Surprise, Ariz. ? When the big-market clubs hand out $100 million contracts and trade superstars the way sixth-graders swap baseball cards, the Kansas City Royals only can sit and watch.

But general manager Allard Baird believes in the potential of his latest youth movement — and says he has the money to keep the team’s young talent around for five years.

It’s an approach that’s been tried before, and not always successfully. But barring a change of heart and a payroll hike from owner David Glass, it’s the Royals’ only hope for the future.

“I can keep these guys for five years, maybe beyond,” Baird said. “We’ll have to see how the revenues are at that time, how the base agreement will play itself out — but they’re here now.”

The Royals have a handful of veterans, most notably 31-year-old first baseman Mike Sweeney and 32-year-old right-hander Jose Lima, surrounded by prospects and promise.

“We’re not a big-market team. We’re not going to bring in a lot of guys,” said 25-year-old center fielder David DeJesus, who took over the job at midseason last year when the Royals traded away star Carlos Beltran. “We have to develop through the minor leagues, and we’re getting a chance to show off our stuff.”

So far this spring, several of the Royals’ youngsters have come on faster than expected.

Second baseman Ruben Gotay, 22, has seen his batting average hover around .400. With Tony Graffanino’s health suddenly a concern, Gotay could start the season at the position.

Graffanino, who had season-ending shoulder surgery last year, turned his left ankle fielding a routine ground ball on March 16. An MRI exam revealed a Grade 2 sprain, and Graffanino will miss at least seven exhibition games.

Royals center fielder David DeJesus bats during a spring-training game March 4 in Surprise, Ariz. DeJesus, 25, is a key part of the Royals' youth movement.

And Mark Teahen, acquired as part of the three-team Beltran deal, could start at third base on Opening Day because Chris Truby has a chipped bone in his left wrist.

The Royals have developed several talented young players in recent years, often to trade them to other clubs for prospects and role players rather than lose them outright to free agency.

In 2001, for example, they swapped Johnny Damon to Oakland after the popular outfielder — who was a centerpiece of an earlier youth movement — refused to sign a long-term deal.

The Royals got shortstop Angel Berroa, the American League Rookie of the Year in 2003. Damon eventually went on to Boston, where he helped lead the Red Sox to victory in last year’s World Series.

Kansas City also brought up Beltran, who won the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1999. But Beltran also refused to sign a long-term deal, and his contract was due up at the end of 2004.

So at midseason, the Royals — on their way to a franchise-record 104 losses after a seeming turnaround season in 2003 — dealt him to the Houston Astros.

As part of that deal, Kansas City got catcher John Buck, who Baird said had the potential to be the best defensive catcher in the majors. Beltran became a free agent at the end of the season, and was rewarded with a $119 million, seven-year contract with the New York Mets.

The Royals have had less luck with young pitchers, though — especially with first-round draft picks.

Kansas City infielder Ruben Gotay works out during spring training March 1 in Surprise, Ariz. Gotay, 22, along with David DeJesus, Zack Greinke and Mark Teahen, is one of several young players the Royals are basing their hopes on in 2005. Gotay could start at second base if Tony Graffanino is unable to return from an injury.

Including supplemental selections, the Royals used every first-round opportunity from 1997 through 2002 to take a pitcher.

None has been an unqualified success. A few — including 1998 first-round pick Jeff Austin, whose curveball vanished after he held out nine months for a $2.6 million signing bonus — have been outright failures.

Austin pitched in 10 games for the Royals before they traded him to Cincinnati in 2003. Matt Burch, a supplemental pick in 1998, never made it out of the minors.

Mike Stodolka, the first pick in 2000, and 2001 first-round selection Colt Griffin each still are in the minors. Stodolka had Tommy John surgery in 2003 and spent the last part of 2004 at Class A Wilmington.

But things could be looking up for the Royals on that front.

Zack Greinke, their first-round pick out of high school in 2002, is a lock for a rotation spot in his first full major-league season.

Mike MacDougal, a supplemental pick in 1999 who was an All-Star closer at the midpoint of his rookie season in 2003, hopes to make a comeback from the stomach and elbow problems that limited him to 13 games with the Royals last year.

And Kyle Snyder, also taken in the first round in 1999, has gone through repeated shoulder and elbow surgeries but hopes to break camp with the team as a long reliever.

Throw in Runelvys Hernandez, back in the rotation after sitting out the 2004 season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and surprising 24-year-old Denny Bautista, and Lima’s eyes widen when he talks about the team’s young arms.

“Oh, my God. It’s unbelievable,” Lima said. “You’ve got so many young guys who can help this ball club.”

And for now, at least, keeping successful young players around won’t be an issue.

“You hear people say, ‘I like DeJesus. I like Greinke, but you’re not going to be able to keep those guys around once they get arbitration,”‘ Baird said. “Yes, we are. Yes, we are. And it’s nice to be able to say that.”