The Royals have agreed to a minor league contract with right-handed reliever Justin Anderson, per their transaction log at MLB.com. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Omaha.
Now 30 years old, the hard-throwing Anderson debuted with the Angels back in 2018 and spent the bulk of the 2018-19 seasons in a high-leverage role with the Halos. During that two-year stretch, he picked up five saves and 33 holds, pitching to an overall 4.75 ERA in 102 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. Averaging 96 mph with his heater (including 97.5 mph in his debut season), Anderson fanned 27.7% of his opponents but regularly battled command issues, evidenced by a woeful 15.7% walk rate (plus five hit batters and 13 wild pitches).
Despite his command struggles, Anderson had generally carved out a place in the Angels’ bullpen — but a Grade 2 oblique strain early in camp in 2020 followed by a torn ligament in his pitching elbow when ramping up for the shortened 2020 season changed that outlook. Anderson underwent Tommy John surgery in late July of 2020, and the Halos non-tendered him in the offseason rather than giving him a raise in arbitration while knowing he’d likely miss the entire 2021 season.
Anderson signed a two-year minor league contract with the Rangers that offseason — a deal clearly brokered with an eye toward the 2022 season. Anderson had a decent showing in spring training 2022 but didn’t crack the Opening Day roster in Texas. He never got much of a chance to earn a spot in their bullpen, either, as he was placed back on the injured list after just three Triple-A appearances and didn’t return to the mound last year.
Anderson likely has a ways to go before he’s considered a viable option for the Kansas City bullpen, but the Royals ought to be taking all the fliers they can, given the struggles of their relief corps in 2023. The Kansas City bullpen ranks 28th in the Majors with a 5.10 ERA. Aroldis Chapman, Scott Barlow and Taylor Clarke are all having nice seasons, and lefty Amir Garrett is touting a 3.00 ERA (even if he’s unlikely to sustain it thanks to a ghastly 17.7% walk rate).
The Royals have struggled to find solid performers beyond that bunch, and given their status as clear sellers this summer, they could soon be in need of even more bullpen help. Chapman and Barlow will be prime trade candidates, given that Chapman is playing on an affordable one-year deal and Barlow is controlled only through the 2024 season. Clarke could also draw interest, but he has another two seasons of club control remaining beyond the current one, so Kansas City might be a bit more inclined to hang onto him. Garrett, also a free agent at season’s end, could hold appeal as a hard-throwing lefty who can miss bats, but the aforementioned poor command is a longstanding issue that has escalated to new heights in 2023.
When I think of the woebegone, sad sack Kansas City Royals, the first word that comes to mind is “contraction”.
Royals add another trade candidate.
If ever there was a time to Wow, this would be it.
Yes! With Jordan Lyles as the ace of the staff this is the 5th spot in the rotation we needed to get over the hump.
Seriously though. Definitely some dark times right now, but I will continue cheer the boys in blue on. I stuck with em in the early 2000’s and enjoyed 14 and 15 that much more because of it..
Odd (or inept) that the Mets didn’t move hard to get Justin. They have only Robertson with a FIP under 4.00.
In the entire bullpen..
One guy with a FIP under 4.00 in more than 3 innings. One guy. And only two more with FIPs between 4.00 and 4.50. The rest are worse. They should be holding tryouts in parking lots all over Queens, fcol.
As bad as their pitching has been, they’ve actually been getting lucky on ERA. And now they’re passing on a very, very live arm whose only trouble (admittedly it’s not small trouble) is his walk rate, These are the guys you pick up by the bushel in the hopes that one or two pan out. They cost effectively nothing.
His troubles when he was with the Reds lay not in his walk rate but between his ears. In the words of the immortal philosopher Barney Fife, “He’s just a nut”.