Olivo wanted assurance that he would be the starting catcher next year before agreeing to come back. Olivo was unhappy when he came to spring training to find that John Buck was the starting catcher and he was the backup.

Manager Trey Hillman and general manager Dayton Moore informed Olivo he would get the majority of the playing time.

"We talked, and that's what they told me," Olivo said. "That made me happy, so I said, 'Fine, let's do the deal.'"

Buck started 106 games behind the plate and Olivo 56 last season. In addition, Olivo started as the designated hitter in 21 games. Olivo hit .255 with 12 home runs and 41 RBIs in 84 games. He also threw out 38.7 percent (12 of 31) of runners attempting to steal, which ranked fourth in the big leagues.

"We feel like we're in a good situation with him and John Buck," Hillman said. "We felt like they worked very well together."

Olivo ended up starting more games in September, 14 to 13, than Buck, after complaining about his lack of playing time.

Moore said if the Royals play seven days in a row, the plan is for Olivo to catch four and Buck three.

"John Buck is certainly a strong part of our future, but we made a decision toward the end of the year that Miguel Olivo deserved the majority of the catching time," Moore said.

Buck has been the Royals' primary catcher since they acquired him on June 24, 2004, in the Carlos Beltran trade.