Xavier Nady signs minor-league deal with Royals

Veteran outfielder Xavier Nady signed a minor-league contract with the Kansas City Royals, the team announced on Thursday. Nady joins veterans Willy Taveras, George Sherrill, and Dan Wheeler as veteran players who recently signed minor-league contracts with Kansas City.

Nady, 34, received playing time for the Washington Nationals and the San Francisco Giants last season, and has played for eight teams total. Nady hit .184/.253/.316 last season in 166 plate appearances.

The outfielder's last season as an above-replacement level player came in 2008, when the outfielder hit .305/357/.510 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees. Nady's offensive numbers have progressively declined farther below league average since 2008, while remaining a below-average defender.

Nady should be behind David Lough and Jeff Francoeur on the right-field depth chart, and will likely need a strong spring training and/or an injury to break with the major-league club. Sherrill, Wheeler, and Taveras all received invites to spring training, so Nady is expected to receive an invite as well.