The Kansas City Royals have signed infielder Ryan Goins to a minor league contract with an invite to major league spring training camp.
Goins spent the past five years with the Toronto Blue Jays, but was not tendered a contract by the club ahead of the Dec. 1 deadline for arbitration-eligible players. He became a redundant piece on Toronto’s roster following the acquisition of infielder Aledmys Diaz from the St. Louis Cardinals and, later, Yangervis Solarte from the San Diego Padres.
The 29-year-old Goins is a strong defensive player who’s struggled to hit consistently in the majors. He batted .237/.286/.356 in 2017, yet did produce a career-high 62 RBI, resulting from a .330 average with runners in scoring position.
The Royals were a rumoured suitor of Goins since early January, according to some reports. Kansas City is likely heading for a rebuild with several core free agents this off-season, including Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar.
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