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  • Kansas City Royals Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

    The latest Kansas City Royals free agent and trade rumors, along with notes and tidbits about the team.
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    Kevin O'Brien
    In the fourth round, the Kansas City Royals selected Dominic Battista, an outfielder from Oswego East High School in Illinois. Selected 119th overall, Battista is committed to the University of Illinois-Chicago. 
    Battista missed some time due to a hamate injury, but he's been widely hailed by scouts for his toolsy and athletic profile. Here's what Prep Baseball said about him back in a write-up last August. 
    Battista will be a project of sorts, as he is currently 18 and won't turn 19 until October. Prep Baseball ranked him the 6th-best player in Illinois and the best outfielder in the state as well. The Royals are now done for the first round, having made all four of their picks. A complete review of Day 1 of the MLB Draft will be posted on Royals Keep later this evening. 
    Kevin O'Brien
    Maxx Yehl thrived out of West Virginia's bullpen as a 2023 freshman and again in 2024, but Tommy John surgery cost him 2025.
    Back in 2026, the 6-foot-6 lefty seized his first shot at starting, became the Friday night ace, won Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, and clinched the Mountaineers' first College World Series berth. Yehl is known for his durability post-injury, having thrown a 124-pitch complete game against the University of Kansas on May 8th.
    His fastball has hit 96-97 mph, backed by an above-average slider up to 87. Late-season fatigue is understandable post-surgery. A strong strike-thrower and competitor with limited starting experience, he could stick in a rotation—or fall back on his fastball-slider combo in relief.
    Cory Moen
    Kris Bubic was on a rehab assignment, looking to return to the Royals rotation in the future, but he was scratched from his most recent start after receiving a cortisone shot in his sore shoulder.
    This season has been a lot of stop-and-go, with Bubic on the injured list with an elbow injury before the shoulder injury was found during another rehab assignment. He has stopped and started rehab assignments multiple times, with his most recent appearance being on June 28, where he threw two innings. 
    Bubic was transferred to the 60-day IL, which was more of a procedural move, having been out since May 18 (retroactive to May 15).
    The Royals hope this setback doesn't keep Bubic out too long, as they need help in their rotation, especially with Cole Ragans being out for the year after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. 
    Being an impending free agent, the Royals were hoping Bubic would come back and become their most enticing trade piece come the August 3rd trade deadline. It's possible he could still be traded, but he may not return to the major leagues before the trade deadline, which will limit his appeal to teams looking for a rotation boost. 
    Kevin O'Brien
    On Saturday, Major League Baseball named the All-Star rosters for the 2026 All-Star Game in Philadelphia. The Kansas City Royals were fortunate to have two players make the American League roster.
    Bobby Witt Jr. not only made his third consecutive All-Star team, but he was named the AL starting shortstop, the first time he's been named a starter in the Midsummer Classic. 
    Witt leads all American League players in fWAR with a 4.6 mark. Only the Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong is ahead of Witt in the Majors with a 5.2 mark. The Kansas City shortstop is also hitting .289 with an .830 OPS. That includes 12 home runs, 36 RBI, 44 runs scored, and 29 stolen bases. He also has a .358 wOBA, .395 xwOBACON, and 130 TJ Bat+, which rank in the upper percentiles of the league, according to his TJ Stats Statcast summary. 

    The other Royals player to make the All-Star team was pitcher Michael Wacha. Wacha has been the Royals' best starting pitcher this year, much-needed considering the injuries to Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic. 
    As of Saturday, Wacha has a 3.46 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 3.88 FIP, and 12.3% K-BB% in 112 IP. Even though he's not a strikeout machine (19.1% K%) and his stuff isn't eye-popping (96 overall TJ Stuff+), he's been efficient on the mound for the Royals. He's produced 12 quality starts, which leads all AL starting pitchers and is second in baseball to Philadelphia's Cristopher Sanchez, a favorite for the NL Cy Young award.
    Though Wacha has been prone to giving up home runs (he gave up two on Saturday to the Phillies), he has been solid this season when it comes to limiting hard contact and generating strikes. 

    Wacha ranks in the 75th percentile in Zone%, 90th percentile in Barrel%, and 87th percentile in Hard-Hit% and Average EV allowed. The 35-year-old is producing these metrics despite having only two pitches in his arsenal with TJ Stuff+ marks of 100 or higher. 
    This is the second All-Star appearance for Wacha, who last made the All-Star team in 2015 when he was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. That season, he posted a 3.38 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 3.87 FIP in 181.1 IP with the Cardinals. 
     
