A Home For Buck - KC, Minny, Baltimore

Kansas City Royals –

                        Catchers – Salvador Perez (.263 - $7mil through 2016)

                                                                        2013-14 Prospects - None

                        Rotation – Luis Mendoza (1.50) – Ervin Santana (3.21 - $13mil through 2013) – Jeremy Guthrie (3.55 ($25mil through 2015 ) – James Shields (3.75 - $11.25 through 2013) – Wade Davis (4.00 $12.6mil through 2015)

                                                                        2013-14 Prospects – Kyle Zimmer (2014) – Yordano Ventura (2014) – John Lamb (2014)

                        Outfielders – Jeff Francoeur (.286 $6.75mil through 2013) – Alex Gordon (.378 - $37.5mil through 2015 ) – Lorenzo Cain (.296) – Jarod Dyson (.200)

                                                                        2013-14 Prospects – none

                        Designated Hitter – Billy Butler (.276 - $30mil through 2014)

                        Observation – This team builds from within with limited outside contracts. They cut themselves a very good long term deal with Perez, who is far less talented than Buck but far more cheap as well. They also have no outfielders ready to come out of the system until 2015 and they have Butler as their DH. I can’t see the Royals being an option here.

Minnesota Twins –

                        Catchers – Joe Mauer – ($182mil through 2018)

                        DH – Ryan Doumit - $7mil through 2014)

                        Observation - Let’s move on…  

Baltimore Orioles –

                        Catchers – Matt Wieters (.212 - $5.5mil through 2013) – Teagarden (.000 – ARB-1)

                                                2013-14 Prospects - none

                        Rotation – Miquel Gonzalez (2.92 – pre-ARB) – Wei-Yin Chen (3.75 - $11.388mil through 2014) – Jason Hammel (4.97 - $6.75mil through 2013) – Chris Tillman (7.00 – pre-ARB) – Jake Arrieta (7.20 – pre-ARB)

                                                2013-14 Prospects – Dylan Bundy (2013 - $1.245 through 2015 ) – Kevin Gausman (2014) – Eduardo Rodriguez (2014) – Brandon Kline (2014) – Mike Wright (2013)

                        Outfielders –  Adam Jones (.419 $85.5mil through 2018) – Chris Dickerson (.333 – pre-ARB) – Nick Markakis (.295 - $66.1mil through 2014) – Nate McLouth (.241 - $2mil through 2013)

                                                2013-14 Prospects – L.J. Hoes (2013) – Xavier Avery (2013) -

                        DH –           Nolan Reimond (.217 – pre-ARB)

Observation -  A perfect fit.  Buck can DH and spell Weiters until his $.5mil contract runs out at the end of this season and then sign a multiple year deal with the Orioles. You’re not going to pry away either Bundy or Gausman, but there are two outfield prospects (the parent outfield is set through 2014) and three other SP prospects to choose from.