KC takes it slow in signing No. 1 pick

~ The Royals are waiting to hear from Luke Hochevar's agent, the notorious Scott Boras.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Hopes for swift negotiations with Luke Hochevar, Kansas City's overall No. 1 draft pick, may soon begin to fade.

The Royals have made an offer to the big right-handed starter, who sat out all last year after refusing a $2.98 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But they're still waiting for a counteroffer from Scott Boras, his California-based agent, who has represented other clients with whom Kansas City had trouble reaching agreements.

General manager Dayton Moore said negotiations were "moving at a rate I think everybody feels comfortable with right now."

"It is what it is right now," Moore said Tuesday. "We can try to force the issue in a way that's uncomfortable for him, but we're not going to do that."

Senior scouting director Deric Ladnier, who is heading the negotiations, declined to say what the Royals had offered. He also said he would not necessarily have expected a counteroffer by now, two weeks after the draft.

"There is no way to put a timetable on it," Ladnier said. "You like to say sooner rather than later. But I've done a lot of negotiations and every one takes on its own unique characteristic."

The Royals hope to have Hochevar in uniform by early July so he could make at least eight or nine starts in their development system.

"The lines of communication have been opened," Ladnier said. "I don't want to get into the details about what we talked about. I wouldn't say the ball is in their court. It's in both of our courts. It's a responsibility for both me and Scott to get the player signed. Everybody is accountable."

Boras, who spoke with the Royals before the June 6 draft, could not immediately be reached.

Other clients Boras has represented include Johnny Damon, whom Kansas City traded before the start of 2001 season, and Carlos Beltran, traded by the Royals in 2004. He also was the agent for pitcher Jeff Austin, Kansas City's first-round pick in 1998 who sat out almost the entire year before finally signing, then never developed.

When Kansas City made Hochevar the overall No. 1 choice, it was widely assumed the former Tennessee star would not be as costly as last year's top picks. An offer in the $4 million range would be an increase of more than $1 million over the deal the Dodgers tried to make after taking him at No. 40 and would seem to justify his decision to delay the start of his career by a year.

In addition, it was thought Hochevar, who had been pitching in an independent league in Texas, would be in a hurry to get started.

"I wish we had him signed and in a Royals' uniform," said Moore, who has not spoken with Hochevar. "But sometimes it takes longer for these things to unfold."