Royals’ Dillon Gee, Daniel Nava opt for free agency
The Royals’ 40-man roster suffered two more defections on Tuesday when starting pitcher Dillon Gee and Daniel Nava opted for free agency after clearing outright waivers following demotions to Class AAA Omaha.
The Royals shipped Gee and Nava to Omaha to clear space on the roster. But they each had the requisite service time to choose free agency. The Royals’ 40-man roster has 37 players on it after the latest transactions.
The departure of Gee stands as the more consequential of the two. A 30-year-old right-hander, Gee posted a 4.68 ERA in 125 innings, including 14 starts, during the 2016 season. After beginning the season in the bullpen, he moved to the rotation following an ineffective start and injury to right-hander Chris Young. Gee bounced from the rotation to the bullpen for the rest of the year, recording a 3.69 ERA during August.
He had a scare in late September, when blood clots in his lungs and shoulder required a hospital stay in Detroit. He later underwent surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome, the same neurogenic condition that afflicted Luke Hochevar and Kyle Zimmer. Gee, who previously spent six seasons with the New York Mets, could be healthy by late February or early March.
Nava, meanwhile, was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 29 in exchange for cash or a player to be named later. He appeared in nine games and had 12 plate appearances in September.
Rustin Dodd: 816-234-4937, @rustindodd. Download True Blue, The Star’s free Royals app.
This story was originally published November 8, 2016 at 3:33 PM with the headline "Royals’ Dillon Gee, Daniel Nava opt for free agency."