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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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    Steve Drumwright
    The expected became official in regards to Cole Ragans.
    The Kansas City Royals placed their ace left-hander on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow impingement. Right-handed starter Stephen Kolek, who made his season debut Tuesday before being sent to Triple-A, was recalled from Omaha. Also, left-hander Eric Cerantola, who made his MLB debut this week, was optioned to Triple-A and right-handed reliever Steven Cruz was called up.

    Additionally, right-handed closer Carlos Estevez was officially pulled from his rehab assignment after experiencing discomfort in his right shoulder following his first rehab appearance Wednesday.
    Ragans was pulled from Wednesday's start vs. the Cleveland Guardians after just three innings. On Thursday, it was revealed that Ragans was dealing with pitcher's elbow, with the more technical term of valgus extension overload.
    The loss of Ragans is a significant blow to the Royals, who are still trying to string some wins together.
    Kolek came off the 15-day IL and went six innings in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Guardians. He allowed all three runs on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
    Cruz, in his second stint with the Royals, made five appearances after an April 1 call-up. In five innings, he allowed eight runs on seven hits, including four homers, with four walks and seven strikeouts for a 14.40 ERA. At Omaha, he had a 6.43 ERA in eight appearances, giving up eight runs on 10 hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts.
    Cerantola made two relief appearances, pitching Wednesday and Thursday. He went a combined three innings, allowing three runs, including a homer, in two innings in his second appearance. He walked four and struck out five.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The bullpen shuffle continues for the Kansas City Royals.
    Right-hander Eric Cerantola was called up from Triple-A Omaha to make his MLB debut and right-handed starter Stephen Kolek, who started Tuesday, was sent back to the Storm Chasers.
    Also, right-handed closer Carlos Estevez was sent to Omaha to begin a rehab assignment. He has been out since April with a left foot contusion.
    Kolek was called up to make a spot start in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians. He went six innings, giving up three runs on six hits and no walks with three strikeouts.
    Cerantola was a fifth-round draft choice in 2021 out of Mississippi State and has posted a 3.59 ERA in 133 games, including 24 starts. This season at Omaha, Cerantola appeared in 12 games and had a 1.42 ERA with six walks and 18 strikeouts in 12⅔ innings.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    It is Stephen Kolek's turn to see what he can do in the Kansas City Royals' rotation.
    The right-handed starter was activated from the 15-day injured list following an oblique injury and will start Tuesday's home game against the Cleveland Guardians. Right-handed reliever Mason Black was optioned to Triple-A Omaha.

    The Royals' rotation has had trouble with consistency this season, just one of the reasons the team sits at 16-19. Kolek, acquired from the San Diego Padres at last year's trade deadline in the Freddy Fermin deal, was impressive in five starts for the Royals in 2025. In 33 innings, he had a 4% walk and 16.8% strikeout rate with a .168 opponent batting average. Kolek had a 2.76 ERA in four rehab appearances with Omaha.
    Black didn't allow a run in his four relief appearances, walking two and striking out five in 4⅔ innings.
     
    Kevin O'Brien
    On Monday afternoon, before the start of the Royals' seven-game homestand against Cleveland and Detroit, the Royals announced on social media that relief pitcher Carlos Estevez will begin a rehab assignment in Triple-A Omaha.
    Estevez has made only one MLB-level appearance this season, on the road against Atlanta on March 28th. In 0.1 IP, he allowed six runs on four hits and two walks while not registering a single strikeout. He also gave up a home run and currently has a 162.00 ERA, 18.00 WHIP, and 60.10 FIP. 
    During the Braves game, the 33-year-old reliever was hit in the foot by a comebacker and, as a result, was placed on the 15-Day IL due to a left foot contusion. 
    There was a lot of buzz surrounding Estevez this spring, as his four-seam velocity sat under 90 MPH for most of Spring Training. While he's been traditionally a slow starter when it comes to ramping up for the start of the season, the subpar velocity captured the eye of concerned Royals fans. While his velocity was slightly better against Atlanta than what he showed in the spring, it was still down compared to his historical velocity trends.

