The Royals have announced that the club has signed six players to minor league deals for the 2014 season.
Outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, 26, finished 2013 at Triple-A Omaha, playing in 34 games after a July 22 trade from the Marlins organization. A .278 hitter over eight minor league seasons, Hernandez played in 70 games with Pittsburgh and Miami in 2012.
Third baseman Brandon Laird, 26, joins the Royals from the Astros. The younger brother of veteran catcher Gerald Laird, Brandon has had Major League stints in each of the last three seasons. He recorded five home runs and 11 RBI in 25 games for the Astros in 2013 and spent the majority of the year at Triple-A Oklahoma City, batting .277 with 16 home runs and 79 RBI.
Outfielder Paulo Orlando, 28, batted .276 with five home runs and 46 RBI in 92 games for Omaha in 2013.
Outfielder Edinson Rincon, 23, played in a combined 24 games at Surprise and Northwest Arkansas in 2013 as he recovered from left knee surgery. The native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was acquired from the San Diego Padres on June 6, 2013.
Right-handed pitcher Wilking Rodriguez, 23, joins the Royals after seven seasons in the Rays organization. Rodriguez was limited to eight appearances in 2013 as he recovered from a shoulder injury.
Right-handed pitcher P.J. Walters, 28, made eight starts for the Twins last season, going 2-5 with a 5.95 ERA in 39.1 innings. Walters also compiled a 7-5 mark and a 4.18 ERA in 19 starts at Rochester (AAA).
Via Press Release