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Royals Designate Braden Shewmake For Assignment

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The Royals announced that they’ve designated infielder Braden Shewmake for assignment. That opens a 40-man roster spot for reliever Carlos Estévez, who inked a two-year free agent deal.

Shewmake was claimed off waivers from the White Sox a few weeks ago. He’d spent one season with Chicago, who acquired him from the Braves as part of the five-player trade return for lefty reliever Aaron Bummer. Chicago had opted for a depth-heavy approach in that deal. The Sox have already moved on from Nicky Lopez and Shewmake while allowing Michael Soroka to walk in free agency after one season. Lefty Jared Shuster and minor league pitcher Riley Gowens are the only players from that deal still remaining in the Chicago organization.

The lefty-hitting Shewmake was Atlanta’s first-round pick in 2019. He played two games for the Braves in 2023 and appeared in 29 contests for the White Sox. He has hit .118 with one home run over his first 71 MLB plate appearances. The Texas A&M product has had a similarly light bat over his minor league career. Shewmake hit .227/.273/.378 over 97 Double-A contests and has a career .240/.299/.395 slash across 866 Triple-A plate appearances.

Shewmake spent most of last season on the minor league injured list. In addition to his 29 MLB games, he appeared 10 times for the Sox’s top affiliate in Charlotte — where he hit .152 over 33 at-bats. Shewmake has primarily played shortstop, logging over 2000 innings at the position during his minor league career. He has more than 600 frames at second base and limited third base experience.

Kansas City will likely put him back on waivers within the next few days. Shewmake has an option remaining, so a team that claims him could keep him in Triple-A for another season. If he clears waivers, he’d stick with the Royals as non-roster depth. He has never been outrighted in his career and has less than three years of MLB service time, meaning he would not have the right to elect free agency.

Royals Sign Carlos Estévez

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The Royals and right-hander Carlos Estévez are in agreement on a two-year deal that comes with a club option for 2027. It’s reportedly a $22MM guarantee for the Premier Talent Sports and Entertainment client, which includes a $2MM buyout on the option valued at $13MM. If the Royals exercise the option, the deal would reach $33MM over three seasons. The Royals designated Braden Shewmake for assignment in a corresponding move.

Estévez, 32, spent the first six seasons of his career with the Rockies. Pitching in Coors Field may have masked his talents, as he generally had good strikeout and walk rates but middling run prevention numbers. From 2019 to 2022, his final four seasons in Colorado, he tossed 214 2/3 innings with a 4.28 earned run average, 23.9% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate.

Getting away from the mountains has been good for his bottom-line numbers. He signed a two-year, $13.5MM deal with the Angels going into 2023, then was traded to the Phillies at the 2024 deadline. Over those two years, he threw 117 1/3 innings with a 3.22 ERA, 26% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate. He has become a bonafide closer in that time as well, racking up 31 saves in 2023 and 26 last year.

His 2024 season was his best yet, in a sense, as his 2.45 ERA was a personal low. However, there was some concern with how he finished. He struck out 25.8% of batters faced with the Angels but just 20.5% of opponents after being flipped to Philadelphia. But that was despite his velocity increasing as the season went along. He also got more ground balls after the deal, with a 25.3% rate as an Angel last year compared to a 43.5% rate with the Phils. In the end, he still managed to have a tidy 2.57 ERA with Philly, racking up six saves.

At the start of the offseason, MLBTR predicted Estévez for a three-year, $27MM deal. It seems the righty has been limited to a slightly lesser guarantee over two years, though he will end up beating that projection if the option is ultimately picked up.

The Royals had a strong rotation last year but their bullpen was less impressive. Their relievers had a collective 4.13 ERA last year, which placed them 20th out of the 30 clubs in the league. They tried to address that at the deadline by adding Lucas Erceg and Hunter Harvey in separate trades. Erceg posted a 2.88 ERA for the club after the deal and then had a 3.00 ERA over six postseason appearances as well. The Harvey acquisition didn’t pay immediate dividends, however, as a back injury limited him to just six appearances as a Royal. He is still under club control for 2025, so the Royals will hope for better health this year.

Though Erceg’s performance made the group look stronger, continuing to add this winter makes sense. That’s especially true with Kris Bubic likely moving to the rotation this year. Time will tell whether they have a preferred closer. As mentioned, Estévez has been closing for the past two years. Erceg recorded 11 saves for the Royals after being acquired, plus three more in the playoffs. Regardless of the roles, Estévez strengthens the relief group overall.

The Royals opened last year with a payroll of $115MM, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. They are projected by RosterResource to be up to $123MM next year, before accounting for Estévez. They have reportedly been looking for a middle-of-the-order bat. Whether they can find one will likely depend on how much farther they are willing to push the spending.

