Guillen, Royals Complete 3-Year Deal

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ Jose Guillen and the Kansas City Royals completed their $36 million, three-year contract Thursday. <br/><br/>The sides reached an agreement Tuesday at the winter meetings, subject

Thursday, December 6th 2007, 1:32 pm

By: News On 6

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ Jose Guillen and the Kansas City Royals completed their $36 million, three-year contract Thursday.

The sides reached an agreement Tuesday at the winter meetings, subject to a physical.

``We feel we have acquired an impact bat from the right side of the plate,'' Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. ``He has a proven major league track record of success and we are looking forward to seeing him in the lineup in Kansas City.''

The 31-year-old Guillen, a power-hitting outfielder, batted .290 with 23 homers, 99 RBIs and 28 doubles for the Seattle Mariners this year. Seattle declined its $9 million option and Guillen turned down a $5 million player option, receiving a $500,000 buyout.

"The San Francisco Chronicle" reported last month that Guillen bought nearly $20,000 worth of steroids and human growth hormone from 2003-05. Major League Baseball began testing for steroids in 2003, and penalties for first offenses began in 2005. HGH was banned in January 2005.

``We told the commissioner's office my version of this whole affair, which in some ways has been handled with some errors in the media,'' Guillen was quoted as saying by ESPNdeportes.com.

Guillen, who can play right or left, joins a crowded outfield. David DeJesus is in center, and the Royals already have Emil Brown in left and Mark Teahen in right. Teahen, however, also can play first base.

New Royals manager Trey Hillman said this week that if the deal was finished, Guillen would slot into the middle of the order. Hillman wasn't too concerned about which outfield spot Guillen would play.

``Defensive position is not as important for me as the added potential to the lineup with slug and driving runs in,'' Hillman said. ``It would depend on how some other things fell.''

Guillen has also played for Pittsburgh (1997-99), Tampa Bay (1999-01), Arizona (2002), Cincinnati (2002-03), Oakland (2003), the Angels (2004) and Washington (2005-06). He is a .274 career hitter with 166 homers and 673 RBIs.

The Royals plan to make a corresponding move for their 40-man roster at a later date.