Lefty ace Duffy back with Royals

Perhaps the Royals and Danny Duffy thought Kansas City sports fans could use some good news.

The team announced a $65 million, five-year contract with the popular left-hander Monday, ensuring he will remain with the Royals through the 2021 season.

Duffy was eligible for arbitration and could have become a free agent after the upcoming season.

Instead, he will earn $5 million this year before a bump to $14 million in 2018. He will make $15.25 million each in 2019 and 2020 and $15.5 million in the final year of the deal.

“Danny has been great. He has one of the best arms in all of baseball,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “The fact that he’s left-handed makes him more special and separates him even more.”

Phillies

Outfielder Michael Saunders and Philadelphia agreed on a $9 million, oneyear contract. Saunders has an option for 2018 worth $11 million with escalators that can make it reach $14 million, and the deal includes a $1 million buyout. A 2016 AL All-Star with Toronto, Saunders hit a career-best 24 homers and batted .253 with 57 RBIs last season.

Blue Jays

Jose Bautista and Toronto are “working really hard” to bring him back to the club, a source said. Bautista, 36, hit 22 homers with 69 RBIs in 2016 while batting .234 in an injury-slowed season. Bautista (265) ranks second behind Carlos Delgado (336) on Toronto’s career home run list.

Elsewhere

It was a bipartisan effort by the (Cubs owners) Ricketts siblings that led to a White House celebration Monday of the Cubs, who just managed to beat the clock before President Barack Obama’s moving day. “They said this day would never come,” Obama said. “Here is something none of my predecessors ever got to say: Welcome to the White House, the World Series champion Chicago Cubs. ... It took you long enough.”