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The Kansas City Royals have agreed on a minor league deal with infielder Paul Janish, according to an industry source. Janish, who recently opted out of his deal with the Rockies, will be assigned to Triple-A Omaha.
Janish, 31, hit .234 with 1 HR and 19 RBI while providing excellent defense in 67 games with Triple-A Colorado Springs to start the season. He decided to opt out in order to look for a better chance at cracking the majors, and will head to the Royals' organization in hopes of providing depth behind Alcides Escobar, Omar Infante and Mike Moustakas.
Janish has always been known as one of the best defenders in baseball, and has seen major league time at shortstop, second base, and third base. In six major league seasons with the Reds (2008-2011) and Braves (2012-2013), he is a lifetime .214 hitter with 7 HR and 81 RBI while making only 22 errors in the field and registering a lifetime 31.9 defensive WAR.