball.

The Cardinals got a scare in the ninth when Kolten Wong dove to steal second and got hit right below the left ear by Yasmani Grandal’s throw. Second baseman Mike Moustakas quickly signaled to the Cardinals’ dugout for help. Wong eventually got up and remained in the game.

Milwaukee right-hander Corbin Burnes struck out 12 in five innings in his first major league start. But Burnes was hurt by the long ball.

DeJong connected for a two-run drive in the fourth, and Carpenter and Goldschmidt added consecutive homers in the fifth. Goldschmidt also went deep three times Friday night.

The Brewers got two back in the seventh. With two out and a runner on first, left-hander Andrew Miller came in to face Yelich and walked him. Ryan Braun and Travis Shaw then hit RBI singles before Miller struck out Jesus Aguilar swinging to end the threat.

Jacob Barnes (1-0) worked the ninth for the win.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: RHP Jeremy Jeffress (right shoulder weakness) pitched an inning in Arizona on Saturday and is scheduled to go again on Tuesday. If the rehab goes as planned, he’ll pitch at Triple-A San Antonio on Friday. “We’re ready to get him into games,” manager Craig Counsell said.

QUOTABLE

“He’s a good hitter,” Miller said of Yelich, who homered off him Friday night. “You can’t go to one spot. There’s no hole you can sit there and just go after and try to execute in one spot. You got to mix and match. It’s a game of chess and he got me.”

GOLDSCHMIDT SETS CARDS RECORD

Goldschmidt’s four homers are the most ever by a Cardinal in a series against the Brewers. Pujols (three times), Scott Rolen and Fernando Tatis hit three homers in a single series against Milwaukee.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright makes his first start of the season at Pittsburgh on Monday. His 13 career wins over the Pirates trails only Johnny Cueto of the San Francisco Giants (20).

Brewers: RHP Zach Davies makes his first start in Cincinnati on Monday. He’s looking to bounce back after he was hampered by injuries last season.

— Associated Press —

Royals beat White Sox 8-6 for a 2-0 start

Posted on March 30, 2019March 31, 2019

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — If the Kansas City Royals are going to have success in 2019, they’ll need to rely on their speed. That was very evident Saturday in an 8-6 win over the Chicago White Sox on a wet, cold and windy afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.

Jorge Soler had three hits and three RBI and Alex Gordon scored three runs despite not getting a hit. Billy Hamilton got three hits and scored twice for the Royals, 2-0 for the first time since their World Series-winning season in 2015.

The first pitch was delayed 30 minutes because of rain. When the game began, it was 38 degrees and felt like 28, whipped by 18 mph winds.

The Royals had two big innings when they scored seven of their eight runs, and speed played a role in all of them. Nowhere was it more evident than a three-run fourth when Hamilton advanced from first base on a flyout to right field.

“We were screaming for him to tag,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. “That’s the type of baseball we like to play. We like to push it. He’s got that phenomenal speed to be able to do it.”

For Hamilton, it was no big deal.

“I take pride in my baserunning,” he said. “It’s easier to score from second base than it is from first base. I kind of know the guys who are playing. I knew if he would have thrown me out I wouldn’t have been mad. You have to take the chance.

The speed on the basepaths seemed to rattle White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez (0-1). He gave up four runs on six hits through four-plus innings.

“If they get on base, they can be a disruption, a distraction for you because you have to keep checking on them just to make sure they don’t take a big lead and take off earlier,” Lopez said. “I don’t think that they ran a lot against me, but it’s just part of the game.”

Chicago manager Rick Renteria said Lopez struggled to stay on track.

“He was pulling pitches quite a bit early and wasn’t able to get back to front,” he said. “He wasn’t able to do it as well as we wanted him to. He was not having a good feel for the baseball this afternoon.”

“It was a little bit cool for him, as it was for both sides. I think he was pulling a lot more pitches than we’re used to. He tried to make an adjustment but just wasn’t able to,” he said.

