Mike Moustakas is staying with the Kansas City Royals in a surprising turn dictated by a historically slow free-agent market.

Kansas City agreed Thursday to a one-year contract that guarantees the third baseman $6.5 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The deal could be worth up to $22.7 million over two seasons, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.

Moustakas gets a $5.5 million salary this year and has the chance to earn $2.2 million in performance bonuses based on plate appearances. The agreement, reached exactly three weeks before opening day, includes a $15 million mutual option for 2019 with a $1 million buyout.

The 29-year-old infielder turned down a $17.4 million, one-year qualifying offer from the Royals in November. But he found the interest of many other teams dimmed because a deal would have required compensation such as a loss of draft picks and/or international signing bonus allotment.

Moustakas would make $200,000 each for 225, 250, 275, 300, 325 and 350 plate appearances, and $250,000 apiece for 375, 400, 425 and 450. If he earns those bonuses and the option is declined, the total value of the deal would match the $8.7 million he earned in 2017.

His agreement was first reported by Yahoo.

The 29-year-old could not be given a qualifying offer again after this season. One of the changes in the collective-bargaining agreement reached in November 2016 is a provision preventing a player from being given more than one qualifying offer in his career.

Among the players who in 2015 led the Royals to their first World Series title in 30 years, Moustakas will find a changed clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium. First baseman Eric Hosmer left as a free agent for a $144 million, seven-year contract with San Diego, and center fielder Lorenzo Cain departed for an $80 million, five-year deal with Milwaukee.

But a languid market that left dozens of free agents unsigned when spring training began last month allowed the Royals to reach an agreement with Moustakas and keep shortstop Alcides Escobar for a $2.5 million, one-year contract. Kansas City added first baseman Lucas Duda for $3.5 million and outfielder Jon Jay for $3 million. Jay will compete for playing time with Jorge Bonifacio, Paulo Orlando and Jorge Soler in the outfield.

Cheslor Cuthbert had been expected to get the majority of playing time at third base, and Ramon Torres has also played the position. But in Moustakas, the Royals were able to keep a left-handed power bat in the lineup, not to mention a veteran who helped to establish the current clubhouse culture.

Moustakas was an All-Star for the second time last season, when he hit .272 and set a Royals season record with 38 homers. He also drove in 85 runs in what was by far the most productive season of his career.

Ultimately, his track record — he’s a career .251 hitter and had never hit more than 22 homers before — and some injuries that have sidelined him over the years may have kept clubs reticent from making big-money long-term offers.

— Associated Press —

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals signed veteran right-hander Ricky Nolasco to a minor league contract on Wednesday with an invitation to spring training.

He will get $1.5 million if he makes the major league roster and could earn another $250,000 in performances bonuses. He also can opt out of the contract on March 24 if he’s not added to the 25-man big league roster.

Nolasco went 6-15 with a 4.92 ERA in 33 starts last season with the Los Angeles Angels. He has a career record of 114-118 with the Marlins, Angels, Dodgers and Twins in 330 career games, 312 of them starts, over 12 years.

Nolasco would add depth to a rotation that includes Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Jason Hammel, Jakob Junis and Nathan Karns.

— Associated Press —

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have plugged a hole in center field by agreeing to sign Jon Jay.

Jay agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract Tuesday, and could earn another $1.5 million in performance bonuses. Kansas City made room for Jay by placing pitcher Jesse Hahn on the 60-day disabled list with an elbow injury.

With Lorenzo Cain leaving to sign with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Royals lacked an experienced center fielder to cover the spacious Kauffman Stadium grass.

Jay has a .996 career fielding percentage, the highest of any active major league outfielder with a minimum of 500 games. He has appeared in 648 games in center during his eight-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs.

Jay did not commit an error in 141 chances last season and enters this season with a 189-game errorless streak.

“Without knowing him, the more homework I do on him, the more I like him,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “The more people I talk to, the more it’s like, `Wow, this guy brings a lot to the table.’ He’ll play a lot.”

He hit .296 in 141 games last season with the Cubs, including .325 (13 for 40) as a pinch-hitter. Jay, 32, also is a left-handed hitter, which is attractive to the Royals, who have a predominantly right-handed hitting lineup.

