The Kansas City Royals announced Friday that the club has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with right-handed pitcher Luke Hochevar for the 2013 season, avoiding arbitration.  Consistent with club policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.  The Royals have now signed all arbitration-eligible players for the 2013 season.

The 29-year-old Hochevar made 32 starts in 2012, finishing at 8-16 with a 5.73 ERA over 185.1 innings.  He set a career-high with 144 strikeouts, posting 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings.  Hochevar’s strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.36 was also a career best.  The first-overall selection in the 2006 June Free Agent Draft resides in Knoxville, Tenn., with his wife, Ashley, and daughter, Laney.

— Royals Media Relations —