Kennedy proving durable, valuable to Royals

NEW YORK — Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy admits he was a little bit puzzled by the national criticism of the Royals for signing him to a five-year, $70 million deal over the offseason.

The critics thought that the Royals overpaid.

“The criticism kind of all started when I turned down the qualifying offer [from the Padres],” Kennedy said. “They didn’t think that was smart. Now, I say this with all due respect, sometimes writers don’t have all the data. Maybe they don’t know how hard it is to start 30 games six years in a row. Being durable … that’s pretty rare in this game if you look around.”

A durable innings-eater is exactly what Royals general manager Dayton Moore sought, which is why Kansas City pursued Kennedy as a free agent. Pitching coach Dave Eiland worked with Kennedy when the two were with the Yankees, and he highly recommended the righty.

“We wanted starters who could go deeper into games,” Moore said at the time. “That’s one …

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