Estévez received plenty of interest from other clubs this offseason, such as the Reds, Tigers, Cubs, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Yankees. Some of those clubs have since made other moves to address their respective bullpens. For clubs still looking to add relievers, the options have been flying off the board lately. Since the start of January, Chris Martin, Andrew Kittredge, Jeff Hoffman, Caleb Ferguson, Jorge López, A.J. Minter, José Leclerc, Tanner Scott, Paul Sewald, Kirby Yates, Ryne Stanek and Tommy Kahnle have agree to deals of $3MM or more. Ryan Pressly and Taylor Rogers were also traded this week.

Free agency still features players such as David Robertson, Kenley Jansen, Andrew Chafin and others, while guys like Robert Suarez, Ryan Helsley or Camilo Doval might be available on the trading block.

Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported the Royals and Estévez had a deal. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was first with the two-year guarantee and the third-year club option. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported the $22MM guarantee and the $13MM option value.

Lou Trivino Works Out For Teams

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Free-agent righty Lou Trivino threw a bullpen session for interested clubs down in Florida yesterday, reports SI’s Pat Ragazzo. The incumbent Yankees were on hand to take a look, as were the Dodgers, Giants, Cubs, Reds, Royals and Guardians, per the report. That’s not an exhaustive list of the teams in attendance, but it speaks to a decent level of intrigue surrounding the 33-year-old Trivino, who’s on the mend from a series of arm injuries that have kept him off a big league mound since 2022.

Trivino was traded from the A’s to the Yankees alongside Frankie Montas back in 2022 and posted a pristine 1.66 ERA in 21 2/3 frames following his cross-country move to the Bronx. His 2023 season was torpedoed by an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, however, and lingering elbow inflammation as well as a shoulder issue prevented Trivino from returning to the majors in 2024. He pitched 11 minor league frames as part of a rehab assignment before that shoulder issue popped up and shut him down.

At his best, Trivino throws hard, misses bats and picks up grounders at a well above-average rate. He averaged just shy of 96 mph on his four-seamer and sinker alike in the three seasons prior to his elbow troubles, and Trivino has whiffed nearly one-quarter of his MLB opponents while keeping 47.4% of batted balls against him on the ground. His command has never been great, evidenced by a 10.6% walk rate in the majors, but he was a key late-inning arm both in Oakland and more briefly in New York. He sports a career 3.86 ERA with 37 saves and 52 holds.

Ragazzo notes that Trivino was hitting 94 mph on his sinker in the workout for clubs. Obviously, that’s a ways shy of peak velocity, but spring training hasn’t even begun yet. It stands to reason that with a ramp-up period, Trivino could gain a bit more of that velocity back. A return to his 97 mph averages from early in his career — or even the 95.8 mph he averaged in ’22 — isn’t a certainty, but it’s at least relatively encouraging that he’s already within reach of his pre-injury velocity before even getting to work with a team.

Any of the clubs mentioned could make sense as a fit for Trivino, though if he’s looking for a clear path back to the big leagues, the Dodgers’ veteran-laden bullpen probably doesn’t offer that. (That said, L.A. has a knack for maximizing pitcher performance, which surely does hold appeal to a rehabbing veteran like Trivino.) The Yankees traded for Trivino once and re-signed him to a major league deal after non-tendering him post-2023. They clearly like him, though they only have three optionable relievers at the moment: Jake Cousins, Ian Hamilton and Fernando Cruz. The former two had strong seasons in the Bronx in 2024, while the latter was just acquired in the trade of Jose Trevino.

Royals Sign Harold Castro To Minor League Contract

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The Royals announced that utilityman Harold Castro was signed to a minor league contract.  The 31-year-old Castro will get an invitation to Kansas City’s big league spring camp.

Castro is no stranger to the AL Central, as he spent his entire pro career (and his first five MLB seasons) with the Tigers before joining the Rockies on a minor league deal prior to the 2023 season.  He appeared in 99 games with Colorado after his contract was selected to the active roster, but Castro spent the 2024 season outside of affiliated baseball, instead suiting up with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League.

Castro hit .320/.366/.447 over 363 plate appearances and 84 games with Tijuana, and he followed up that strong performance with even bigger numbers in the Venezuelan Winter League.  This was enough to get the Royals’ attention for a camp invite, and the left-handed hitting Castro will now compete for a job on the K.C. bench.

Despite his short-lived nickname of “Hittin’ Harold” during his time in Detroit, Castro has a modest .278/.303/.366 slash line over 1485 career plate appearances at the MLB level.  His career minor league numbers aren’t much better, though it is worth noting that Castro hasn’t played in the affiliated minor leagues since the 2019 season.  What he does bring to the table is defensive versatility, as Castro has played at every position except catcher during his time in the big leagues, with quite a bit of experience in particular at all four infield spots.

Kansas City, if anything, might have more than infield depth already, given how one of Jonathan India or Michael Massey could find themselves in left field when they aren’t at second base or designated hitter.  The Royals also recently signed Cavan Biggio to a minors deal, so both Castro and Biggio figure to be competing for the same roster spot as a left-handed hitting utilityman.  Incumbent third baseman Maikel Garcia swings from the right side and hasn’t produced much at the plate, so third base stands as a logical platoon area for Castro (or Biggio) to carve out a niche for playing time.

