Infante Becomes Free Agent

Omar Infante is officially a free agent…

The 34-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball player cleared waivers on Thursday to became a free agent.

Omar Infante

Infante was designated for assignment June 15 by the Kansas City Royals, who chose to pay him the nearly $14 million remaining on his contract rather than let him ride the bench as a utility player.

Infante spent his first six seasons with the Detroit Tigers. He later played for the Atlanta Braves, earning an All-Star nod in 2010, and briefly spent time with the Miami Marlins before returning to the Tigers for two more seasons.

But after signing with Kansas City, the career .271 hitter began a slow decline, his bat speed and fielding ability no longer what it was in his prime. He hit only eight homers with the Royals, two fewer than his final season with Detroit.