“Jay brings veteran leadership, a very consistent, solid bat,” Yost said. “Good defense in the outfield. He’ll fit in. Plays all three outfield positions, DH, whatever. He’s always been a productive bat and is an 80 makeup guy, which is the highest on the scale. A really good teammate, really productive.”

Jay said it has been a “very strange” offseason on the free agent market.

“I’m happy to be here, excited to be here, happy to be in spring training,” he said. “There are a lot of pieces here. I’m here to do my part.”

Hahn, who was acquired from Oakland in a trade for Brandon Moss, experienced elbow discomfort in his start Thursday. It has been diagnosed as a right ulnar collateral ligament sprain.

The club is sending Hahn’s medical reports to Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a second opinion. Hahn had Tommy John surgery in 2010.

“Hopefully we were able to catch something soon enough and take control of the situation and hopefully I end up good to go,” Hahn said. “We’re just going to treat it right now and see how it responds. Test it dynamically, let it calm down and then get out there, start a throwing program and just take it from there, one step day by day.”

Outfield prospect and former first-round draft pick Bubba Starling has also been shut down with an oblique issue. He was limited to 80 games last season with Triple-A Omaha because of an oblique strain.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals traded designated hitter Brandon Moss and left-hander Ryan Buchter to the Oakland A’s on Monday night for right-handed pitchers Jesse Hahn and Heath Fillmyer.

Not to mention a bit of financial relief.

Moss was owed $8.25 million for the upcoming season, and the Royals sent $3.25 million to Oakland as part of the deal. That equates to savings of about $5 million that the Royals, who have been trying to trim payroll, could use to sign free-agent first baseman Eric Hosmer to a long-term deal.

Moss hit a disappointing .207 with 22 homers and 50 RBIs for the Royals last season, and he was one of the names floated as recently as last week as the starting first baseman heading into spring.

But the Royals have been trying to woo Hosmer, a free agent for the first time, and have reportedly offered him a seven-year, $140 million contract. That size of a deal would make it difficult for general manager Dayton Moore to simultaneously succeed in his desire to trim payroll, which ballooned over the past two seasons, unless he was able to shred financial obligations elsewhere.

“It’s been a unique offseason, as you know. Unlike any I’ve been part of,” Moore said of the rather tepid free-agent market. “We remain interested in obviously bringing back Eric and we’re hoping for others as well, but right now I think it’s important we continue to not get antsy, not get overanxious with the market, and we’ll see what happens.”

The Royals announced earlier Monday that they had signed shortstop Alcides Escobar, another one of their core free agents, to a $2.5 million, one-year deal with $1.5 million in performance bonuses.

“Economically we have to get our payroll back in check,” Moore said last week. “I was very candid about what we had to do, that it’s simply not acceptable [to have a large payroll] in our market if you’re going to run a team that’s healthy and thriving longtime. We have some challenges, but challenges we’re prepared for and ready for. I believe we’re ready to move forward.”

Hahn went 3-6 with a 5.30 ERA in 13 starts for Oakland last season, and is expected to compete for a spot in Kansas City’s rotation. Fillmyer went 11-5 with a 3.49 ERA at Double-A Midland.

Buchter was 3-3 with a 3.05 ERA with San Diego when he was traded along with Trevor Cahill and Brandon Maurer in late July. He went 1-0 with a 2.67 ERA in 29 appearances for the Royals.

Meanwhile, Moss will have an opportunity to hit the reset on his career in Oakland.

The 34-year-old first baseman and outfielder was coming off a down season with St. Louis when he signed with the Royals prior to last season. But he continued to regress from his peak years in Oakland, including the 2014 season, when he hit 25 homers and was voted to the All-Star Game.

“I hit .207. I felt terrible. I felt like the pitchers were cheating,” Moss said during the Royals’ annual fan festival last week. “I should be thankful that I have a job.”

— Associated Press —

Free-agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain has reached agreement on a five-year, $80 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, a baseball source told ESPN on Thursday.

Cain has passed his physical, the source said, and the Brewers likely will formally introduce him on Friday.

The deal comes on the heels of the Brewers acquiring outfielder Christian Yelich from the Miami Marlins in a trade for four prospects earlier Thursday.

Cain’s new contract is for the longest term and biggest payout of any MLB free-agent deal this offseason. It surpasses Carlos Santana’s three-year, guaranteed $60 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in December.

