Barlow agreed to a one-year, $5.3 million contract with the Royals on Friday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Barlow has worked as Kansas City's closer for the past season and a half, and he was effective in 2022 with a 2.18 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 77:22 K:BB over 74.1 innings. He went 24-for-28 in save chances and should enter 2023 with a firm grip on the closer role, though it's possible new manager Matt Quatraro opts for a more committee-oriented approach.