Nolan Arenado Reportedly Less Likely To Be Traded

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The Nolan Arenado saga has been perhaps the main storyline of the Cardinals’ offseason. As the club looks to scale back payroll and open up playing time for younger players (Nolan Gorman, in particular), Arenado has become one of the most prominent trade candidates in the sport. His full no-trade clause, downturn at the plate since 2023 and remaining three years and $74MM ($10MM of which is being covered by the Rockies) all combine to complicate the matter, however; Arenado has already reportedly invoked that no-trade clause to nix a deal to the Astros, who pivoted in mere days and signed first baseman Christian Walker to a three-year, $60MM deal instead (a contract nearly mirroring the $64MM they’d have owed to Arenado).

Agent Joel Wolfe said at last month’s Winter Meetings that Arenado was only open to trades to clubs where he felt he could win both in the short-term and for the remainder of his contract. It’s a bit odd that the Astros, who reached the playoffs in 2024 and reached the ALCS each season from 2017-23, didn’t fit that criteria, but there are surely multiple factors behind his decision.

Since that time, the Red Sox have been painted as the last and best hope for the Cardinals to orchestrate an Arenado trade. Even there, the situation is muddy. Acquiring Arenado would very likely mean moving Rafael Devers across the diamond to first base, where Triston Casas currently resides. Casas could see more time at DH, though the Sox are committed to Masataka Yoshida, who has three years and $54MM remaining, at that position. There’s the possibility of trading Casas, but Boston would surely need major league talent in return. It’s debatable whether they’d be better off with Arenado at third, Devers at first and whatever young talent they could get in return for Casas. Simultaneously, the Sox are considering a run at Alex Bregman (who’d also require shifting Devers to first and finding a trade for Casas or a taker for Yoshida). It’s all quite messy.

For those reasons and more, Katie Woo of The Athletic writes that he outlook on a possible Arenado deal is becoming increasingly bleak. Woo writes that efforts to move Arenado are at a “standstill” — in part because St. Louis isn’t interested in eating a notable chunk of the contract when part of their reason for wanting to move the third baseman is a desire to scale back spending. If no deal for Arenado materializes, per Woo, the Cards could look into other ways to trim payroll (and acquire young talent).

It’s quite arguable that the Cardinals should already be doing as much. The team isn’t making any efforts to improve the club for the upcoming season, after all, and the Cards are fresh off an 83-79 season. They’ve bid farewell to Kyle Gibson Lance Lynn, Paul Goldschmidt and Andrew Kittredge in free agency. Absent any effort to truly push closer to contention, it’s a stretch to think the Cardinals will make massive strides within the NL Central — let alone emerge as a bona fide threat in the postseason even if they limp to a playoff berth through a good showing within a weak division.

St. Louis has plenty of appealing players who’ll be free agents after the season and could be marketed to other clubs. Starter Erick Fedde ($7.5MM), closer Ryan Helsley ($8.2MM) and to a lesser extent veteran starter Steven Matz ($12MM) would all pique the interest of other clubs. That’s also true of setup man JoJo Romero, who’s controlled only through 2026. If the Cards aren’t taking a wholehearted aim at contending in 2025 anyhow, there’s good reason to explore trades of those players in the here and now, rather than risk a downturn in value following injuries or a poor first half of the season.

Moving Fedde or Matz would thin out the current rotation depth for a club that needs innings, though there’s of course the possibility to backfill via free agency. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote this week that the club still has some interest in Mizzou product Kyle Gibson, who enjoyed pitching close to home last year and played a key mentor role for many of the team’s young players. Trading Fedde for prospects, for instance, and signing Gibson to replenish those innings could bolster the long-term outlook. It might not significantly reduce payroll on its own — it may slightly increase it, in fact — but it’d benefit the long-term health of the organization. Such a trade could also be coupled with deals of Matz and/or Helsley as well. Goold notes that both Fedde and Matz have drawn interest throughout the winter, which is only logical given the soaring price of free-agent pitching.

While The Athletic and Post-Dispatch continue to caution that chances of a trade don’t look great right now — Ken Rosenthal suggested as much today on Fair Territory, as well — MLB.com and MLB Network frame things differently. John Denton wrote this week that the Red Sox could soon pull out of the Bregman bidding, which would greatly improve the chances of an Arenado trade with St. Louis. The third baseman has already formally told the club he’d green-light a deal to Boston, per Denton, and he’s talked with friend and former teammate Trevor Story about the possibility of reuniting at Fenway Park.

Further, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi suggested on air this morning that as options have begun to dwindle, Arenado has begun to take a more open-minded approach. Some clubs that showed interest last month but didn’t pursue trades because of Arenado’s narrow list of criteria could come back into play, per Morosi. He suggests the Mariners and Tigers as two such clubs, though it’s virtually impossible to see how the Mariners could be considered a viable suitor given their well-documented financial constraints this winter.