Jakob Junis (1-0) gave up three runs — all in the sixth on Jose Abreu’s homer — over 5 2/3 innings. He allowed six hits, walked one and struck out six.

It was the second straight strong starting effort for the Royals. Brad Keller threw seven shutout innings in the season-opener Thursday.

Ian Kennedy pitched the ninth for the first save of his career. He gave up two quick singles, but then retired the next three batters.

“Nerves go away quickly when you get first and second,” he said. “That’s when you know you can’t give up any more singles. You try to put it to a stop.”

The Royals made it 4-0 in the fifth when Gordon walked and scored on a double by Soler, chasing Lopez.

Yolmer Sanchez and Yoan Moncada singled in the White Sox sixth and Abreu homered.

The Royals came back with four runs in the bottom half. Whit Merrifield hit a two-run single, extending his hitting streak to 22 games back to last season, Gordon walked and Soler drove in both runners with his second double.

Moncada homered in a three-run seventh.

Prized White Sox rookie Eloy Jimenez got his first two big league hits after going 0 for 3 in his debut Thursday.

UP NEXT

White Sox: RHP Lucas Giolito will make his season debut for the White Sox as they conclude the season-opening series.

Royals: RHP Jorge Lopez will get the start for the Royals.

— Associated Press —

Cardinals lose at Milwaukee Saturday 4-2

Posted on March 30, 2019March 31, 2019

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich and Josh Hader, breakout stars during Milwaukee’s surprising run to the NL Championship Series last year, are managing to look even better in 2019.

Yelich became the first MVP to homer in the first three games of the following season, Hader closed things out with an immaculate inning and the Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Saturday night.

After a making a sliding catch in right field for the first out of the game, Yelich got Milwaukee on the board in his first at-bat, sending a hanging slider from Dakota Hudson (0-1) to left for a 1-0 lead.

“He’s swinging the bat really good,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “Two opposite-field homers in the last two days.”

Travis Shaw and Mike Moustakas went deep in the third for Milwaukee, spoiling Hudson’s first career major league start after 26 relief appearances as a rookie last season.

“Those guys are really strong,” Hudson said. “A lot of veteran hitters over there. They knew what they could do and they took the ball the backside. It wasn’t like they were hitting a ton of mistakes. They knew what they wanted and executed and put a good swing on it.”

The right-hander was charged with four runs — three earned — seven hits and two walks while striking out six over 4 1/3 innings.

“He competed really well, he went after it,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “I really appreciate the way he dealt with adversity. He went right back at it. So, it’s a really good trait. Dakota’s going to be more than fine.”

Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Woodruff (1-0) held St. Louis to two runs and struck out five over five innings. The Brewers’ bullpen took over from there with four scoreless innings, capped by Hader’s perfect ninth — nine pitches, all fastballs, for three strikeouts.

Center fielder Tyler O’Neill was the only player to make contact. He fouled off Hader’s first offering before coming up empty on the next two pitches. Hader drew three straight swings and misses from Dexter Fowler and two more after pinch-hitter Yario Munoz looked at strike one.

“It’s as good an inning as you can have,” Counsell said. “You can’t have a better inning than that. He’s had a great start to the season.”

Including his two-inning, four-strikeout performance on opening day, Hader has thrown 30 pitches, all of them fastballs.

“The way we look at it is, why change something or why try to fix something that’s not broken?” Hader said. “We were just trying to attack the zone and continue to read the swings and what we see. That was one of the big things, continuing to attack with our strengths.”

YELICH CHASING HISTORY

Yelich is the 35th MLB player and first Brewer to homer in three straight games to start a season.

The major league record for a home run streak to start a year is four games. Five players have accomplished that feat: Willie Mays (1971), Mark McGwire (1998), Nelson Cruz (2011), Chris Davis (2013) and Trevor Story (2016).

WONG STAYS HOT

Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong recorded his second multihit game Saturday, going 2 for 3 with a double. Through three games, Wong is 6 for 10 with a walk, two home runs and four RBI.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: OF Harrison Bader got a day off after going 2 for 8 with a home run through the first two games of the season. With Bader out, Tyler O’Neill made his first start of the season.

