The Royals are ready to listen on offers for Billy Butler this winter, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter). The designated hitter/first baseman is owed $8MM in 2014, and the Royals hold a $12.5MM club option with a $1MM on Butler for the 2015 season.
Butler, 27, hit .289/.374/.412 with 15 homers this season and played in all 162 games. It was a step back from what the Royals were used to seeing from the slugger – he had a career .300/.362/.468 slash line heading into 2013 and belted a career-high 29 homers in 2012.
Kansas City could find a limited market for Butler this offseason as he is probably better suited for the American League and has a good amount of money left on his deal over the next two years. The slugger known as Country Breakfast drew interest from the Mariners and Orioles last winter.
