The Kansas City Royals announced Friday that the club has signed right-handed pitcher Drew Storen to a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training.
Storen, 31, missed the entire 2018 season due to right elbow surgery. He last pitched for Cincinnati in 2017, and went 4-2 with a 4.45 ERA (27 ER in 54.2 IP) in 58 appearances. Storen pitched to a 3.23 ERA (17 ER in 47.1 IP) through his first 50 appearances that season, but allowed 13 runs (10 ER) over his final eight outings, and was placed on the disabled list on Sept. 13, ending his season.
Storen spent the first six seasons (2010-15) of his career with Washington, where he went 21-13 with 95 saves and a 3.02 ERA (112 ER in 334 IP) in 355 appearances. In 2011, just his second season in the Majors, Storen saved 43 games for the Nationals, six shy of the Major League lead. In 2014, he posted a 1.12 ERA (7 ER in 56.1 IP), second best in the Majors (min. 50 IP), trailing only Kansas City's Wade Davis (1.00).
Storen was traded to Toronto prior to the 2016 season, and was later sent to Seattle prior to the trade deadline. He signed with Cincinnati the following season.
Storen was selected in the first round (10th overall) by Washington in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of Stanford University. He made his Major League debut less than a year later, becoming the second player from the 2009 Draft to reach the Majors.
Kansas City now has 64 players on its Spring Training roster, including 22 non-roster invitees.