Shortstop Alcides Escobar has agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract to remain with the Kansas City Royals.
Escobar, 31, batted .250 in 162 games with 150 hits and a career-high 36 doubles with Kansas City last season. The solid defensive shortstop, one of a quartet of Royals who debuted with Kansas City in 2011 and keyed the team's run to a championship in 2015, ranked sixth in the American League with a .978 fielding percentage.
A career .260 hitter, Escobar won a Gold Glove and was an AL All-Star during that championship season, as the Royals won their first World Series title in 30 years. His best offensive season came in 2012, when he batted .293 with a career-high 177 hits, 30 doubles, 35 steals and 52 RBIs.
Escobar, a native of Venezuela, broke into the majors with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008. His agreement with the Royals was first reported by FanRag Sports.