Royals sign pitcher Brad Boxberger to one-year contract

KANSAS CITY, MO -- The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has signed right-handed pitcher Brad Boxberger to a one-year contract. Consistent with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
 
Boxberger, 30, recorded 32 saves with Arizona last season, fourth most in the National League. He struck out 71 batters in just 53.1 innings to mark the 10th best K/9 (11.98) among NL relievers. His combination of 32 saves and 11.98 K/9 was unmatched in the National League, and was achieved by only four others who pitched in the American League: Edwin Diaz, Craig Kimbrel, Aroldis Chapman and Brad Hand.
His 60 appearances last season were his most since 2015, when he pitched in a career-high 69 games and led the American League with a career-high 41 saves for the Tampa Bay Rays. He was selected to his only All-Star Game that season by American League manager Ned Yost, but did not pitch in the game.
In seven Major League seasons, Boxberger (who will wear No. 26 with Kansas City) is 20-27 with 76 saves, a 3.42 ERA (108 ER in 284.1 IP) and 368 strikeouts (11.65 K/9). He was originally drafted in the 20th round out of high school by Kansas City in 2006, but chose to attend the University of Southern California. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds as a first-round pick (43rd overall) three years later. Boxberger has been traded three times since, including to San Diego in 2011 with former Royal Edinson Volquez, Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal for Mat Latos. Prior to the 2014 season, he was traded to Tampa Bay in a seven-player deal that sent current Royals pitcher Jesse Hahn to San Diego.
Kansas City's Major League Reserve List is now at 40 players.