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Category: Professional

Royals sign Hochevar to one-year contract

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The Kansas City Royals announced Friday that the club has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with right-handed pitcher Luke Hochevar for the 2013 season, avoiding arbitration.  Consistent with club policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.  The Royals have now signed all arbitration-eligible players for the 2013 season.

The 29-year-old Hochevar made 32 starts in 2012, finishing at 8-16 with a 5.73 ERA over 185.1 innings.  He set a career-high with 144 strikeouts, posting 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings.  Hochevar’s strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.36 was also a career best.  The first-overall selection in the 2006 June Free Agent Draft resides in Knoxville, Tenn., with his wife, Ashley, and daughter, Laney.

— Royals Media Relations —

Chiefs sign offensive tackle Steven Baker

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The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Thursday that the club has signed free agent offensive tackle Steven Baker.

Baker (6-8, 310) originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. He was released by the Colts on Aug. 31 and joined the Arizona Cardinals practice squad roster on Sept. 3.

Baker played in 42 games at East Carolina, primarily serving as the school’s right tackle and also contributing on special teams. The Rocky Mount, N.C., native, prepped at Northern Nash High School where he was a multi-sport athlete.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Royals have nine players on provisional rosters for 2013 World Baseball Classic

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World Baseball Classic, Inc. today announced provisional rosters for the 2013 World Baseball Classic, which will be held from March 2 – 19.  Nine players from the Royals organization were named to the provisional squads, including six players on Kansas City’s 40-man roster.

The selections are as follows:  Left-handed pitchers Bruce Chen (China) and Tim Collins (United States), right-handed pitchers Kelvin Herrera (Dominican Republic), Luis Mendoza (Mexico) and J.C. Sulbaran (The Netherlands), catcher Salvador Perez (Venezuela), infielders Irving Falu (Puerto Rico) and Miguel Tejada (Dominican Republic), and outfielder Paulo Orlando (Brazil).

Chen, Collins, Falu, Herrera, Mendoza and Perez played for Kansas City in 2012.  Tejada is a non-roster invitee to 2013 spring training, while Orlando and Sulbaran are both on the Double-A Northwest Arkansas roster.  Chen will become the first Major Leaguer to represent China in the event.

— Royals Media Relations —

Chiefs announce coaching staff additions

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The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Wednesday two additions to Head Coach Andy Reid’s 2013 coaching staff.

Kansas City named Andy Heck the team’s offensive line coach and Kevin O’Dea the club’s assistant special teams coach.

“We are pleased to announce the addition of two more good football coaches to our staff. With Andy and Kevin we have added two experienced leaders to the group,” Reid said. “We are close to having the full staff in place which will allow us the opportunity to all get ready for the 2013 season.”

Andy Heck (Offensive Line) – Heck enters his first season with the Chiefs as the team’s offensive line coach. He is beginning his 22nd overall season in the NFL and his 10th season as an NFL assistant coach. Heck joins the Chiefs after a nine-year stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2004-12). He spent the past seven seasons as Jacksonville’s offensive line coach (2006-12) after serving as assistant offensive line coach (2005) and originally joining the Jaguars staff as the offensive assistant/assistant offensive line coach (2004). Prior to joining Jacksonville, Heck served three seasons on the University of Virginia coaching staff, first as a graduate assistant (2001-02) and then as tight ends coach (2003). Before joining the collegiate coaching ranks, Heck played offensive line for 12 seasons in the NFL. He Played for Washington (1999-2000), Chicago (1994-98) and Seattle (1989-93). Heck was drafted with the 15th overall pick of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. A 1989 graduate of Notre Dame, he was a first-team All-America selection that co-captained the Fighting Irish to the 1988 national championship with an undefeated 12-0 record. He played tight end for three seasons at Notre Dame before moving to tackle for his final season.

