Cruz and the Royals agreed to terms on a one-year, $975,000 deal Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Royals acquired Cruz from St. Louis last month after the Cards signed Bryan Pena. Cruz will go from backing up Yadier Molina to backing up Salvador Perez in Kansas City, and Cruz figures to have only a minor role given Perez's status as one of baseball's most used catchers. Perez played in 142 games last season.