KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals and speedy outfielder Billy Hamilton have agreed to a $5.25 million contract for next season that includes up to $1 million in incentives, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday.

The Royals hope that spacious Kauffman Stadium will allow Hamilton to better use his speed than the bandbox of Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, where he spent his first six seasons with the Reds. The person who confirmed the deal spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the deal was pending a physical.

The 28-year-old Hamilton made his big league debut in 2013, then proceeded to have four consecutive seasons in which he stole at least 50 bases. That number dipped to 34 last season, when the switch-hitting Hamilton hit .236 with four homers and 29 RBIs as the Reds’ everyday center fielder.

The Reds ultimately did not tender Hamilton a contract after paying him $4.6 million in the second year of arbitration. The Royals now control him through the 2019 season and Kansas City now has three of the top eight base-stealers in the majors last season.

The Royals were poised to head to spring training with Brett Phillips and Brian Goodwin competing for the centerfield job, and both of them will still have that opportunity with Hamilton in the mix.

Phillips was acquired last season in the trade that sent third baseman Mike Moustakas to Milwaukee for the stretch run. Much like Hamilton, the 24-year-old Phillips is an elite defensive player, but he has yet to prove much at the plate. He hit just .188 in 36 games after arriving in Kansas City. The 28-year-old Goodwin is more accomplished offensively, hitting .266 in 27 games after the Royals acquired him in a trade with Washington.

The Royals are in the midst of a massive rebuilding project after going to back-to-back World Series and winning the championship in 2015. It appears part of that rebuild involves returning to the speed-and-defense style that first allowed the long-suffering organization to return to respectability.

Second baseman Whit Merrifield led the majors with 45 steals last season, while shortstop Adalberto Mondesi was eighth with 32 steals, despite getting time in the minors and only 275 big league at-bats.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chris Owings has agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, five days after the utilityman was cut loose by Arizona.

Owings can earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses as part of the deal announced Wednesday.

The 27-year-old Owings hit .206 in 106 games this year. He made 33 starts in right field, 10 in center, nine at third, eight and second and three in left. He had 12 homers and 51 RBIs in 2017.

Owings had a $3.4 million salary this year, was eligible for salary arbitration and likely would have received a raise. But the Diamondbacks failed to offer a 2019 contract by last Friday’s deadline.

He is eligible for free agency after the 2019 season.

— Associated Press —

Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., and ESPN announced tonight that Royals left fielder Alex Gordon and catcher Salvador Perez have been awarded with Rawlings Gold Gloves. This marks Gordon’s sixth overall Rawlings Gold Glove (2011-14, ’17-18) and Perez’s fifth in the last six seasons (2013-16, ’18).

The Royals are the only American League team with at least one Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner in each of the last eight seasons (since 2011). The awards were voted on by managers and coaches from the American and National Leagues and honor the best individual fielding performances at each position in both leagues.

— Royals Press Release —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jason Hammel’s $12 million mutual option has been declined by the Kansas City Royals, who will pay the 36-year-old right-hander a $2 million buyout.

Hammel set a career-high for losses, going 4-14 with a 6.02 ERA in 18 starts and 21 relief appearances. He was dropped from the rotation in early July after losing six straight starts.

He agreed to a $16 million, two-year contract before the 2017 season and went 12-27.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Carlos Carrasco was sharp in Cleveland’s regular-season finale, then proclaimed himself ready for what’s next to come.

Carrasco and Trevor Bauer combined for a five-hitter, Francisco Lindor homered and scored twice, and the Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Sunday.

Carrasco (17-10) was working with a limited pitch count in a tuneup before an anticipated start in Game 2 of the American League Division Series against Houston on Saturday. He went five innings, allowing one run on three hits, walking two and striking out six.

“I finished the season strong,” said Carrasco, who wrapped up the regular season with a 3.38 ERA. “More important is getting ready for the postseason. The way that I pitched today, I just tried to find myself and get ready for that game. Everything that I’m looking for, I found it.”

Manager Terry Francona saw a lot to be happy with.

“He threw the ball really well,” Francona said. “Good changeup and breaking ball. I think he’s situated in a really good place heading to the playoffs.”

Bauer took over in the sixth, hurling four scoreless innings of relief while striking out two for his first career save.

Bauer ended the season with a 2.21 ERA, second in the American League to Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell.

Carrasco struck out 231 on the year, leading the Indians. Bauer struck out 221.

