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  • MLB Notes

    Read quick notes on the Kansas City Royals big league club, including injuries, lineup changes and roster moves.

    106 rumors in this category

      Kevin O'Brien

       

      On Monday evening, MLB Insider Jon Heyman reported that the Kansas City Royals signed Hector Neris on a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training.

       

      Neris pitched for three teams last year: the Braves (two outings; one IP), the Angels (21 outings; 14 IP), and the Astros (12 outings; 11.2 IP). In 26.2 overall innings, the 36-year-old righty reliever posted a 6.75 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, 5.35 FIP, and -0.1 fWAR. He was primarily hurt by a 16.7% HR/FB rate, his highest mark in that category since 2019 (when he was with the Phillies). 

      While the results weren't good, Neris did post a strikeout rate of 28.2% and a K-BB% of 15.3%, both solid marks. He also had a 26% CSW and 28.3% O-Swing%, indicating he can generate strikes and chase pitches, two qualities the Royals are seeking from their relievers in 2026.  

      Neris struggled to find the strike zone consistently and gave up too many hard hits, according to xwOBACON. That said, the stuff was pretty solid last year from a 36-year-old reliever. 

      Hector Neris TJ-2025.png

      Neris sported six pitches last year, with his splitter (43.5%) and four-seamer (40.5%) being his most utilized offerings. Of his six pitches, five had TJ Stuff+ marks of 100 or higher, and four had grades of 50 or higher. He also generated a 28.6% whiff rate, with his splitter sporting a 35.9% whiff rate, the best mark in that category of his six offerings .

      The splitter has seen an increased usage by Neris over the past two seasons. He's thrown it over 40% of the time in 2024 and 2025 after only throwing it 28.8% of the time in 2023. Consequently, his four-seamer usage over the past two years has declined while splitter usage has risen, as seen in his career pitch-tracking chart via Savant.

      chart (5).png

      Because he's on a Minor League contract, Neris will have to earn his spot on the Royals roster this spring. If he doesn't make the roster, he has the option of becoming a free agent after Cactus League play.

      As of now, the Royals' bullpen seems pretty set with Carlos Estevez as closer and Matt Strahm, John Schreiber, and Lucas Erceg serving as setup men. Nick Mears, Alex Lange, Daniel Lynch IV, Bailey Falter, Steven Cruz, and James McArthur will likely battle Neris for a spot in the Kansas City bullpen in Spring Training. 

      Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

      Kevin O'Brien

       

      On Tuesday morning, in some unexpected news, Robert Murray of Fansided reported that the Royals signed pitcher Aaron Sanchez on a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training. 

       

      Sanchez is a former highly touted arm from the Blue Jays organization who made the All-Star team as a 23-year-old in 2016. That season, he made 30 starts, pitched 192 innings, won 15 games, posted a 3.00 ERA, 3.55 FIP, and accumulated a 3.5 fWAR. After the year, it was thought that Sanchez would be the ace of the Toronto rotation for a long time.

      Unfortunately, injuries and ineffectiveness have limited Sanchez's career since that All-Star campaign. 

      Since 2017, Sanchez has accumulated a 2.0 fWAR in 79 starts and 367.2 IP. His ERA rose to 4.25 in 2017 and 4.89 in 2018 before ballooning to 5.89 with the Blue Jays and Astros in 2019. After missing all of 2020 due to injury, he had a nice bounce-back campaign with the Giants in 2021, posting a 3.06 ERA in nine appearances and 35.1 IP. However, things regressed back to awful levels in 2022, as he sported an ERA of 6.60 in 15 appearances and 60 IP with the Nationals and Twins.

      The 33-year-old righty hasn't pitched at the Major League level since that 2022 season, and he actually did not pitch at all at any level in 2025. In 2024, his last season in the Minors, Sanchez posted a 7.92 ERA and 6.49 FIP in 14 outings and 61.1 IP with the Buffalo Bisons, the Blue Jays' Triple-A team. Not only was Sanchez hit hard that season (19.4% HR/FB rate), but he also struggled with command (1.05 K/BB ratio) and didn't show great stuff either, based on TJ Stats metrics. 

