After making their first postseason and World Series appearances since 1985, the Kansas City Royals have rewarded their manager with a contract extension. On the free agent market, Johan Santana says he intends to pitch this upcoming season.
According to Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star, the Royals and manager Ned Yost have agreed to a one-year extension that will keep him with the team through the 2016 season. McCullough also noted that "Yost has indicated he wanted to manage for 2-3 more seasons, then would consider retirement. Which may explain the brevity of the extension." Yost helped the Royals to an 89-73 record, which was good enough for a wild-card spot in the 2014 playoffs.
In five seasons with Kansas City, the 60-year-old is 373-402 and owns an 11-4 record in the postseason after the Royals clinched first berth since 1985 this past season. The Royals swept the Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles before falling in seven games to the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. Coming into the 2014 season, Yost was believed to be on the hot seat after four seasons of finishing third or worse in the AL Central division.
Additionally, Yost made a questionable move in the AL Wild-Card Game against the Oakland Athletics when he brought in rookie Yordano Ventura to relieve James Shields in the top of the sixth inning. The first batter Ventura faced was Brandon Moss, who took him deep for a three-run home run, which increased the A's lead by four runs. The decision was highly criticized because the young and inexperienced Ventura was placed in a high-pressure situation. Luckily for Yost, the Royals rallied and scored three runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to force extra innings. They eventually won by the score of 9-8 after driving in two runs in the bottom of the 12th inning.
Speaking of comebacks, left-hander Johan Santana says he plans to return to the MLB in 2015. The left-hander has made only 29 starts since the 2011 season due to a number of injuries, with the most recent being a torn Achilles tendon. The 35-year-old was close to joining the Baltimore Orioles last season before he suffered the injury in June during an extended spring training start.
Santana has logged 12 MLB seasons with the Minnesota Twins and New York Mets, compiling a 139-78 record with a 3.20 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 360 games (284 starts). Shoulder injuries have kept him sidelined for much of the past four seasons, but he's making his debut in the Venezuelan Winter League on Tuesday.
If he shows solid progression, a number of MLB clubs would likely be willing to take a gamble on him.
UPDATE: Yost only wanted a one-year extension because he may retire, according to McCullough.
