Of course, this is a homecoming for Kendall, 47, as he was drafted by the Pirates in the first round of the 1992 draft and spent the first nine years of his career with the black and yellow. “It just feels like I’m back home,” Kendall said. “This is the team that drafted me. This is the city that watched me grow up through good times and bad times.”

After retiring in 2012, Kendall worked as a special assistant coach with the Royals from 2012 to 2018. In late 2019, he expressed his interest in taking over the vacant manager position in Pittsburgh after the firing of Clint Hurdle. However, that job eventually went to Derek Shelton, who is now in his third season as the Bucs’ skipper.

The Pirates have performed quite poorly since Shelton took over, though that’s no fault of his. The club has been clearly in rebuild mode for quite some time. With the team focused on the future instead of the present, player development will be extremely important for the organization, especially given their low-spending habits. Up until the recent extension of Ke’Bryan Hayes, the club’s largest contract was the $60MM extension given to Kendall himself way back in the year 2000. That means that the work of the team’s player development staff, which now includes Kendall, will be a key factor in the trajectory of the club in the years to come.

• The Padres are “expected” to hire a manager with prior Major League experience, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweets. San Diego’s previous manager, Andy Green, wasn’t a managerial rookie when San Diego hired him prior to the 2016 season, as he came with four years of minor league managing experience (plus additional time as the D-backs’ big league third base coach). However, the Padres were Green’s first managerial assignment at the MLB level, and it seems that this time around, general manager A.J. Preller will pursue a more veteran voice. Morosi suggests Buck Showalter, given his previous connection with Preller from their days with the Rangers, although their tenures only overlapped by about two years. Morosi points out that Showalter is also quite familiar with Manny Machado, but that seems unlikely to be a major factor in the team’s search.
• Even though they’re coming off their second straight 100-loss season, the Royals may be content to stay in-house to find retired manager Ned Yost’s replacement. Their “very short list” of candidates includes special advisor Mike Matheny and quality control/catching coach Pedro Grifol, according to Pedro Gomez of ESPN. Matheny comes with vast experience as a manager at the sport’s highest level, having led the Cardinals from 2012-18. The Redbirds went a more-than-respectable 591-474 with four playoff berths in that span, but they missed the postseason in each of Matheny’s final three campaigns. While St. Louis put up nice overall results under Matheny, he was a frequent target of criticism throughout his tenure with the franchise. Grifol, who managed in the Seattle farm system from 2003-05 and again in 2012, has been a coach in the KC organization for seven years.
• One of Kansas City’s former players and coaches, Jason Kendall, told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he’s eyeing the Pirates’ managerial post. “There’s something that I owe to the city of Pittsburgh,” Kendall said. “I truly believe that. That’s why I would be interested in sitting down and talking about it.” Kendall’s best known for his excellent run as the Pirates’ catcher from 1996-2004, and the $60MM extension he signed with the Bucs in 2000 is still a franchise record to this day. The 45-year-old Kendall has never managed, though he did work as a special assignment coach in KC from 2012-18. Kendall believes that experience (in which he was part of a World Series winner in 2015) and his long playing career have prepared him for a managerial position. That said, there’s no indication the Pirates are interested in discussing the job with him.

THURSDAY, July 19th: The Royals announced that they signed veteran catcher Jason Kendall to a minor league contract. Kendall will report to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he's scheduled to start tomorrow night.

Kendall missed the end of the 2010 season and all of the 2011 season to recover from shoulder surgery. The 38-year-old is a three-time All-Star who ranks fifth all-time with 2,025 games caught. Kendall posted a .256/.318/.297 batting line for the Royals in 2010, his last season in the Major Leagues.

• Even though the outfielder has suffered yet another setback, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com doesn’t see the re-signing of Grady Sizemore as a mistake for the Indians.  The 29-year-old is set to earn $5MM with as much as $4MM in incentives in 2012.
• Jason Kendall enjoys serving as a coach for the Royals but still hopes to play again, writes Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star.  The 37-year-old hasn’t played since his stint with Kansas City in 2010.
• Reds CEO Bob Castellini also gave a solid endorsement of skipper Dusty Baker, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  The manager is in the final year of his contract.
• Castellini says that there’s mutual interest between the club and Joey Votto in completing a new deal, tweets Morosi.  The slugger has been tight-lipped on contract talks but acknowledged that they are something of a distraction.  Ben Nicholson-Smith recently wrote that it could cost as much as $160MM to keep Votto signed through 2020.
• Castellini also acknowledged that the club is active in talks with second baseman Brandon Phillips, Morosi tweets. 
• Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio wants to wrap up contract extensions for GM Doug Melvin and manager Ron Roenicke before Opening Day, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.  Meanwhile, Attanasio didn’t say much about free agents-to-be Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum.

