By Jeffrey Flanagan
FOXSportsKansasCity.com
January 25, 2011
Gil Meche is gone. Zack Greinke is gone. Jose Guillen is gone. Yuni Betancourt is gone. David DeJesus is gone.
The list goes on, which means the most familiar face left on the Royals to most fans likely will be that of Billy Butler.
It just so happens that Butler also will be the highest-paid Royal, perhaps for years to come. Butler recently signed a four-year contract extension that will pay him, on average, $7.5 million a season. There is a club option for a fifth year at $12.5 million with incentives that could bump it to $14.5 million.
Ready or not, Butler will become the new face of the Royals, and, most likely, the new leader of team about to be flooded with young prospects.
Is Butler, who's only 24, ready for that role?
"I'm prepared to do whatever is best for our organization,"Butler said. "I want to make every player in the clubhouse a better player and a better person. One thing every player should know is that it doesn't make any difference what stage of your career you're in, you can always learn and always get better. And that includes me.
"I have a lot of passion for this organization and want to see it get into the playoffs and I'll do whatever it takes to get us there.
