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Alec Marsh Alec Marsh Officially placed on IL
Thu, Feb 12, 2026, 1:18 PM
The Royals placed Marsh (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.
Analysis: Marsh missed all of 2025 due to shoulder problems, and after undergoing surgery in November to address the issue, he's expected to miss the entire 2026 campaign as well. His move to the 60-day IL clears space on the 40-man roster for Mitch Spence, whom the Royals acquired in a trade with the Athletics on Thursday. |
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Mitch Spence Mitch Spence Traded to Royals
Thu, Feb 12, 2026, 1:13 PM
The Athletics traded Spence to the Royals on Thursday in exchange for A.J. Causey.
Analysis: After being DFA'd by the A's on Tuesday, Spence will recapture a 40-man roster spot by moving to Kansas City. The 27-year-old reliever turned in a 5.10 ERA and 1.44 WHIP across 84.2 innings last season and will be in the running for a spot in the Royals' Opening Day bullpen. He has two minor-league options remaining, however, so there is a chance he opens the year at Triple-A Omaha instead. Alec Marsh (shoulder) was placed on the 60-day IL in a corresponding move. |
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Seth Lugo Seth Lugo Throwing off mound early in camp
Thu, Feb 12, 2026, 12:35 PM
Lugo (back) threw a bullpen session in Royals camp Thursday, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.
Analysis: Lugo was sidelined for the final month of last season with a nagging back injury, but he does not appear to have any restrictions at the start of spring training. The veteran right-hander collected a 2.67 ERA in the first half in 2025 but posted a 7.51 ERA in his final nine starts before getting hurt. Lugo could very well bounce back in 2026 now that he's healthy, but he's 36 and has a 21.1 percent strikeout rate since 2024, so there is risk. |
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Bailey Falter Bailey Falter No restrictions to open camp
Wed, Feb 11, 2026, 2:50 PM
Falter (biceps) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Falter spent the final five weeks of the 2025 season on the shelf due to a left biceps contusion, but he made two rehab appearances with Triple-A Omaha in late September and looks to have had a normal offseason. The veteran southpaw will likely get stretched out as a starter during spring training, but he's probably on the outside looking in for a rotation spot and could be ticketed for a long-relief role. |
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Kris Bubic Kris Bubic Wins arbitration hearing
Wed, Feb 11, 2026, 2:42 PM
Bubic (shoulder) will earn $6.15 million in 2026 after winning his arbitration hearing against the Royals on Wednesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: The Royals had filed at $5.15 million, but the three-person arbitration panel chose the figure Bubic submitted. Bubic experienced a breakout 2025 season, posting a 2.55 ERA and 116:39 K:BB over 116.1 innings covering 20 starts before going down with a left shoulder strain. Per Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Bubic threw a bullpen session Wednesday and doesn't appear to be operating with any restrictions this spring, but the Royals will keep a close eye on him after he missed nearly the entire second half last season. |
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Luke Maile Luke Maile Not in Royals camp
Wed, Feb 11, 2026, 12:24 PM
Maile is not in Royals camp due to a personal issue, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Maile was re-signed last week to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training, but he has not reported and is no longer listed on the roster. The Royals are open to Maile rejoining the team if and when he is ready, but his status for now is in flux. |
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Luke Maile Luke Maile Back with Royals as NRI
Thu, Feb 5, 2026, 12:51 PM
The Royals re-signed Maile to a minor-league contract Thursday with an invitation to spring training.
Analysis: Maile got into 25 games with the Royals last season, posting a .702 OPS. Kansas City is expected to carry Carter Jensen on the Opening Day roster along with Salvador Perez, which likely leaves Maile to serve as experienced catching depth at Triple-A Omaha. |
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Brandon Drury Brandon Drury Gets look from Kansas City
Wed, Feb 4, 2026, 9:06 AM
Drury signed a minor-league contract Wednesday with the Royals that includes an invitation to big-league spring training.
Analysis: With parts of 10 seasons of big-league experience on his resume, Drury will be one of the more accomplished non-roster invitees in Royals camp. However, the 33-year-old infielder didn't appear in the majors at any point in 2025, and he struggled to a .214/.338/.323 slash line over 53 games across three minor-league stops in the White Sox and Angels organizations. With that in mind, Drury is likely to face an uphill battle to win a spot on the Royals' Opening Day roster. |
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Vinnie Pasquantino Vinnie Pasquantino Avoids arbitration with Royals
Fri, Jan 30, 2026, 4:50 PM
Pasquantino signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the Royals on Friday to avoid arbitration, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Incentives could increase the value of Pasquantino's new deal to as much as $16 million. The 28-year-old first baseman played in all but two games for the Royals in 2025, slashing .264/.323/.475 across 682 plate appearances while tallying career-high totals in home runs (32), RBI (113) and runs scored (72). He will still have one more year of team control remaining at the end of his contract. |
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Eli Morgan Eli Morgan Gets look from KC
Thu, Jan 29, 2026, 6:14 PM
Morgan signed a minor-league contract, which includes an invitation to spring training, with the Royals on Thursday.