    Not much has been shared about Estevez since going on the IL, though it was reported that he got sick, which bumped his rehab assignment back. In bullpen sessions back in Arizona, Royals GM JJ Picollo, in an interview with the Cody and Gold radio show on 96.5 FM on April 29th, said the velocity looked much better and was more in line with what the Royals saw a season ago, during his first season in Kansas City. 
     
    Estevez is in the last year of a two-year deal he signed with the Royals last offseason. In 67 appearances last year, he posted a 2.45 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and saved 42 games, which led all of baseball. It was the first time a Royals closer had led the league in saves since Dan Quisenberry back in 1985. 
    Currently, Lucas Erceg has been receiving a majority of the save opportunities with Estevez on the IL. In 15 appearances, the 30-year-old righty has a 3.77 ERA and 1.40 WHIP and has nine saves with two blown saves this season. A setup man in 2025, Erceg saved 14 games with the Royals and Athletics in 2024. 11 of those saves came with Kansas City after being acquired at the Trade Deadline.   
     
    Kevin O'Brien
    On Wednesday evening, the Royals announced via social media that pitchers Ryan Bergert and Ben Kudrna underwent successful surgeries on their arms. 
      Bergert and Kudrna are both on the 40-man roster, though neither made the Opening Day roster. 
    The former Padre, acquired with Stephen Kolek for Freddy Fermin at last summer's Trade Deadline, is the more accomplished of the pair. Berger pitched 76.1 IP with the Padres and Royals a season ago. In that 19-appearance sample (15 starts), he posted 3.66 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 22.6% K%, and 11.8% K-BB%. He walked fewer batters with the Royals (9.8% BB%) than the Padres (12.1% BB%), but his ERA with the Royals (4.43) was much higher than his one with the Padres (2.78). 
    Still, Bergert showcased a solid profile and a strong ability to flood the strike zone, especially with the Royals, as illustrated in his TJ Stats summary from 2025.

    Bergert's chase%, whiff%, and xwOBACON left a bit to be desired, as they all rated slightly below average. However, he was showing some progress in Spring Training and Triple-A Omaha (23.8% K% and 2.79 ERA in 9.1 IP) before going down with an injury.
    As for Kudrna, the 2021 second-round pick was added to the 40-man roster this past offseason, and hopes were high that the local Kansas prep product would be a dark horse to make his MLB debut this season. Kudrna posted a 4.21 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 94 IP with the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals. However, he had a 24% K%, 15.7% K-BB%, and 3.17 FIP. 
    Omaha was a much tougher challenge for Kudrna. In four outings, three starts, and 11.1 IP, he posted a 14.29 ERA, 2.74 WHIP, 9.54 FIP, and -11.1% K-BB%. His one outing with the Storm Chasers this year wasn't much better, as he posted a 9.00 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, and 7.10 FIP. 
    Kudrna posted a solid whiff rate in Omaha as well as limited hard contact, but his TJ Stuff+, zone rate, and chase rate metrics were all mediocre, as illustrated in his TJ Stats season summary below.

