Hernandez agreed to a one-year contract with the Royals on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 26-year-old righty has a career 4.90 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 126 strikeouts in 123 innings as a reliever after not panning out as a starter. Hernandez notched four saves and averaged 99 mph on his fastball last season, but he probably won't be the go-to option in that role, barring several injuries ahead of him on the depth chart.