SURPRISE, AZ (March 1, 2011) – The Kansas City Royals have announced that the club has agreed to terms on 2011 Major League contracts with right-handed pitcher Vin Mazzaro and first baseman Kila Ka’aihue. Consistent with club policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed. All players in Major League camp are now under contract for the 2011 season.
Mazzaro, 24, made his Royals’ exhibition debut yesterday against the Rangers, tossing a pair of scoreless innings in a start. The 6-foot-3 right-hander was acquired by Kansas City along with minor league left-handed pitcher Justin Marks from the Oakland Athletics for outfielder David DeJesus on November 10, 2010. Mazzaro was 6-8 with a 4.27 ERA in 24 appearances, including 18 starts, for the A’s in 2010.
The 26-year-old Ka’aihue played in 52 games with the Royals in the last two months of 2010, hitting .217 with eight home runs and 25 RBI. The 2010 Omaha (AAA) Player of the Year and Pacific Coast League All-Star recorded a .513 slugging percentage over his final 34 games of the season with the Royals. Ka’aihue was the Royals’ 15th-round selection in the 2002 Draft.
