Dillon Gee Signs MiLB Deal With Royals

6-year veteran to provide rotation depth for Kansas City

By Andrew Green

December 17, 2015

The Kansas City Royals have signed right-handed pitcher Dillon Gee to a minor league contract this week according to several media outlets.The deal reportedly includes multiple incentives and an opt-out clause after a certain date.

The 29-year-old has posted a 40-37 record and 4.03 ERA (304 ER/679.1 IP) in 114 career Major League outings with the New York Mets, all but four of which are starts, adding 489 strikeouts. Gee twice has earned 12 or more victories in a single season, including a 12-11 clip and 3.62 ERA (80 ER/199.0 IP) in 32 starts along with 142 punchouts.

Gee split the 2015 campaign between New York and Triple-A Las Vegas, tallying an 8-3 mark and 4.58 ERA (45 ER/88.1 IP) in 14 starts for the 51s. The righty faced the Storm Chasers this past season on August 20 at Werner Park and did not factor in the decision despite yielding just two earned runs on seven hits in seven innings of work.

The Texas native was selected by the Mets in the 21st round of the 2007 MLB Draft out of the University of Texas at Arlington, finishing his collegiate career second in school history in innings pitched (298.1). Gee made his Major League debut on September 7, 2010 against the Washington Nationals, earning the win after allowing a lone earned run on only two hits in seven strong frames.

Among other minor league free agent signings that have been announced recently, 2015 Storm Chasers pitcher J.C. Sulbaran agreed to a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. In eight starts with Omaha, the right-hander compiled a 3-3 record and 6.17 ERA (29 ER/42.1 IP) with 33 strikeouts.

Sulbaran had previously been acquired by the Royals from the Cincinnati Reds on July 31, 2012 as part of a trade that sent right-handed reliever Jonathan Broxton to the Reds. The 26-year-old was originally selected by Cincinnati in the 30th round of the 2008 MLB Draft out of American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida, and was a high school teammate of former Storm Chasers infielder and three-time AL Gold Glove Award winner Eric Hosmer.