    The typical recovery timetable for surgeries such as Kudrna's is 3-6 months. Thus, it's possible that Kudrna could return in Late August or September if his body responds well to the recovery process. That said, at 23 years old, it's likely that the Royals will take it slow with Kudrna, which probably rules out any return to Omaha this season. 
    Both players will likely be placed on the 60-Day IL, opening two roster spots for potential pitchers in the near future. 
    Kevin O'Brien
    On Tuesday, the Royals signed left-handed pitcher Anthony Gose to a Minor League deal and assigned him to Triple-A Omaha. 
    Gose was playing in the Mexican League this year with Yucatan and performed well in six appearances. In 7.2 IP, Gose allowed no runs, no walks, two hits, and struck out 15 batters. Not only was Gose's ERA 0.00, but he also posted a 0.26 WHIP with Yucatan. Thus, the Royals are hoping that Gose could be a low-risk, high-upside arm that could give them much-needed bullpen depth in Omaha.
    The 35-year-old was a former position-player prospect ranked as a Top-100 prospect in baseball while in the Blue Jays organization. Despite elite arm strength and speed, he struggled with hitting for contact at the Minor League level. As a result, he transitioned to pitching in 2017 and found more success. 
    Gose made the Majors as a pitcher and posted a career 4.78 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 31 appearances and 32 IP, all with the Guardians. He was known for his high-velocity fastball and strikeout ability, as illustrated by his career 11.5 K/9 with Cleveland. Unfortunately, the last time he played at the MLB level was in 2024, when he made only 3 appearances with the Guardians and posted a 10.38 ERA.
    The former Top-100 prospect primarily pitched in Triple-A in 2025 with the Mets and Diamondbacks organizations. In 37 IP, he posted a 4.62 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and 24.3% K%. He also showed some intriguing stuff and the ability to generate whiffs in his time in Triple-A in 2025, as seen below via his TJ Stats summary.

    Gose isn't on the 40-man roster, so the Royals will likely keep him in Omaha for the time being. However, if any of the Royals' relievers get hurt, he could make a push for a spot on the active roster, especially if he's able to continue to throw a four-seamer in the mid to upper-90s. 
    Steve Drumwright
    The Kansas City Royals made a minor move in the bullpen Tuesday, bringing back right-hander Luinder Avila and optioned right-hander Eli Morgan to Triple-A Omaha.
    Avila made two appearances, including his first MLB start, in his first stint with the Royals this season. There is not currently a rotation opening, so a bullpen slot is his likely role entering a three-game series on the road vs. the Athletics that begins Tuesday.

    Avila, who made 13 relief appearances for the Royals as a rookie last year, made four starts at Omaha, but went just 10⅔ innings. He allowed five runs on 11 hits and seven walks with nine strikeouts.
    Morgan was called up April 9 and appeared in seven games with a 2.61 ERA, walking six and striking out nine, allowing eight hits in 10⅓ innings.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The Kansas City Royals' struggling offense has lost a struggling bat.
    Second baseman Jonathan India was put on the 10-day injured list Monday due to a left shoulder subluxation. Infielder-outfielder Nick Loftin was called up from Triple-A Omaha.

    India has not been in the starting lineup since Thursday's 10-9 road loss to the Detroit Tigers. He did come off the bench and had two at-bats Friday vs. the New York Yankees and came in defensively in Saturday's blowout loss. India did not play Sunday.
    The Royals entered Monday with the third-worst OPS at .635 and are dead last in MLB at 3.23 runs per game. India has helped contribute to that with his .167/.310/.313 slash line with two homers and eight RBIs in 17 of the Royals' 22 games.
    Loftin made the Opening Day roster, but was optioned to Omaha on April 6. He appeared in four games, two at second base, one at third base and the other in left, going 2-for-9 (.222/.364/.333) with two walks and three runs scored. At Omaha, he had a .303/.385/.455 slash line in nine games.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    Needing a fresh arm in the bullpen, the Kansas City Royals made moves Sunday affecting their relievers and the bench.
    Right-handed reliever Mason Black and catcher Elias Diaz were called up from Triple-A Omaha, while right-handed reliever Mitch Spence and middle infielder Tyler Tolbert were sent down to Omaha. Diaz was not on the 40-man roster, so right-handed reliever James McArthur (right elbow inflammation) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL.

    Black will be making his Royals debut after being acquired in the offseason from the San Francisco Giants after the right-hander was designated for assignment. He appeared in 10 games, including eight starts in 2024, over the last two seasons with the Giants, with a 6.47 ERA over 40⅓ innings, with an 8% walk rate and 19.1% strikeout rate. At Omaha this year, he appeared in seven games with a 3.86 ERA with two saves in 11⅔ innings. He walked five and struck out six.
     
