KANSAS CITY — Outfielder Lane Thomas and the Kansas City Royals finalized a one-year, $5.25-million contract Wednesday.
Thomas can earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses.
He had nine RBI for Cleveland in the 2024 American League Division Series against Detroit but hit .160 with four homers and 11 RBI in 125 at-bats in 39 games this past season in an injury-decimated season with Cleveland. He batted .268 for Washington in 2023, when he set career bests with 28 homers, 86 RBI and 20 stolen bases.
Thomas didn’t play from April 8-15 this year because of a bone bruise in his right wrist sustained when hit by a pitch from Shane Smith of the Chicago White Sox and from April 19-May 22 because of the same injury. He was out from May 26-June 9 due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
He played his last big league game of the season July 4, then was sidelined again because of the foot injury, though he did appear in three Double-A games from Sept. 2-5 as part of an injury rehabilitation assignment. He has surgery Sept. 23.
A year earlier, he hit a tiebreaking grand slam off Detroit ace Tarik Skubal in Game 5 on an A.L. Wild Card Series.
Thomas had a $7,825,000 salary in a one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. He became a free agent last month.
Now 30, Thomas has a .242 average with 76 homers and 254 RBI in seven seasons with St. Louis (2019-21), Washington (2021-24) and the Guardians, who acquired him from the Nationals ahead of the 2024 trade deadline for infielder José Tena, left-hander Alex Clemmey and infielder Rafael Ramirez Jr.
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