The Indians opened the scoring after Lindor led off the game by reaching on an error when Eric Skoglund (1-6) fumbled his grounder. After stealing second, Lindor then stole third and scored when Alcides Escobar failed to catch the throw to third for the second error of the inning.

Lindor drilled a 1-0 pitch into the stands in left-center field to lead off the third, extending the Indians’ lead to 2-0. He hit seven of his 38 homers this year against the Royals.

The Indians finished the season 91-71, their sixth straight year above .500. It is their longest streak since they had winning records eight years in a row from 1994 through 2001.

Skoglund allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits and two walks, striking out three over five innings.

“I thought he was flat today,” manager Ned Yost said. “I don’t think he was very sharp. He grinded it out. Even when he doesn’t have his best stuff, he kept us in the ballgame against our division champion. I’m very proud of his effort today.”

The Royals got on the board in the fifth when Brian Goodwin led off with a hit and stole second, then scored on Meibrys Viloria’s single.

Whit Merrifield closed the season with a single in the eighth, extending his hitting streak to a career-best 20 games. The streak was the longest of the year in the majors.

Kansas City’s attendance fell by 555,213 from the previous year — nearly 7,000 per game — and finished at 1,665,107, the team’s lowest since 2010. The club stumbled to its worst season since 2005, when it set a team record for most losses at 106. The 58-104 mark this year matched the 2004 team for the second-worst record in franchise history. This was the fifth time the club lost at least 100 games.

Yost will be back in 2019, however. The Royals announced a one-year extension before the game.

AT THE TOP

Lindor finished tied for the league lead in runs — he and Boston’s Mookie Betts both had 129.

“That’s a lot of runs,” Francona said. “(With) him leading off, that’s the most important stat. He’s done a lot of things really well. When you score that many runs, that’s a huge number for us.”

Merrifield finished the season with 192 hits and 45 stolen bases, leading the majors in both categories.

“It was a monster accomplishment,” Yost said. “Leading baseball in stolen bases is huge, but leading baseball in hits is monstrous.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: C Yan Gomes’ hand injury required two stitches but is not expected to prevent him from being available for the playoffs. “The doctors and trainers all think he’s going to be OK,” Francona said. … OF Tyler Naquin is returning from rehab in Arizona to join the team in time for Tuesday’s scrimmage. … OF Lonnie Chisenhall has been running the bases and hitting, but will not join the team, instead returning to his home in North Carolina as his family deals with the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.

UP NEXT

RHP Corey Kluber takes the mound for Cleveland in the first game of the ALDS at Houston on Friday.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Josh Donaldson hit a grand slam and double during a 10-run seventh inning, powering the Cleveland Indians past the Kansas City Royals 14-6 Friday night.

The AL Central champion Indians improved to 90-70, marking the third time in team history they’ve won at least 90 in three straight years.

Jason Kipnis’ homer in the Cleveland third was the game’s only run in the first six innings.

But the Indians then broke loose for their first 10-run inning since doing it on Sept. 30, 2012, against the Royals in Cleveland.

Cleveland began the nine-hit inning with a double before singles by Yonder Alonso and Melky Cabrera chased Royals started Ian Kennedy (3-9).

Kipnis and Roberto Perez greeted reliever Tim Hill with singles. Francisco Lindor followed with a chopper to first baseman Ryan O’Hearn against a drawn-in Royals infield, and his wild throw home let two more runs score.

One out later, reliever Jake Newberry walked Jose Ramirez and gave up an RBI single to Edwin Encarnacion. Donaldson, acquired Aug. 31 in a trade with Toronto, launched his fifth career grand slam and second this season. He also had one in April for the Blue Jays.

Adam Rosales, who pinch-ran for Alonso earlier in the inning, doubled and later scored on a double by Greg Allen, who pinch-ran for Kipnis.

The 10 runs were the most the Royals had allowed in an inning this season.

It was a welcome outburst for the Indians, who had only scored two runs in the first 16 innings of the series.

Mike Clevinger (13-8) was the beneficiary of the bonanza. He allowed three hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Brian Goodwin hit a grand slam in the Royals ninth off Adam Plutko. It was the second career grand slam for Goodwin, acquired in a July trade with Washington. He also had one March 31 for the Nationals.

Whit Merrifield extended his hitting streak to 18 games for the Royals. It’s the longest active streak in the majors and one shy of his career best.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: Manager Terry Francona essentially ruled out INF Erik Gonzalez for the remainder of the weekend. He said Gonzalez, who was hit in the head by a pitch Wednesday at the Chicago White Sox, remains in concussion protocol. The team hopes Ramirez will be available for an intrasquad game Tuesday in preparation for the AL Division Series, which starts Friday in Houston.