    Diaz signed a minor-league contract at the beginning of spring training to provide catching depth. Calling him up gives the Royals three catchers, joining starter Salvador Perez and backup Carter Jensen.
    Spence is coming off a four-inning, bullpen-saving outing Saturday in a 13-4 loss to the New York Yankees. He allowed six runs on four hits and five walks with three strikeouts. That was his only appearance since being called up April 9.
    Tolbert made the Opening Day roster, but had appeared in eight games and only had five at bats, including going 1-for-1 Saturday for his only hit this year. He played in 64 games last year, posting a .280/.321/.380 slash line with one homer, six RBIs and 21 steals.
     
    Cory Moen
    Isaac Collins was removed from a game after attempting to make a diving catch into the stands in left field against the Tigers. He didn't get up right away, but walked back into the dugout with a noticeable limp. 

    Collins hasn't had a great start to the season after being acquired in an offseason trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. Collins has hit .214/.327/.310 for an OPS+ of 85. 

    The injury is listed as a knee injury, and the Royals will update his status on Wednesday.
    Steve Drumwright
    The Kansas City Royals made a pair of moves to bolster their bullpen before opening a four-game series vs. the Chicago White Sox on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium.
    Right-handers Eli Morgan and Mitch Spence were promoted from Triple-A Omaha, while right-handers Luinder Avila and Steven Cruz were optioned to Omaha. Thursday's game marks the ninth of 12 straight days the Royals are playing, including pitching 7⅓ innings Wednesday in a 10-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, thus the need for a bullpen refresh.
    Spence will be making his Royals debut. He was acquired in February shortly after being designated for assignment by the Athletics. Spence has made 67 MLB appearances over the last two seasons with the A's, including 32 starts, so he gives the Royals' bullpen a bit of length. Spence appeared in one game at Triple-A, starting Saturday and allowing four hits and one unearned run in five shutout innings.
    This is Morgan's second time coming up already this season. He was the extra pitcher called up for Saturday's doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers and picked up a three-inning save, giving up one hit and no runs, in the 8-2 triumph before being sent back to Omaha. Morgan signed a minor-league contract this offseason after appearing in seven games for the Chicago Cubs in 2025.
    Avila was called up last week and made his season debut Saturday in the first game of the doubleheader, surrendering five runs on eight hits and three walks in three innings. He then appeared Wednesday in relief, tossing another three innings, giving up six hits but allowing just one run.
    Cruz has posted a 14.40 ERA in five appearances, including allowing five runs in 1⅓ innings Wednesday.
     
    Kevin O'Brien
    On Thursday morning, the Kansas City Royals unveiled their new City Connect jerseys to the public via social media.
    On March 31st, a picture of the possible City Connect jerseys leaked, though no confirmation was provided by the Royals, Nike, or Major League Baseball. With the City Connect jersey officially released on Thursday, it appeared the leak was indeed a preview of what the Royals' updated City Connect would look like for the next three seasons (City Connect jerseys have a three-year cycle).
    The new Royals City Connect shares a lot in common with the Royals' old City Connect jersey. The color scheme is obviously different, with blue, purple, and white instead of navy blue, light blue, and white. However, the new City Connect jerseys will still be utilizing the "Fountain" font that made the old City Connect jerseys so popular with Royals fans. However, instead of "KC", the new City Connect style will emphasize the old "R" logo. 
    Here's a picture of the old City Connect jersey worn by Vinnie Pasquantino during an April 14th, 2023, game against the Braves.

    Per Kindle Biermann, manager of business and community communications, in addition to wearing them every Friday evening game, the Royals will also have multiple promotions and giveaways throughout the year that will utilize the new City Connect style and color pattern. 
    The Royals begin their four-game homestand against the Chicago White Sox tonight and will unveil their new jerseys, hats, and City Connect gear during Friday night's home game. 
    Kevin O'Brien
    On Monday morning, the Royals announced they would activate Michael Massey from the IL. The 28-year-old second baseman/left fielder was on a rehab stint in Omaha after suffering a calf injury in Spring Training. Massey started the season on the 10-Day IL. 
    With the activation of Massey, Kansas City optioned utility player Nick Loftin to Omaha.
     
