KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – The Kansas City Royals have made an addition to their Major League roster.
Former Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas and the club have agreed to terms on a one-year, $5.25 million deal, according to several reports.
Thomas, a 30-year-old outfielder who debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2019 and played his past two seasons with the Guardians, is hoping for a bounce-back season in 2026.
The Knoxville, Tennessee, native who bats and throws right struggled in 2025, only playing 39 games while hitting .160 with 4 home runs and 11 RBI.
For his career, Thomas has a .242 batting average, 76 home runs and 254 RBI. He had a career-high 28 home runs and 86 RBI with the Washington Nationals in 2023.
In 2024, splitting time between the Nationals and Guardians, he also had 15 home runs and 63 RBI.
The signing comes a day after the Atlanta Braves agreed to terms on a deal with outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, who the Royals traded for on trade deadline day last season.
Thomas joins a roster that needs help in the outfield after a season in which Kansas City struggled mightily to find offensive production from those three positions.
Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.