According to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel, Luis Mendoza is a "prominent candidate" for the Royals' 2012 rotation. Mendoza, who turns 28 at the end of this month, allowed only two earned runs in 14 2/3 innings for the Royals over the final two weeks of the regular season. He was also highly effective throughout the year at Triple-A Omaha. There's a chance the journeyman right-hander will be exposed once made an everyday major-league starter, but Kansas City may as well give him a try.