SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Royals continue add familiar faces to their roster, agreeing to a deal with veteran outfielder Jarrod Dyson on Tuesday night, a source told MLB.com.
The club has not confirmed the deal, which is pending a physical. The Royals will pay Dyson $1.5 million, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
Dyson, 36, spent his first seven seasons with the Royals, hitting .260 with a .325 on-base percentage and 176 stolen bases in 550 games.
Dyson won the World Series with the club in 2015, scoring the title-clinching run on Christian Colon’s 12th-inning single in Game 5 of the Fall Classic against the Mets at Citi Field. A 50th-round Draft pick in the 2006 MLB Draft, Dyson went on to be a key part of the Royals’ back-to-back pennant-winning teams. He coined the phrase, “That’s what speed do,” in 2014, which became a rallying cry over the next two years at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals traded Dyson to the Mariners for right-hander Nate Karns in 2017, and the outfielder went on to play two seasons with the D-backs before appearing in 32 games for the Pirates and White Sox in ’20.
Dyson is the latest member of the 2015 Royals to return to the club for ’21, joining relievers Greg Holland and Wade Davis. Holland signed a one-year deal with Kansas City in December after pitching for the team in 2020, and Davis signed a Minor League contract in January.
Left-hander Mike Minor and right-hander Ervin Santana are also former Royals who have played in other organizations and signed back with the club this offseason. The Royals have put an emphasis on leadership in their camp this spring, hoping that the veterans added can leave an imprint both on and off the field on their young core of players rising in the big leagues or on the verge of making their debuts.
Dyson will likely slot in as the Royals’ fourth outfielder, joining left fielder Andrew Benintendi, center fielder Michael A. Taylor and right fielder Whit Merrifield. Outfield prospects Nick Heath and Edward Olivares are vying for bench spots this spring, but adding Dyson to the mix gives the Royals another left-handed bat in their lineup and more veteran experience in their outfield.