The Royals announced they have signed utility infielder Kevin Newman to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Newman is a 32-year-old right-handed hitter, and an eight-year MLB veteran, mostly with the Pirates. He played in 56 games with the Angels last year, hitting .202/.209/.272.
Newman was originally a first-round pick by the Pirates in 2015 out of the University of Arizona. He made his MLB debut in 2018 and had a promising season in 2019 when he hit .308/.353/.446 with 12 home runs and 16 steals, worth 3.0 rWAR. But his bat has not lived up to that performance since, and he’s a career .259/.300/.355 hitter in 672 MLB games. Still, he provides solid defense and is able to play all over the field. In 2024, he was a 2.2 rWAR player with the Diamondbacks, hitting .278/.311/.375 in 111 games. He signed with the Angels last year, but was let go in August with a -0.9 rWAR.
Newman will compete for a reserve infield position along with Nick Loftin, Tyler Tolbert, and Connor Kaiser, who was also signed to a minor league deal earlier this offseason. The Royals also have both Jonathan India and Michael Massey for second base, although it is unclear how playing time will be allocated for them.
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