Veteran infielder Andrew Velazquez has rejected an outright assignment and chosen free agency, per his MLB.com transaction tracker. The Royals designated him for assignment earlier this week when Bobby Witt Jr. returned from the IL.

Velazquez appeared in six games with Kansas City. He went 1-for-15 with a stolen base as a part-timer at shortstop while Witt was sidelined. It was his first appearance in the big leagues since a 2023 stint with the Angels.

The 32-year-old Velazquez has spent parts of seven MLB seasons with six teams. After playing for four teams in four years, he briefly found a home in Los Angeles. Velazquez earned a regular gig with the Angels in 2022, hitting nine home runs and stealing 17 bases across 100 games as the primary shortstop. He fell out of favor in 2023 and was bumped off the roster before the end of the season. Velazquez has bounced around various Triple-A clubs in recent years.

Velazquez has a career 45 wRC+ over 639 plate appearances in the majors. His main contributions have come with the glove. He’s posted 11 Defensive Runs Saved in more than 1,500 innings at shortstop. Velazquez has been a neutral defender at second base, third base, and all three outfield spots.

With Witt healthy, the Royals no longer had much use for Velazquez’s strong glove up the middle. Instead of hanging out at Omaha waiting for another injury, the veteran will head to free agency. He’d been outrighted before, so he had the right to forgo the minor league assignment. A team in need of defensive help in the infield could give him a look.

Photo courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn, Imagn Images