Brewers: OF Ryan Braun was left out of the starting lineup but appeared as a pinch-hitter, flying out to left in the sixth.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha is 5-0 with a 4.19 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts) against Milwaukee, including a 2-0 mark and 3.80 ERA in five appearances (four starts) at Miller Park.

Brewers: RHP Corbin Burnes makes his first major league start Sunday in the series finale. Burns opened eyes as a rookie last season, going 7-0 with a 2.61 ERA in 30 relief appearances then allowing just a pair of runs over nine postseason innings.

— Associated Press —

Keller, Mondesi lead Royals past White Sox 5-3 on opening day

Posted on March 28, 2019

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brad Keller pitched two-hit ball over seven shutout innings, Adalberto Mondesi tripled twice and the Kansas Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 on Thursday after the start of their season opener was delayed nearly two hours by rain.

Eloy Jimenez went 0 for 3 with an RBI in his major league debut for Chicago after signing a $43 million, six-year contract — a record high for a player under club control yet to appear in a big league game. The 22-year-old outfielder was nicked on the left toe by a pitch with the bases loaded in the ninth.

Jorge Soler drove in two runs and Whit Merrifield scored twice for the Royals. Merrifield extended his hitting streak to 21 games dating to last season and stole two bases — he led the majors with 45 steals a year ago.

Keller (1-0) struck out five and walked one to help the Royals improve to 18-33 on opening day. Brad Boxberger got one out for a save in his Kansas City debut.

Mondesi joined Tony Pena (2007) as the only Royals players to hit two triples in a season opener.

Carlos Rodon (0-1) started for the White Sox and was charged with three runs — two earned — and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked one.

Chicago won 14-7 in Kansas City in on opening day last year.

— Associated Press —

Cain robs HR for final out as Cardinals lose opener at Milwaukee

Posted on March 28, 2019

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee center fielder Lorenzo Cain soared above the wall to rob Jose Martinez of a tying home run for the final out, lifting Christian Yelich and the Brewers over the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 in an opener Thursday.

With at least one Cardinals player in the bullpen already raising his arms to celebrate, Cain pulled back the pinch-hit drive by Martinez in right-center. A fired-up Cain flung the ball high into the air as the Brewers poured onto the field to celebrate.

Yelich got right back to work after winning the National League MVP award last season, putting Milwaukee ahead to stay with a three-run homer off Miles Mikolas in the third. The Miller Park crowd of 45,304 roared as Yelich glided around the bases.

Mike Moustakas and pitcher Jhoulys Chacin also connected for the Brewers in a performance that looked a lot like their run to the NL Championship Series last October. Josh Hader retired the first two batters before Cain’s play finished off the save.

Kolten Wong homered twice for St. Louis and Harrison Bader also connected. The Cardinals blew a 3-0 lead in their fifth consecutive loss against the Brewers, including a three-game sweep last September that helped propel Milwaukee to the NL Central title.

Paul Goldschmidt went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a walk in his first regular-season game for St. Louis since he was acquired in an offseason trade with Arizona. The All-Star slugger had a short conversation with plate umpire Gary Cederstrom after he looked at a called third strike in each of his first two at-bats.

Chacin (1-0) struck out seven in 5⅓ innings in his third Opening Day start. He also helped himself with two hits, singling and scoring on Yelich’s drive before hitting a 2-2 pitch from Mikolas into Milwaukee’s bullpen in left-center for his second career homer in the fifth.

Mikolas (0-1), a surprise star last season when he went 18-4 in his first year with the Cardinals, allowed five runs and five hits in five innings.

Wong’s second homer made it 5-4 in the seventh, but Milwaukee’s depleted bullpen held on. Hader struck out four in two perfect innings, fanning Goldschmidt, Paul DeJong and Marcell Ozuna in the eighth.

