KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Miguel Olivo and the Royals exercised mutual contract options Monday, keeping the catcher with Kansas City.
Olivo batted .255 with 12 homers, 22 doubles and 41 RBIs in 84 games this season. The Royals picked up his $2.7 million option for next year rather than pay him a $100,000 buyout.The 30-year-old Olivo could have voided the option and forfeited the buyout, but he chose to stay with the Royals. The sides also agreed to a mutual option for 2010.
Showing a strong arm behind the plate, Olivo threw out a career-best 38.7 percent of attempted base stealers this season - fourth-best among catchers with a minimum 20 stolen-base attempts.
In other moves, the Royals purchased the contract of catcher Brayan Pena and sent catcher Matt Tupman and pitcher Yasuhiko Yabuta outright to Triple-A Omaha.
Yabuta had the right to opt for free agency.
The 26-year-old Pena was claimed off waivers from Atlanta on May 30 and hit .303 with six homers, 17 doubles and 31 RBIs for Omaha.
