Surprise, Ariz. ? The Kansas City Royals, who have not been in the playoffs since winning the 1985 World Series, held their first full-squad workout Wednesday, with general manager Dayton More saying his team could compete in the AL Central this season.

Kansas City won 75 games last season and escaped last place in its division for the first time in five years. With the off-season offensive additions of Mike Jacobs, Coco Crisp and Willie Bloomquist, the Royals believe they could be contenders in 2009.

“We’ve had a 13-game improvement over the last two years,” Moore said. “We expect not only to improve, but to compete within our division. You say the same thing every year, but this year I think it has much more of a meaning when we say that.”