The Kansas City Royals have added depth at first base as they have agreed to a Minor League deal with Casey Kotchman. The agreement also includes an invitation to Spring Training. Kotchman’s agreement was first reported by Matt Eddy of Baseball America, via Twitter.
Kotchman, 32, did not play baseball last season. Before last season, Kotchman had appeared in a Major League game in every season since 2004.
Kotchman has never been a star, but he was always known as a guy with a tremendous glove and a below-average bat for a first baseman.
Kotchman had his best season in 2011 as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays. That year, he produced a triple-slash line of .306/.378/.422, with 10 homers and 48 RBI.
Kotchman has played parts of 10 seasons for the Los Angeles Angels, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Indians, and Miami Marlins. For his career, Kotchman has a triple slash line of .260/.326/.385, with 71 home runs and 388 RBI.
The Royals have Eric Hosmer fully entrenched at first base and Kendrys Morales at designated hitter, so Kotchman appears to be nothing more than depth at Triple-A. Kotchman has not hit much in recent years, but he should still be capable of handling first base defensively.