KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The non-tender deadline came and passed Friday night, and while there were some surprising non-tenders, the Kansas City Royals kept it pretty quiet — tendering contracts to all nine eligible players.
The Royals decided tender contracts to Brad Keller, Brady Singer, Scott Barlow, Adalberto Mondesi, Nicky Lopez, Kris Bubic, Taylor Clarke, Amir Garrett and Josh Staumont.
While it isn't surprising that the Royals decided to tender contracts to all nine players, there was a small chance the team could've cut Keller loose.
The former Rule 5 draft pick has struggled the last two years, posting a 5.24 ERA in 273.1 innings. This past season, Keller was demoted from the starting rotation and moved to the bullpen in mid-August.
But in the end, the Royals tendered him a contract.
This comes as Keller heads into his last year of arbitration. MLB Trade Rumors arbitration projections show Keller is projected to make $7 million, which is the largest arbitration projection among all nine players.
First baseman Ryan O'Hearn was also eligible for arbitration, but the Royals were able to agree on a deal with the longtime player earlier this week.
All players who are tendered a contract are now eligible for arbitration, but the team can negotiate and reach deal with each player before the scheduled arbitration date, which usually falls around February.