      Aaron Sanchez TJ AAA-2024.png

      Sanchez's groundball rate was decent at 44.3% with the Bisons, and he also limited productive contact, posting a .336 xwOBACON. That said, he sported below-average stuff with a 93 TJ Stuff+ mark overall, and his zone rate (44.4%), chase% (24.3%), and whiff% (23%) were subpar as well. Thus, when he made mistakes, hitters made him pay dearly (illustrated by the HR/FB rate). With Buffalo, his curveball, which he threw 20.3% of the time, was his best offering, as it sported a 100 TJ Stuff+, 33.6% chase%, 35.7% whiff%, and .292 xwOBACON. 

      Below is a breakdown of Sanchez's curveball against left and right-handed hitters via TJ Stats. It's possible that pitching coaches Brian Sweeney and Mike McFerran think he could improve his repertoire this spring, with the curveball as his foundational offering (it generated a 35.1% CSW against right-handed hitters). 

      Aaron Sanchez CU TJ AAA-2024.png

      After taking a year off, Sanchez returned to baseball by pitching with Toros del Este of the Dominican Winter League (LiDOM) this winter. The former All-Star thrived in his return to the mound in LiDOM, posting a 1.55 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 3.78 K/BB ratio in eight starts and 46.1 IP. His strong performance earned him top pitching honors in Winter League play. 

       

       

      The Royals likely picked up Sanchez due to his strong Winter League performance, hoping that he can show something on the mound again, whether at the Minor or Major League level. It's unlikely that Sanchez will make the Royals rotation, as it is incredibly deep right now with Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Kris Bubic, Noah Cameron, Ryan Bergert, Luinder Avila, and Stephen Kolek all vying for spots this spring.

       

      That said, the Royals likely want pitching depth, just in case their rotation gets hit by injury again like it did a season ago. Furthermore, Sanchez could generate some trade interest for a pitching-desperate team, especially if they are hit by injury in Spring Training play. Such a situation could net the Royals a low-level prospect, cash, or a bench player who could provide needed depth in the system. 

      Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

      Brock Beauchamp

      The 2026 MLB season is right around the corner, and we're looking to expand our video coverage. Have you ever considered being on-camera and talking about the Royals? If yes, we'd love to talk to you about it.

      Our videos are typically in a wide variety of styles: breaking news, analysis, and historical study. We're open to any and all ideas as long as they're centered around the Kansas City Royals. We're looking for serious baseball talk, so leave the hot takes at home.

      If you'd like to learn more about this cool little side gig, please email Brock Beauchamp at brock.beauchamp@royalskeep.com.

      Here is an example of a recent Royals video from us:

      Kevin O'Brien

       

      On Thursday afternoon, the Royals shared on social media that Maikel Garcia will play for Venezuela in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

       

       

      This will be Garcia's first appearance in the WBC with his home country. His inclusion on the Venezuelan team was merited, especially after a breakthrough season in 2025.

      In 666 plate appearances last year, he hit 16 home runs, scored 81 runs, collected 74 RBI, stole 23 bases, and hit .286. He also posted a 121 wRC+ and a 5.6 fWAR, the latter being the second-best mark of Royals players last season. In 449 career MLB games, Garcia has accumulated a 9.1 fWAR. 

      In addition to his gaudy metrics, he played in his first All-Star game, won a Gold Glove, and won the team's Special Achievement award (which typically goes to the second-best player on the team). The stellar campaign helped Garcia earn a five-year, $57.5 million extension this offseason. He is guaranteed to stay under contract in Kansas City until 2031. 

       

      The Royals' third baseman will be joining family member Ronald Acuna Jr. (of Atlanta) and teammate Salvador Perez in the World Baseball Classic. Perez was named the captain of Team Venezuela back in November. 

       

       

      Pool play for the WBC will begin on March 5th and go until March 11th. The WBC final will be on March 17th at loanDepot Park in Miami. For more information, check out the World Baseball Classic's official site here. 

      Photo Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

      Kevin O'Brien

      On Thursday evening, the Kansas City Royals added to their Spring Training roster by signing right-handed reliever Eli Morgan to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training.

