The Royals announced they have signed right-hander Mike Mayers to a minor league deal. The 31-year-old has spent parts of seven years in the big leagues and appeared in 24 games, mostly in relief for the Angels last year with a 5.68 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 50 2⁄3 innings before being designated for assignment in late September.
Mayers was originally a third-round pick by the Cardinals out of the University of Mississippi in 2013. He had an inauspicious Major League debut, allowing nine runs while recording four outs, the first big leaguer to give up that many runs in less than two innings in his debut.