Days after reports of a deal were denied, the Royals finally dealt Mark Teahen to the White Sox on Nov. 7.
Teahen was swapped for Josh Fields and Chris Getz. The deal was delayed as the Royals wanted to examine Getz, who has a sports hernia. The White Sox also received cash in the deal.
Teahen hit .271 with 34 doubles, 12 home runs, 50 RBIs and 69 runs last year. He would likely replace former Royal Jermaine Dye, who is eligible for free agency, in right field for the White Sox. Teahen was among three players the Royals acquired in the three-team trade in 2004 that sent Carlos Beltran to Houston.
Getz, 26, hit .261 with two home runs and 31 RBIs and stole 25 bases in 27 games in 107 games. Getz, however, suffered a sports hernia in mid-August that restricted his playing time the final six weeks.
Fields, a former Oklahoma State quarterback, hit seven home runs and drove in 30 runs in 79 games last season. He was expected to replace third baseman Joe Crede, who signed with the Twins before the 2009 season, but he lost the White Sox job to rookie Gordon Beckham. Fields hit 23 home runs in 2007 as a rookie but spent most of 2008 in the minors.
It is be a cost-saving trade for the Royals. Teahen made $3,575,000 in 2009, and his salary likely would escalate to more than $5 million in 2010 through arbitration. Getz made $401,000 last season, while Fields made $410,000. Neither is arbitration-eligible.
How the pieces will fit together for the Royals remains to be seen. Fields is better at third base than in the outfield, but third is also Alex Gordon's position when healthy. Gordon, the second overall pick in the 2005 draft, played in only 49 games last season because of a hip injury and hit a disappointing .232.
Alberto Callaspo started 142 games at second base last season for the Royals and hit .300 with 41 doubles and 11 home runs, but he is sub-par defensively. Callaspo could be traded to make room for Getz.
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