Yost is hired as advisor

It is reported that Ned Yost, a former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, has been hired by the Royals as a special advisor to baseball operations. Yost, who managed the Brewers from 2003 to 2008, was dismissed when the club had an 83-67 record. During his tenure, Milwaukee had a 457-502 record, and his highest finish was second in 2007. From 1991-2002, Yost was a coach for Atlanta, serving eight years as bullpen coach and four years as third-base coach for Braves manager Bobby Cox.

"He'll be a resource for our Major League staff and our Minor League Department," said Royals general manager Dayton Moore. "He'll do some scouting for us as well. He'll be a tremendous asset for us. He has a lot of experience and is an outstanding baseball man." Moore said there are no plans to have Yost on the field to assist manager Trey Hillman during Spring Training. "He may get on the field and do some things, but if he does, it'll be more on the player-development side. He'll be down at the early camp," Moore said.

Colorado Rockies may sign Olivo

A report on Wednesday indicated that the Rockies were attempting to sign a deal with Olivo to be the primary backup. In December Iannetta signed a three-year extension with the team worth $8.3 million. Olivo hit .249 with 23 home runs and 65 RBIs in 2009 with the Kansas City Royals. He also has played parts of three seasons with the Padres and Marlins.

The Rockies' decision to add Olivo means the end of Yorvit Torrealba's run in Colorado. Torrealba was seeking a two-year deal worth $6 million to return to Colorado Rockies. Last month Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd told the paper that he was not optimistic about being reached to retain Torrealba. Hope Olivo can put on the rockies jersey successfully.

Tim Maxey spent seven seasons with Indians

Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association announced that Tim Maxey was named Major League Baseball's Joint Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. Maxey will focus on providing guidance to and identifying best practices for clubs and players involving conditioning, fitness, nutrition and other related subjects in this newly created position. Maxey has plenty of experience in the field and he just completed his seventh season as the strength and conditioning coach for the Indians in 2009, and he also worked in the Royals organization from 1998 to 2002.

Maxey visit with every team during Spring Training to discuss practices and conditioning. He will also be available to all Major League clubs during the season for all areas relating to strength and conditioning, including the development of educational programs. He also has served MLB and the MLBPA on its Strength and Conditioning Advisory Board and has been an advisor to the Taylor Hooton Foundation.

Maxey is a National and Conditioning Association-Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach. He is a graduate of Shawnee State University and holds a Master's Degree in physical education from The Ohio State University.

Royals signs Steve Lerud

It is reported that the Royals signed catcher Steve Lerud to a Minor League contract last week. Lerud has been in the Pirates since being taken in the fourth round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft. In six Minor League seasons, he has a .228 average with 42 home runs and 224 RBIs in 519 games.

Last season with Double-A Altoona, Lerud batted .240 with four homers and 26 RBIs in 95 games. He threw out 37 base-stealers with 15 passed balls and six errors. He is the second catcher from outside the organization signed by the Royals. The Royals also have signed catchers Vance Wilson and Cody Clark to Minor League deals. Hope to see him playing on the field in the royals jersey.

Williams was hired as Majors scout

The Pirates have hired Steve Williams to serve as a Major League scout for the team."Steve brings a wealth of baseball experience to the Pittsburgh Pirates," general manager Neal Huntington said in a release that announced the hiring. "We are pleased to add someone of his background, experience and abilities to an already talented group of individuals on the professional scouting staff."

Williams recently worked as an assistant director of scouting for the Royals. Before that, he spent nearly seven seasons serving as a regional scouting supervisor with the Tigers. Williams also spent 12 years working as an area scout for both Minnesota and Toronto. In addition, he has held the position of president of the Buck O'Neil Scouting and Coaches Association in the past six years.

Royals sign Brad Thompson

The Royals of Major League have agreed to a Minor League contract with former Cardinals right-hander Brad Thompson. Last season Thompson played in 32 games including eight starts for the Cardinals. He is expected to be invited to the Major League Spring Training camp.

In five years with the Cardinals, Thompson has played in 185 games in his cardinals jersey. He posted his best numbers as a rookie in 2005. Thompson has postseason experience including two-thirds of a scoreless inning in the 2006 World Series against Detroit Tigers. He appeared in the both National League Division Series and League Championship Series in 2005 and 2006.