Royals Trade OF Rudy Martin Jr to Orioles

The Royals have traded OF Rudy Martin Jr to the Orioles in return for cash considerations.

Martin Jr is a 30-year-old outfield prospect who was a former 25th-round pick by the Royals back in 2014. He climbed up the minor league ranks in his first stint with the Royals and got up to Triple-A Omaha back in 2019. He returned to Triple-A Omaha in 2021 and was granted free agency after the 2021 season.

He played the 2022 season in the Washington Nationals organization and then played in Independent Ball in 2023 and 2024. He played in the Mexican Winter League in 2024-2025 prior to re-signing with the Royals for the 2025 season. 

He's played the majority of the 2026 season in Double-A but earned a call-up to Triple-A. Between the two levels, he slashed for a .284/.414/.441 across 255 plate appearances. He's walked at a 16.1% rate and struck out at a 23.5% rate as well. He also has eight home runs and 33 stolen bases on the year. 

He had an upward mobility clause in his contract that he triggered, and the Orioles chose to add him to their 40-man roster, which was the first time in his career that he earned a 40-man roster spot. It will be interesting to see if the long-time minor leaguer can earn his first major league call-up with Baltimore.