Royals sign outfielder Travis Snider to minor league contract

The Royals have signed veteran outfielder Travis Snider to a minor league deal, according to Jeffrey Flanagan. Snider, who turns 28 next week, has spent parts of eight seasons in the Major Leagues with the Blue Jays, Pirates, and Orioles, Last year, Snider hit .232/.315/.350 in 265 plate appearances split between Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

The former first-round pick was once a top prospect in the Blue Jays system, once named a top six prospect in all of baseball before the 2009 season by both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. For the most part he has been a disappointment as a regular, although he had a career year in 2014 as a reserve for the Pirates, hitting .264/.338/.438 with 13 home runs in 359 plate appearances. The left-handed hitter has not had much of a platoon split in his career, but he has been equally underwhelming against both left-handed and right-handed pitchers.

Snider could challenge Jarrod Dyson for a starting outfield spot, but is more likely on the roster to serve as a reserve outfielder. Snider has never had more than 400 plate appearances in a season.