The Kansas City Royals starting rotation is a work in progress. The addition of Jonathan Sanchez via trade yesterday certainly bolsters one slot, but everyone realizes that Dayton Moore is not done yet. Hence the reason why he mentioned to Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors.com yesterday that he hopes to resign Bruce Chen.
Chen has been a solid addition for the Royals the last three seasons and he had his finest year for them just last season. Chen posted a 3.77 ERA over 155 innings with a 12-8 record to show for it. The previous season, Chen threw 140 innings with a 4.17 ERA. In other words, he hasn't been a workhorse, but he's definitely been the Royals most steady pitcher despite his lack of flash.
However, it's also good for Moore to keep Chen on a year-by-year basis considering that the formula is working and Chen is going to be 35 next year. He's a solid, savvy veteran signing who will give the Royals a predictable result every five days. He can also help mentor some of the younger pitchers on the roster, given that Chen has seen plenty in his 13 seasons of Major League experience. Here's hoping the Royals bring back Chen to help bolster the back of the rotation.