• The Yankees, Rangers, Diamondbacks, and Phillies are a few other teams monitoring Bell.
• While there hasn't been a whole lot of interest in Scott Kazmir, the Padres and Rangers have "taken a look."
• Jason Kendall, who hasn't played this year as he recovers from shoulder surgery, has re-torn two rotator cuff tendons. Kendall will undergo additional surgery, possibly ending his career. Royals manager Ned Yost on the procedure: "That takes him out of the picture for this year and out of the picture for next year…. I think it’s more a quality-of-life surgery so he can have function in his shoulder."
• The Angels appear to be the team most interested in Aramis Ramirez, though Cafardo names the Mariners, Giants, Braves, and D'Backs as other clubs who could look into the Cubs' third baseman. Of course, Ramirez's agent said earlier this week that his client likely won't waive his no-trade clause, so inquires may be futile.

• Jason Kendall will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel. The catcher's under contract with Kansas City for 2011, but he won't be back until early next season, since the recovery time is at least eight months.
• The Royals called on catcher Lucas May, according to a team press release. The Royals obtained May in July when they sent Scott Podsednik to Los Angeles. When the Royals acquired May, GM Dayton Moore called him a "slam dunk MLB catcher" in some capacity.
• The Royals named third baseman Mike Moustakas and left-hander John Lamb minor league hitter and pitcher of the year, respectively. Moustakas raked in the upper minors this year, hitting 34 homers, posting a 1.008 OPS and driving in over a run per game as a 21-year-old. Lamb wasn't too bad, either, posting a 2.33 ERA across three levels and striking out more than one batter per inning.
• Speaking of future Royals, one NL official guaranteed to Newsday's Ken Davidoff that Jeff Francoeur will play for Kansas City in 2011 (Twitter link). The Rangers technically control Francoeur's right's next year, but they'll likely non-tender him, so the Royals, who have appeared interested before, will likely have a shot at signing the outfielder.

• Angels: Torii Hunter, five years, $90MM
• Astros: Carlos Lee, six years, $100MM
• Athletics: Eric Chavez, six years, $66MM
• Blue Jays: Vernon Wells, seven years, $126MM
• Braves: Chipper Jones, six years, $90MM
• Brewers: Ryan Braun, eight years, $45MM
• Cardinals: Matt Holliday, seven years, $120MM
• Cubs: Alfonso Soriano, eight years, $136MM
• Diamondbacks: Randy Johnson, four years, $53.4MM
• Dodgers: Kevin Brown, seven years, $105MM
• Giants: Barry Zito, seven years, $126MM
• Indians: Travis Hafner, four years, $57MM
• Mariners: Ichiro Suzuki, five years, $90MM
• Marlins: Hanley Ramirez, six years, $70MM
• Mets: Johan Santana, six years, $137.5MM
• Nationals: Ryan Zimmerman, five years, $45MM
• Orioles: Miguel Tejada, six years, $72MM
• Padres: Jake Peavy, three years, $52MM
• Phillies: Chase Utley, seven years, $85MM
• Pirates: Jason Kendall, six years, $60MM
• Rangers: Alex Rodriguez, ten years, $252MM
• Rays: Wilson Alvarez, five years, $35MM
• Reds: Ken Griffey Jr., nine years, $116.5MM
• Red Sox: Manny Ramirez, eight years, $160MM
• Rockies: Todd Helton, nine years, $141.5MM
• Royals: Gil Meche & Mike Sweeney, both five years, $55MM
• Tigers: Miguel Cabrera, eight years, $152.3MM
• Twins: Joe Mauer, eight years, $184MM
• White Sox: Frank Thomas, seven years, $64.4MM
• Yankees: Alex Rodriguez, ten years, $275MM

Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.

FRIDAY, 6:54pm: Royals GM Dayton Moore said on a conference call that the reported terms ($4MM) for Jason Kendall's deal are about right. The team expects him to mentor young pitchers and catching prospect Wil Myers, Moore said.