Kevin O’Dea (Assistant Special Teams) – O’Dea begins his first season with Kansas City as the Chiefs assistant special teams coach. He spent four years in the same role for the Chicago Bears in two different stints with the club (2006-07 and 2011-12). Between his two stops in Chicago he served as special teams coordinator for the New York Jets (2008-09). Prior to his first tour in Chicago, O’Dea served as special teams coach for Arizona (2004-05), special teams assistant for Detroit (2002-03), offensive/defensive assistant for Tampa Bay (1996-01),  and defensive/special teams assistant for San Diego (1994-95). He served as assistant strength/defensive line/linebackers coach at Penn State (1992-93) after starting there as a graduate assistant (1991). He was a graduate assistant at Virginia (1989-90) and had one year stints at Cornell (1987) and his alma mater, Lock Haven University (1986). A native of Williamsport, Pa., O’Dea played wide receiver and defensive back at Lock Haven (1984-85).

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Kansas City hires Toub as special teams coach

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New Chiefs coach Andy Reid hired former Bears assistant Dave Toub to direct special teams on Tuesday, and announced that he’s retaining linebackers coach Gary Gibbs and defensive backs coach Emmitt Thomas from the previous staff.

Reid announced the majority of his coaching staff late last week, including Doug Pederson as offensive coordinator and Bob Sutton as the defensive coordinator.

Toub has spent the past nine seasons with the Bears. Prior to that, he worked with special teams and the defensive line for Reid in Philadelphia.

Reid still has not announced an offensive line coach, though former Dolphins coach Tony Sparano has interviewed for the job. Reid also confirmed Tuesday that he had hired Eugene Chung to be the assistant offensive line coach.

Chung also worked with Reid in Philadelphia.

— Associated Press —

Chiefs introduce Dorsey as new general manager

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John Dorsey called becoming the general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs the ”perfect storm.” The word ”serendipity” may have been more appropriate.

The longtime Packers personnel man met his wife, Patricia, on a blind date orchestrated by former Chiefs executive Lamonte Winston several years ago. Patricia had attended the University of Kansas and lived in Kansas City, and Dorsey remembers being smitten by her.

”I’ll be honest with you, the moment I met her, I knew I’d marry her. That’s the truth,” he said. ”And I could see that she didn’t walk away from me, so that was good.”

Dorsey was also smitten by Kansas City.

Even though he played for the Packers during the 1980s, and got his start in their scouting department, he still considered the Chiefs his ”dream job.” So when chairman Clark Hunt called looking for a replacement for the fired Scott Pioli, Dorsey couldn’t turn down the chance.

Dorsey was officially introduced as the Chiefs’ new general manager on Monday.

”I was like, ‘If this could possibly work out, would we be at peace with this whole thing?”’ Dorsey said. ”Once Trish was at peace with it, and I was at peace with it, that was a good thing. And then we had to make sure Clark Hunt said yes. And my gosh, when he said yes, I looked right at her, and I said, ‘You would not believe what that phone call just was.”’

It was the culmination of more than two decades of work in Green Bay, where Dorsey was instrumental in putting together drafts that helped the Packers win nine division championships, three conference titles and Super Bowls in 1996 and 2010.

”I didn’t know a lot about him other than his reputation,” Hunt said. ”I can’t tell you how excited he was. He said, ‘This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for.”’

Dorsey takes over a team that was 2-14 last season, the worst finish in franchise history and tied for the worst record in the NFL. There are problems at quarterback, holes up and down the roster and several top players about to become free agents.

But he also inherits a franchise that will have the No. 1 pick for the first time, and that has plenty of salary cap space to begin plugging all those holes.

”We would like to be consistently competitive in this division, this conference and ultimately the Super Bowl. That’s why we’re here, to do the job,” Dorsey said. ”I’m going to do everything within my God-given ability to make sure we have a competitive team in the NFL.”

Dorsey will have final say over all personnel matters, but he’ll likely get plenty of input from new coach Andy Reid, whom he worked with in Green Bay during the 1990s.

The former Eagles coach was introduced as Romeo Crennel’s replacement a week ago.

”I’m happy to work with John again,” Reid said. ”I’ve known John for a long time, and I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a talented individual with a strong work ethic.”

He’s also a ”people person,” Hunt said, someone who can bridge divides.