NEXT UP

Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber (20-7, 2.83 ERA) will make his final appearance before the ALDS. RHP Jakob Junis (8-12, 4.42) is scheduled to start for the Royals.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez slashed a two-out RBI single in the 10th inning to give the Kansas City Royals a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday night.

Neil Ramirez (0-3) retired the first two hitters in the 10th before he walked Aldaberto Mondesi, who stole second and third to reach 30 steals on the season. Alex Gordon also walked before Perez hit Ramirez’s first pitch into left field to score Mondesi for the walk-off win.

Mondesi also homered for the Royals (57-102), who are no longer in danger of matching the franchise record of 106 losses, set in 2005.

Jason Hammel (4-14) worked a scoreless 10th, following three Kansas City relievers who pitched four scoreless innings.

The AL Central champion Indians (89-70) got their only run in the first. Francisco Lindor led off with a single, took second on a botched pickup attempt and went to third on a balk by Royals starter Glenn Sparkman. Lindor scored on Jose Ramirez’s one-out sacrifice fly.

Sparkman worked a career-high five innings, allowing five hits with no walks and two strikeouts.

Josh Tomlin went 4 2/3 innings for the Indians, allowing Mondesi’s homer in the third.

The Indians had runners at second and third with two out in the eighth when Yandy Diaz chopped a slow roller between third baseman Hunter Dozier and shortstop Mondesi, who made a quick scoop and an off-balance throw to get Diaz.

HITS LEADER

The Royals’ Whit Merrifield had two hits and moved into the major league lead with 188, one ahead of Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman. Merrifield has 53 multi-hit games on the season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: The Royals are healthy except for four players on the long-term disabled list — 3B Cheslor Cuthbert (strained lower back), OF Jorge Soler (fractured toe), RHP Jesse Hahn (elbow surgery) and RHP Nate Karns (elbow inflammation). LHP Danny Duffy (shoulder inflammation) also has been shut down for the season.

Indians: INF Erik Gonzalez entered the concussion protocol after getting hit in the head by a pitch against the White Sox on Wednesday. Manager Terry Francona said Gonzalez experienced some nausea after getting beaned, but “is doing much, much better.” Gonzalez traveled with the team but there is no timetable for his return. … 1B Yonder Alonso got the day off. … Francona said OF Michael Brantley, who left Tuesday’s game after fouling a pitch off his right calf and then returned to the lineup Wednesday, sat for his regular day off and has no lingering effects.

UP NEXT

Indians RHP Mike Clevinger (12-8, 3.07 ERA) will make his final start of the regular season opposite Royals RHP Ian Kennedy (3-8, 4.59) as Francona gets his rotation set for the playoffs.

— Associated Press —

CINCINNATI (AP) — Talk about finishing with a flourish.

Rookie Heath Fillmyer struck out a career-high nine, collected his first major league hit and run batted in, and the Kansas City Royals wrapped up their road schedule with a 6-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.

The only run Fillmyer allowed was Jose Peraza’s 14th homer in the first inning. Fillmyer (4-2) retired 11 straight batters in one stretch against a Cincinnati team that has scored three or fewer runs in 13 of its last 14 games.

“My curveball was working well against lefties, and I had a real nice slider against righties,” Fillmyer said. “I was able to keep them off-balance.”

He allowed four hits and two walks while tying his career high with 7 1/3 innings.

“He threw the ball well,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He spotted it well and changed speeds well. He did a nice job of executing the game plan. When he makes a mistake lately, they don’t seem to hurt him. He was down in the zone and changed speeds.”

Fillmyer also chipped in to the Kansas City offense with a sixth-inning RBI double.

“If I missed that one, I was never going to get a hit,” he said. “It was right down the middle. It was nice to get the monkey off my back.”

Adalberto Mondesi tripled, scored two runs and stole two bases to spark the Kansas City offense. Whit Merrifield, who went into the game tied for the American League lead in hits and leading in stolen bases, extended his season-high hitting streak to 16 games with a third-inning single. He also stole two bases.

Alex Gordon tacked on a solo home run to help Kansas City to a third straight win and fourth in its last five games.

The Royals finished with a 26-55 road record. They need one win in their last four games to avoid matching their single-season record of 106 losses, set in 2005.