Kendall, who insists he feels like he's in his early twenties, says he wants to win in Kansas City. But it wasn't his only choice.

"There were other offers, but I'm a Kansas City Royal now," he said. " Dayton and the Royals called me the first day [of free agency]."

When asked about free agent Coco Crisp, Moore said the Royals "remain open" to all of the team's free agents, including the center fielder.

4:59 PM: The Royals signed catcher Jason Kendall to a two-year contract, according to a press release from the team.  Kendall, 35, hit .241/.331/.305 in 526 plate appearances for the Brewers this year, catching 1,162 innings.  Ivan Rodriguez and Brian Schneider also received two-year deals so far this winter.

The Royals entered the offseason intending to reboot their catching situation.  They've declined an option on Miguel Olivo and signed Kendall, and may non-tender John Buck tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY, 4:20pm: Another catcher gets a two-year offer – Kendall – courtesy of the Royals (Dutton reporting).

TUESDAY, 7:31pm: The Royals don't appear likely to spend more than about $2MM on a catcher, according to Dutton. GM Dayton Moore says the Royals would consider a multi-year deal under the right circumstances.

10:39am: Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star tweets that the Royals will "look at" Jose Molina as a possible starting option.

8:09am: Kendall is said to be "focusing on a possible contract with Kansas City," writes Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.  Kendall likes the opportunity but they have to find a middle ground on the money.

3:41am: The Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton reports that the Royals are shifting their focus to veterans Jason Kendall and Rod Barajas to fill their catching needs. The Royals, previously reported to have interest in Ivan Rodriguez, stood by and watched as Pudge inked a two-year deal with Washington.

Having found few appealing scenarios through the trade market, the Royals will now look to Kendall and Barajas. Kendall, 35, posted a line of .241/.331/.305 while earning $5MM. Barajas, 34, hit .226/.258/.403 while earning $2.5MM.

The Royals don't have the dollars to match Kendall's 2009 salary, but it's hard to imagine anyone giving him $5MM anyway. The Royals could offer Barajas a similar salary, and as Dutton points out, both players could be attracted to Kansas City because of an increased opportunity for playing time.

Which option would you prefer for your club?

Other quick hits from the article:

• Clubs are asking about Gil Meche, but Dayton Moore isn't inclined to move him unless he receives a strong offer.
• Chris Getz is the favorite over Alberto Callaspo as the starting second baseman due to defensive reasons. Callaspo is still being dangled as a trade chip.
• Just 17 days after removing him from their 40-man roster, the Royals grabbed Julio Pimentel on a minor-league deal.

WEDNESDAY, 3:02pm: Ben Sheets' agent Casey Close met with the Rangers yesterday, and according to ESPN's Richard Durrett, the pitcher "is apparently looking for money similar to what he made his last season in the majors — 2008, which was $12 million."  Sheets figures to be popular on the free agent market, but we'll have to see what kind of guarantee he requires after missing all of 2009.

Durrett also notes that the Rangers have interest in catchers Jason Kendall and Dioner Navarro, but have cooled on Rod Barajas due to his asking price.

• The Rangers are looking to bolster their bullpen, and names of interest include J.J. Putz, Matt Lindstrom, and Brett Myers. Ramon Ramirez and Chris Ray are also on their radar.
• As FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi indicated earlier today, no Kevin Millwood trade appears imminent. A few teams are interested, but the Rangers will pull the trigger only on "the right deal." Presumably the "right" return is more about money than talent.
• If the club is able to move Millwood, they'd look to fill the hole in their rotation with another veteran starter. Ben Sheets and Rich Harden are potential options, with the Rangers hoping to meet with Sheets' agent this week.
• Dealing Millwood would also allow Texas to free up some money to pursue a right-handed bat. Perhaps Vladimir Guerrero or Jermaine Dye.
• The team is looking for a catcher as well. Durrett names Jason Kendall, Rod Barajas, Jose Molina, and Yorvit Torrealba as targets.
• Durrett and others heard earlier that the Rangers offered top prospects Neftali Feliz and Justin Smoak to Florida in exchange for Josh Johnson. Another official denies that Texas made that proposal, but suggests that the team does have interest in Johnson.