      Royals fans should be familiar with Morgan, as he pitched for four seasons with the Cleveland Guardians from 2021 to 2024. His best season with Cleveland came in 2024, as he posted a 1.93 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 3.64 FIP, 3.09 K/BB ratio, and 0.3 fWAR in 32 appearances and 42 IP. He was also a key reliever for them in the postseason, as he came in and pitched in some high-leverage spots.

      The Guardians traded him to the Chicago Cubs before the 2025 season in exchange for outfield prospect Alfonsin Rosario. Unfortunately, Morgan struggled to transition that success from Cleveland to the North Side.

      In 7.1 IP, he posted a 12.27 ERA, 8.59 FIP, and 1.33 K/BB ratio. His K rate dropped from 20.4% in 2024 to 11.4% last year. However, it's likely that he wasn't healthy at the start of the year, as he was put on the 60-Day IL on April 15th for right elbow impingement, related to an inflamed ulnar nerve. While he was activated off the IL on September 21st, he didn't return to the Majors last season. He posted a 5.06 ERA and 3.96 FIP in 10.2 IP with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. The Cubs did not tender Morgan a contract this offseason.

      Morgan is a three-pitch pitcher who leans heavily on his changeup (41.7% usage last year). Even though his overall stuff wasn't impressive on a TJ Stuff+ end (98 overall), he did an excellent job of generating chase. He sported a 41.1% chase rate last year, with all three of his offerings having a chase rate of 40% or above, according to TJ Stats.

      Eli Morgan TJ-2025.png

      Morgan will need to improve his command in 2026, as he lagged in zone rate (44.7%) and generating whiffs (21.7%) last year. However, the Royals' front office has been valuing and targeting pitchers who can induce chase, and Morgan fits the bill perfectly.

      Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney also has experience working with Morgan in Cleveland, so it's likely that Sweeney and GM JJ Picollo felt Morgan was worth taking a risk on due to their familiarity with him. The former Gonzaga product has a Minor League option remaining, which gives the Royals some roster flexibility with him should he make the team. 

      The Morgan acquisition now increases the Royals' non-roster invitee list to 26. 

      Photo Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

      Kevin O'Brien

      Earlier today, reports came out that Maikel Garcia would be playing for Team Venezuela in the WBC. Later in the evening, the Dominican Republic WBC selection team announced on their social media that Carlos Estevez would be playing for his home country in this upcoming tournament.

      Like Garcia, this will be Estevez's first WBC appearance. That said, the Royals closer has long expressed his desire to play for the Dominican Republic in the WBC as far back as April, as quoted in an article from Robert Rizzo of Latino Sports on April 17th. 

      Quote

      “I would love to go,” replied Estévez when asked about the importance of playing in a World Baseball Classic, an event the 32-year-old Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native has never participated in. 

      “I would love to represent my country. Have the Dominican Republic name on the front of my jersey and then my name on the back—representing my family. That would be great. So many great players have gone through and played. I would love to be on that big stage.”

      It was a stellar first season in Kansas City for the 32-year-old reliever. In 67 appearances and 66 IP, he posted a 2.45 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 3.67 FIP, and 1.1 fWAR. Furthermore, his 42 saves were not just a career-high, but also led all of Major League Baseball. He is the first Kansas City closer since Dan Quisenberry to lead the majors in saves. 

      Estevez's 20.1% K rate was 3.5% down from the previous season, and his 11.9% K-BB% was six percent lower than his 2024 mark. However, the Dominican-born closer found success by pounding the strike zone and keeping the ball in the yard (5.2% HR/FB rate, a career-low).

      Estevez has the stuff to succeed in the WBC and in 2026 as the Dominican Republic and Royals' closer, respectively. While he struggled to generate chase and whiff with the Royals in 2025, his strong TJ Stuff+ numbers (103 TJ Stuff+ overall) illustrated that he still overwhelmed batters in high-leverage situations.

      Carlos Estevez TJ-2025.png

      In addition to Garcia and Estevez, Salvador Perez (Venezuela), Vinnie Pasquantino (Italy), and Bobby Witt Jr. (USA) have all been confirmed to play in this year's World Baseball Classic. Jac Caglianone (Italy) and Seth Lugo (Puerto Rico) have committed to play if selected, but they have not officially been named to their respective rosters just yet. MLB Network will unveil all the official WBC rosters on February 5th. 

      Photo Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

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