Jeremy Guthrie, after years of trying, finally won a game in the major leagues when he was 28. Since going 7-5 in his first winning season, Guthrie has won 48 games and lost 72. A charitable observer might describe Guthrie as an "innings-eater", as he's averaged nearly 200 innings per season over the last five seasons.

There's real value in the consumption of innings, though, and the Kansas City Royals have re-signed Jeremy Guthrie to a three-year contract that will run through 2015. Guthrie first auditioned with the Royals earlier this year. He opened the season with the Rockies, but pitched so poorly that he got demoted from the rotation to the bullpen; on the 20th of July, the Rockies traded Guthrie to Kansas City for Jonathan Sánchez.

It wound up being an incredibly lopsided deal. Sanchez pitched in only three games for the Rockies, and lost all three of them. Guthrie started 14 games for the Royals, and went just 5-3 but also posted a fine 3.16 ERA, arguably pitching better than he'd ever pitched in his career.

Guthrie's nobody's idea of an ace. But combined with the signing of free agent Ervin Santana, the Royals should have at least two starting pitchers next season who are capable of pitching decently and staying healthy. Now, to find that ace ...