The Reds have lost five straight games, all to teams with worse records, and six of their last seven. Cincinnati’s offensive struggles date to the start of a 10-game road trip in Chicago on Sept. 14.

“We may have looked flat because we didn’t get a lot of hits and there was no activity, but we have been doing all our preparations before the games and trying to finish strong,” manager Jim Riggleman said. “Since Chicago, we haven’t got good results. We didn’t score a lot of runs in Chicago either, but we had better at-bats.”

After lasting six innings in his previous start, a win at Miami, Reds starter Cody Reed (1-3) could manage just 3 2/3, giving up six hits and three runs with two walks and two strikeouts.

“I wasn’t as sharp,” Reed said. “I didn’t have the back-foot slider to righties that I had the last two games. I rushed myself a little warming up before the game, but I felt fine.”

40-40 MAN

Merrifield is the first player since Houston’s Jose Altuve in 2014 with at least 40 doubles and 40 stolen bases in the same season. The only other Royal with that combination is Johnny Damon in 2000.

CHANGEUP

RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-2) now is scheduled to start Cincinnati’s game on Saturday against the Pirates. Sunday could be a bullpen day with RHP Sal Romano (8-11) starting, Riggleman said.

ELUSIVE WIN

The Reds lost their last seven interleague games to finish 10-10 against AL teams. They fell one win short of matching their single-season record for interleague wins. Kansas City finished 6-14 against NL teams.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Glenn Sparkman (0-3) makes his fourth start in the opener of a season-ending, four-game series against division champion Cleveland.

Reds: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (7-7), originally scheduled to start on Saturday, was moved up to start Friday against Pittsburgh in place of RHP Luis Castillo, who was shut down for the season.

— Associated Press —

CINCINNATI (AP) — Hunter Dozier’s quiet night turned into a clutch, game-winning effort for the Kansas City Royals.

Dozier led off the ninth inning with a tie-breaking home run, then teamed with shortstop Adalberto Mondesi for a key out in the bottom of the inning as the Royals beat the slumping Cincinnati Reds 4-3 Tuesday night.

“It felt like a quiet night until the ninth,” said Dozier, who snapped a 0-for-17 skid with his homer to left field. “A lot happened in a short amount of time.”

Dozier’s 11th homer of the season, off Raisel Iglesias (2-5), left Kansas City needing two wins in its last five games to avoid tying the franchise record of 106 losses in a season, set in 2005. The Royals (55-102) have won three of their last four games, after a five-game losing streak.

The Reds had runners on first and second with one out in the ninth against closer Wily Peralta, but Mondesi fielded Scott Schebler’s grounder and threw to Dozier at third, forcing Brandon Dixon. Jose Peraza followed with a hard grounder that Dozier was able to knock down with a diving backhand stop, leaving the bases loaded. Joey Votto grounded out harmlessly, and Peralta earned his 14th save.

“They made some good plays,” Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. “I was shocked that Dozier got to that ball. I thought it was down the line and would at least tie the game.”

Kansas City manager Ned Yost felt Dozier’s play on Schebler’s grounder to Mondesi was more difficult than it looked.

“He went for the ball at first,” Yost said. “He had to peel back to get to the bag. His athleticism allowed him to do that.”

Kevin McCarthy (5-4) walked the first batter he faced to lead off the eighth and the Reds ended up loading the bases with no outs on Votto’s checked-swing dribbler up the third base line. But Eugenio Suarez grounded into a force out at the plate, Scooter Gennett struck out and Phillip Ervin hit a fielder’s-choice grounder to Dozier, ending the threat.

Cincinnati went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and now are 8-for-75 (.107) in that situation over their last 13 games. The slumping Reds (66-92) have lost four straight, all against teams with worse records than their own. The Reds have also lost five of six, and their interleague losing streak reached seven games.

Ryan O’Hearn hit his 12th homer of the season, a two-run shot off Matt Harvey, in the fourth inning, to give the Royals a 3-0 lead. The Reds’ Dilson Herrera delivered a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the fifth before Gennett tripled and Ervin drove him in with the game-tying run in the seventh

Harvey overcame a 51-minute rain delay with one out in the bottom of the third inning. He lasted five innings and gave up six hits and three runs with six strikeouts. The former Mets’ right-hander didn’t allow a walk. He has a 7-7 record and 4.46 ERA in 23 games with the Reds, and a 4.92 ERA overall in 2018.

“It was frustrating,” Harvey said. “I was pretty sharp in the first three innings. After the delay, I wasn’t as sharp.

