Kansas City, MO (My Sportsbook) - The Kansas City Royals have declined the 2010 options on outfielder Coco Crisp, catcher Miguel Olivo and pitcher Yasuhiko Yabuta. Crisp and Olivo are now eligible to file for free agency, while Yabuta can elect for free agency if he doesn't sign a 2010 major league contract with the club by November 16. Crisp was acquired from Boston in a trade last offseason but played just 49 games in 2009 because of right shoulder surgery. What was initially termed a rotator cuff sprain turned out to be a labrum tear, and Crisp had season- ending surgery in June. He batted a career-low .228 with a .336 on-base percentage, three homers, five triples and 14 RBI for the Royals this past season. In eight major league seasons with Cleveland, Boston and Kansas City, the 30- year-old Crisp owns a .277 average, along with 59 homers, 31 triples, 137 steals and 327 RBI. Olivo, 31, batted .249 with a .292 on-base percentage and a career-high 23 homers and 65 RBI in 114 games this past season, his eighth in the majors. Yabuta, 36, appeared in 12 games for Kansas City in 2009 and allowed 21 runs in 14 innings. |
