Royals sign Matt Duffy to minor-league deal

The Kansas City Royals added another veteran to their infield competition Friday, signing Matt Duffy to a minor-league contract.

Duffy, who the Royals invited to big-league camp, hit .250/.308/.311 across 77 games with the Los Angeles Angels last season. Though a back injury shortened his 2022 campaign, Duffy proved a solid depth option when healthy, starting games at third, second, and first base.

He'll vie for a bench spot on Kansas City's Opening Day roster. Duffy's competition includes infield prospects Nate Eaton and Samad Taylor, both of whom are on the 40-man roster, and fellow non-roster invitees Matt Beaty, Clay Dungan, and Tyler Tolbert. Duffy could also battle for playing time with fellow veteran utility man Hunter Dozier, who's under contract for two more seasons but has regressed offensively over the last two years.

The 32-year-old is primarily a third baseman but offers plenty of versatility, having played all four infield positions during his big-league career. Kansas City has plenty of infield depth, which enabled them to trade shortstop Adalberto Mondesi for bullpen help earlier this week.

Duffy is a lifetime .279/.337/.373 hitter with 29 home runs and 215 RBIs across parts of seven big-league campaigns between four teams. His best season came in 2014 with the San Francisco Giants when he finished runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year.