     
    Cory Moen
    The Royals have announced they have selected the contract of catcher Luke Maile. To make room on the 26-man roster, OF John Rave has been optioned to Triple-A Omaha.
    Since Maile was not on the 40-man roster, RHP Eric Cerantola has been designated for assignment or release.
    Maile has played 28 games with the Storm Chasers this year, hitting for a slash line of .202/.324/.303 and serving as depth behind the dish.
    Rave has played in nine games for the Royals, with 18 total at-bats. He's looked solid in the small sample size, with one home run, one triple, and one double since being recalled. Prior to being called up, he had hit for an .870 OPS with Triple-A Omaha with 10 home runs and 10 doubles over 60 games played. He also stole 16 bases in that time frame, earning his call-up, which proved to be pretty short. If he continues to hit, he will likely be back in Kansas City soon.
    Cerantola was called up for his major league debut earlier this year, pitching in four games and completing 5 1/3 innings. His results were not great, as he issued 10 walks and gave up two home runs, along with striking out 7 hitters.
    Maile will likely serve as the backup catcher behind Carter Jensen, with Salvador Perez dealing with a sore left elbow. 
    Kevin O'Brien
    On Thursday afternoon, the Royals announced that they had signed former closer Scott Barlow on a Minor League deal. 
    Barlow pitched with the Royals from 2018 to 2023, serving as the team's closer in his last three years. Over that time frame, the righty saved 53 games with Kansas City. During his 5 1/2 years with the Royals, the former Dodgers draft pick produced a 6.7 bWAR, a 3.39 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a 2.98 K/BB ratio. 
    The Royals traded Barlow to the Padres at the 2023 Trade Deadline for pitching prospects Henry Williams and Jesus Rios (only Williams remains in the organization). After finishing the 2023 season with the Padres (3.07 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 29.1 IP), he ended up pitching for the Guardians in 2024 (4.25 ERA in 55 IP) and the Reds in 2025 (4.21 ERA in 68.1 IP). 
    This season, Barlow pitched 36 games with the Athletics and struggled in 33.1 IP. He posted a 6.48 ERA in Sacramento, a career-worst mark. As a result, the Athletics designated Barlow for assignment on June 21st and ended up releasing him on June 24th.
    With a lack of bullpen depth and Kris Bubic recently added to the 60-Day IL, the Royals are looking for Barlow to provide a veteran presence in Triple-A Omaha and perhaps Kansas City, if needed. While the overall numbers aren't great, and the TJ Stuff+ marks are subpar (97 overall TJ Stuff+), he still generates strikes at a high level, as illustrated by his CSW and whiff rates below.

    The 33-year-old will likely start in Omaha. However, he could move up to Kansas City quickly, especially with the Royals needing fresh arms for a tough series against the Phillies this weekend at Kauffman Stadium, and a looming road trip to Queens (the Mets) and Baltimore (Orioles) before the All-Star Break. 
    Barlow is the second former Royals reliever to return to the organization this year. Jose Cuas made his 2026 Royals debut on Wednesday, allowing one run and striking out three Rays hitters in two innings of work. He also posted a TJ Stuff+ of 100 and a decent xwOBACON of .350, as seen below via his TJ Stuff+ summary.

    Cuas hadn't pitched in the Majors since 2024, and he last pitched with the Royals in 2023. That season, he posted a 4.54 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in 41.2 IP before being traded to the Chicago Cubs at the Trade Deadline for Nelson Velazquez. 
     
    Steve Drumwright
    July is starting with a handful of moves involving the pitching staff.
    Right-handed reliever Connor Seabold was placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained right lat and right-handed reliever Eric Cerantola was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. Coming up from Omaha to replace them are right-handers Jose Cuas and Randy Dobnak. Cuas had to be added to the 40-man roster, so left-handed starter Kris Bubic was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL.
    Seabold pitched just two-thirds of an inning in Tuesday's 10-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Seabold, with his third MLB team this season, has appeared in five games for the Royals, giving up six runs (five earned) over seven innings with four walks and five strikeouts.
    Cerantola followed Seabold in Tuesday's game by going 1⅓ innings and walking six. He has allowed six runs in 5⅓ innings for a 10.13 ERA.
    The 32-year-old Cuas, who made his MLB debut in 2022 with the Royals, is back in the majors for the first time since 2024, when he appeared in 13 games for the Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays. He has a 3.31 ERA in 29 games over 32⅔ innings with 19 walks and 33 strikeouts.
    Dobnak started the season at Triple-A with the Seattle Mariners, then exercised a June 15 upward mobility clause that landed him with the Royals in a cash trade. He was added to the 40-man roster upon being acquired and made two starts at Omaha, allowing six runs in 10⅔ innings with one walk and 10 strikeouts for a 5.06 ERA. Dobnak appeared in one MLB game with the Minnesota Twins in 2025.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    Kansas City Royals right-handed starter Stephen Kolek, who was already on the paternity list as he was expecting the birth of his first child, was moved to the family medical emergency leave list Tuesday.

