Royals' Garrett Hampson: Inks one-year deal with KC
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Hampson signed a one-year contract with the Royals on Wednesday.
The deal is worth $2 million guaranteed, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.com. Hampson was non-tendered by the Marlins earlier this month despite posting a career-best .276/.349/.380 batting line over 98 games in 2023 while appearing defensively at shortstop, second base, third base and all three outfield spots. The 29-year-old should be a useful super-utility option for Kansas City in 2024.
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Royals' Luis Cessa: Signs minors deal with Royals
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Cessa signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Saturday.
Cessa appeared in seven games at the major-league level with the Reds early last season, posting a hefty 9.00 ERA and 2.23 WHIP over 26 innings. He also spent time with the Rockies' and Nationals' Triple-A affiliates, but he was released after putting up similar numbers. Cessa will now get another chance with the Royals, but he will likely have to prove himself in the minors before potentially returning to the big leagues.
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Royals' Diego Hernandez: Returns to Kansas City
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Hernandez signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Saturday.
Despite his struggles at Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2023, the Royals will bring back Hernandez after non-tendering him Friday. The 22-year-old outfielder will likely return to Double-A to begin 2024.
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Royals' Logan Porter: Back with KC on MiLB deal
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Porter signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Saturday.
After being non-tendered by the Royals on Friday, Carter will officially remain with the organization. The 28-year-old backstop spent most of his time at Triple-A Omaha last season, slashing .232/.339/.377 with 13 homers and 48 RBI.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Re-signs with Royals
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Cox (knee) signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Saturday.
After being designated for assignment and later non-tendered by the Royals on Friday, the team will now bring Cox back to round out their farm system for next season. The 26-year-old southpaw put up a 4.54 ERA over 35.2 frames during his first season in the majors before tearing the ACL and damaging the MCL in his left knee in September. The injury will likely cause him to miss the beginning of next season.
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Royals' Kyle Wright: Traded to Kansas City
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Kansas City acquired Wright (shoulder) from Atlanta on Friday in exchange for Jackson Kowar, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Wright has already been ruled out for the entire 2024 season after requiring surgery last month to repair a torn capsule in his right shoulder. He won 21 games in 2022, though, and makes sense as a reclamation project for a Royals team that is hoping to eventually shift out of rebuilding mode.
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Royals' Josh Taylor: Avoids arb with one-year deal
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Taylor (back) signed a one-year contract Friday with the Royals, avoiding arbitration.
The deal is worth $1.1 million, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Taylor missed much of the 2023 season due to left shoulder impingement syndrome and a herniated disc in his back, but the Royals will hope that he can return to full health in 2024 and be an effective left-handed relief option.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Designated for assignment
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The Royals designated Cox (knee) for assignment Friday.
In order to make room for the acquisition of Nick Anderson from Atlanta, Cox will be booted from the 40-man roster and placed on the waiver wire. Cox put up a 4.54 ERA and 1.26 WHIP through 35.2 innings with the Royals in 2023, but he could be at risk of missing the start of the 2024 campaign after tearing his left ACL and damaging his MCL in September.
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Royals' Nick Anderson: Traded to Royals
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Atlanta traded Anderson to the Royals on Friday in exchange for cash, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Anderson was a non-tender candidate for Atlanta, so Kansas City took the opportunity to land the 33-year-old reliever. Anderson posted a 3.06 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 36 strikeouts across 35.1 frames before a shoulder strain put an early end to his season. With the Royals, Anderson may be called upon often in high-leverage situations.
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Royals' Tyler Gentry: Gets spot on 40-man
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The Royals selected Gentry to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
A third-round selection in the 2020 MLB Draft out of the University of Alabama, Gentry batted .253/.370/.421 with 16 homers and 14 steals over 129 games this past season for Triple-A Omaha. He is now protected from next month's Rule 5 Draft.
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Royals' Will Klein: Selected to 40-man
Rotowire
The Royals selected Klein to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
Klein, 23, posted a 4.62 ERA and 93:39 K:BB in 64.1 innings of work this past year between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha. The young reliever could make his MLB debut in 2024.
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Royals' Josh Staumont: Moved off 40-man roster
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Staumont (neck) was designated for assignment by the Royals on Tuesday.
Staumont looked like a promising young reliever at one point, but he holds an ugly 6.09 ERA over his last 57.2 big-league innings dating back to the beginning of 2022 and required surgery this past July for thoracic outlet syndrome.
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Royals' Logan Porter: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Porter was designated for assignment by the Royals on Tuesday.
Porter went 6-for-31 (.194) with 11 strikeouts over his first 11 major-league games in 2023. The 28-year-old catcher is no longer part of the 40-man roster in Kansas City.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Avoids arbitration
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Clarke signed a one-year contract with the Royals on Saturday, avoiding arbitration.
The Royals will keep Clarke in their bullpen for the 2024 campaign despite the 30-year-old reliever posting a 5.95 ERA and 1.61 WHIP last season -- both the worst marks of his career. Clarke struck out 65 batters in 59 innings, but his fantasy value will continue to be limited until he finds a way to prevent runs from scoring.
Eaton cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.
He's no longer on the Royals' 40-man roster but will remain in the organization. Eaton went just 4-for-53 (.075 average) with two walks and 21 strikeouts in the majors during 2023.
Eaton was designated for assignment by the Royals on Thursday.
Eaton has lost his spot on the 40-man roster in Kansas City as part of a string of early-November moves. The 26-year-old outfielder went 4-for-53 (.075) with two walks and 21 strikeouts this season in the majors.
