The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have agreed to terms with catcher Drew Butera on a two-year contract. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Butera, 33, played in 56 games with the Royals in 2016, setting career highs in doubles (10), home runs (four), batting average (.285), on-base percentage (.328) and slugging percentage (.480) in his first full season in Kansas City. He hit .342 (25-for-73) with 10 doubles and nine RBI at Kauffman Stadium, while all four of his roundtrippers came on the road. He finished the year batting .355 (11-for-31) in his final 12 games, during September and October, which also included matching a career high with three hits against Minnesota on September 29. Butera also made two pitching appearances in 2016, becoming the first Royals position player to do this since 1983, and also played two games at first base.
A seven-year Major League veteran, Butera has thrown out 28.6 percent of would-be base stealers (58-of-203) in his career, including 4-of-11 (36.3 percent) with the Royals in 2015. He's also been charged with just two passed balls in 100 games behind the plate since the start of 2015. He was originally acquired by the Royals in a trade with the Los Angeles Angels on May 7, 2015 and caught the final strike in the Royals' World Series-clinching Game 5 that season.
As part of his agreement, Butera will make a donation to the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy each year he is with the club. The Royals now have 38 players on their Major League reserve list.