The KC Royals dealt 19-year-old shortstop prospect Jose Martinez for St. Louis Cardinals backup catcher Tony Cruz on Wednesday, apparently anticipating non-tendering catcher Drew Butera. The Kansas City Royals designated AAA catcher Francisco Pena for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster, according to MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan.
Wednesday, December 2 at 11 pm is the deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players. Apparently, the Kansas City Royals will not be issuing an offer to backup catcher the $1.