Blue Jays acquire Danny Valencia from Royals for Liam Hendriks, Erik Kratz

The Blue Jays have acquired infielder Danny Valencia from the Royals in exchange for right-handed pitcher Liam Hendriks and catcher Erik Kratz, according to an official announcement. Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com was first to report Hendriks' involvement in the deal, with Shi Davidi of Sportsnet and Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports confirming Kratz's involvement.

Valencia, 29, has hit .282/.328/.382 while playing third base and second base for the Royals this season. He will provide depth at both positions for the Blue Jays, who have been actively looking for upgrades in the wake of injuries to Brett Lawrie and Edwin Encarnacion. Valencia will probably see the bulk of his playing time at third base, taking over for Munenori Kawasaki in the immediate future unless the Jays make another move to bulk up their infield before Thursday's trade deadline.

Hendriks, 25, has started three games for the Jays this season, posting a 6.08 ERA in 13.1 innings. He has pitched very well with Triple-A Buffalo on the season, registering an 8-1 record and 2.33 ERA in 108.1 innings over 18 appearances (16 starts). The former top Twins' prospect will head to the Royals' Triple-A affiliate in Omaha, providing depth as a swingman.

Kratz, 34, will immediately head to the Royals' major league team, replacing Brett Hayes as the team's backup catcher behind All-Star Salvador Perez. Kratz has hit only .198/.226/.346 in 34 major league games this season, but has put up better numbers at Triple-A Buffalo (.299/.354/.517 in 29 games). Over five major league seasons with the Phillies (2010-2013) and Blue Jays (2014), he is a lifetime .216/.271/.397 hitter in 163 games.