Royals add former Blue Jays infielder to spring training roster

The Royals on Wednesday signed former Blue Jays infielder Ryan Goins to a minor-league contract with a major-league spring training invite.

Goins, a fourth-round draft pick in 2009, appeared in 448 games for Toronto since debuting late in the 2013 season. Last season, he played a career-high 143 games and slashed .237/.286/.356 with 21 doubles, nine home runs and 62 RBIs.

He made 75 starts at shortstop, appearing in 87 total games, and made four errors in 320 chances for a .988 fielding percentage.

Royals fans might remember Goins for his miscue in Game 2 of the 2015 American League Championship Series. Goins, apparently thrown off by crowd noise at Kauffman Stadium, miscommunicated with outfielder Jose Bautista and backed away from catching what should have been a routine fly ball to shallow right field.

The ball dropped, allowing Ben Zobrist to reach fist base on a single, and the Royals mounted a five-run rally to take the lead in the seventh inning and eventually win the game for a 2-0 series lead.

Goins will get a $1 million base salary if he makes the Royals’ 25-man roster, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reported, and could stand to earn $825,000 in performance bonuses.

With the Royals likely expecting to start Raul Mondesi at shortstop this season, Goins could compete for a back-up role. Goins also appeared at second base for 56 games (31 starts) and three errors.

Goins, whose versatility has allowed him to clock some time at third base and in the outfield, has a career .987 finding percentage.

He turns 30 in February. Goins was non-tendered by the Blue Jays in December.

This story was originally published January 24, 2018 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Royals add former Blue Jays infielder to spring training roster."