Hader was a key figure for the Brewers last year, and he became even more important when key relievers Jeremy Jeffress and Corey Knebel opened this season on the injured list. Jeffress is coming back from a sore right shoulder, but Knebel could be headed for season-ending elbow surgery.

The Cardinals got off to a fast start, scoring the first three runs on consecutive first-pitch homers by Wong and Bader in the second. Wong connected after Dexter Fowler reached on a two-out walk, and Bader hit a deep drive to left.

The Brewers got one back when Moustakas went deep with two out in the bottom half of the inning. Moustakas also did just fine in his first game at second base after beginning his career as a third baseman.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: 3B Matt Carpenter showed no sign of any trouble after he was bothered by back tightness at the end of spring training. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. … LHP Brett Cecil (carpal tunnel syndrome) was moved to the 60-day injured list to create a 40-man roster spot for RHP Merandy Gonzalez, who was claimed off waivers from San Francisco and optioned to Double-A Springfield.

Brewers: Knebel said he will make a decision Friday on his next course of action. He could have Tommy John surgery and then return at some point next year, or try to rehab the injury.

UP NEXT

Young right-handers Jack Flaherty and Freddy Peralta get the ball when the series resumes Friday night. St. Louis is counting on the 23-year-old Flaherty to help anchor the rotation after he went 8-9 with a 3.34 ERA in 28 starts last year. Peralta, who turns 23 in June, won a spot in Milwaukee’s rotation during spring training. He went 6-4 with a 4.25 ERA in 16 appearances last season during his first year in the majors, including 14 starts.

— Associated Press —

Chiefs sign former Dallas LB Damien Wilson

Posted on March 14, 2019

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Thursday that the club has signed free agent linebacker Damien Wilson.

“We see a lot of potential in Damien,” Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach said. “He was a really good player in Dallas, and as we go through this transition with our defense we were in the market for a young, SAM linebacker. We feel really good about Damien and are excited to have him here in Kansas City.”

Wilson (6-0, 245) has played in 64 games (22 starts) in four NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys (2015-18). His career numbers include 98 tackles (69 solo), 2.5 sacks (-18.0 yards), eight tackles for loss and one forced fumble.

The Gloster, Mississippi, native, originally entered the NFL as a fourth-round selection (127th overall) of the Dallas Cowboys in the 2015 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Minnesota.

— Chiefs Press Release —

Chiefs release safety Eric Berry

Posted on March 13, 2019

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Wednesday that the club has released safety Eric Berry.

“On behalf of my family and the entire Chiefs organization, I want to thank Eric for his many contributions to the Chiefs over the last nine seasons,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. “Eric has been a tremendous leader for our football team and an inspiration to so many fans over the years, and we sincerely appreciate all that he has meant to the Chiefs. He will always be an important part of our Chiefs family, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

“We continually evaluate every aspect of our football team and we came to the decision that it was in our best interest to release Eric,” Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach said. “Knowing what Eric has meant to this organization and this city made this an incredibly difficult decision. We wish him nothing but the best.”

“I’d like to thank Eric for his contributions to our team and the Kansas City community over the last nine years,” Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid said. “Seeing his passion and watching his love for the game has been truly remarkable. He’s a special person, and we wish him the best as his career moves forward.”

Berry (6-0, 212) has played in 89 games (87 starts) in nine NFL seasons with the Chiefs (2010-18). His career numbers include 440 tackles (372 solo), 5.5 sacks, 14 interceptions (five return TDs), 51 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

He earned five trips to the Pro Bowl in his time with the Chiefs. Following the 2015 season, Berry was honored with the AP’s Comeback Player of the Year Award as well as being the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award after overcoming Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He earned the team’s Derrick Thomas Award in 2015 and 2016, given to the team’s most valuable player, voted on by his teammates.

The Fairburn, Ga., native, originally entered the NFL as the fifth-overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Chiefs. He played collegiately at the University of Tennessee.