The Tigers are a more plausible fit on paper, but they’ve spent quite conservatively under president of baseball ops Scott Harris; perhaps they’d have interest, but it’s hard to see them paying full freight on that contract, particularly when they have some third base options in house already (including top prospect Jace Jung).

Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat tweeted this morning that the Royals were among the teams that reached out to the Cardinals last month but didn’t pursue a trade because of a belief that Arenado wouldn’t green-light the deal. The Royals are still seeking another bat, and incumbent Maikel Garcia is a glove-first player with a lighter bat than even the recently diminished version of Arenado. Kansas City also traded its top third base prospect, Cayden Wallace, to the Nationals in last summer’s Hunter Harvey swap.

However, Arenado’s contract would figure to be quite problematic for the Royals. Beyond the $64MM total he’s owed is the fact that said commitment is front-loaded; Arenado is owed $32MM this coming season ($5MM being covered by Colorado). The Royals’ payroll is already close to $10MM higher than it was a year ago, per RosterResource. Rosenthal noted in the aforementioned Fair Territory segment (17:50 mark) that he was surprised Kansas City even eked out another $7MM to re-sign Michael Lorenzen. Piling an additional $27MM onto the payroll and pushing their Opening Day would push payroll close to or slightly north of $150MM. That’d top the current franchise record of $143MM, set back in 2017. Arenado might represent a clearer upgrade to the Royals or Mariners than to some other speculative fits, but neither seems to have the financial wherewithal to bring him aboard — even if Arenado were willing to approve the deal.

If that feels like a lot of words effectively downplaying the possibility of a trade and maintaining the status quo — well, it is. The simple reality is that Arenado was never going to be an easy player to move, and his decision to quash a trade to Houston — and the Astros’ immediate pivot — probably eliminated the best chance of the Cardinals moving him at all. Absent a new approach from the Yankees — New York offered Marcus Stroman for Arenado earlier this winter, which didn’t interest St. Louis — there’s no long-term contender with a clear need at third base and ample payroll space to take on a 34-year-old player whose bat appears to be on the decline.

Chances of a trade shouldn’t be considered dead and buried, of course. Spring injuries could always create a need for a big-payroll contender whose options at that juncture are limited. Such circumstances could prove a meaningful catalyst. Trades elsewhere on the market could alter another team’s considerations at the hot corner and spark some interest in Arenado. For now, however, it seems increasingly likely that Arenado may not have the market to facilitate a trade. If the Cardinals begrudgingly come to feel the same, it could create some fascinating ripple effects with regard to the rest of their roster.

Royals Claim Braden Shewmake

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The Royals announced that they have claimed Braden Shewmake off waivers from the White Sox. The infielder had been designated for assignment by Chicago a week ago when they acquired left-hander Tyler Gilbert.

Shewmake, 27, was the 21st overall pick of the 2019 draft, selected by the Braves out of Texas A&M. He’s appeared in parts of two big league seasons between Atlanta and Chicago but has only 71 plate appearances to his credit, during which he’s posted an anemic .118/.127/.191 batting line. Obviously, 71 plate appearances isn’t much to go off, but Shewmake has been a light hitter even in the upper minors; he’s a .240/.299/.395 hitter in 866 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.

Though he’s never hit much, Shewmake is regarded as a sound, surehanded defender at shortstop who’s garnered additional experience at second base and third base in recent seasons. Statcast credits him with above-average sprint speed and arm strength. He still has a minor league option remaining as well, so he won’t need to make the Royals’ Opening Day roster.

Rather, Shewmake can be stashed in Triple-A as a defensive-minded depth piece who can fill in at the big league level in the event of injuries to any of Bobby Witt Jr., Jonathan India, Maikel Garcia or Michael Massey. With a strong spring, the former first-rounder could play his way into consideration for a utility role himself; he’ll join Nick Loftin and non-roster invitee Cavan Biggio in that mix.

Royals Re-Sign Michael Lorenzen

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Jan. 8: Lorenzen has passed his physical, and the Royals have formally announced his new contract. Their 40-man roster is now up to 39 players.

Jan. 6: The Royals and Michael Lorenzen are reportedly in agreement on a one-year, $7MM contract. The deal, which is pending a physical, comes with a $5.5MM salary for next season. There’s a $12MM mutual option for 2026 that would come with a $1.5MM buyout if the Royals decline their end of the option. The contract also contains $1MM in performance bonuses for the CAA client.

Lorenzen heads back to Kansas City after finishing the ’24 campaign with the Royals. Kansas City acquired him from the Rangers in a deadline deal that sent reliever Walter Pennington to Texas. Lorenzen made a strong first impression, turning in a 1.57 ERA across 28 2/3 innings while starting six of his seven outings.

That capped off one of the better seasons of his decade-long MLB career. Lorenzen finished the year with a combined 3.31 earned run average over 130 1/3 innings. He started all but two of his 26 appearances. It was the third straight solid year since Lorenzen moved to the rotation. He’d turned in a 4.24 ERA over 18 starts for the Angels in 2022 and combined for a 4.18 mark in 153 innings between the Tigers and Phillies in ’23.

