Pitcher Elmer Dessens agreed Thursday to a two-year contract with the Kansas City Royals.

The 34-year-old right-hander was 1-2 with a 3.56 ERA in seven starts and 21 relief appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. He has a 41-51 career record with a 4.40 ERA in nine major league seasons with Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Arizona and Los Angeles.

The Royals also traded Fabio Castro to the Texas Rangers for infielder Esteban German, shortly after making Castro the first player chosen in the Rule 5 draft of unprotected minor league players.

German 27, spent most of last season with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, hitting .313 with 68 runs batted in and leading the Pacific Coast League in stolen bases with 43.

The Rangers called him up at the end of the season. He had three hits and two stolen bases in five games.

Castro, a left-handed relief pitcher, was drafted by the Royals from the Class AAA Charlotte roster of the Chicago White Sox. He spent last season with Chicago’s Class A affiliate in Winston-Salem, where he had a 5-5 record with a 2.28 ERA and six saves.

Utilityman Joe McEwing and the Royals agreed to a minorleague contract late Wednesday.

McEwing batted .239 with one homer and six RBIs in 180 at-bats with the Royals last season.