Hunt interviewed Dorsey for about six hours last Tuesday. The discussions continued for several days before Dorsey, who had bypassed other GM overtures in the past, finally decided to move into the hot seat in Kansas City.

”In his interview, although it went on for a while, he showed a high degree of enthusiasm the whole way,” Hunt said, ”which showed to me that Kansas City was a priority for him.”

Dorsey said he spent an hour with the personnel staff Monday, and that his next order of business is to evaluate the current roster. He wants to meet with the coaching staff to discuss their philosophy, and then outline a plan for free agency and begin meeting about the draft.

The draft, of course, is where Dorsey burnished his reputation.

He began his career as a college scout in Green Bay, and later rose to director of college scouting. During his years with the Packers, Dorsey helped to scout and draft quarterback Aaron Rodgers, defensive tackle B.J. Raji, linebackers Clay Matthews and A.J. Hawk, and wide receivers Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings and Randall Cobb.

”John has been a loyal member of the Packers family and the Green Bay community for more than half of his life,” Packers GM Ted Thompson said in a statement. ”The Chiefs have hired a good man, and John has earned this opportunity.”

Dorsey didn’t get into details about what the next few months will hold for the Chiefs, though there are several personnel decisions that must be made soon.

Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and left tackle Branden Albert are among several key players who can become free agents, and could potentially be franchised. Other players will also be available on the free-agent market, though Dorsey warned about the flaws of building a team in that way.

”I like to be selective in free agency,” he said. ”I always believe you can still get value within that philosophy, and you can still acquire players.”

The Chiefs are also in desperate need of an upgrade at quarterback, where Matt Cassel was benched last season and Brady Quinn fared little better.

Kansas City has only drafted one quarterback in the past six seasons – Ricky Stanzi in the fifth round. The Chiefs also haven’t picked a quarterback higher than the third round since 1992, and in the first round since choosing Todd Blackledge in ’83.

”Any time when you begin to build a franchise, let’s be real, the quarterback is a very important part,” Dorsey said. ”As you note the last couple weeks in the playoffs, the quarterback position is a very important position to the long-term success of the organization.”

— Associated Press —

Chiefs hire Packers’ Dorsey as general manager

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The Kansas City Chiefs must have figured if the Green Bay Packers were playing in the NFC playoffs on Saturday night, they were making a wise choice for their next general manager.

The Chiefs announced during the first half of the Packers’ game against the San Francisco 49ers that they had hired longtime Green Bay personnel man John Dorsey to replace Scott Pioli, who was fired after four tumultuous years and a 2-14 finish this past season.

The team announced the hiring on Twitter, but did not make Dorsey, Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt or new coach Andy Reid available to comment. An introductory news conference was scheduled for Monday.

Hunt did describe his ideal GM candidate in an interview earlier in the week: ”First of all, someone who’s a sharp talent evaluator,” he said. ”I’d like someone who’s been part of a successful program from a talent standpoint. Someone who’s a good communicator, a good manager, and last but really not least, someone who will work well with Andy.”

Hunt may as well have been describing Dorsey, a linebacker for the Packers in the 1980s.

Dorsey was instrumental in helping build Green Bay into a perennial contender, first as a college scout from 1991-97 and then as director of college scouting from 1997-98 – a period that roughly coincided with Reid’s time as a Packers assistant coach.

Dorsey spent one season with the Seattle Seahawks before returning to Green Bay, where he was director of college scouting from 2000-12 and director of football operations this season.

During that time, the Packers have won six division titles, a conference championship and the 2010 Super Bowl. They’ve also made nine playoff appearances in the past 12 seasons.

Dorsey helped select quarterback Aaron Rodgers with the 24th overall pick in the 2005 draft, and has been a part of several other solid draft choices: linebacker Nick Barnett in 2003, wide receiver Greg Jennings and linebacker A.J. Hawk in 2006, wide receiver Jordy Nelson and tight end Jermichael Finley in 2008, and defensive tackle B.J. Raji in 2010.