    No further details on Kolek's personal situation were made available. He was also placed on the family medical emergency leave list June 4 and returned June 9. Kolek went on the paternity list Friday, which allows three days of leave from the team.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    It might have been in the Kansas City Royals' plan anyway, but a disastrous outing Friday earned Mitch Spence a trip back to the minors.
    The Royals on Saturday optioned Spence back to Triple-A Omaha and called up right-hander Eric Cerantola from Triple-A.
    Spence had been called up Friday to take the spot of right-handed starter Stephen Kolek, who went on paternity leave. With the Royals filling Kolek's scheduled start with a bullpen game, Spence came on in the second inning and got the final two outs of that inning, then proceeded to allow 10 runs in the third in what would become a 22-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Spence finished by allowing eight hits and three walks, giving up a pair of homers in 1⅓.
     
    Cerantola is with the Royals for a third time this season. In his previous two, he pitched a total of four innings over three games, allowing four runs on three hits and four walks with seven strikeouts.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The Kansas City Royals will be without right-handed starter Stephen Kolek this weekend, but it is for a good reason.
    Kolek was placed on the paternity list Friday, with right-hander Mitch Spence called up from Triple-A Omaha. The paternity list allows a player to be away from the team for up to three days.
    Kolek, whose last start was Sunday, would have been due to start Friday's series opener against the Chicago White Sox. He still could return this weekend, but otherwise will be back when the Royals return home to start a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
    Spence is up for the third time this season. He made one start and one relief appearance in his previous call-ups, allowing 12 runs in eight innings on 11 hits and six walks.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The Kansas City Royals are suddenly down both starters on the left side of the infield.
    With shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. having missed the last three games with a sprained right knee, the Royals on Tuesday placed third baseman Maikel Garcia on the 10-day injured list with a strained muscle in his left hand. Infielder Josh Rojas was called up from Triple-A Omaha.
    Garcia has been dealing with the hand injury for more than a month after having a minor hamstring injury this month. Garcia's numbers have been down this season, with a .261/.320/.373 slash line with three homers and 30 RBIs in 69 games.
    Rojas is up for the second time this season. He was on the roster for five days at the start of the month, appearing in two games and going 1-for-5 with a run scored and two RBIs.
     
    Kevin O'Brien
    On Saturday morning, the Royals' Player Development account announced that they had signed left-handed pitcher Matt Moore to a Minor League contract. 
    The 37-year-old pitcher is best known for his time with Tampa Bay, as he pitched seven shutout innings in Game 1 of the 2011 ALDS against the Texas Rangers. He made his first and only appearance in the All-Star Game with the Rays in 2013. That season, he posted a 3.29 ERA and 1.7 fWAR in 27 starts and 150.1 IP. 
    While his best years came early in his career with the Tampa Bay Rays, he also found some success with the San Francisco Giants. In a split season with the Rays and Giants in 2016, he posted a 4.08 ERA and 2.0 fWAR in 33 starts and 198.1 IP, both career-highs. He struggled the next season as a starter with the Giants (5.52 ERA in 174.1 IP) and in 2018 with the Rangers (6.79 ERA in 102 IP). After pitching in only two games with the Tigers in 2019, he moved to Japan and posted a 2.65 ERA over 78 IP with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in 2020.
    In 2022, Moore moved to the bullpen and thrived in the role with the Rangers. In 63 appearances and 74.1 IP, he posted a 1.95 ERA and 1.3 fWAR. He served a similar role with three teams in 2023: the Angels, Marlins, and Guardians. In 52.2 IP among the three teams, he posted a 2.56 ERA and 0.6 fWAR.
    In 2024, he returned to the Angels but failed to duplicate his 2022 and 2023 reliever success. In 48.1 IP, he produced a 5.03 ERA and -0.8 fWAR. According to his TJ Stuff+ summary from 2024, he produced a decent whiff rate and xwOBACON, but his stuff was slightly subpar, and he struggled to find consistency in terms of zone and chase rates. 

    Moore signed a Minor League deal with the Red Sox in February of 2025, but did not make an appearance with the Worcester Red Sox due to arm soreness. He was released and not picked up by a team for the remainder of 2025. Moore was not pitching for a baseball team this year prior to this signing. 
    The Royals have been adding pitching depth to their system with so many pitchers on the IL. As of now, Alec Marsh, James McArthur, Cole Ragans, and Carlos Estevez are on the 60-Day IL, and Kris Bubic and Nick Mears are on the 15-Day IL. Kansas City acquired Connor Seabold from the Blue Jays and Randy Dobnak from the Mariners earlier this week. Dobnak made his Storm Chasers debut on Friday night.  
     
