Royals sign infielder Ryan Goins to a minor league deal

The Royals have signed veteran infielder Ryan Goins to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com reporter Jeffrey Flanagan. The 29-year old Goins hit .237/.286/.356 in 459 plate appearances with the Blue Jays last year. The left-handed hitter had been with the Jays for five seasons, hitting .228/.275/.335 and was their starting second baseman in the 2015 ALCS against the Royals. He was the infielder that allowed a fly ball to drop between he and Jose Bautista in Game Two.

The Texas native strikes out quite a bit for someone without much power, with a 21.3% strikeout rate. He has not hit at all against lefties, although his .233/.282/.348 career line against righties is also underwhelming. Goins isn’t much with the bat, but he has been a solid glove man much of his career, according to the metrics. He can play both second base and shortstop, although his defense did decline a bit last year.

The Royals had been linked to Goins earlier this off-season, as well as a few other infielders like Alcides Escobar and Eduardo Nunez. Presumably, Goins will have an opportunity to make this team as a reserve infielder competing with guys like Ramon Torres and Nicky Lopez, and he could perhaps become a starter if Raúl Mondesí shows he is still not ready for the big leagues. It’s not a sexy move, but the Royals are unlikely to make sexy moves this winter.