    Massey had a solid spring until he was sidelined with a calf injury. In 24 plate appearances, the former Illinois product slashed .364/.417/.545 with a .962 OPS. He also hit a home run, had 3 RBIs, stole a base, and posted solid Statcast percentiles in Cactus League play, as seen below via TJ Stats.

    Massey is trying to bounce back after a lackluster 2025 campaign. 
    In 277 plate appearances, he hit .244 with a .581 OPS. He had three home runs, posted a .069 ISO, and only had a 3.2% walk rate. The Royals are hoping that Massey can be more selective at the plate and show more power, much like he did in 2024 when he hit 14 home runs in 356 plate appearances.
    With Massey coming up, the Royals optioned Loftin, who was hitting .222 with a .697 OPS in 11 plate appearances. The former Baylor product showed excellent plate discipline so far in 2026. He had a .364 OBP and had solid Statcast rankings, especially in terms of whiff rate, walk rate, and chase rate. 

    That said, Loftin struggled to launch the ball, as evidenced by an LA Sweet-Spot% that ranked in the 18th percentile. He also showed questionable defense in the field, especially in left field, where he misplayed a ball badly that resulted in the Brewers scoring.
    Thus, the Royals may want Loftin to work on his defense and power in Omaha. With his strong plate discipline, it doesn't seem like Loftin will be waiting in Omaha for long, especially if Massey can't show progress at the plate in 2026. 
    Kevin O'Brien
    Before Thursday's series finale against the Twins, MLB Insider Francys Romero reported that the Royals were planning on calling up Luinder Avila from Omaha.
     
    Avila had an excellent MLB debut in 2025 with the Royals. In 14.1 IP, he posted a 1.29 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 17.9% K-BB%. He also sported a 2.10 FIP and 28.6% K% with strong TJ Stuff+ marks, as illustrated in his TJ Stats summary below.

    In addition to a 102 TJ Stuff+, he also generated a 28.3% chase rate, a 27.2% whiff rate, and .253 xwOBACON. His zone rate left a bit to be desired at 44.7%, but his chase and whiff rates made up for that slightly below-average zone rate. 
    Avila started the season in Omaha despite putting up a 2.25 ERA in four innings of work in Cactus League play. The Venezuelan-born pitcher represented his country and won a championship at the World Baseball Classic, posting a 0.00 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 4.1 IP.
    In his lone start in Omaha this season, Avila allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three in three innings of work. 
    No official word has been shared with the Royals about Avila, and he is still slated to start tonight's outing against Wichita at 6:35 p.m. at Werner Park in Omaha. 
    Update (11:20 PM): Ethan Bosacker replaced Avila in the Omaha rotation on Thursday evening in their 9-7 win over the Buffalo Bison (the Toronto Blue Jays Triple-A affiliate). Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported that Luinder Avila will replace Michael Wacha on Friday, as Wacha's start will be pushed back due to illness. 
     