• The Red Sox will find out tomorrow if their claim on Rays righty Ramon A. Ramirez went through, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. This isn't the same Ramon Ramirez that appeared in 70 games for Boston last year.
• Randy Johnson is still undecided about 2010, according to this AP report on ESPN.com.
• The Rangers discussed Arthur Rhodes with the Reds today, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. The Rangers are on the lookout for lefty relievers.
• The Rangers are considering Jason Kendall and Rod Barajas behind the plate, according to Sullivan. ESPN.com's Keith Law says this is a problem for the Rangers. He doesn't think much of any of the free agent catchers they're considering.
• Coco Crisp would be up for signing with the White Sox, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
• Talks between the Twins and Joe Crede are progressing slowly, according to MLB.com's Kelly Thesier.
• The Mariners are keeping in touch with Rich Harden's agents, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
• The Nats were interested in Jose Valverde, but they felt his asking price was too high, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
• Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times reports that Scott Boras will meet with Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik tonight. Adrian Beltre is one of Boras' clients, so they'll presumably discuss him.
• White Sox reliever Matt Thornton tells Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that he's recruiting J.J. Putz. Thornton says he and Putz have a long-standing "bromance" that dates back to their Seattle days.
• ESPN.com's Keith Law says Justin Smoak and Neftali Feliz are too much to give up for Josh Johnson. Apparently, the Rangers offered the pair of top prospects up.
• Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus likes the Ivan Rodriguez signing for the Nats, partly because Pudge could help develop Stephen Strasburg. 
• By the way, the deal is pending a physical, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
• The Braves are interested in Xavier Nady, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Mets may be more inclined to pay top dollar for John Lackey now that they've seen the asking prices of some lesser starters.
• The Cardinals won't be involved with Lackey, but they have interest in signing a lefty bench bat, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach.

• Add Robb Quinlan to the list of utility men on the Rockies' radar, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.  Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports names Melvin Mora as another target.  MLB.com's Lyle Spencer tweets of interest from the Twins in Quinlan.
• The Mariners' deal for Chone Figgins is official, tweets the Brock & Salk show. The team press release notes it's a four-year deal with an option for 2014.
• Cardinals manager Tony La Russa acknowledged interest in Miguel Tejada, talking to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  By the way, Astros GM Ed Wade is certain he won't re-sign Tejada, tweets Alyson Footer.  Tejada apparently wants multiple years.
• MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers are considering free agent catchers such as Rod Barajas, Jason Kendall, Yorvit Torrealba, and Jose Molina.
• WEEI's Alex Speier passes along Scott Boras' comments from an XM Radio appearance.  Boras discussed Matt Holliday, Johnny Damon, Ivan Rodriguez, and Adrian Beltre. 
• The Brewers are discussing relievers Kevin Gregg and Mike Gonzalez at least internally, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.  The Crew recently lost reliever Mark DiFelice for the 2010 season.  Gonzalez would cost good money and the Brewers' second-round pick (currently #50).
• Yahoo's Kevin Kaduk asks whether Twitter is helping or hurting the Winter Meetings.  My opinion: hurting.  The information crush was tolerable when reporters all got blogs a few years back, but now it's excessive.  Of course, we're not helping.
• Jamey Carroll would love to play for the Reds but hasn't received an offer yet, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
• The D'Backs offered Chris Snyder to the Rangers for C.J. Wilson and were turned down, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.  Wilson tweets that he's "borderline offended" by Arizona's offer.
• The Pirates have had further talks with free agent hurler Justin Duchscherer, says Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but don't expect him to sign soon.  We learned yesterday that the Rockies have cooled on Duchscherer.  Kovacevic also reports that despite scouting Aroldis Chapman, the Pirates are not a player for him.  ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. indicates that Chapman will be showcased in Houston later this month.
• The Rays and White Sox discussed a Carlos Quentin–Carl Crawford trade, says Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.  Manager Ozzie Guillen implies that nothing is cooking on that front though.  The two clubs also discussed closer Bobby Jenks, but the Rays did not like the asking price.
• Angels GM Tony Reagins admitted to interest in Hideki Matsui, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times.  Keep in mind, though that the Japanese press is apparently grilling every GM on Matsui.  Reagins also said he hasn't ruled out re-signing Vladimir Guerrero.
• Carl Pavano explained his decision to accept arbitration from the Twins, in an email to Kelsie Smith of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.  La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune suggests retaining Pavano makes Glen Perkins expendable.
• The Rangers are not interested in trading for Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.