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Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Tomko agrees to $3 million, 1-year deal with Royals
By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Brett Tomko agreed Monday to a $3 million, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, promising he's worked out the problems that led to failure with the Dodgers last year.
A right-hander who turns 35 during the first week of the 2008 season, Tomko will compete for a spot in the rotation but is also a candidate for bullpen duty for a club seeking to climb out of the AL Central basement.
''I've done both and I'm comfortable with both,'' he said. ''But that was one of the main things we talked about this winter. We talked with other (clubs) for bullpen and setup positions.''
Tomko's contact calls for an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses.
''We like the power in his arm and the experience that he brings to a very young pitching staff,'' Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. ''I think he blends in very well with the current group of pitchers we have on the roster.''
In his worst stretch since breaking into the majors with Cincinnati in 1997, Tomko was 2-11 with a 5.80 ERA last year for Los Angels. After being designated for assignment, he signed with San Diego and was 2-1 with a 4.61 ERA as the Padres competed for a playoff berth.
Changes he made in style and delivery at the urging of the Dodgers led to his problems.
''They asked me to try a couple of things. They wanted to see a little more movement, change my mechanics a little bit. I went into it with an open mind and thought I'd try whatever they asked.''
At first, the changes looked good. He had 10 strikeouts in his first start.
''But over the next few starts, it wasn't working,'' he said. Soon, bad habits were formed and he could not escape a self-imposed rut.
''I got put in the bullpen and was mopping up games. It got worse and worse,'' he said.
Finally, he was cut and went home for 16 days.
''I revamped everything and tried to go back to what I was doing,'' he said.
Then he was signed by San Diego and with the Padres and went back to his old style.
''I watched film of those first five months and it didn't even look like me. I was topping out at 86-87 (mph),'' he said. ''But once I got back to the basics of what I'd been doing, my velocity jumped back to the mid-90s. I felt like a new person.''
Now, after saying no thanks to some other clubs who approached him about bullpen duty, he's ready to report to the Royals' camp in Surprise, Ariz., and compete with Jorge De La Rosa, Luke Hochevar, Kyle Davies and Luke Hudson for one of the two remaining jobs in the rotation behind Gil Meche, Brian Bannister and Zack Greinke.
If Tomko doesn't start, he would join a bullpen that includes left-handers Jimmy Gobble, Ron Mahay and John Bale. In 20 2-3 innings last year as a reliever, Tomko had 33 strikeouts and just seven walks.
''More of his recent success has been in the bullpen,'' Moore said. ''It gives us a power arm from the right side.''
Tomko is 93-92 with a 4.62 ERA for six major league teams in 11 seasons and is among just three pitchers since 2005 with 115 appearances and 60 starts. Miguel Batista and Brett Myers are the others.
Moore said the Royals likely wouldn't make any more moves before the start of spring training in mid-February.
''As spring training evolves, I'm sure there will be more things that we try to do,'' Moore said. ''But right now I look for us to be pretty much set as we go into spring training.''
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