Giants, Royals Trade Hints At Bigger Moves To Come For KC

The Kansas City Royals are taking advantage of some of their competitors’ overcrowded 40-man rosters this week.

On Monday, the Royals acquired outfielder Kameron Misner from the Tampa Bay Rays, in large part because he’d just been designated for assignment when the Rays added their injured players back to the roster. On Tuesday, they pulled off a similar move on the pitching side.

According to the official Major League Baseball transactions log, the Royals acquired right-handed pitcher Mason Black from the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday in exchange for fellow righty Logan Martin. Bob Nightengale of USA Today was the first to report the news of the deal.

What Black trade acquisition could mean for Royals

Black, who the Giants designated for assignment Thursday, needed a spot on the 40-man roster, but the Royals still have three more to spare after acquiring him. They have 21 pitchers and just 16 position players as of Tuesday afternoon.

And with the knowledge that the Royals are seeking outfielders on the trade market this winter, one has to wonder if Black’s arrival means a starting pitcher whose stock is a bit higher right now could soon be on the move.

In nine major league starts, the 28-year-old Black has a 6.45 ERA. He also struggled mightily for Triple-A Sacramento with a 5.81 ERA, though the Pacific Coast League is notorious for inflated offensive totals.

Martin was no small piece for the Royals to give up. Though he wasn’t ranked in the Royals’ Top 30 prospects list on MLB Pipeline, he had a very solid 3.45 ERA in 22 starts in High-A this season, and was proving to be a worthy investment as a 2023 12th-round pick.

Not to minimize Black, but it seems unlikely the Royals are expecting him to be a member of the rotation early in the year. He’s more of a depth stash, and considering the Royals already have depth, some of the other pitchers (Ryan Bergert? Kris Bubic, even?) just became a bit more expendable.

More MLB: Red Sox, Angels Linked To Royals As Potential Outfield Trade Partners