In each of those seasons, Lorenzen has found bottom line success despite an unimpressive strikeout and walk profile. That was particularly true last year. His 18.1% strikeout percentage and 11.2% walk rate are a few points worse than the respective league averages. Lorenzen has missed bats on fewer than 10% of his pitches in consecutive seasons. Last year’s 9.1% swinging strike rate was his lowest mark since 2018.

Lorenzen nevertheless carries a 3.90 ERA across nearly 400 innings over the last three seasons. While he has outperformed his peripherals in each season, teams seemingly remain skeptical about his chances of doing so yet again. Lorenzen has been limited to one-year contracts with base salaries below eight figures in each of the last four offseasons. He reportedly sought a two-year deal last winter. Lorenzen lingered in free agency deep into Spring Training before heading to Arlington on a modest $4.5MM guarantee with $2.5MM in performance bonuses.

The 33-year-old jumped on a deal earlier in the winter this time around. Lorenzen earns a slight pay bump relative to last season. He’ll also get the benefit of sticking with the same organization with which he ended the previous year. This is the first time since Lorenzen’s early-career run in the Cincinnati bullpen that he’ll stick with the same team over an offseason.

Kansas City lost some mid-rotation stability when they swapped Brady Singer for Jonathan India early in the offseason. That vacated a rotation spot for Kyle Wright, who is coming back from shoulder surgery that cost him the entire 2024 season. Lorenzen could compete with Wright and Alec Marsh for the fifth rotation spot behind Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Kris Bubic. Skipper Matt Quatraro could also turn to a six-man rotation or keep Lorenzen in long relief with the flexibility to move back into the rotation as injuries arise or workload management necessitates.

Previous reporting had indicated that Lorenzen, who had a bit of outfield experience with Cincinnati early in his career, could sign with a non-contender to take some at-bats. The idea would’ve been to reach the 20 games as a hitter necessary to qualify as a two-way player. That would’ve meant he would not have counted against a team’s 13-pitcher limit. There is no indication that the Royals — a team that made the Division Series last year and certainly intends to reach the playoffs again — is planning to do that.

Lorenzen’s salary brings the Royals’ payroll to roughly $121MM, according to the RosterResource calculations. They’d been around last year’s spending level before this signing, their first MLB contract since they re-signed Wacha shortly before free agency officially opened. It’s not clear how much room remains in the budget. Kansas City has reportedly looked for a middle-of-the-order bat after acquiring India to hit atop the lineup. Corner outfield and bullpen help are the biggest needs on paper.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the Royals and Lorenzen had agreed to a one-year, $7MM deal that included a $12MM mutual option. Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported the salary and the option buyout. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic was first to mention the $1MM in bonuses. Image courtesy of Imagn.

Royals Sign Cavan Biggio To Minor League Contract

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The Royals announced that utilityman Cavan Biggio has been signed to a minor league contract.  While no mention was made in the team’s official announcement, it can be assumed that Biggio received an invitation to Kansas City’s big league Spring Training camp.

K.C. is Biggio’s fifth different organization within the last seven months.  Biggio had spent his entire pro career with the Blue Jays until Toronto traded him to the Dodgers in June, and Los Angeles released him two months later.  The Giants then picked Biggio up on another minors contract in August but he didn’t see any big league time with San Francisco before he was traded to the Braves in August.  Biggio appeared in four games with Atlanta and was then outrighted off the 40-man roster at season’s end, with Biggio opting for free agency.

Though all the moves, Biggio hit .197/.314/.303 over 224 total plate appearances with the Jays, Dodgers, and Braves in 2024.  Initially viewed as a potential cornerstone piece for the Blue Jays when he posted strong numbers in the 2019-20 seasons, Biggio hasn’t really been the same since his injury-riddled 2021 campaign, hitting only .216/.325/.349 over 1159 PA since Opening Day 2021.

The Blue Jays were short enough on left-handed batters that they kept looking for ways for Biggio to stick in the lineup in at least a platoon capacity, and he had some bursts of effectiveness in 2023 before falling back to earth last season.  While not a defensive standout at any position, Biggio has played first base, second base, third base, and both corner outfield slots during his career.  At the plate, Biggio has been able to draw walks pretty consistently, but this ability to get on base has been undermined by a lack of power and a lack of hard contact.

If Biggio makes the Royals’ roster, he projects as a left-handed hitting complement to Hunter Renfroe in right field or possibly Maikel Garcia at third base, though Biggio’s third-base glovework was far below par during his time at the position in Toronto.  Biggio’s general versatility could help him win a job on the K.C. roster, or he could act as minor league depth if he doesn’t opt out of his contract to seek out an opportunity on yet another new team.

Royals Re-Sign Austin Cox To Minors Contract

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The Royals have signed Austin Cox to another minor league contract. After electing free agency in November, the left-hander will return to the only MLB organization he’s known throughout his seven-year pro career. The team announced the signing this afternoon.

