Royals sign Xavier Nady to minor-league deal

In an attempt to fill the void left by the departure of Wil Myers for St. Petersburg, the Kansas City Royals have signed veteran outfielder Xavier Nady to a minor-league deal, the team has announced. The Royals will be Nady's ninth MLB organization in 11 seasons.

Nady split his time in 2012 between the Washington Nationals and the San Francisco Giants, hitting just .184/.253/.316 in 166 plate appearances.

Once a solid corner outfielder with some pop in his bat, the 34-year-old Nady has seen his numbers and playing time dwindle over the past three seasons. The righty hitter batted .284/.339/.474 and averaged 19 home runs a season from 2005-2009, but has hit just .237/.288/.347 with a grand total of 14 home runs the last three years.

Jeff Francoeur is the de facto starting right fielder for the Royals next season, but Nady may get some playing time in Kansas City if he is able to bounce back and Frenchy duplicates his sub-par 2012 numbers.