Kansas City, MO – The Kansas City Royals have agreed to a year deal with right-handed reliever Jonathan Broxton. Financial terms were not released, but it is believed to be a $4 million pact and is pending a physical which is expected to take place on Wednesday.
Broxton, who will help set up closer Joakim Soria, appeared in just 14 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season because of an elbow injury that eventually required surgery to shave a bone spur and remove loose bodies. Prior to the injury he had saved just seven games, while pitching to a 5.68 ERA with nine walks in only 12 2/3 innings.
"We are delighted to add someone as talented as Jonathan to our bullpen," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "He will be used in a set up role to closer Joakim Soria and will help solidify what we feel is a young and talented bullpen."
Armed with a 100 mph fastball, Broxton was a two-time All-Star for the Dodgers and was 25-20 with 84 saves and a 3.19 ERA in 386 games for them.
Broxton's best season came in 2009 when he saved 36 games to go along with a 2.61 ERA and 114 strikeouts in just 76 innings. He was on pace for a similar season the following year and was pitching to an 0.83 ERA through the first 33 games.
However, his season and career took a turn in a 48-pitch appearance in a loss to the New York Yankees on June 27 of that year. He blew five saves after that outing and pitched to a 6.59 ERA in the 30 games that followed.
Broxton's time with the Dodgers was also punctuated by his postseason failures, as he served up a go-ahead home run to Philadelphia's Matt Stairs in Game 4 of the 2008 National League Championship Series. Then a year later walked Stairs on four pitches setting the stage for a three-run Phillies rally. In both cases the Dodgers were eliminated in the next game.
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