The Royals have agreed to a minor-league deal with righty Clay Buchholz, a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today indicates (Twitter links). If the deal is finalized, Buchholz can earn at a $1.5MM rate in the majors.
Buchholz can also reach up to $250K in incentives. He’d earn $25K apiece for making his tenth through 19th starts, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets. The contract also includes an opt-out opportunity on May 1st.
Kansas City seems like a good spot for the veteran hurler to attempt a comeback. After all, the team’s rotation is not exactly overflowing with depth and the Royals have good cause to seek some low-risk upside after adding a few veterans on one-year deals.
[RELATED: Royals Depth Chart]
Buchholz, 33, missed virtually all of the 2017 season with a partially torn flexor pronator mass. The Phillies had acquired him from the Red Sox and assumed his $13.5MM salary. (Boston had picked up its club option over Buchholz in the final year of control under the extension the sides agreed to back in 2011.)
It’s tough to say what the Royals will get out of Buchholz, who had plenty of ups and downs even before his injury. He compiled 113 1/3 innings of 3.26 ERA ball in 2015, then struggled for much of the ensuing season while showing declines in strikeouts (6.0 K/9) and groundball induction (41.2% groundball rate). Yet Buchholz also finished the 2016 season on a tear, running up 44 frames of 2.86 ERA ball to close out the year.
First, though, the veteran starter will need to earn his way back to the majors. Presumably, he won’t be a candidate for the Opening Day roster, given that he has missed almost all of camp. But Buchholz could present an option if and when a rotation need arises.
joshua.barron1
Noooo. Probably the only Red Sox fan who’s about to say this, but I was really hoping they’d sign him
natesp4
I’m bummed too. If you’re not dependent on him, he’s a great asset to have. When he’s on he’s filthy.
jrwhite21
I was as well. I miss Claydro around here
Familia1931
Tell you what, Buc was one of those guys that has a terrible year, then a good one. A few guys come to mind like that; Porcello, Volquez, Rodney, even Ellsbury if you include injury.
Bert17
I think Buchholz’s pattern was more like having a great ten start run, ten bad starts, and 10 missed starts almost every year. He was consistently inconsistent.
Familia1931
I can see that. There were years where he was just bad all year long. But you are right. Once we even thought he put it all together and was in the running to start the all star
foam party
You forgot Derek Lowe. Lol. The godfather of alternating career years with year’s he’d just come out & take a dump on the field.
Familia1931
I sure did forget. But maybe intentionally because I have a soft spot for him. He was so important as a starter and off the bullpen.
ralph 3
Cuchholz
walfu
Far too much of a head case. Wish him well, but glad he’s not in Boston…
Michael Birks
He’s living proof that you can’t live on stuff alone, I’m also glad that he’s not in Boston
Solaris601
If Cal Eldred was looking for a late spring project, he’s got a deluxe edition in Buchholz. Even with the help of all the king’s horses and all the king’s men, the probability of putting this guy back together again is pretty slim.
astros_fan_84
I was wondering if he’d get a job.
stymeedone
A depth option at a depth option price.
xabial
“Buchholz, 33, missed virtually the entire 2017 season with a “Torn flexor pronator mass”
Can someone tell me more of this injury, and what it means..
Dodgethis
Yes, Google can.
xabial
It can. Unless you’re in China. (Where Google is blocked) Then Baidu can.
MafiaBass
What’s so wrong with having an actual discussion instead of using Google?
realgone2
Why have a discussion when you can be a jerk off? That’s the social media age in a nut shell.
deal1122
Retweet ^^^ no pun intended lol
brown trout fisherman
Nice
mlb1225
I kinda feel bad for Clay. Like a lot of guys, he was once a promising young starter, but his career was completely taken out by injuries. Even in his good years, he was injured at some point during the season.
mikeyank55
He should have been a Met. Then all of the injuries would have made sense.
foam party
In his heart, Clay has always been a Met
etreuden
People forget that he threw a no-hitter in only his second career start back on September 1st, 2007.
mlb1225
Hey wait, you’re not Sack Lodge.
MafiaBass
I have never forgotten that. I think that was part of his problem, actually.
Bert17
I was watching that at a wedding. Wasn’t my wedding, but my wife was still pretty pissed about it.
jackd
This is a good match.
DockEllisDee
yes, small market, both in terms of franchise and media will probably suit him better
GoldenJabs
Hate to say it but it’s true. Clay is soft between the ears.
Now a time may come when Clay will be glib and ebullient and full of witty observations about baseball, But I doubt it.
seth3120
This analytics game is reached a whole new level maybe even too far time will tell but I’m seeing so many guys signing right now and they all seem like big bargains to me. I wanted the Cardinals to sign Lance Lynn their staff is young with question marks. Not at 3 or 4 years or the original asking price but one year 12 mil? Couldn’t pull the trigger on that? A second round pick means that much. Such low risk. Bucholz is a question mark but at 1.5mil should’ve been a number of teams seeing if they could work with him. I guess teams feel like they can get similar production from controllable guys but do that with enough guys and you won’t win. You need some difference makers whether that be an up and coming star or a reasonably aged veteran. Most unpredictable free agency I can remember. I guess teams saw bidding worse for guys like Heyward and pumped the brakes maybe idk
brown trout fisherman
As a phillies fan — good riddance.
foam party
He said today that if elected, he wants to go into the HOF as a Philly
winn5115
I dated Clay last year while his wife was visiting Grammy and his balls were on point. We compared balls and his were just a bit outside.