The deal includes no-trade protection and award bonuses of $300,000 for each All-Star team Cain makes and $500,000 for an MVP Award, the source said.

Cain, 31, returns to the organization where he began his professional career. He was a 17th-round pick by the Brewers out of Madison County High School in Florida in 2004 and broke into the majors with Milwaukee in 2010.

The following year, the Brewers sent Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress to Kansas City in a trade for pitcher Zack Greinke. Cain made the 2015 All-Star team, finished third in American League MVP balloting and was a pivotal member of Kansas City’s ’15 World Championship team.

Cain is a career .290 hitter who is known as an exceptional defender. He was an AL Gold Glove finalist in center field last season along with Toronto’s Kevin Pillar and Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, who won the award.

The Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays were among the other clubs that had expressed interest in Cain before he reached agreement with Milwaukee.

— ESPN.com —

After winning his fourth Rawlings Gold Glove on Tuesday night, Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer made another addition to his trophy case on Thursday.

Hosmer, who is currently a free agent after spending the first seven seasons of his major league career with the Royals, was announced as the winner of the American League’s 2017 Silver Slugger Award among first basemen. Hosmer is the 10th Royals player in franchise history to earn the Silver Slugger honor and only the second first baseman, joining George Brett in 1988. Royals players have combined for 13 Silver Slugger awards since the yearly honor was introduced in 1980.

The 28-year-old Hosmer hit .318/.385/.498 over 671 plate appearances in 2017, setting career highs in games played (162), runs (98, tied), hits, home runs (25, tied), batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. He finished among the American League leaders in hits (second), average (third), on-base percentage (fourth) and multi-hit games (53, tied for fourth). On July 26 at Detroit, Hosmer went a career-best 5 for 5 with five runs, six RBI and his first career grand slam, becoming just the 13th player since 1913 to record five hits, five runs and six RBI in a single game.

Hosmer is the seventh American League first baseman to earn a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award in the same season, joining Adrian Gonzalez (2011), Mark Teixeira (2005, 2009), Rafael Palmeiro (1998), Don Mattingly (1985-87), Eddie Murray (1983-84) and Cecil Cooper (1980).

Other Royals players to win the Silver Slugger Award include infielder George Brett (1980, 1985 and 1988), outfielder Willie Wilson (1980 and 1982), designated hitter Hal McRae (1982), second baseman Frank White (1986), third basemen Gary Gaetti (1995) and third baseman Dean Palmer (1998), designated hitters Billy Butler (2012) and Kendrys Morales (2015) and catcher Salvador Perez (2016).

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, MO – Major League Baseball announced Wednesday that Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas has been tabbed the American League Comeback Player of the Year during the Players Choice Awards show on MLB Network. This marks the second award for Moustakas, who was also named AL Comeback Player of the Year by The Sporting News last month.

Moustakas, 29, enjoyed a career year after being limited to just 27 games in 2016 due to a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). In 2017, he slugged a career-best 38 home runs to set the franchise’s single-season record, passing Steve Balboni’s 36 homers in 1985. Moustakas’ home run total also tied for fifth in the American League and eighth in the Majors. He also set career-bests in runs scored (75), RBI (85), slugging percentage (.521) and total bases (289). He was named an All-Star for the second time in his career, winning the MLB Esurance Final Vote, while he also became the third Royal to participate in the Home Run Derby, joining Bo Jackson (1989) and Danny Tartabull (1991).

Moose hit 25 of his 38 home runs before the All-Star break, which also set a club record, passing Jermaine Dye’s 22 roundtrippers in the first half in 2000. Of his 38 home runs, 17 of them either tied the score or gave the Royals the lead, including his second career walk-off homer on June 6 off Houston’s Ken Giles in a 9-7 come-from-behind win. He led the team with 13 game-winning RBI and was second with 19 go-ahead RBI this season.

The Players Choice Awards benefit the Major League Baseball Players Trust, the charitable foundation created and run by the players themselves.

2017 Players Choice Award winners in all categories will designate charities to receive grants totaling $260,000 from the Players Trust. The Players Trust raises funds and attention for issues affecting the needy and promotes community involvement, contributing more than $4 million to charities around the world.