Cox, who turns 28 on Opening Day, first signed with the Royals as a fifth-round draft pick in 2018. After an impressive debut in Rookie ball that year, Cox began to appear on Royals top prospect lists around the industry. His 3.78 ERA in nine starts was solid, but what really turned heads was his 35.7% strikeout rate.  In addition, he gave up just one home run in 33 1/3 innings of work.

The lefty followed up his strong first impression with an equally promising performance in 2019. Cox looked sharp at both Single-A and High-A, pitching to a 2.76 ERA and 3.48 FIP in 130 2/3 innings across both levels. His 24.2% strikeout rate wasn’t nearly as high as it was at Rookie ball, but it was still quite good, and it came over a much larger sample size against more difficult competition. On top of that, he reduced his walk rate and continued to limit home runs.  Entering the 2020 season, both FanGraphs and Baseball America included Cox among their top 10 prospects in the Royals system; Keith Law of The Athletic ranked him at no. 12.

Unfortunately, Cox was unable to pitch in 2020 due to the lost minor league season, and he struggled at Double-A and (briefly) Triple-A in 2021. His fastball velocity fell and he cut his slider from his pitch mix, giving him a less imposing and less diverse arsenal. His strikeout rate continued to drop while his walk rate rose, and he surrendered 11 home runs in just 68 frames; that’s the same number of dingers he allowed the year before when he pitched almost twice as many innings. Thus, it was hardly surprising to see Cox plummet down prospect rankings during the 2021-22 offseason. Once a promising back-end starter, he seemed destined for a role in the bullpen instead.

Cox continued to start at Triple-A in 2022 and ’23 but failed to improve his results. In May 2023, he made his MLB debut out of the Royals bullpen. Although he had limited experience as a reliever, his big league career couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. He didn’t give up a hit until the 40th batter he faced. Unfortunately, his work was less impressive after that. Cox would ultimately pitch in 24 games for Kansas City that year: 21 relief appearances and three short spot starts. His numbers were serviceable but unspectacular for a lower-leverage swingman. He pitched to a 6.10 ERA and 4.71 FIP in 10 1/3 innings as a starter and a 3.91 ERA and 3.33 FIP in 25 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. A knee injury ended his season early, and the Royals designated him for assignment at the beginning of the offseason. He subsequently elected free agency.

Cox rejoined the Royals on a minor league contract shortly thereafter and spent the entire 2024 campaign with the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers. He exercised an opt-out clause in his contract in July but signed another minor league pact with the organization later that month. Thus, his new deal with the Royals is the third minor league contract he has signed with the team in the past 14 months. Presumably, he will continue to do exactly what he did in 2024: provide depth as a left-handed swingman at Triple-A. While his performance this past year didn’t prove good enough to earn him another chance with the big league club, there is clearly a strong relationship between pitcher and team that both sides are interested in carrying on.

Managers & Top Front Office Executives On Expiring Contracts

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Several teams don’t publicize contract details for their top front office executives or even for their managers, so this list of skipper and execs (any head of a baseball operations department, whether titled as a president of baseball ops, general manager, chief baseball officer, etc.) entering the final year of their deals may not be entirely complete or accurate.  Still, since MLBTR so often focuses on players entering their “contract year,” this post provides a rough outline of which notable team personnel may be feeling some extra pressure as their own deals may be close to expiring.

It is quite possible some of these names may have already quietly signed extensions weeks or months ago, or will sign new deals during Spring Training once clubs turn their attention away from offseason roster-building.  A shorter-term extension may not necessarily indicate much extra job security, as some teams tack an extra year (or at least a club option) onto an executive or managerial contract just to avoid the appearance of that person entering a lame-duck year.  Of course, even a longer contract is no guarantee of job security, as a rough season can instantly put a manager or a front office on the hot seat.

As always, thanks to Cot’s Baseball Contracts for reference information on some of these contract terms.

Angels: Ron Washington is already heading into the final season under contract, as he signed only a two-year deal to manage the Halos in November 2023.  While the Angels were only 63-99 last season, it could hardly be considered Washington’s fault given the subpar state of the roster.  Expectations will be higher in 2025 since the team has been aggressing in adding talent this winter, and since GM Perry Minasian got a contract extension last August, Los Angeles might also look to add a year onto Washington’s deal to at least keep him on line with the guaranteed portion of Minasian’s new contract.  It should be noted that Washington turns 73 this coming April, so he might also prefer to just take things year-to-year if he has any thoughts about retirement.

Astros: Dana Brown is entering his third season as Houston’s GM, and the terms of his contract weren’t made public when he was hired in January 2023.  It is possible Brown might only be working on a three-year deal since his predecessor James Click also received just a three-year commitment, though Click was hired in the singular aftermath of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.  This probably isn’t a situation to monitor too closely since the Astros have kept winning during Brown’s tenure, with the caveat that owner Jim Crane and his advisors are known to weigh heavily on baseball operations decisions.  Click was let go within days of winning a World Series due to reported acrimony with Crane, but there hasn’t been any indication of any heat between Crane and Brown.