    It will be interesting to see what roster move the Royals will make. Alex Lange and Bailey Falter could be candidates to be replaced by Avila after rough outings on Wednesday, but they are out of Minor League options and would need to be DFA'd. The Royals could also add someone to the IL, though Wacha doesn't seem likely to need a stint despite his illness.
    The Royals will make the move before their 6:40 p.m. game against the Milwaukee Brewers, who come to Kauffman Stadium 5-1 and are atop the NL Central division. 
    Kevin O'Brien
    On Tuesday, Raising Royals, the Kansas City Royals Professional Development account, shared the 2026 Opening Day roster for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, the Royals' Double-A affiliate. 
    The Naturals kick off their season on Thursday on the road in Wichita, the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are looking to improve on their 66-72 record from a season ago (they finished fourth in the Texas League North Division). 
    Northwest Arkansas will feature a good number of prospects who were on our 2026 Top-20 prospects list at Royals Keep. Here is a list of those prospects and their respective ranking.
    Drew Beam, RHP (No. 9) Felix Arronde, RHP (No. 12) Daniel Vazquez , SS (No. 14) Carson Roccaforte, OF (No. 16) Frank Mozzicato, LHP (No. 20) Beam and Arronde are the most accomplished pitchers of the group, both coming off solid seasons in High-A Quad Cities in 2025. Beam posted a 3.83 ERA and led the River Bandits in strikeouts with 110 in 131.2 IP. Arronde pitched three fewer innings but posted a 2.82 ERA and struck out 101 batters. The former Tennessee Volunteer pitcher had a better FIP (3.35) than the Cuban-born righty (3.87). 
    Vazquez had a good campaign in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .329 with a .928 OPS in 98 plate appearances for Surprise. He also posted excellent Statcast percentiles, as illustrated in his TJ Stats profile below.

    Vazquez ranked in the 94th percentile in BB% and 92nd percentile in hard-hit rate. If he can combine those two traits in his stint in Double-A, then he could make a case for a spot in Triple-A Omaha sooner rather than later. 
    Roccaforte will begin the year again in Northwest Arkansas, where he finished last year.
    In 45 games in 2025, he had a solid Double-A campaign, hitting .290 with an .862 OPS with the Naturals in 212 plate appearances. The former Louisiana-Lafayette product also showed some nice progress this spring in Cactus League play, showcasing excellent hard-hit skills and plate discipline.

    Even though he looked very good in Double-A in 2025, the Royals opted to have him start the year in Northwest Arkansas to begin 2026, especially with so many veteran outfielders in Triple-A Omaha at the moment. 
    Lastly, Mozzicato enters a crucial year that could make or break him as a prospect in the Royals system. The former first-round pick was poor in Northwest Arkansas, posting a 7.46 ERA in 17 outings and 56.2 IP. He also had a -1.8% K-BB%, highlighted by a a 19.4% BB%. 
    The Connecticut prep lefty made two appearances in Spring Training and posted a 13.50 ERA in two innings of work. He struggled heavily with throwing strikes and generating chase and whiff, and while his four-seamer was promising on a TJ Stuff+ end (102 TJ Stuff+), the rest of his repertoire was mediocre in Arizona.

    There is hope that Mozzicato could turn into an MLB reliever like Daniel Lynch IV in a year or two. For that to happen, however, he will need to do a better job of throwing strikes in Northwest Arkansas (for starters). 
    Kevin O'Brien
    After the Royals' 4-1 victory over the Braves in the series finale, the Royals made an announcement on social media regarding the future of outfielder Drew Waters, who was designated for assignment last Wednesday.
     
    Waters has struggled at the Major League level with the Royals, who acquired him in a 2022 MLB trade with the Atlanta Braves, who initially drafted him. Last year, as a 26-year-old, he produced a .243 batting average, .604 OPS, and .268 wOBA in 219 plate appearances with the Royals. Over his career, he has an 84 wRC+ and accumulated 0.7 fWAR in 684 plate appearances. 
    As a result of his mediocre campaign in 2025, Waters had to earn his spot on the Royals roster this spring, especially with him being out of Minor League options.
    However, he didn't impress in Cactus League play. In 36 plate appearances, he hit .188 with a .531 OPS and struck out 22.3% of the time. His Statcast percentiles weren't impressive either, especially in the batted-ball and plate-discipline categories. 

    Waters likely will have a regular role as an outfielder in Omaha. He will compete for at-bats with John Rave, Kameron Misner, and Gavin Cross. Rave and Misner are on the 40-man roster, while Cross is not, but is trying to make his MLB debut at some point in 2026. The Storm Chasers struggled in their Opening Series of 2026, getting swept by the Louisville Bats, the Cincinnati Reds' Triple-A affiliate. 
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