Pitcher Ervin Santana finds new home with Royals

Anaheim, CA, United States (4E Sports) – The Los Angeles Angels sent the supposedly bad luck-plagued pitcher Ervin Santana to the Royals for Brandon Sisk.

Santana, 29, went just 9-13 with a 5.16 ERA while giving up a major league-worst 39 homers last season.

He does have moments of brilliance in his career, which includes three seasons with at least 16 victories and an All-Star selection in 2008. He threw a no-hitter in 2011 and a one-hitter last season.

“I don’t have any physical problems,” Santana said. “Everything was good. I just have bad luck. I was pitching good, and I didn’t have the opportunity to win a lot of games.”

Los Angeles Angels GM Jerry Dipoto said Santana’s struggles were more relative to his command than his physical ‘stuff’. “Once he determined that his issue was command, he throttled back his fastball a little bit and tried to gain command of his slider and pitched very well for us.”

“I have to realize that this is a business,” said Santana. “They trade me, and I just have to accept it and move on. It’s going to be hard because I’ve known my teammates for a long time, but now I’m going to have new teammates. I can’t wait to meet them in person and hang out.”

The Kansas City Royals are sending left-hander Brandon Sisk, 27, who spent last season as a reliever at Triple A, posting a 2.54 ERA in 50 games. He also finished with eight saves. He is now pitching in the Venezuelan winter league and has never pitched in the majors.

While Dipoto is eager to see what the 27-year-old can do in spring training, the Angels have their sights on developing rising starter Garett Richards and attempting to re-sign Zack Greinke, who went 6-2 with a 3.53 ERA during his brief stint with Los Angeles.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore seems happy with their new acquisition. He noted that they were able to scout Santana the entire year and liked what they saw. “His August and September were really good. From a statistical standpoint, he was very good.”

Moore said the Royals are paying “the majority” of Santana’s $13 million deal. Santana had a $1 million buyout.

But the Royals haven’t discussed a long-term extension with the right-hander.

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