Royals outfielder Jason Bourgeois has declined an outright assignment to Triple-A Omaha and instead elected free agency, the team announced Monday.
Bourgeois was designated for assignment on Nov. 2.
The Royals acquired Bourgeois, 30, along with Humberto Quintero in a trade with the Houston Astros in March. Bourgeois hit .258/.303/.323 with five stolen bases in 66 plate appearances with the Royals in 2012.
In 2011 in his last season with the Astros, Bourgeois hit .294/.323/.357 with 31 stolen bases in just 252 plate appearances. He has also played briefly with the White Sox and Brewers.
No ad available
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the latest rumors from bloggers Chris Cwik, Jack Moore and R.J. White, follow @MLBRumorsCBS.