Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports that the Royals "appear open" to giving impending free agent Bruce Chen a two-year deal. The left-hander has worked under three straight one-year pacts with the Royals, but it sounds like they'd be willing to give him a two-year commitment after two straight solid seasons. Chen, 34, will probably draw some interest from other teams in what's shaping up to be a thin free agent market, but he's expressed a desire to remain in Kansas City. Anything more than a modest two-year extension would be risky, though.