Kansas City Royals News 2015: Tim Collins Retained by Team for a One-Year Deal
The Kansas City Royals are giving another chance to Tim Collins by signing the pitcher to a one-year deal worth $1.475 million — the same money he received last season in which he didn't play a single game after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
The pint-size left-handed reliever spent his first season with the Atlanta Braves before coming over to Kansas City in 2011, where he has been playing ever since. Because of the surgery last March, he wasn't able to contribute to the team's run to the World Series. His career with the Royals so far produced 12-17 with 3.54 ERA in four seasons. He also has 220 strikeouts to his name and 121 walks, all in 211 total innings.
The 26-year-old pitcher should be thanking the Royals for retention of his services, considering that last season yielded zero production, likewise considering that he only played 22 games back in 2014. But his signing is actually more of an insurance policy for the team since key contributors Franklin Morales, Ryan Madson, and Chris Young might all be testing the free agent market.
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Often overlooked by professional baseball clubs due to his size, Collins was eventually discovered by Toronto Blue Jays' general manager J. P. Ricciardi, giving him the opportunity to play professionally for a minor league affiliate of the Blue Jays in 2007.
Although he was eligible for arbitration for the next season, he didn't' expect to get a raise for the mere fact that he didn't have active playing time in the 2015 season.
Meanwhile, the team is likewise expected to non-tender Greg Holland. The closer is going to miss the entire season for 2016 due to an elbow reconstruction. After undergoing the same Tommy John surgery, Holland hopes the team will offer him a multi-year contract so that he gets the security he aspires as he undergoes a lengthy rehabilitation after the surgery.
