The Royals have re-signed left-hander to a minor league deal, according to his at MLB.com. He had opted out of a minors deal with the club last week but the two sides have circled back on a fresh pact and hell return to Triple-A Omaha. Cox, 27, to sed 35 2/3 minor league innings with a 3.28 earned run average prior to opting out. His 23.7% strikeout rate was quite strong but he also walked 13.2% of batters faced. Were it not for an 87.2% strand rate, some more runs would have cro sed the plate, which is partly why his Cameron Johnson Jersey his 5.43 FIP was more than two runs higher than his ERA. He went out to the open market to see what opportunities were available to him but wound up back where he started. Such a sequence of events isnt unusual, as teams and players in these situations often re-negotiate new terms, sometimes adding another opt-out into the new deal. Regardle s of the details of the new pact, Cox will again provide the Royals with some left-handed depth in a non-roster capacity. He to sed 35 2/3 innings for them at the major league level last year with a 4.54 ERA. His 22.1% strikeout rate was close to average but he gave out free pa ses at an 11.4% clip. His season came to an unfortunate end in September when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while attempting to cover first base on a ground ball. He underwent surgery and was non-tendered at seasons end before reuniting with the club on his aforementioned minor league deal. The club currently has four lefties in its big league bullpen in , , and , with also on the 40-man roster. Jalen Smith Jersey