Not sure anyone saw this one coming.
Dick Kaegel reports:
TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Royals didn't stop when they signed Juan Cruz. On Sunday, they announced they signed veteran left-hander Bruce Chen to a Minor League contract.
[...]
The 31-year-old Chen did not pitch last season after undergoing elbow surgery.
[...]
Chen will not report to the Royals' Minor League camp immediately because he is pitching in the World Baseball Classic for his native Panama.
I've got nothing. Minor league depth I guess? Jamey Wright is like Nolan Ryan compared to Chen at this point. He was decent, in a Brett Tomko kind of way in 2005 with the Orioles. Then he was horrible in 2006 (66 ERA+) losing his job as a starter and he was bad very early in 2007 (63 ERA+). Then he got injured.
It's been a longtime since Chen was a hot prospect with the Braves, back in the heady days of the late nineties when everyone thought that they were the masters of developing pitchers. He's had his moments, but on the whole he's been ineffective and injured. Who knows? Maybe he can have his second or third comeback this season with the Royals.