Kansas City Royals: Kevin Kouzmanoff Signed to Minor League Deal

Kevin Kouzmanoff and the Kansas City Royals have come to terms for a minor-league contract and an invitation to the Royals’ spring training.

If he makes it through spring training onto the roster for the Royals, then his salary will be $1 million plus potential incentives, bringing it to $1.3 million.

The contract includes a provision allowing Kouzmanoff to be released, if he so chooses, if he is still in the minor-league system on May 1st.

As of Sept. 10th, 2011, he has a career batting average of .255, 82 home runs and 351 RBI.

Over his six seasons in MLB, he has played for the Indians, the Padres, the Athletics and the Rockies.

He is the 23rd player in MLB history to hit a home run on his first at-bat and his first pitch.

He is the third player of only four in MLB history to hit a grand slam at his first major-league at-bat. He and Daniel Nava hit them on the first pitch that they saw.

Kouzmanoff is the NL record-holder for a single-season fielding percentage of .990 in 2009.

He received a call from the Baseball Hall of Fame requesting that he donate his glove to them. He decided to choose a glove to donate, but did not want to give up his game glove.

This appears to be a decent contract for the Royals. Kouzmanoff will need to prove himself in spring training to earn his position, and he probably will.