All that success in the NFL draft should come in handy. The Chiefs, with the league’s worst record, will have the No. 1 pick for the first time in franchise history.

One of their most pressing needs is an upgrade at quarterback, where Matt Cassel and his six-year, $63 million contract were benched last season. Brady Quinn started half the season and fared little better, while third-string quarterback Ricky Stanzi never saw the field.

Reid said recently he’s going to examine the players on the roster, and then consult with the GM – whoever it ended up being – on what other options are available.

That may include selecting a quarterback with the first pick in the draft.

”You don’t build your team in free agency. That’s not how you go about it,” Reid said. ”I’ve experienced that. I’ve seen it first-hand. You can afford to bring a guy in here or there, but you better have that nucleus of guys that you kind of raised up, and then what’s important about that is you better make sure you have the right guy. And that’s the general manager’s responsibility. You have to identify the right guy.”

Hunt and Reid both insisted that the coach will not have final say on personnel decisions, and that the general manager will be responsible for building a winning roster.

The Chiefs have won the AFC West twice since 1997, and haven’t won a playoff game since ’93.

”You’d love to get good players. That’s the primary thing,” Reid said. ”As the general manager comes in, that’s what he’s going to do. That’s his responsibility. He’s going to narrow that whole field down, makes sure he brings in good football players.”

Dorsey will report directly to Hunt, just as Pioli and other GMs have in the past. But during a massive overhaul of the Chiefs’ front office, the chairman said he’s altering the organizational structure so Reid also reports directly to him.

In the past, Chiefs coaches always reported to the general manager.

”The general manager has say over personnel. The coach has say over coaching the football team. And I want them to be able to work together,” Hunt said. ”That’s the most important thing.”

— Associated Press —

Chiefs’ Reid names offensive and defensive coordinators

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Andy Reid is wasting about as much time putting together his first coaching staff in Kansas City as he did in finding his new job.

The Chiefs coach announced Friday that former Eagles coach Doug Peterson would be his offensive coordinator and longtime Jets assistant Bob Sutton the defensive coordinator, along with the majority of the staff Reid hopes will turn around a 2-14 franchise.

The moves come one week after Reid was hired by the Chiefs to replace the fired Romeo Crennel and less than two weeks after he was dismissed following 14 seasons with the Eagles.

Reid announced that Matt Nagy will coach the Chiefs’ quarterbacks after two seasons as the Eagles’ offensive quality control coach. Eric Bieniemy will work with running backs, Tom Melvin the tight ends, and David Culley will be an assistant head coach and work with wide receivers.

Reid has not announced an offensive line coach. Tommy Brasher will work with the defensive line, but Reid has not announced coaches for linebackers, defensive backs or special teams.

“I’m pleased we were able to get all of these coaches on board,” Reid said. “I have relationships with each of them, and I know their past experiences, work ethics and coaching styles. These are high-character coaches, and each one brings something different to the table.”

Pederson spent 12 seasons playing quarterback in the NFL, most of them with Green Bay. But he started the first part of the 1999 season for Philadelphia, when Reid has just been hired. He then helped tutor Donovan McNabb, the Eagles’ second overall pick in the draft.

Pederson retired in 2004 and began his coaching career, spending two years as Reid’s quality control coach and the past two seasons working with the Eagles’ quarterbacks.

“Doug has been around the game a long time, and he has great vision,” Reid said. “As a former player in this league, he sees the game from a different perspective, and that will be a great benefit for our players. He has a knack for developing talent.”

Pederson will inherit an offense that was among the NFL’s worst last season with quarterbacks Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn. Pederson and Reid both said they’ll examine the QB options already on the roster, but they’ll also consider free agency, the trade market and using their No. 1 pick in the draft on upgrading the position.

“It’s something I’ve studied the last few days, ever since Coach Reid and I talked about coming in,” Pederson said on a conference call with reporters. “It’s a very talented group. It could be an explosive group,” he said. “There’s some weapons there on offense. Very similar to the circumstances we had this past year in Philadelphia.”

Sutton will take over a defense that fared only slightly better than the Chiefs’ offense.

