Royals agree to terms with veteran catcher Hernandez
Backstop signs Minor League contract with invitation to big league Spring Training
The Royals have agreed to terms with former All-Star catcher Ramon Hernandez on a Minor League contract that includes an invitation to big league Spring Training, the club confirmed Tuesday.
Hernandez, who turns 38 in May, has appeared in the Majors in each of the last 15 seasons and is a career .263 hitter with 169 home runs and 757 RBIs in more than 1,500 games. He was an All-Star for the A's in 2003, but has played in a part-time capacity since '09.
Hernandez played a career-low 17 games in the big leagues in 2013, when he batted .208 for the Dodgers before being released in June. He then inked a Minor League deal with the Blue Jays, but was released again after playing five games at Triple-A Buffalo and sat out the rest of the season.
The Royals have three catchers on their 40-man roster, including starter Salvador Perez.