The Royals have agreed to a contract with hard-throwing reliever Kelvin Herrera for the 2017 season and avoided arbitration, the team announced on Friday.
Herrera's deal is for $5.325 million, a club source told MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan.
Herrera has been a key piece of the Kansas City bullpen over the past several seasons, including during the Royals' run to the pennant in 2014 and a World Series title in '15. The right-hander earned his second straight All-Star selection last season while making 70-plus appearances for a third straight year and the fourth time in the past five seasons.