Analysis: Morgan had a few strong seasons in Cleveland, but struggled with both injuries and his performance as a member of the Cubs in 2025. If he regains his past form, he could have a path to a spot in the Royals' bullpen to begin the new campaign. |
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Hector Neris Hector Neris Latches on with Kansas City
Mon, Jan 26, 2026, 6:35 PM
Neris agreed to a minor-league contract with the Royals on Monday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Analysis: Neris will receive an opportunity to make a big-league roster after putting pen to paper on a deal with Kansas City. He bounced between three teams a season ago, posting a 6.75 ERA and 1.69 WHIP with a 35:16 K:BB and a pair of blown saves across 26.2 innings. |
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Nick Mears Nick Mears Nabs $1.9 million from Royals
Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 4:44 PM
Mears agreed to a one-year, $1.9 million contract with the Royals on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Mears was traded from Milwaukee to Kansas City in December following his best season in the majors, during which he logged a 3.49 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over 56.2 innings. The 29-year-old will now receive a $937,000 raise from his new club and is expected to begin the new year as a middle reliever for the Royals. |
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John Schreiber John Schreiber Reaches deal with KC
Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 4:39 PM
Schreiber agreed to a one-year, $3.715 million contract with the Royals on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Schreiber's $1.415 million raise comes after he posted a 3.80 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 64 innings in 2025 while collecting 23 holds. The Royals brought in Matt Strahm from Philadelphia in December, which figures to lessen the number of high-leverage opportunities available for Schreiber in 2026, but he should still collect his fair share of holds again this year. The 31-year-old righty is due to enter the open market next offseason. |
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Bailey Falter Bailey Falter Settles at $3.6 million
Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 3:32 PM
Falter (biceps) agreed to a one-year, $3.6 million contract with the Royals on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Analysis: Falter failed to make a positive first impression with the Royals after being traded from Pittsburgh at the deadline, as he allowed 15 earned runs over just 12 innings before spending the final month of the season on the injured list due to a biceps contusion. He's likely to be fully recovered by the time spring training starts, at which point he'll compete for a spot in Kansas City's rotation. |
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Kyle Isbel Kyle Isbel Nets $2.7 million from Royals
Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 3:20 PM
Isbel (hamstring) agreed to a one-year, $2.7 million contract with the Royals on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Analysis: Isbel batted .255 over 135 games last year but otherwise failed to improve at the plate, finishing the season with a .654 OPS alongside four home runs, 33 RBI and 42 runs scored -- all decreases from 2024. With the Royals bringing in Lane Thomas and Isaac Collins during the offseason, Isbel is likely to receive some competition for playing time in the outfield in 2026. |
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Daniel Lynch IV Daniel Lynch IV Gets $1.025 million from Royals
Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 2:32 PM
Lynch agreed to a one-year, $1.025 million contract with the Royals on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Lynch finished the 2025 campaign with a 3.06 ERA across 67.2 innings, although his 4.75 FIP tells a much different story about how well he performed on the mound. He'll pick up a slight raise for 2026 and figures to continue working in a multi-inning relief role for the Royals. |
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Michael Massey Michael Massey Settles at $1.57 million
Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 12:07 PM
Massey agreed to a one-year, $1.57 million contract with the Royals on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Ari Alexander of 7 News Boston reports.
Analysis: It's the first season of arbitration eligibility for Massey, who missed nearly three months during the 2025 season due to wrist, ankle and back issues. The 27-year-old struggled when available last year with a .244/.268/.313 slash line in 77 games, which was a significant decline from his .743 OPS during the 2024 regular season. |
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Josh Rojas Josh Rojas Grabs NRI pact from Royals
Wed, Jan 7, 2026, 1:47 PM
The Royals signed Rojas to a minor-league contract Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Rojas slashed just .180/.252/.259 over 69 games for the White Sox in 2025 before being released in August. The 31-year-old's defensive versatility will give him a shot to earn a spot on the Royals' Opening Day roster, but the better bet is that he begins the season at Triple-A Omaha. |
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Jorge Alfaro Jorge Alfaro Inks MiLB deal with Royals
Mon, Jan 5, 2026, 1:19 PM
The Royals signed Alfaro to a minor-league contract Monday, Aram Leighton of JustBaseball.com reports.
Analysis: Alfaro got into 14 games with the Nationals in 2025, slashing .256/.256/.308. The 32-year-old hasn't seen significant action at the major-league level since 2022, and with Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen locked onto the big-league roster, that's unlikely to change in 2026. |
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Abraham Toro Abraham Toro Signs NRI pact with Royals
Fri, Dec 19, 2025, 9:25 AM
The Royals signed Toro to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.
Analysis: Toro got into 77 games with the Red Sox this past season, slashing .239/.289/.371 with seven long balls. The 29-year-old can handle first base, second base and third base, and that versatility gives him a shot to land an Opening Day roster spot in a reserve role. |
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