The Royals got the shortstop they have coveted for so long, acquiring 27 year old shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt from the Seattle Mariners for minor league pitchers Dan Cortes and Derrick Saito. Betancourt was hitting .250/.278/.330 with 2 HR and 22 RBI in 63 games. His best offensive year was in 2007 when he hit .289/.308/.418 with 9 HR 67 RBI. He has a lifetime .302 on-base percentage.

His UZR last season was -12.7 and he has actually gotten worse this year, posting a -18. He is signed through 2011, and is owed $3 million in 2010, and $4 million in 2011. He has a $6 million club option for 2012, with a $2 million buyout.

Fangraphs has his value at $-3.6 million.

Betancourt is currently on the disabled list with a hamstring injury and is on rehab assignment in the minor leagues.

Cortes, 22, was a right-handed pitcher acquired in the Mike MacDougal trade. He was listed as the fourth best prospect in the organization by John Sickels and the third best by Baseball America. In 16 games for AA Northwest Arkansas, he was 6-6 with a 3.92 ERA, but a disappointing 57/50 K/BB ratio in 80 1/3 innings.

Saito, 21, was a left-handed pitcher taken in the 16th round of the 2008 Amateur Draft out of Cal Poly. After posting a 4.36 ERA in Idaho Falls last year, he posted a 4.15 ERA with an impressive 53/15 K/BB ratio in 52 relief innings at low A Burlington.