Athletics: Mark Kotsay’s initial contract covered the 2022-24 seasons, and the A’s picked up Kotsay’s 2025 club option over a year ago.  GM David Forst said in October that “there’s no one I would rather have managing this team,” and that Kotsay “wants to be here,” though there hasn’t been any public word about any extension talks.  As comfortable as Kotsay seems with the organization, it is possible he might be willing to let the season play out and then explore his options, if he has any uncertainty over continuing to manage the A’s through their stint in West Sacramento before their planned move to Las Vegas for the 2028 season.  While no public details were revealed about Forst’s latest contract, the GM has obviously signed some kind of extension since his last deal expired after the 2023 season, and said in November that “I’ve been here for 25 years.  There’s not a thought that I wouldn’t be in this for the long run.”

Blue Jays: Manager John Schneider is entering the last guaranteed season of his three-year contract, as the Blue Jays hold a club option on Schneider for 2026.  It is fair to guess that the Jays might not exercise that option too far in advance, as there is widespread speculation that another disappointing season (or even a slow start) will cost Schneider his job.  The same could be true of general manager Ross Atkins, even though Atkins is under contract through 2026.  Team president Mark Shapiro is also entering the final season of his five-year contract, and while Shapiro’s focus has been more towards bigger-picture projects like Rogers Centre’s renovations, his possible departure might also trigger a larger overhaul unless the Jays turn things around on the field in 2025.

Braves: Manager Brian Snitker is entering the last year of his contract, so the Braves might well look to tack at least one more season onto Snitker’s deal this spring.  Snitker has led Atlanta to the postseason in each of the last seven seasons, highlighted by the team’s World Series victory in 2021.  He has stuck to just shorter-term deals and extensions during his tenure, which is probably due more to his age (Snitker turned 69 in October) than any dissatisfaction on the organization’s part, so no change seems imminent in the Braves dugout.

Cardinals: John Mozeliak’s exit plan is already in place.  The longtime head of the St. Louis front office is stepping down after the 2025 season, with Chaim Bloom already inked to a long-term contract to become the Cardinals’ next president of baseball operations.

Cubs: The Cubs have posted 83-79 records in each of the last two seasons, but they still haven’t reached the postseason during Jed Hoyer’s four-year tenure as president of baseball operations.  2025 is the last year of Hoyer’s original five-year contract, and acquiring Kyle Tucker (who is a free agent next winter) in a big-ticket trade might indicate that Hoyer is feeling some heat to win as soon as possible.  It can be argued that Hoyer has been somewhat hamstrung by ownership’s reluctance to spend at the top of the market, but that might also indicate that ownership could be considering hiring a PBO with more experience in building contenders on limited budgets.

Dodgers: Reports surfaced earlier today that the Dodgers are planning to work out an extension with Dave Roberts, as the skipper is entering the last season of his last three-year extension with the club.  It comes as no surprise that L.A. wants to retain Roberts in the wake of the team’s second World Series title during his tenure, and it stands to reason that president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is also a candidate for a new deal, perhaps regardless of the terms of his last agreement.  Friedman came to the Dodgers on a five-year deal in October 2014, then signed an extension of an unknown length in November 2019.  If that next contract was another five-year pact, Friedman is a technically free agent right now, but there has no zero indication that Friedman (who has been as busy as ever in bolstering the Dodgers roster this winter) is going anywhere.

Guardians: This is a speculative entry since it has been well over a decade since Chris Antonetti’s contract terms were publicly reported.  Even if he is approaching the end of his current deal, there hasn’t been any sense that the Guardians are planning a front office change, especially not in the wake of another AL Central crown and a trip to the ALCS.  Antonetti has been a member of Cleveland’s front office since 1999, and in his current role as president of baseball operations since October 2015.

Mariners: Jerry Dipoto has been extended twice since the M’s first hired him in September 2015, and his last extension in September 2021 was a multi-year deal of unspecified length.  It is therefore possible this could be Dipoto’s final season under contract as Seattle’s president of baseball operations, unless another extension has been signed in the last three-plus years.  Despite four straight seasons of 85 or more wins, the Mariners reached the playoffs just once in that span, as a lack of hitting has hampered the team over the last two years in particular.  It remains to be seen if ownership is okay with just being competitive (or, as Dipoto infamously put it, winning “54 percent of the time“) or if any impatience is growing over the Mariners’ difficulty in truly breaking through as a contender.  The Mariners were sparked to a 21-13 record down the stretch after manager Dan Wilson was hired last August, so it could be that the managerial change (and a change of hitting coaches) is what was needed to get the M’s back on track, but Dipoto and Wilson could both face pressure if Seattle again falls short of postseason baseball.