The delay cost Eric Skoglund a shot at his second win of the season and first since April 28 against the White Sox. The Royals rookie, making his 12th start of 2018 and fourth since missing three months with a strained ulnar collateral ligament, didn’t return when play resumed.

ROCKY TOP

The Reds announced that they were resuming an affiliation with Double-A Chattanooga. The Reds and Lookouts were affiliated from 1988 through 2008.

IT’S LORENZEN

RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-2), trying to convince the Reds that he can make the conversion from reliever to starter, will get his third and final chance this season against the Pirates in Sunday’s series finale.

NEW HIGH

Whit Merrifield singled with one out in the fifth inning to extend his hitting streak to a season-high 15 games. The streak is the fourth of at least 12 games this season for Merrifield, the AL’s hits and stolen base leader going into Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Heath Fillmyer (3-2) will make his first career start against the Reds in his final 2018 start.

Reds: LHP Cody Reed (1-2) makes his first career start against the Royals, who made him their second-round pick in the June 2013 draft.

— Associated Press —

DETROIT (AP) — When the Kansas City Royals acquired Brad Keller during last winter’s Rule 5 draft, they committed themselves to keep him on the roster all season.

As it turned out, that hasn’t been a problem.

Keller pitched seven strong innings as the Royals held on to beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 on Sunday.

Keller (9-6) allowed one run on three hits, walking three and striking out two. He improved to 5-1 with a 2.25 ERA in his last eight starts.

“The first three or four innings, he was dead-on mechanically and just banging in strike after strike,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “After that, he was still fighting it a bit, but he hung in there and gave us seven more strong innings.”

Keller has only allowed more than two earned runs once since August 7.

“I was attacking them with my fastball, mostly,” he said. “They were sitting on my slider a little, so I went after them with the heater.”

The teams split the four-game series that finished Detroit’s home season. The Royals won the season series 11-8.

The Tigers finished 38-43 at home, four games better than 2017, but drew 1.86 million fans — the fewest since they had 1.37 million while losing 119 games in 2003.

“We wanted to win this one for our fans,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “We’ve got 90-some losses, but they were still standing and cheering until the last pitch.”

The Royals led 3-1 in the ninth. Niko Goodrum led off the inning with a bunt single off Wily Peralta. Ronny Rodriguez added a one-out base hit, and Grayson Greiner walked to load the bases.

Victor Reyes hit a sacrifice fly to pull the Tigers within 3-2 before Peralta struck out Jim Adduci to earn his 13th save.

“Wily makes it a tightrope walk, but he’s 13-for-13,” Yost said. “They got a perfect bunt and a big walk, but he didn’t panic. He just kept making pitches.”

Daniel Norris needed 98 pitches to complete five innings, allowing one run on six hits and two walks. He struck out three.

“I didn’t have any kind of command, so I was in three-ball counts on almost every hitter,” he said. “The only thing I could count on was my slider, so I just kept trying to spin that in there to get out of trouble.”

The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the first on Adalberto Mondesi’s 12th home run and could have added to the margin in the third. Kansas City loaded the bases with one out, but Hunter Dozier grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Kansas City stranded two more batters in the fourth but had pushed Norris’ pitch count to 84.

“That’s the thing with Daniel — he might get into trouble, but he’s always going to give everything he’s got to get out of it,” Greiner said. “We were trying to find pitches that would work.”

Jeimer Candelario led off the fourth with a single — Detroit’s first hit — and Christin Stewart moved him to third with a hit-and-run single before Nicholas Castellanos tied the game with a sacrifice fly.

The Royals regained the lead with two runs in the sixth off Drew VerHagen (3-3). With two out, Alcides Escobar and Rosell Herrera singled before Herrera stole second. Cam Gallagher blooped a ball to shallow left, and Stewart couldn’t make a sliding catch.

“When (Keller) is dominating like that, you just want to get him some runs,” Gallagher said. “I hit that ball pretty weakly, but it got down in front of the outfielders. That’s how this works.”

GET IN THERE

Harold Castro made his major league debut, entering as a pinch-runner for Greiner in the ninth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: CF JaCoby Jones missed the game after aggravating a shoulder injury while attempting a diving catch on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Royals: Start a two-game series in Cincinnati on Tuesday. Eric Skoglund (1-5, 5.60 ERA) starts the opener against Matt Harvey (7-9, 4.92).

Tigers: Begin a three-game series in Minnesota on Tuesday, with Spencer Turnbull (0-1, 10.80) taking the mound.

— Associated Press —