KC Royals swap pitchers, Jackson Kowar for Kyle Wright, in 2nd Friday trade with Braves
The Kansas City Royals agreed to another trade with the Atlanta Braves. The Royals acquired veteran pitcher Kyle Wright in exchange for Jackson Kowar.
Wright, 28, underwent shoulder surgery in October. He is likely to miss the 2024 season as he recovers from the injury. Wright joined reliever Nick Anderson as the latest Royals acquisitions on Friday night.
KC acquired Anderson for cash considerations.
Wright had an MLB-leading 21 wins in 2022. He finished 10th in that season’s National League Cy Young voting after posting a 3.19 ERA with 174 strikeouts across 30 starts.
Last season, Wright saw his production dip due to injuries that limited him to nine games.
The Royals hope Wright can regain his top form in Kansas City. He has shown the ability to be a frontline starter when healthy and won’t reach free agency until the 2027 season.
Kowar, 27, was a first-round pick by KC in the 2018 MLB Draft, but he never lived up to expectations here. He split time between Triple-A Omaha and the Royals last season, recording a 6.43 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 23 appearances.
Kowar was tried in a full-time bullpen role. His fastball averaged 96.9 mph but his off-speed pitches were hit hard by opposing teams. Batters hit .364 against his changeup and registered a 40.7 hard-hit percentage against his slider.
The Royals also officially non-tendered several players on Friday. KC chose not to tender major-league contracts to relievers Austin Cox and Josh Staumont, catcher Logan Porter and outfielder Diego Hernandez.
Kansas City also avoided arbitration with reliever Josh Taylor, signing him to a major-league contract for the 2024 season.
This story was originally published November 17, 2023 at 9:30 PM.
