Royals sign catcher Hayes to one-year deal, avoid arbitration

as he agreed to a one-year deal on Friday.

The deal is thought to be worth $630,000 with performance bonuses.

The Royals claimed Hayes, 29, off waivers from Miami in November 2012. He spent most of the 2013 season with Class AAA Omaha, where he hit .233 with 17 home runs in 78 games.

Over his five-year career, Hayes has hit .220 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 148 games.

In five games with the Royals last year, Hayes hit .278. He will be competing to be the backup catcher behind All-Star

.

The Royals have three catchers on their 40-man roster: Perez, Hayes and

, a free agent who was signed in November. Peña had been in the Mets organization since 2007.

Additionally, the Royals signed veteran

, who appeared in nine games the previous two seasons with the Royals.

The Royals have seven other players eligible for arbitration:

This story was originally published January 10, 2014 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Royals sign catcher Hayes to one-year deal, avoid arbitration."