KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Royals and reliever Kelvin Herrera agreed on a $4.15 million, two-year deal Thursday that leaves only first baseman Eric Hosmer and closer Greg Holland among the American League champions’ unsigned, arbitration-eligible players.

Herrera will make $1.6 million this season and $2.55 million next season, and can earn up to $250,000 in performance bonuses, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms were not disclosed.

The 25-year-old Herrera, who primarily handles the seventh inning, made just $522,250 last season and was eligible for arbitration for the first time. He filed for $1.9 million for this season and the Royals countered at $1.15 million.

Royals pitchers and catchers are due to report next week to Surprise, Arizona.

Herrera was likely to earn a significant jump in salary given his breakout season. He had a 1.41 ERA over 70 appearances, fifth-best among big league relievers. He was especially good over the second half as the Royals made a run to the World Series, going 31 innings without allowing a run between June 27 and Sept. 16 – the second-longest streak in the American League.

With a maximum-effort delivery that produces a blazing fastball, Herrera also did not allow a home run last season, extending his streak to 95 straight innings dating to July 28, 2013.

The Royals have spent lavishly to keep their shutdown bullpen intact this offseason.

They exercised their option on setup man Wade Davis, which means he’ll earn $7 million this year and now has an $8 million option for 2016 with a $500,000 buyout. And they gave a $10 million, two-year deal to Luke Hochevar, who missed last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Then there’s Holland, who could become a free agent after next season. The All-Star closer made $4,725,000 last season and filed for $9 million, while the Royals offered $6.65 million.

Holland had a 1.44 ERA with 46 saves in 65 appearances last season.

Hosmer, who made $3.6 million last season, asked for $6.7 million after hitting .270 last season and earning his second Gold Glove. The Royals offered him $4.6 million.

If the Royals cannot reach an agreement with Holland or Hosmer, it would be the first time since general manager Dayton Moore was hired in 2006 that a player went to arbitration. Already, players and teams have split six decisions that have gone before a three-person panel.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals and outfielder Jarrod Dyson have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract for $1,225,000.

Dyson, who is expected to be the Royals’ fourth outfielder, can also make $25,000 for reaching 350 plate appearances and $50,000 if he’s chosen for the All-Star game.

Dyson earned $530,000 last season, $30,000 over the major league minimum. He had asked for $1.6 million this season and the Royals had countered at $900,000.

The former 50th-round amateur draft pick hit .269 with one homer and 24 RBIs in 290 plate appearances last season. But his real value came on the base paths, where he had a career-high 36 steals.

The deal Tuesday leaves outfielder Lorenzo Cain, first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas and pitchers Greg Holland, Kelvin Herrera and Danny Duffy as Kansas City’s remaining players in arbitration.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Royals have invited 23 non-roster players to spring training, including former fifth overall draft pick Bubba Starling and promising youngsters Miguel Almonte and Raul Mondesi.

Starling, who grew up near Kansas City, has struggled in the minor leagues but will get a taste of big league camp. Almonte, a right-hander, and Mondesi, an infielder, are non-drafted free agents who have become two of the club’s top prospects.

Other notable players headed to camp are infielder Hunter Dozier, the eighth overall draft pick in 2013; pitcher Sean Manea, the 34th overall choice the same year; and outfielder Brett Eibner, a second-round choice in 2010.

Pitchers and catchers report to Surprise, Arizona, for the start of spring training on Feb. 19. The Royals’ first full-squad workout is scheduled for Feb. 25.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Outfielder Alex Rios and the Kansas City Royals have agreed to an $11 million, one-year contract, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said Monday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to Rios passing a physical.

Rios would take over in right field from Nori Aoki, who became a free agent after helping the Royals win their first AL pennant since 1985.

Rios, who turns 34 in February, had been with Texas since August 2013 and hit .280 this year with four homers and 54 RBIs. He set career highs with the Chicago White Sox in 2012 with 25 homers and 91 RBIs.

Selected by Toronto with the 19th overall pick in the 1999 amateur draft, Rios has .278 average in 11 big league seasons with 165 homers.

His agreement was first reported by CBS.

Rios is the second bat added by the Royals this month following a $17 million, two-year agreement with designated hitter Kendrys Morales that has not been announced. Morales would replace Billy Butler.

