Kansas City Royals Sign David Riske to 1-Year Contract - Major League Baseball

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MLN Newswire-www.mlntherawfeed.com-KANSAS CITY, MO (Dec. 20, 2006) - The Kansas City Royals have signed right-handed reliever David Riske to one-year contract for the 2007 season with an option for 2008.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"David has been one of the most consistent relief pitchers in the game the last four years," Royals
Senior Vice President-Baseball Operations/General Manager Dayton Moore said. His experience and success will
give us a better opportunity to match up the last three innings of the game."

The 30-year-old Riske has been one of the most reliable relievers in the American League since
2003, his first full season at the Major League level. Riske owns an 18-14 career mark with 16 saves and a 3.59
ERA in 328 Major League outings, all in relief, for the Indians (1999, 2001-2005), Red Sox (2006) and White
Sox (2006). He has recorded nearly a strikeout per inning in his career (346 SO/361.1 IP) and walked just 152.
Opponents have hit just .229 against him in his career, including a .212 average by left-handed hitters.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder split his 2006 season between the Red Sox and the White Sox, going 1-
2 with a 3.89 ERA in 41 appearances. In 44.0 innings, his fewest since 2001, he allowed 19 earned runs on 40
hits and 17 walks while striking out 28.

He missed most of April and May while with Boston, suffering from a
lower back strain, and was traded to Chicago on June 15 for pitcher Javier Lopez. Riske recorded a 0-1 record
and a 3.82 ERA in eight outings for the Red Sox and was 1-1 with a 3.93 ERA in 33 appearances for the White
Sox.

A native of Renton, Wash., Riske's best season came in 2003 with the Indians when he went 2-2
with a 2.29 ERA in 68 appearances. His ERA was the eighth-lowest among A.L. relievers and his .196 opponent
batting average was fourth. In fact, in his final three seasons with the Indians from 2003-2005, Riske compiled
a 12-9 record with a 3.04 ERA in 198 outings.

Riske was originally selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 56th round of the 1996 June Free
Agent Draft. He was traded from the Indians to the Red Sox prior to the 2006 season in the deal that sent Coco
Crisp to Boston and Andy Marte to Cleveland. He and his wife, Missy, reside in Henderson, Nev., with their sons
Payton and Preston.

The deal is contingent on Riske passing a team physical. The Royals will announce a corresponding
40-man roster move at a later date.