A longtime college coach, Sutton spent nine seasons as the coach of Army before spending the past 13 seasons with the Jets. He was their linebackers coach from 2000-05, defensive coordinator for three years and senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for two years. He spent the past season as Rex Ryan’s assistant head coach.

“Bob is a creative coach that is going to give our defense a variety of looks and packages,” Reid said. “He has a lot of experience and is well respected across the league.”

Bieniemy has spent the past two seasons as offensive coordinator at his alma mater, Colorado. Melvin, Culley and Brasher all spent time with Reid in Philadelphia.

Reid also announced that Barry Rubin would serve as the Chiefs’ head strength coach and Travis Crittenden would be his assistant. Reid’s son, Britt Reid, and Corey Matthaei will be in charge of quality control, and Mike Frazier will be their statistical analysis coordinator.

— Associated Press —

Royals invite 21 players to Major League spring training

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The Kansas City Royals announced on Wednesday the club has invited 21 non-roster players to Major League Spring Training in Surprise, Ariz.  Among the invitations are nine pitchers, four catchers, four infielders and four outfielders.

Pitchers (9):

Blaine Boyer, 31, is 9-14 with a 4.81 ERA in 233 Major League relief appearances for the Braves (2005-09), Cardinals (2009), Diamondbacks (2009-10) and Mets (2011).  The 6-foot-3, 245-pound right-hander from Marietta, Ga., is a groundball specialist, allowing just 17 home runs in 234.0 innings.  He was signed as a minor league free agent on January 3, 2013.

22-year-old Sugar Ray Marimon pitched for both Wilmington (High A) and Northwest Arkansas (AA) in 2012.  He was a Carolina League All-Star, posting a 4-2 record with a 2.12 ERA in 14 games (nine starts) before his promotion to the Naturals.  Marimon, a 6-foot-1 right-hander from Cartagena, Colombia, was signed by the Royals as a non-drafted free agent on November 20, 2006.  He earned a win for Colombia over Nicaragua on November 16, 2012 in World Baseball Classic qualifying and also tossed 5.0 scoreless innings over two appearances for Licey in the Dominican Winter League this offseason.

Michael Mariot, 24, was the Northwest Arkansas (AA) Pitcher of the Year in 2012, recording a 6-3 record with a 3.40 ERA in 31 games, including 14 starts.  The University of Nebraska product is a 5-foot-11 right-hander from Southlake, Texas, who was selected by the Royals in the eighth round of the 2010 Draft.

34-year-old right-hander Brian Sanches returned to the Royals organization on a minor league contract on November 20, 2012 after nearly 10 years with other clubs.  Sanches was the Royals’ second-round selection in 1999.  He pitched in the Kansas City system until August 26, 2003 when he was traded to San Diego for outfielder Rondell White.  The 6-foot-1 Nederland, Texas native has made 195 career appearances, all but two in relief, in the Majors with the Phillies (2006-07, 2012), Nationals (2008) and Marlins (2009-11), recording a 13-7 record with a 3.75 ERA in 235.0 innings.

Atahualpa (at-ah-WALL-pa) Severino, 28, posted a 3-0 record with three saves and a 2.81 ERA in 46 relief stints for Syracuse, Washington’s Triple-A affiliate, in 2012.  The left-hander was signed to a minor league contract on November 14, 2012.  Born in Cotui, Dominican Republic, Severino saw his only Major League action in 2011 with the Nationals, recording a 1-0 record with a 3.86 ERA in six games.

Left-hander George Sherrill, 35, is 19-17 with 56 saves and a 3.77 ERA in 442 career Major League appearances, all in relief, for the Mariners (2004-07, 2012), Orioles (2008-09), Dodgers (2009-10) and Braves (2011).  The 2008 American League All-Star made just two appearances for Seattle in 2012 before undergoing Tommy John surgery on his left elbow on May 4.  Born and raised in Tennessee, the current Utah resident has held left-handed batters to a .186 batting average in his Major League career. He was signed to a minor league deal on December 12, 2012.