Kansas City still may seek a starting pitcher to join a starting rotation projected to have Jordano Ventura, Jason Vargas, Jeremy Guthrie and Danny Duffy following the loss of James Shields, who became a free agent. Possible fifth starters include left-hander Brandon Finnegan, who pitched in relief in the postseason, and Luke Hochevar, who missed the 2014 season following elbow ligament-replacement surgery.

Also Monday, the Royals agreed to a contract with former Twins right-hander Yohan Pino and designated reliever Casey Coleman for assignment. The 30-year-old Pino went 2-5 with a 5.07 ERA in 11 starts for Minnesota last season. He made his debut June 19 against the White Sox and earned his first win against Seattle on July 10.

Pino, who also has pitched for the Indians, Blue Jays and Reds organizations, spent most of last season at Triple-A Rochester. He went 10-2 with a 2.47 ERA for the Red Wings.

Coleman went 1-0 with a 5.25 ERA in 10 appearances for the Royals last season. He was 5-1 with a 2.15 ERA for their Triple-A affiliate in Omaha.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Right-hander Luke Hochevar and the Kansas City Royals agreed to a $10 million, two-year deal that should give the defending American League champions even more firepower in their bullpen.

Hochevar will make $4.5 million this season and $5.5 million for the 2016 season, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Hochevar must pass a physical to complete the agreement.

Hochevar missed last season after Tommy John surgery.

Despite the need for a starting pitcher to replace James Shields and a designated hitter to replace Billy Butler, the Royals have chosen to first lock down their pricy but effective bullpen.

They have already exercised their option on setup man Wade Davis, which means he will earn $7 million next year — a big jump from the $4.8 million he made last season. That decision also triggers an $8 million option for 2016 with a $500,000 buyout. And if the Royals exercised that, they would have a $10 million option for 2017 with a $250,000 buyout.

All-Star closer Greg Holland remains under club control through 2016, but he’s eligible for arbitration and likely will earn more than $9 million next season.

Add to the mix right-hander Kelvin Herrera, who handled most of the seventh-inning duties last season and will likely see a bump to about $1.5 million through arbitration, and the Royals could have $22 million tied up in four relief pitchers for the 2015 season.

Of course, that’s assuming all of them are still on the roster by spring training.

The Royals have been open to the possibility of trading one of their prized relievers, and Holland would net them the most in return. With few impact bats available in free agency, a trade might be the best route for the Royals to address their gaping hole at designated hitter.

It also remains to be seen just how effective Hochevar will be after Tommy John surgery.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick struggled for years as a starting pitcher, going 11-11 with a 4.61 ERA in his best season. He drew the ire of Royals fans tired of losing, and became a not-so-pleasant face of a franchise that had been treading in baseball’s backwater.

But then Hochevar shifted to the bullpen fulltime in 2013, and he proved to be a dynamic relief pitcher. He went 5-1 with a 1.92 ERA, blowing away hitters with a upper-90s fastball.

The Royals toyed with moving him back into the starting rotation last spring training, but they ultimately decided to keep him in the bullpen. Not long after that decision was made, the right-hander felt a twinge in his elbow. An MRI exam take a couple of days later revealed a major tear of the ulnar collateral ligament, resulting in Tommy John surgery.

Hochevar spent the season rehabbing, but he also never strayed far from the clubhouse. And when the Royals went on a magical run to the World Series in its first playoff appearance in 29 years, Hochevar was right in the midst of it, rooting on his teammates every night.

Now, after a long wait, it appears he’ll have a chance to help them out on the field once more. Hochevar is expected to be ready to pitch when the Royals report to Surprise, Arizona, for spring training in mid-February.

— Associated Press —

Free agent Billy Butler has agreed to a three-year, $30 million deal with the Oakland Athletics, sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney.

The Kansas City Royals previously paid Butler a $1 million buyout rather than exercise their $12.5 million option on his contract for the 2015 season, making him a free agent.

Butler, 28, hit .271 with nine home runs and 66 RBIs this past season, his seventh with the Royals.

Butler, an All-Star in 2012, helped Kansas City reach the postseason for the first time since 1985. He hit .262 with 8 RBIs in the Royals’ 13 postseason games.

Butler played first base in 37 games this past season, but was predominantly a designated hitter (108 games).

The career .295 hitter also won a Silver Slugger Award in 2012.

— ESPN.com News Services —