"C'mon back, Chen!

The Royals reached agreement Wednesday night with veteran left-hander Bruce Chen, their pitcher of the year, on a two-year contract for a guaranteed $9 million. The deal is pending a routine physical that should occur early next week.

"Bruce has been our most consistent pitcher over the last two seasons," general manager Dayton Moore said, "and we feel he's going to continue to perform at that level."

The deal calls for $4.5 million in base salary for 2012 and 2013 with the opportunity to add $1 million each year through performance bonuses.

Chen, 34, made $2 million last year in base salary while going 12-8 with a 3.77 ERA in 25 starts. He is a combined 24-15 with a 3.96 ERA over the last two seasons."