Yordano Ventura, 21, was the 2012 Wilmington Pitcher of the Year, a Carolina League All-Star and tossed a scoreless inning as the starting pitcher for the World squad in the SiriusXM MLB Futures All-Star Game in Kansas City on July 8, 2012.  The 5-foot-11 resident of Samana, Dominican Republic, opened 2012 at Wilmington, posting a 3-5 record with a 3.30 ERA in 16 starts.  Signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Royals on October 8, 2008, the right-hander also made six starts for Northwest Arkansas.

25-year-old Ryan Verdugo was a Pacific Coast League All-Star and member of the All-PCL Team in 2012.  The southpaw also made his Major League debut for the Royals in July in a start.  Verdugo was 12-4 at Omaha (AAA) with a 3.75 ERA in 27 games (24 starts).  He was acquired by the Royals from the San Francisco Giants on November 7, 2011.

Dan Wheeler, 35, is 25-43 with a 3.98 ERA in 589 outings over a 13-year Major League career for the Rays (1999-2001, 2007-10), Mets (2003-04), Astros (2004-07), Red Sox (2011) and Indians (2012).  Born in Rhode Island but now living in Florida, the right-hander split the 2012 campaign between the Cleveland Indians and Triple-A Columbus.  He signed a minor league contract with the Royals on December 16, 2012.

Catchers (4):

28-year-old Adam Moore was claimed on Outright Waivers from the Seattle Mariners on July 7, 2012 and appeared in four games with the Royals in September.  The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder has appeared in the big leagues for parts of the last four seasons, playing 72 games.

Manuel Pina was re-signed by the Royals after appearing in 49 minor league contests for Surprise (R) and Northwest Arkansas (AA) in 2012, as well as one game with the big league club in September.  The 25-year-old from Venezuela missed the first three months of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee during Spring Training.

28-year-old Max Ramirez remains in the Kansas City system after initially signing as a minor league free agent on December 14, 2011.  The resident of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, has appeared in the Majors with the Texas Rangers in 2008 and 2010.  Ramirez spent all of 2012 with Omaha, batting .300 with 17 home runs and 77 RBI in 110 games.

Julio Rodriguez, 23, was acquired by the Royals with left-handed pitcher Antonio Cruz from the Detroit Tigers for infielder Wilson Betemit on July 20, 2011.  The Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic resident was a minor league All-Star in 2008, 2010 and 2011 and named the Dominican Tigers Player of the Year in 2008.  Rodriguez batted .234 in 67 games for Northwest Arkansas a season ago.

Infielders (4):

23-year-old Christian Colon was the Northwest Arkansas Player of the Year and a Texas League All-Star in 2012.  The middle infielder saw his season end prematurely in mid-August due to a right eye injury after batting .412 in five games for Omaha.  Colon, the club’s first round pick (fourth overall) in 2010 out of Cal State-Fullerton, hit .289 with five home runs and 12 stolen bases in 73 games for Northwest Arkansas.  The right-handed batter is hitting .301 with 13 stolen bases in 39 games for Ponce in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Anthony Seratelli, 29, hit .299 with 17 doubles, 17 home runs and 66 RBI in 115 games for Omaha in 2012.  The versatile switch-hitter also stole 15 bases.  The Royals purchased Seratelli from the Windy City ThunderBolts of the Frontier League on February 27, 2007.

38-year-old Miguel Tejada, signed as a minor league free agent on December 31, 2012, is a six-time All-Star and was the 2002 American League MVP after batting .308 with 34 home runs and 131 RBI with Oakland.  The 15-year veteran is a career .285 hitter with 304 home runs, 1,282 RBI and 463 doubles in 2,118 games for the A’s (1997-2003), Orioles (2004-07, 2010), Astros (2008-09), Padres (2010) and Giants (2011).  Tejada played 36 games for Triple-A Norfolk in 2012 and is currently batting .284 with nine doubles, four home runs and 19 RBI in 34 games for Aguilas in the Dominican Winter League.

