The Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday designated left-handed pitcher Anthony Banda for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Banda played a role in the club’s bullpen during its run to back-to-back World Series titles and became a fan favorite along the way.
The move leaves the 32-year-old searching for a new club for 2026, and the Kansas City Royals could present a potential fit for Banda. As they enter Spring Training, Kansas City could use additional left-handed depth to strengthen its bullpen.
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How Anthony Banda could impact the Royals’ bullpen
Banda was selected in the 2012 MLB Draft and has pitched for several clubs since making his major league debut in 2017. His career has featured ups and downs, but he found some of his greatest success during his most recent stint with the Dodgers, marking a high point in his nine-year career.
He arrived in Los Angeles in 2024 and quickly found his footing. Banda posted a career-best 3.08 ERA across 49 2/3 innings and developed into a reliable high-leverage option. He recorded a 23.9% strikeout rate and a 31.4% chase rate during the 2024 season.
After winning a World Series title, he returned to the Dodgers in 2025 and continued his strong production. He posted a 3.18 ERA across 65 innings and held left-handed hitters to a .153 batting average, playing a role in the club’s back-to-back championship run.
Banda features a four-pitch arsenal that consists of a slider, sinker, four-seam fastball and changeup. His hard slider serves as his primary weapon and was his most effective pitch, as he held hitters to a .144 batting average against it in 2025. His four-seam fastball also carries solid velocity, sitting in the 95-96 mph range.
That type of velocity from the left side is something the Royals could benefit from in their bullpen. With a staff that includes Lucas Erceg, Carlos Estévez and Matt Strahm handling much of the late-inning workload, adding another left-handed option for the sixth or seventh innings would provide valuable depth.
Coming off back-to-back World Series titles, Banda is pitching some of the best baseball of his career, and that success could translate well within the Royals’ bullpen.
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