Gil Meche, whose $55 million, five-year contract as a free agent in 2007 signaled a sharp change in fiscal policy for the Kansas City Royals, announced Tuesday that he is retiring. In a statement released through the Royals, the right-hander, who was plagued by shoulder problems last year, said he preferred retirement to spending the final year of his contract in the bullpen. Meche was the Royals' Opening Day starter in 2007, '08 and '09. His best season was 2008 when he was 14-11 with a 3.98 ERA, but the Royals still finished 75-87. Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6033882
