KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Royals went within an hour of the deadline for tendering or non-tendering contracts, and in the end, the news was less than dramatic: Only left-handed pitcher Francisley Bueno was non-tendered.
The move leaves the Royals' roster at 38 players heading into next week's Winter Meetings in San Diego.
Most teams prefer to have 40-man roster flexibility heading into the meetings.
Bueno had been designated for assignment twice by the Royals in the last year. He made $504,500 last season.
Perhaps somewhat surprising was the Royals' decision to tender left-hander Tim Collins, whose effectiveness has faded the past two years, at least enough to the point that he was demoted last season.
Collins made $1,362,500 last season and is eligible again for arbitration.
Right-handed reliever Louis Coleman, who made $537,000, also is eligible for arbitration.
None of the other tendered players on the 40-man roster would qualify as a surprise.
You can follow Jeffrey Flanagan on Twitter at @jflanagankc or email him at jeffreyflanagan6@gmail.com.
