Mixed Messages

SI's Jon Heyman has tweeted that the Royals will join the Mariners as bidders for the service of Jarrod Washburn. Washburn has been a pretty steady performer over his 12 years in the Majors. He is 35 years old and coming off of an okay season (with the exception of the 8 games he started for the Tigers). For the right price, Washburn wouldn't be a bad addition at all, but why add him at this point?

I know: Meche's injury potential appears high and the Royals don't have a lefty in the rotation. THE ROYALS DO NOT NEED A LEFTY. Teams have won championships without them, but we don't even need to go down that line of logic because the Royals will not compete this year. Furthermore, the signing of Washburn would send a mixed message to fans and the youth of this team. The young pitchers on this team need to step up, they need to deliver and if they can't...then we need to draft more and more and more pitching. Signing another aging veteran does nothing but continue the pattern this team has followed at the Major League level for too long: signing leftovers and throwing together a Major League team so they can sell some tickets. I don't know about you, but I would rather watch young guys lose than aging veterans. I mean, at least the young guys MIGHT get better.