Ian Kennedy (photo/MLB.com)
The Royals have agreed to a five-year, $70 million deal with former Padres right-hander Ian Kennedy, according to sources for MLB.com, via KCRoyals.com Kennedy, who just turned 31, was a former number one draft pick by the Yankees in 2004 and had his best season in 2011 with the Diamondbacks when he went 21-4.
Kennedy will fill out a rotation with Yordano Ventura and Edinson Volquez at the top, followed by Kennedy, veteran Chris Young and either Kris Medlen or Danny Duffy as the number five.
The Royals came to a two-year agreement for $17.5 million with All-Star center fielder Lorenzo Cain.
Cain, 29, was selected to his first All-Star Game and finished third in the American League Most Valuable Player voting, while helping the Royals win their first World Series title in 30 years. The right-handed hitting outfielder batted .307 with 34 doubles, six triples, 16 homers with a career-best 101 runs scored, becoming the first KC player to score at least 100 runs in a season since 2011. He also ranked second in the A.L. in stolen bases (28), while he was fifth in batting average and runs scored.
Cain started all 16 postseason games in center field, batting .258 with two doubles, a homer, 11 RBI, 11 runs scored and a Major League-best 11 walks. He hit safely in his first nine postseason games this year to extend his hitting streak to 13, which is the second-longest in franchise history, behind teammate Alcides Escobar’s 15-game streak. Cain recorded a franchise-best six steals during the 2015 postseason, including four during the World Series. He scored the winning run from first base in the series-clinching Game #6 of the ALCS vs. Toronto, while he also capped a five-run 12th inning with a bases-clearing double in the deciding fifth game of the World Series.
