Why there is hope in the signing of Kevin Kouzmanoff

• The Church of Baseball
• The Royals are Kevin Kouzmanoff’s fifth major league team.

I have to confess that the signing of third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff might end up being the most exciting part, for me, of the Kansas City Royals’ offseason. You probably don’t share my excitement that the Royals have inked a career .255 hitter, who will turn 31 next summer, to a minor league deal. But you should.

This deal is exciting, not for Kouzmanoff’s glove or bat but because of how his deal is structured and what it signals about the Royals. Kouzmanoff has an invitation to spring training along with the promise of $1 million if he can make the major league roster. It’s why we may remember that 2011 was the first year in many years that the Royals stopped giving out starting infielder slots like wedding-card placeholders.