— Royals Press Release —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two Kansas City Royals were big winners Tuesday night as first baseman Eric Hosmer and left fielder Alex Gordon won American League Rawlings Gold Glove Awards.

For Gordon, this was his fifth Gold Glove and his first victory since 2014. Hosmer, a soon-to-be free agent, has won the award four times.

Gordon tied for 11th among American League outfielders with eight assists this season, his highest total since also collecting eight in 2014, the last time he was awarded a Rawlings Gold Glove.

Since moving to the outfield in 2010, Gordon’s 82 assists are tied for most in Major League Baseball with Gerardo Parra. In 2017, Gordon also ranked third among AL left fielders with a .993 fielding percentage, committing just two errors in 269 chances, while among AL outfielders he tied for eighth in games played (147), ranked ninth in innings (1248.2) and was 10th in putouts (276). Gordon’s five Rawlings Gold Glove Awards are second-most among active Major League outfielders, trailing only Ichiro Suzuki’s 10.

Hosmer played in all 162 games for the first time in his career, seeing action at first base in 157 of them, which led the American League. He was also tops among AL first basemen in innings (1338.0) and total chances (1314), while finishing second in putouts (1314) and fourth in fielding percentage (.997).

As a team, Kansas City has now won 14 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards since 2011, the most in the Majors in that span. The Royals are the only American League club to have at least one winner in each of the past seven seasons.

Center fielder Lorenzo Cain, another soon-to-be free agent, and catcher Salvador Perez were also nominated for the award but didn’t win. Perez’s loss to Angels’ catcher Martin Maldonado was somewhat of an upset, as he was going for his fifth-straight award. Perez would have joined second baseman Frank White as the only player in franchise history to win the award five straight times.

The awards were decided by votes from managers and coaches in both the American and National League. In addition, a sabermetric formula offered by the Society for American Baseball Research represents 25 percent of the voting.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY — The Royals on Tuesday promoted from within to fill their coaching vacancies, moving Minor League hitting coordinator Terry Bradshaw to hitting coach and assistant to the general manager Cal Eldred to pitching coach.

Also, Double-A Northwest Arkansas manager Vance Wilson will take over as bullpen coach, and Pedro Grifol will continue to serve as catching coach while also stepping in as the newly created quality control coach, which will serve as a liaison between the front office and the coaching staff.

At the end of the season, Kansas City parted ways with pitching coach Dave Eiland and bench coach Don Wakamatsu. The Royals also moved hitting coach Dale Sveum to bench coach.

As expected, Mitch Maier will take over first-base coaching duties, replacing Rusty Kuntz, who will serve as a senior advisor to the general manager now. Mike Jirschele remains the third-base coach.

Manager Ned Yost will be back in 2018 in the final year of his contract.

Bradshaw, 48, who has been in the Royals’ system since 2000, spent the past five seasons (’13-17) as the Royals’ Minor League hitting coordinator.

“He’s very well respected inside and out of our organization,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said by phone. “I know other teams wanted to hire him over the past few years, but he remained loyal to the Royals. He’s very deserving.”

Eldred, 49, spent the previous two seasons (2016-17) in the Royals’ organization as an assistant to the general manager — player development. He served a similar role with the Cardinals from ’13-15. A 14-year Major League veteran, Eldred had a career 86-74 record in 341 games (192 starts) while pitching for the Brewers (1991-99), White Sox (2000-01) and Cardinals (2003-05). He was Milwaukee’s first-round pick (17th overall) in 1989 and twice led the American League in starts (1993-94) and once in innings pitched (1993).

“He’s worked for and with Dave Duncan for many years and will really bring a fresh perspective for us,” Moore said of Eldred.

Wilson, 44, served as the manager for Northwest Arkansas for the previous four seasons (2014-17), and he led the Naturals to back-to-back Texas League Championship Series appearances in ’15-16.

— MLB.com —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar tipped their caps and likely said goodbye to Kansas City’s fans.

Then the playoff-bound Arizona Diamondbacks ended the regular season with a 14-2 win over the Royals on Sunday.

It didn’t stop the quartet — all pending free agents who have been with Kansas City since 2011 — from going out in memorable fashion.

