The Royals are quietly shopping righthanded-hitting outfielder Jose Guillen, a terrific talent who seems to have the knack for wearing out his welcome pretty quickly. Guillen is said to be at odds with Royals manager Trey Hillman, who just completed his first year at the helm in Kansas City.
Jose Guillen's Marcel-projected 2009 wOBA is .321. Grant a league average .335 and knock him down five runs for his defense in a corner and you've got yourself a nice and shiny 0 WAR - the true definition of a replacement-level player. All that and an unpredictable temperament for only twelve million dollars!
Kansas City is set to have a team payroll somewhere around $60m next season. As of right now, a fifth of that is committed to a guy who gives them literally nothing they couldn't get for 1/30th of the cost. Dayton Moore didn't only bring his office with him from Atlanta; he also brought his genius.
But at least Guillen's a good teammate. He really adds that extra spark. If there's one thing the Royals have been lacking for as long as they've been bad, it's been a good spark.