The Kansas City Royals have signed right-handed pitcher Sidney Ponson to a minor league contact for the 2009 season. Ponson will receive an invitation to Major League Spring Training camp and is scheduled to report to Surprise, Ariz., on Wednesday, March 18. Consistent with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Ponson, 32, most recently competed for the Netherlands as they made a surprising run to the second round of the World Baseball Classic. Ponson was 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA in two starts for the Dutch, allowing seven hits and four runs in 9.0 innings. He walked four and struck out four. His most recent appearance came on March 14 against Venezuela when he allowed two runs on two hits in 5.0 innings, but suffered the loss, 3-1. Ponson picked up the win in his only other WBC start on March 7 against the Dominican Republic, allowing two runs on five hits through 4.0 innings.