INSEL-REGELN » well-documented, nicknamed misery: The Drive, T

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The competition for a spot in the Royals rotation just got a little tougher. Kansas City announced the signing of veteran pitcher Bruce Chen to a $4.25 million, one-year deal on Saturday that includes a mutual option for the 2015 season, and manager Ned Yost said he expects to keep the left-hander as a starter rather than a reliever. That would leave just one job available for a whole bunch of candidates. "I dont know how its all going to play out," Yost said at Royals FanFest. "Im real open-minded, but you try to go into it and you think about all scenarios and all cases." The Royals are solid at the front of the rotation with James Shields, Jason Vargas and Jeremy Guthrie, and Chen was dominant the latter part of last season after beginning in the bullpen. That means young flame-throwers Yordano Ventura and Kyle Zimmer, talented but injury prone left-hander Danny Duffy, starters-turned-relievers Luke Hochevar and Wade Davis, and even veteran Brad Penny could be competing for a single rotation spot in spring training. Royals pitchers and catchers report to Surprise, Ariz., on Feb. 14. "If Danny Duffy doesnt make the rotation to begin with, what more does that do to the bullpen?" Yost said, offering one example of how things might play out. "That gives us another left-handed arm that we can get through the All-Star break and bam, like Bruce last year, here comes a fresh, healthy Danny Duffy if someone is slacking a little bit. "Well see how it plays out," Yost said. "I want to give everyone a fair chance at it." The 36-year-old Chen became a free agent after last season, when he went 9-4 with a 3.27 ERA in 15 starts and 19 appearances out of the bullpen. He attracted some interest from a handful of clubs, but he always said hed like to return for a sixth season in Kansas City. The sides reached an agreement Thursday but had to wait to announce it until Chen passed a physical. Hell make $3.25 million this season and $5.5 million with a $1 million buyout next season. He can also earn a performance bonus of $125,000 for each start from 16 through 25. "You cant evaluate Bruce in spring training," Yost said, "because hes not one of those guys that can compete, because hes not a spring training pitcher. But once the bell rings, hes been phenomenal for us. You know what youre going to get with Bruce. "So unless something just dramatically happens between now and then, Bruce will probably be slotted into one of those five spots. In all reality, yeah. But well just see what happens." Ronde Barber Jersey . This weeks Raptors Report puts a bow on Gays brief, 10-month tenure in Toronto and ponders how his absence will affect the teams offence. 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MORITZ, Switzerland -- Latvia won a four-man World Cup bobsled race Sunday, while the U.CLEVELAND - This will be a season opener unlike any other — one that also brings closure.Part homecoming, part family reunion, part revival meeting and a huge party rolled into one.When LeBron James takes the court on Thursday night wearing a No. 23 Cavaliers uniform in a regular-season game for the first time in four years, an entire city will be able to wash away a painful past. Any lingering bitterness will give way to forgiveness and excitement about the future.For these fans, James said Wednesday, it means everything.Thats because he means everything to them.James and a Cavaliers team transformed over the summer by his return — plus the signing of All-Star guard Kyrie Irving to a contract extension and the acquisition of power forward Kevin Love — will open their NBA season on Thursday night against the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena.This is the night Cleveland has been waiting for.More than 20,000 fans, some paying more than $1,000 per ticket, will welcome James back home to where he began his basketball career. Hell again play before family, friends from Akron and the Cavs fans who feared he would never return after the 29-year-old bolted for Miami in 2010 to chase championships.Theres never been a night like it in this citys tortured sports history, and it promises to be emotional for everyone, including James.It means everything to be able to open our NBA campaign here in Cleveland with these fans. Its going to be a special moment, James said after practice at the Q. We cant take it for granted. You dont get moments like this, they dont come around every day.The game will be secondary to the spectacle surrounding James homecoming.In the hours before tipoff, Nike will unveil a new 10-story-banner of James where a previous one of his likeness became a treasured city landmark before being removed in the days after he left.A free concert featuring hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar and the rock band Imagine Dragons will take place across from the arena, and bars and restaurants will be overflowing with fans, thousands of whom cant get a ticket but want to celebrate something that in some ways feels bigger than a title.This is going to be one of the biggest nights ever, said Jaasmine Latorres, a bartender at the Clevelander Bar and Grill, which only had a handful of patrons on a grey, late fall afternoon but will be packed on Wednesday night.dddddddddddd LeBrons back. Its going to be nuts.It will seem like old times for Cleveland with James being back. On Wednesday night, he went on Twitter asking fans to vote on whether he should resume doing his pregame chalk toss, a signature routine during his first stint with the Cavs.James return has not only made the Cavs one of the top favourites to win a title but he has spawned a financial wave for the region that is still building.Cavs owner Dan Gilbert said James impact on the area is immeasurable — economically and emotionally. Its created new jobs and other growth, giving the city a substantial shot in the arm as it undergoes an urban renaissance. Beyond that, James has renewed hope that Cleveland can celebrate its first pro sports championship since 1964.There are generations of Clevelanders who have known only well-documented, nicknamed misery: The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot, The Move, and, of course, The Decision.This is a chance to make it all feel better.And for James and Gilbert, who have patched up their differences after an ugly separation, this is all about taking Cleveland to the top after grinding through the painful times.For us, the thing that drives us the most is delivering this for the fans of Cleveland, Gilbert said. It will be 51 years, and thats what the emotion is really about that. Delivering for them, and hoping that day comes whether its this year, next year or the following year, whenever it comes, and we believe it will.A deafening roar will welcome James onto the court when hes introduced as the last member of Clevelands starting lineup. It may take several minutes for Cleveland fans to settle into their seats.James, on the other hand, wont be able to enjoy the celebration accompanying his comeback.Not now.I wish I could, he said. I havent had a moment to soak in anything Ive done. It continues to go and I continue to live in the moment. I think after Im done playing Ill be able to look back on a lot of great moments and tomorrow will be another one of those moments. ' ' '