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  • Kansas City Royals Trade & Free Agent Rumors

    Follow the latest Kansas City Royals trade and free agent rumors, along with quick notes on the big league club, the minor leagues and the draft.
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    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.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    In an attempt to fortify the bullpen, the Kansas City Royals have found a possibility on the MLB merry-go-round.
    The Royals on Monday traded for right-handed reliever Connor Seabold, who had been designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Royals sent minor-league right-handed starter Denis Samudio and cash to the Jays. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed closer Carlos Estevez was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. A spot on the 26-man roster for Seabold will need to be made once he reports, which will likely be Tuesday.
    The Royals also promoted right-hander Mitch Spence from Triple-A Omaha and optioned right-handed reliever Eli Morgan to Triple-A. Morgan was sent down Sunday.
    Seabold is on his third MLB team this season. After being released by the Jays in spring training, Seabold made the Detroit Tigers' Opening Day roster, but was designated for assignment May 24 after a 4.13 FIP (3.45 ERA) in 11 appearances and 15⅔ innings. He was dealt to the Jays, where he pitched in five games to a 4.31 FIP (8.10 ERA) in 3⅓ innings.
    The 21-year-old Samudio has pitched in two games in the Arizona Complex League, giving up five runs (two earned) in 5⅔ innings.
     
     
    Steve Drumwright
    Another round of hamate injuries have snared a few MLB stars. One of them plays for the Kansas City Royals.
    First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday by the Royals with a fractured right hamate bone. Outfielder John Rave was called up from Triple-A Omaha. Following surgery, hamate injuries typically take between one and two months to recover from. Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez also sustained a hamate fracture Saturday.
    Pasquantino was injured Saturday on a swing in the fifth inning in which he popped up to the third baseman. He immediately grimaced and held his arm in a way that signified the injury. Pasquantino was removed from the game, replaced by left fielder Isaac Collins in the lineup with Jac Caglianone moving from the outfield to first base.
    Pasquantino is part of the heart of the Royals' offense, but his .224/.309/.350 slash line with six homers and 32 RBIs is one reason why the team is struggling.
    Rave made his MLB debut last season, slashing .196/.283/.307 with four homers and 14 RBIs in 72 games. At Triple-A this year, he has a slash line of .278/.395/.475 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    Following a scary incident the night before, Seth Lugo will be out for the next week.
    The Kansas City Royals on Friday placed the right-handed starter on the seven-day concussion list and promoted right-handed reliever Eli Morgan from Triple-A Omaha. Lugo took a 106.6 line drive off his forehead Thursday off the bat of good friend Brandon Nimmo of the Texas Rangers in the fourth inning of a 4-2 loss.

    Lugo was able to walk off the field under his own power and even joked with Nimmo about hitting the ball somewhere else next time. Lugo was left with a pretty good welt on his forehead with an indent from the seams of the baseball visible.
    He said he felt fine after the game, but concussions don't always present immediately. Lugo has a 3.57 FIP (3.86 ERA) in 14 starts, with a 7.5% walk rate and 19.8% strikeout rate.
    This is the fourth time Morgan has been recalled from Omaha. In his 13 games this season with the Royals, Morgan has a 6.29 FIP (5.51 ERA) in 16⅓ innings, posting a 9.9% walk rate and 18.5% strikeout rate. At Triple-A, he has a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings over 11 appearances, walking six and striking out 21.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The Kansas City Royals will be without their starting center fielder for a bit.
    Kyle Isbel was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday by the Royals due to a left plantar fasciitis. Outfielder Kameron Misner was called up from Triple-A Omaha to take his place. Lane Thomas was in the starting lineup as the center fielder for Wednesday's game against the Texas Rangers.
    Isbel was hurt after singling in the seventh inning of Tuesday's game and making a turn as if he was going to go for a double, but changed his mind and dove back into first base. He was removed from the game, with Tyler Tolbert pinch-running. Isbel has a slash line of .244/.298/.354 with three homers, 11 RBIs and five stolen bases in 56 games.
    Misner was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays after being designated for assignment in November for a player to be named, which wound up being minor-league right-handed reliever Matthew Hoskins. This will be his Royals debut after appearing in 79 games with the Rays over the last two seasons with a .203/.260/.325 slash line with five homers and 22 RBIs. At Triple-A this year, Misner was slashing .276/.373/.547 with 13 homers, 51 RBIs and 11 steals in 59 games.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The Kansas City Royals have gotten back a member of their starting rotation.
    Right-hander Stephen Kolek was activated from the family medical emergency leave list and will start Tuesday's game against the Texas Rangers. Infielder Josh Rojas was optioned to Triple-A Omaha.
    Details behind Kolek's placement on the list, which happened Thursday, have not been disclosed. That could be cleared up following the game when the media has a chance to interview Kolek. In six starts covering 38 innings this year, Kolek has a 4.11 FIP (3.32 ERA) to go along with an excellent 5.4% walk rate and subpar 18.1% strikeout rate. He has had an issue giving up homers, with five so far this season. He does have a shutout, blanking the Seattle Mariners 3-0 on May 23.
    Rojas came up to replace Kolek on Thursday and appeared in two games, going 1-for-5 with two RBIs.
     