Orioles: Mike Elias has been Baltimore’s GM for six seasons, though his contract terms haven’t been made public at any point during his tenure.  Manager Brandon Hyde signed a three-year deal when first hired prior to the 2019 season, and he has signed at least one or perhaps two extensions since, leaving his contract status a bit of a mystery.  This is another situation where job security probably isn’t an issue, as the Orioles have come out of their rebuild to reach the playoffs in back-to-back years, even if the club has yet to record even a single postseason win in that span.  New owner David Rubenstein is eager to win but hasn’t shown any inclination to changing the leadership structure since he bought the Orioles earlier this year.

Pirates: Ben Cherington has now completed five full seasons as the Buccos’ general manager, so he either signed a somewhat unusually long contract when first hired, or he has already inked one extension that has escaped public attention.  Pittsburgh fans are impatiently waiting for the first winning season of Cherington’s tenure, as the team has flirted with contention in each of the last two years before finishing with identical 76-86 records.  Paul Skenes has at least emerged as the crown jewel of the Pirates’ lengthy rebuild process, so regardless of Cherington’s contract terms, it doesn’t appear as though he is in any danger of being fired.

Rangers: Bruce Bochy’s return to managing saw him sign a three-year contract with Texas, so 2025 represents the final year of that deal.  Bochy turns 70 in April but didn’t give any hints about retiring when speaking to reporters at the end of the season.  A second straight losing season might change the equation either on Bochy’s end or on the front office’s end, but the Rangers’ 2023 World Series title (to say nothing of Bochy’s three previous rings as the Giants’ manager) has naturally brought him a lot of leeway within the organization.  Both sides might prefer to go year-to-year just to maintain flexibility, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Bochy soon gets another year added to his contract.

Rockies: Bud Black has signed three straight one-year extensions to remain as Colorado’s manager, and past reports have indicated that Black is on something of an unofficial year-to-year rolling contract with the organization.  It is perhaps notable that Black’s most recent deal wasn’t finalized until this past October, whereas his previous two extensions were completed prior to the start of the seasons.  This might indicate that ownership and/or Black himself are starting to think harder about continuing the relationship in the wake of six straight losing seasons, even despite the Rockies’ well-known penchant for staying loyal to long-term employees.  The same logic could extend to GM Bill Schmidt, though Schmidt’s contract terms haven’t been known since he was elevated to the full-time general manager position in October 2021.

Royals: Matt Quatraro is entering the final guaranteed year of his initial three-year contract as manager, though the Royals have a club option on his services for the 2026 season.  J.J. Picollo has also completed two full seasons as the team’s general manager since being elevated to top of Kansas City’s baseball ops ladder in September 2022, though his contract status in the wake of that promotion wasn’t known.  Regardless, it doesn’t seem like either is going anywhere, and extensions could be in order since the Royals enjoyed an 86-win season and a return to the playoffs last year, including a wild card series win over the Orioles.

Tigers: Likewise, Detroit is also coming off a playoff appearance and a wild card series victory, as a magical late-season surge left the Tigers just one game short of the ALCS.  It is therefore safe to assume that president of baseball operations Scott Harris has plenty of job security, and while his contract terms aren’t known, it is probably safe to assume Harris received more than a three-year guarantee when he was hired in September 2022.

Twins: Some larger-scale changes could be afoot in Minnesota since the Pohlad family is exploring selling the Twins, and some shuffling in the front office has already taken place, with president of baseball ops Derek Falvey also becoming the president of business operations and Jeremy Zoll replacing Thad Levine as general manager.  Falvey’s previous deal was up after the 2024 season so obviously he signed an extension, but while manager Rocco Baldelli’s previous extension is known to have run through at least the end of the 2025 campaign, it is unclear if the coming season is the final year of that deal.  If Baldelli is indeed heading into a lame-duck year, the ownership situation might prevent the skipper from getting at least another season added to his deal, just so a new owner could potentially have a clean slate in evaluating things once they take over the team.

White Sox: This is more of a speculative entry, just because Chris Getz’s contract terms weren’t released when he was named Chicago’s general manager in August 2023.  A GM wouldn’t normally be considered to be on the hot seat so soon after being hired, nor are immediate results expected since the White Sox are quite obviously going through a hefty rebuild.  While nobody expected the Sox to contend in 2024, however, there’s a difference between just being a losing team and having a league-record 121 losses.  Another embarrassment of a season might give owner Jerry Reinsdorf second thoughts about Getz’s stewardship of the rebuild effort, or the possibility exists that Reinsdorf could sell the team, which should shake the organization up entirely.

Yankees: Aaron Boone quieted some of his critics when the Yankees both returned to the postseason, and captured the first AL pennant of Boone’s seven-year stint as the Bronx manager.  This result led the Yankees to exercise their club option on Boone’s services for 2025, and while no negotiations had taken place about a longer-term deal as of early November, it stands to reason that some talks will take place before Opening Day.  Then again, Boone’s current deal wasn’t signed until after he’d already completed the final season his previous contract, so it could be that the Yankees will again play wait-and-see.  There isn’t much sense that Boone is in jeopardy, and while expectations are always high in New York, ownership’s loyalty to Boone through some relative lean years would make it unusual if he was let go so soon after a World Series appearance.

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