    Steve Drumwright
    What could have been a lengthier stay on the concussion list turned out to be a minimal one.
    The Kansas City Royals on Friday activated right-handed starter Seth Lugo from the seven-day concussion list and optioned right-handed reliever Mason Black to Triple-A Omaha. Lugo will be on the mound to start Friday's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals.
    Lugo was injured Thursday of last week when he was drilled in the forehead by a line drive off the bat of the Texas Rangers' Brandon Nimmo, leaving a massive welt. He was able to walk off the mound and was even joking before entering the clubhouse.
    Concussions are a tricky injury and it can take time for symptoms to appear and longer to dissipate. At this stage, Lugo came out on the better side of that situation.
    For Black, his second call-up to the Royals included eight appearances. Overall, Black has pitched in 12 games with a 5.81 FIP (3.57 ERA), walking 13.4% of hitters and striking out 18.3%.
     
    Kevin O'Brien
    On Wednesday afternoon, the MLB insider Jeff Passan reported that the Royals would be acquiring right-handed pitcher Randy Dobnak from the Seattle Mariners. Dobnak has not pitched with the Mariners and has spent the entirety of the season in Triple-A Tacoma.
    The 31-year-old pitcher is expected to be added to the 40-man roster.
    Dobnak should be familiar with Royals fans as he spent most of his career with the Minnesota Twins prior to this season. Last year, he only made one 5.1 IP appearance with the Twins and posted a 1.69 ERA. 
    This year, with the Tacoma Rainiers, the Mariners' Triple-A team, he posted a 4.24 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 70 IP. He also has a 4.06 FIP and 4.9% K-BB%. While he doesn't generate a ton of whiffs or strikeouts, Donbnak minimizes hard contact and is a groundball machine, as evidenced by his 66.5% groundball rate and .334 xwOBACON. 

    The move has not been made official, and no word has been mentioned about who Dobnak would replace on the 40-man roster. One possibility could be moving Cole Ragans to the 60-Day IL, as he has not been progressing well with his injury since being added to the 15-Day IL, according to recent reports. 
    The Royals come back home to Kauffman Stadium on Thursday to begin a three-game series against the I-70 rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. They will play on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. There will be no game on Saturday due to the World Cup match between Ecuador and Curacao at Kansas City Stadium (i.e., Arrowhead Stadium).
    Update (6:53 PM): The Royals announced the deal officially on their social media. In a corresponding move, they added Ragans to the 60-Day IL to make room for Dobnak.
    Dobnak gives the Royals some much-needed starting pitching depth with Ragans on the 60-Day IL and Kris Bubic's future on the IL still hazy. They recently called up Mitch Spence from Omaha to make a spot start, and he allowed six runs on seven hits and one walk in four innings of work in Monday's loss to the Nationals. Spence was optioned back to Omaha after Monday's appearance. 
    Steve Drumwright
    Following Seth Lugo's concussion, right-hander Mitch Spence had a chance to prove he belonged in the majors with the Kansas City Royals.
    But it didn't go how he would have liked. So Tuesday, Spence was optioned back to Triple-A Omaha as right-handed reliever Connor Seabold, acquired in a trade Monday, was activated to the 26-man roster.
    Spence was activated Monday to start against the Washington Nationals, but he allowed six runs over four innings, with two relievers needing to chew up two innings apiece.
    There will need to be an addition to the starting rotation to fill Lugo's spot. The Royals will benefit from having a rare Saturday off due to a World Cup match happening in Kansas City as the Royals host the St. Louis Cardinals.
     
    Kevin O'Brien
    On Monday afternoon, the Royals' Player Development account announced that pitcher Kendry Chourio would be promoted to the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits.
     
    Chourio is the No. 1 Royals prospect at Royals Keep and is a Top-100 prospect according to many outlets, including Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. He will join lefty David Shields, our No. 2 Royals prospect, in the River Bandits rotation. 
    In 11 starts and 48 IP with the Columbia Fireflies this year, the 18-year-old Venezuelan-born pitcher posted a 1.88 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, a 23.4% K%, and 18.6% K-BB%. His 3.56 FIP in Low-A was higher than his ERA, but Chourio possesses elite stuff and showcased strong ability to generate grounders (43.8% GB%) and pop-ups (25% IFFB%). Chourio's fastball sits in the upper 90s, and many believe he could be a starter in the mold of Yordano Ventura at the MLB level.
     
    No word has been made on who will replace Chourio in the Columbia rotation or if Shields will be moving up to Northwest Arkansas soon to join fellow lefty Justin Lamkin, who was recently promoted from Quad Cities to Northwest Arkansas.
    Royals fans can vote on where Chourio, Shields, Lamkin, and other prospects rank in our June prospect rankings in the Tweet below.
     
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