The Royals have designated right-handers Wily Peralta and Kyle Zimmer for assignment, tweets Rustin Dodd of The Athletic. MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan adds that right-hander Nate Karns has been placed on the 10-day disabled list, and he’ll be replaced in the rotation by lefty Eric Skoglund for the time being. Relievers Tim Hill, Brian Flynn and Burch Smith have all made the big league roster, per Flanagan.
Peralta, 28, signed a fully guaranteed one-year deal with the Royals early this offseason, so Kansas City will remain on the hook for that salary unless another team claims the former Brewers hurler. That seems unlikely, particularly when considering that Peralta was hammered for 14 runs on 16 hits and eight walks in eight spring frames (though he did tally a dozen strikeouts as well).
Zimmer, 26, was the fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft and long rated as one of the game’s better prospects, but injuries have devastated his young career. He’s appeared in just 111 1/3 regular-season innings dating back to the 2014 season and struggled to a 5.40 ERA in 36 2/3 frames with Triple-A Omaha when healthy in 2017.
As for Karns, he’s headed to the DL with elbow issues after seeing his 2017 campaign cut short by surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome. While the Royals aren’t giving up on him as a contributor, it seems they’re shutting the door on Karns as a starter for the time being. Flanagan tweets that manager Ned Yost said Karns will work in relief when he returns to the roster, ideally in a two- to three-inning role to provide some length to the relief corps.
That, of course, will open up a long-term spot in the K.C. rotation, though it remains unclear as of yet who will seize that opportunity in the long run. Skoglund will have the first crack, though the 25-year-old struggled in his first look in the Majors last year.
So what happens with the money owed to Wily Peralta?
Is it like guaranteed $ or is it like an arbitration salary while he’s only owed a certain percentage of the money
It was a fully guaranteed major league deal, so he gets paid
And thus the saga of Kyle “Glass Bones and Paper Skin” Zimmer comes to an end.
Can’t be!
Kyle Zimmer was a “safe” college pitcher, just like all those guys the Pirates blew high 1st round picks on. the early years of this century.
In terms of performance, yes Zimmer was a safe college prospect, but a guy can be a great major leaguer and still be sidelined by injuries, let alone the injury that he had.
His pre=injury performance speaks for itself- but I’ve never seen a guy come back strong from thoracic outlet syndrome.
Here’s a very good article that profiles three cases of T.O.S in Beckett, Harrison, Marcum and Carpenter. The outcomes are all similar unfortunately.
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2015/7/1/8859137/thoracic-outlet-syndrome-pitcher-effectiveness
No it doesn’t, he’ll clear waivers and go to Omaha. He’s never going to be a super star, but it’s still entirely possible for him to have a productive career as a reliever.
Talent aside, I’d love for the Indians to get Zimmer just so that he and Bradley could be in the same organization…if he somehow becomes healthy and pitches like he’s capable of then that’s one hell of a bonus
Bradley can run him to and from his doctors appointments.
I think it would be a cool story as well, on a minor league deal.
I think so too, especially since he still has has upside if he can ever manage to stay healthy (although that’s a definite long shot). I’d imagine someone would claim him though because he’s a decent lottery ticket.
I would love for Zimmer to clear waivers. I agree with some that he could still become a solid reliever. Royals pump relievers out of the system all the time, just rarely hit on starters.
This sounds like a pirates claim. They love failed prospects. Especially pitchers.