Tuesday, July 29, 2008
OAKLAND, Calif. - Royals outfielder Jose Guillen denied an online report by ESPNdeportes.com that surfaced Tuesday claiming he wants out of Kansas City because of a fractured relationship with manager Trey Hillman.
"This is completely catching me by surprise," Guillen said. "This isn't coming from me. Trey and I are fine right now, and I've never said I wanted out of Kansas City.
"This is the team that is paying me a lot of money, and this is where I want to be. I don't know where all of this stuff is coming from. I hate to be put in this situation, and now I look like a bad guy again."
The story, written by Enrique Rojas, quotes an unidentified source as saying Guillen and Hillman are not on speaking terms. The source also said Guillen "would do anything he can in economic terms to ease his way out of Kansas City."
Guillen denied it all.
"Everyone has been calling me and asking me about that stuff," Guillen said. "I've known Enrique for a long time, and he knows my family.
"I want to know where he said it came from."
General manager Dayton Moore said neither Guillen, nor his agent Adam Katz, has ever expressed a desire to leave the Royals.
"This is puzzling to me because I tried to stay tuned in," Moore said. "Unless he's telling me one thing and saying another, I've been under the understanding that he and Trey are getting along well.
"We're happy that Jose is here and contributing to our team."
Guillen has been at the center of controversy from the moment he signed with the Royals last year. He was suspended for 15 days by Major League Baseball for unspecified violations of its drug policy.
The suspension was later rescinded, but he lashed out at teammates, calling them "babies," during a 12-game losing streak.
Guillen fueled the previous controversies with his own on-the-record comments in contrast to the use of an unidentified source in the ESPNdeportes.com report.
"I don't want out of Kansas City," Guillen said. "That's not true. I don't have a problem with Trey. That didn't come from me. If you hear it from me, then you know it's a fact - but it didn't come from me."
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