Infielder Brandon Wood, 27, spent 2012 at Triple-A Colorado Springs in the Rockies organization, batting .259 with 10 home runs and 64 RBI on 119 games.  The former top prospect in the Los Angeles Angels system has played in 272 Major League contests since his debut with the Angels as a 22-year-old in 2007.  He is a career .186 hitter with 18 home runs for the Angels (2007-11) and Pirates (2011).  Wood signed a minor league contract with the Royals on November 19, 2012.

Outfielders (4):

Endy Chavez, 34, an 11-year Major League veteran, signed a minor league deal with the Royals on December 26, 2012.  He made his debut in 2001 with Kansas City after the Royals selected him from the New York Mets organization in the 2000 Rule 5 Draft.  The 6-foot resident of Valencia, Venezuela, is a career .269 hitter with 118 doubles, 32 triples, 26 home runs, 229 RBI, 341 runs and 100 stolen bases for the Royals (2001), Expos (2002-04), Nationals (2005), Phillies (2005), Mets (2006-08), Mariners (2009), Rangers (2011) and Orioles (2012).  The left-handed hitting and throwing outfielder appeared in 64 regular season games with Baltimore last season, also playing in three Division Series games against the Yankees.  Chavez hit .276 with 15 walks in 30 games for Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League.

26-year-old Luis Durango hit .289 and stole an International League-leading 46 bases in 62 attempts for Triple-A Gwinnett in 2012, serving as the club’s primary centerfielder.  The 5-foot-9 switch-hitter from Panama has played 39 games in the Major Leagues for the San Diego Padres in 2009 and 2010, hitting .292 with seven stolen bases in eight attempts.  Durango, who signed a minor league deal on November 8, 2012, competed for Caribes in the Venezuelan Winter League, batting .286 with six steals and playing all three outfield positions.

Xavier Nady, 34, has played 11 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Padres (2000, 2003-05), Mets (2006), Pirates (2006-08), Yankees (2008-09), Cubs (2010), Diamondbacks (2011), Nationals (2012) and Giants (2012).  He is a career .270 hitter with 101 home runs and 406 RBI in 939 games.  The 6-foot-2, 215-pound right-handed hitter and thrower split 2012 between the Nationals and Giants organizations, playing 59 games at the Major League level.  Nady signed a minor league pact on December 18, 2012.

Willy Taveras, 31, is a seven-year Major League veteran who has compiled a .274 career average with 195 stolen bases for the Astros (2004-06), Rockies (2007-08), Reds (2009) and Nationals (2010).  The Dominican Republic resident led the National League with 68 stolen bases in 75 attempts for Colorado in 2008.  Taveras is currently batting .255 with nine stolen bases in 52 games for Obregon in the Mexican Winter League.

Pitchers and catchers will report to Surprise on Monday, February 11.  Workouts for pitchers begin the following day, Tuesday, February 12.  The remainder of the squad will report on Thursday, February 14 and begin workouts for the 2012 campaign on Friday, February 15.

— Royals Media Relations —

Chiefs introduce Andy Reid as new head coach

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The first call that Andy Reid received came from Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt.

Reid had just been dismissed after coaching the Eagles for 14 seasons, and was back at his office after addressing his team one last time. The phone rang and Hunt was on the other end, asking whether Reid would be interested in a face-to-face meeting two days later.

“There are certain families that stand out, and the Hunt family is just tops,” Reid said of the family that founded the franchise 53 years ago. “They’re phenomenal.”

The meeting was set for Wednesday in Philadelphia, and Reid’s agent Bob LaMonte figured it would take about three hours. But when Reid got in front of Hunt, the two hit it off so well that time kept slipping away — four hours, then six, then eight hours of conversations.

After nine hours, it became clear that Reid would be the Chiefs’ next coach.

He was introduced on Monday at a packed news conference at Arrowhead Stadium, taking over a once-proud franchise that went 2-14 last season and hasn’t won a playoff game since 1993.

“There was a certain energy that started with Clark and radiated through the other people I met with, and it was just great,” Reid said. “You got the feeling that this was right. It was the right thing to do. It made the decision easy. I crossed my fingers that I’d be offered the job.”