    Kevin O'Brien
    In USA Today's Bob Nightengale's latest Sunday Notebook, he reported that the Kansas City Royals aren't ready to become sellers on the trade market just yet. Still, they have been receiving some interest from the Sacramento Athletics in Kris Bubic, which could be an intriguing situation with Bubic set to hit free agency next offseason.
     
    Here's what Nightengale said about the Royals (and Minnesota Twins) regarding their decision to be sellers or buyers at the Trade Deadline, even though they have a losing record.
    However, in his bullet-point list of rumors around the league, he noted that the Sacramento Athletics are interested in acquiring Bubic. An All-Star a year ago, the 28-year-old has seen some regression this year. In 50.1 IP, he has a 4.11 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 3.77 FIP, and 12.1% K-BB%. According to TJ Stuff+ summary data, his zone rate and xwOBACON have been slightly below average this season. However, his TJ Stuff+, chase, and whiff rates have all been above average, which explains the buzz he's getting on the trade market.

    The A's are currently 30-34, having regressed hard after a strong start to the season. Their rotation has been an Achilles' heel for the club, as they rank 27th in starter ERA and 28th in starter WHIP.
    In terms of what they have in the rotation currently, rookie J.T. Ginn has been phenomenal (2.74 ERA in 65.2 IP), and Jeffrey Springs has been serviceable (4.37 ERA in 70 IP). They also have a promising arm in Gage Jump, who's seen as a Top-100 prospect by multiple outlets. Other than that, however, the starting pitching staff has been thin, especially with veterans Aaron Civale and Luis Severino on the IL. 
    The Athletics rank 26th in K-BB% with a 10.1% mark, so Bubic would boost this rotation immediately. Furthermore, the former Stanford product grew up in Northern California, so he would likely welcome a move to Sacramento, despite the hitter-friendly home ballpark.
    MLB Pipeline ranked the A's 18th in its Farm System rankings, and they have intriguing top-100 prospects like Jump, pitcher Jamie Arnold, and shortstop Leo De Vries. While it's unlikely that the A's would want to deal a Top-100 prospect for Bubic, this is an A's team that hasn't made the postseason since 2020, during the shortened COVID season.
    Bubic has been on the 15-Day IL since May 18th due to left elbow soreness. According to a June 4th report by MLB.com Royals beat writer Anne Rogers, Bubic is on a regular bullpen schedule.
     
     
    No timetable has been released on Bubic's rehab schedule or probable return to the Kansas City rotation. 
     
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The Kansas City Royals placed right-handed starter Stephen Kolek on the family medical emergency leave list on Thursday and promoted infielder Josh Rojas from Triple-A Omaha. There were no details immediately available on Kolek's situation.
    Rojas was not on the 40-man roster, so the Royals created space by transferring Jonathan India, who is out for the season with an injured left shoulder, from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL.
    Kolek has been a reliable member of the starting rotation. In his six starts, he put up a 3.32 ERA with eight walks and 27 strikeouts in 38 innings. He threw a four-hit shutout May 23 vs. the Seattle Mariners.
    The 31-year-old Rojas, a seven-year MLB veteran, was slashing .247/.309/.437 at Triple-A with six homers and 26 RBIs.
     
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