— Chiefs Press Release —

AP Source: Chiefs, Mathieu agree to $42M, 3-yr contract

Posted on March 11, 2019March 11, 2019

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs agreed to a $42 million, three-year deal with safety Tyrann Mathieu on Monday, continuing what is expected to be an aggressive offseason overhaul of their leaky defense.

Two people familiar with the deal confirmed the move. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal cannot become official until Wednesday, when the new league year begins and free agents can sign contracts.

The 26-year-old Mathieu was selected by Arizona in the third round of the 2013 draft after a standout career at LSU. He showed glimpses of his ball-hawking, playmaking abilities with the Cardinals, earning a Pro Bowl selection during the 2015 season, but also dealt with his share of injuries.

He tore ligaments in his left knee in 2013 and right knee in late 2015.

Mathieu signed a $7 million deal with Houston last season and wound up starting all 16 games. He tied his career high with 89 tackles, added three sacks and had a pair of interceptions, and his versatility — able to cover like a cornerback and tackle like a safety — is clearly appealing.

“It’s a passing league and everyone is trying to create mismatches in the secondary,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said. “Just when you think you have enough corners you have to start moving them to safety, but I certainly think you are starting to see that trend of guys projecting corners to safeties and getting as many cover guys on the field as possible.”

The money the Chiefs intend to give “the Honey Badger” is roughly what they freed up Sunday, when they released pass rusher Justin Houston after failing to drum up trade interest in him.

Houston was due $15.25 million this season and carried a salary cap hit of $21.1 million, and the decision to release him freed up about $14 million. That allowed the Chiefs to actively pursue Mathieu while still giving them enough salary cap space to address other areas of their defense.

The Chiefs are switching from a base 3-4 defense to a 4-3 system under new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, and that means some of their old personnel doesn’t quite fit. The Chiefs used the franchise tag on top pass rusher Dee Ford, but they continue to listen to potential trade offers.

In the meantime, they are eyeing free agency and the draft to add an edge rusher, upgrade at middle linebacker and improve their secondary. Kendall Fuller was solid in his first season in Kansas City, but fellow cornerback Steven Nelson is a free agent and things are shaky further down the depth chart.

The Chiefs also were intent on finding a safety to pair with Eric Berry, who missed most of last season with a mysterious foot injury. Berry carries a massive salary-cap hit, but the Chiefs missed out on Landon Collins in free agency and appear content to keep him on the roster.

If he’s healthy, Berry and Mathieu would form one of the AFC’s best safety duos.

“We are comfortable with where we are with our players,” Veach said. “We have a plan in place for these guys and no one is more excited to get back at this thing than Eric.”

Anything would be an upgrade on last season, when the Chiefs allowed a league-worst 425.6 yards and 35.3 points per game. The defense ultimately let down Kansas City when it mattered most, failing to get off the field in overtime in an AFC title game loss to the New England Patriots.

Defensive coordinator Bob Sutton was fired within days, the Chiefs quickly hired Spagnuolo, and now they are beginning to piece together what they hope is a vastly improved unit before next season.

“One great thing about Steve is he is going to put players in positions to make plays and I don’t think he is going to be pigeonholed into any one idea or concept,” Veach said. “We have a great coaching staff. We certainly have some talent on our roster now and hopefully we will add some more here soon.”

— Associated Press —

Royals finalize $2.5M, 1-year contract with Maldonado

Posted on March 11, 2019March 11, 2019

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have finalized a $2.5 million, one-year deal with Martin Maldonado, giving them a veteran catcher after losing Salvador Perez to a season-ending injury.

The deal announced Monday includes up to $1.4 million in performance bonuses for games caught.

Maldonado spent last season with the Los Angeles Angels and Houston Astros, hitting .225 with nine homers and 44 RBIs in 119 games. But his biggest strength has been his ability to frame pitches and play defense, and his experience should help what is expected to be a young Royals team this season.

Maldonado’s Gold Glove in 2017 broke Perez’s streak of four straight.

Perez underwent Tommy John surgery last Wednesday after tearing a ligament in his throwing arm during a spring training workout.

— Associated Press —