Reid agreed to a five-year deal, a person with knowledge of the contract told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms were not disclosed.

He takes over for Romeo Crennel, who was fired Monday after his first full season.

“Sometimes change is good,” said Reid, who coached the Eagles to a 4-12 record this season, dragging down his career record of 130-93-1. “It could be tremendous for the Philadelphia Eagles, and at the same time, I think it’s going to be tremendous for the Kansas City Chiefs.”

Reid said he’s met with the current Chiefs assistant coaches, but would not say whether any of them will be retained. Reid did say he plans to bring along some of his staff from Philadelphia, and quarterbacks coach Doug Pederson is one of the hot names.

Reid also said he’ll sit in on interviews for the Chiefs’ general manager, but he’ll leave the final decision up to Hunt. The Chiefs parted ways with Scott Pioli on Friday after four tumultuous seasons, just hours before Reid agreed to his deal.

Among the candidates for the job are former Browns general manager Tom Heckert and longtime Packers personnel man John Dorsey, both of whom have a history with Reid.

Reid said he’s already started to dig into the current Chiefs roster — he had already watched video of all 16 games last season by the time he was interviewed. And he said he’s buoyed by the fact that the Chiefs have five players who were voted to the Pro Bowl, and they’ll have the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft for the first time in franchise history.

That should allow Reid and the Chiefs’ retooled front office to start filling holes, the biggest of which is at quarterback, where Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn struggled all season.

“I’m going to dig in and look at that and we’ll build that thing,” Reid said. “We’ll see how that works out, but I need to spend some time at that.”

Reid certainly has experience in rebuilding a franchise.

The Eagles were 3-13 before he arrived in 1999. He drafted Donovan McNabb with the No. 2 pick in that year’s draft, won five games the following year and then went 11-5 and finished second in the NFC East — the first of five straight seasons in which he won at least 11 games.

“When I look at the Chiefs, I look at the bigger picture. What are they truly about? What are they made of?” Reid said. “Every organization goes through a lull, personnel changes, players grow old, they change. Maybe a draft pick here or there didn’t work, a free agent didn’t work. That happens. What’s the grit of the organization?

“I’ve been in this thing long enough to appreciate that,” Reid said. “I came from a great organization. I wanted to make sure I had that opportunity to be again in a great organization.”

That’s part of the reason that Reid did his homework on the Chiefs.

In the time between Hunt’s initial phone call and that first meeting in Philadelphia, Reid reached out to former Eagles and Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil. Reid wanted to know about the Hunt family, about the organization and whether it might be the right fit.

“I just told him to go. That was the first thing,” Vermeil told The Associated Press. “He asked, ‘Well, can I win there?’ And I said, ‘Andy, you can win anywhere.'”

He ultimately chose to win in Kansas City.

After that lengthy meeting in Philadelphia, Hunt said he still wasn’t sure whether Reid was truly on the hook. But the following day, Reid canceled an interview with Arizona and decided not to pursue interest from San Diego, and instead scheduled a trip to visit Kansas City.

When he arrived on Friday, he was tailed to Arrowhead Stadium by helicopters from local television stations. Every step he took was watched by fans that had been pining all season for change. A few of them even showed up with footballs, hoping to land his autograph.

He signed his name, adding “Go Chiefs.”

Reid said he didn’t consider taking some time off, despite a trying season on and off the field. His oldest son, Garrett, died during training camp after a long battle with drug addiction.

“I’m ready to go. This is what I do,” he said. “Never took that into consideration.”

It was something Hunt considered during that initial meeting. But it didn’t take long for the soft-spoken coach with the bushy mustache — “Big Red” to those who know him well — to set the Chiefs chairman at ease, and convince Hunt he was the right man for the job.

“It was a very hard year on all of us, my family, the fans, everyone,” Hunt said. “When you’re not successful in the National Football League, change is coming. And I’m glad 2012 is in the rear-view mirror. We’re onto 2013, and in Andy, we already have our first victory.”

— Associated Press —

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