Royals, outfielder Alex Rios agree to one- year deal with mutual option

KANSAS CITY, MO (December 19, 2014) - The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has signed free-agent outfielder Alex Rios to a one-year contract with a mutual option for the 2016 season. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

Rios, 33, spent the 2014 season with the Texas Rangers, batting .280 with 30 doubles, eight triples, four homers and 17 stolen bases in 131 games. His eight triples tied for fourth-most in the American League, while he ranked second in the league with a .333 batting average (45-for-135) during day games. He also batted .325 (40-for-123) with a .545 slugging percentage against left-handed pitching. Rios got off to a hot start last season, leading the league with a .335 average (84-for-251) through games on June 10, which included a 12-game hitting streak from May 17-29. 

A two-time All-Star (2005-06 with Toronto), Rios will begin his 12^th Major League season in 2015, after debuting for the Blue Jays in 2004. He's a career .278 hitter with 352 doubles, 61 triples, 165 homers and 244 stolen bases in 1,586 games. The veteran outfielder ranks 24^th among active players in hits (1,680), 21^st in doubles (352), 10^th in triples (61) and seventh in outfield assists (90). He is one of three active players with at least 300 career doubles, 50 triples and 150 home runs, along with Carlos Beltran and Jimmy Rollins. Rios set career highs in several categories in 2012 with the White Sox, batting .304 with 25 homers and 91 RBI and a .516 slugging percentage. He tied for third in the American League with 42 steals in 2013, splitting time between Chicago and Texas.

A native of Coffee, Ala., Rios graduated from San Pedro Martin High School in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, before being selected 19^th overall by Toronto in the 1999 June Free Agent Draft. He resides in Guaynabo during the offseason with his wife, Carla, and children, Alex and Alessandra.