Manager Ned Yost pulled the group together with one out in the fifth inning. The players hugged behind the pitchers’ mound, then waved their caps to the cheering crowd as they walked off the field. Salvador Perez, who also debuted with Kansas City in 2011, embraced the group on the top step of the dugout.

The foursome keyed the team’s run into consecutive World Series, including a championship in 2015, but now they’re all eligible for free agency.

“The bond we all have, they can never take away from us,” Hosmer said. “I’ve really enjoyed playing with these guys the last 10 years of my life, not only that, but growing up with these guys as well.”

The Royals played a video honoring the players after the game, and fans stayed and applauded.

The players also got standing ovations for each of their at-bats. Hosmer homered in the first inning and hugged Moustakas as he crossed the plate.

“I was a wreck all day,” Moustakas said. “After he hit his home run, I had tears in my eyes, and I’m trying to hit. I had no idea what was going on. It was unbelievable. That was one of the coolest moments that I’ve been a part of, watching the fans of Kansas City give an ovation and then going out there and hitting a home run. I couldn’t believe that happened.

“Going into this offseason, we don’t know what’s ahead of us. It’s our first time doing this, so no telling what can happen.”

Before those four players arrived, Kansas City hadn’t been to the postseason since winning the 1985 World Series. The Royals had the worst record in the majors from 2000-09, losing 100 or more games four times.

“They’ve created a legacy for this organization and a standard to try to move forward and uphold,” Yost said before the game. “They’ve turned this organization into a model of consistency. It’s been a great run. It’s all attributed to them.

“But not only did the fortunes of the Kansas City Royals turn around, but the fan base has been wrapped up in this team for years and years with these kids. It’s really kind of transformed the city a little bit too and energized the city in a small part. Their presence here has effected this city in a pretty big way.”

Gregor Blanco had three hits, two walks and three stolen bases for Arizona. Jeremy Hazelbaker hit a three-run homer in the fifth off starter Jason Vargas (18-11), who finished tied for the major league lead in victories.

“I’m very proud of the things we did in the course of the year,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We checked a lot of boxes. We did some things that I asked these guys to do from the first game of the season on. I’m proud of these guys for that, and I’m proud to be their manager. But we still have a few more boxes to check.”

Anthony Banda (2-3) picked up the win in relief. Silvino Brancho struck out five in 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

FRESHEN UP

Arizona starter Robbie Ray left after 23 pitches and 1 2/3 innings. Lovullo said he wanted Ray sharp but fresh in case he is needed for the NL wild-card game against Colorado on Wednesday.

“I have no reservations at all,” Ray said of being utilized out of the bullpen in the wild-card game. “I think everybody’s kind of champing at the bit. We’re doing everything we can to prepare for that one game.”

FINAL STANDINGS

The Diamondbacks finished the season 93-69 after going 69-93 in 2016. The Royals dropped to 80-82, one game worse than in 2016.

GOLDSCHMIDT SLUMPING

Arizona slugger Paul Goldschmidt went 0 for 2 and ended his season with a .297 batting average, hitless in his final 17 at-bats. He finished August with a .319 batting average, but hit just .171 the rest of the season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: SS Ketel Marte departed in the fifth inning with left hamstring tightness after legging out an infield single. He is considered day-to-day. “There’s nothing to be totally alarmed about, but we’ll re-evaluate him tomorrow,” Lovullo said. … RHP Jimmie Sherfy, who has not pitched since Sept. 24 because of triceps tightness, will throw a bullpen Monday. Arizona has not yet decided whether he is healthy enough to be on the wild-card roster. … OF Ray Fuentes had upper-back tightness and was held out. … OF David Peralta had a stiff back and did not play. … SS Chris Owings (fractured right middle finger) is scheduled to play in an instructional league game Monday. He could be used as a pinch runner in the postseason.

Royals: RHP Nathan Karns (thoracic outlet syndrome surgery) said he anticipates he will start playing catch in early November after having not picked up a ball since July. He went on the disabled list in late May with a right extensor strain and nerve irritation. “It won’t be an issue in spring training,” he said. “I’m not worried about it.” … Perez (left groin strain) missed the last three games.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke will start the wild-card game. He is 2-1 with a 3.41 ERA in five starts against Colorado this season. RHP Jon Gray will be the Rockies starter.

Royals: They open the 2018 season at home against the White Sox.

— Associated Press —