Sunday, September 20

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KANSAS CITY -- From what we knew going into the Trade Deadline and what we know now that it has passed, the likelihood of Michael Wacha moving teams on Monday was very low. Whether you agree with the strategy or not, the Royals are sticking with their core and want to compete in 2027, and that includes Wacha in their rotation – especially with how much work the Royals have to do to rebuild their pitching staff because of this year’s injuries. They didn’t want to also have to replace Wacha.

Even though it would have taken an offer that “wowed us and knocked our socks off,” for Wacha, as general manager J.J. Picollo put it, it can still be unnerving for a player to see their name in trade rumors. There’s uncertainty that this time of year can bring on and off the field with so many players on the move.

So Wacha’s corner locker still being in the Royals’ clubhouse Tuesday afternoon was a nice sight to see for both him and his teammates.

“I never really let myself dive into those rumors too much,” Wacha said. “It just feels good to still be here in Kansas City. We’ve grown to love this city, and we feel like it’s where we need to be. Extremely excited to still be here with these guys. I feel like we still have a great group of guys in here that know how to compete and know how to play baseball at a high level. That’s what I’m expecting moving forward.”

Wacha said he talked with Picollo “a little bit” leading up to the Deadline, with Picollo letting him know of any developments. But the Royals were as transparent with Wacha as they were with other teams and publicly: It was going to take a lot for them to move on from the starter. They were looking for Major League talent in return, and it was a high enough bar that conversations didn’t move forward much, if at all.

“Just hearing what he was conveying to me, it led me to believe that I’d still be here,” Wacha said.

Wacha has been one of the Royals’ best free-agent signings since he first came here ahead of the 2024 season. The 35-year-old has made 82 starts across the three seasons and posted a 3.58 ERA. This year, he was an All-Star and has a 3.51 ERA in 22 starts, with his next one coming on Thursday against the Twins.

Wacha has been remarkably consistent in his time as a Royal -- he’s posted ERAs of 3.35, 3.86 and 3.51 -- and Kansas City will rely on that for the rest of 2026, into ‘27 and ‘28 for that matter, too, as Wacha has a club option the Royals could and likely will pick up. There might be some regression, and injuries are always part of the equation – the Royals know how unpredictable those can be. But they are also betting on the innings Wacha can provide and the presence he brings to the mound and clubhouse.

“There's a lot of pitchers that have pitched into their mid-to-late 30s over the course of their careers that have pitched well, so we just have to weigh the risk,” Picollo said. “We did sign Michael Wacha to an extension. We did sign Seth Lugo to an extension. I think weighing that risk, it showed at that time where we were, we knew what we were committing to then into the ages of 36, 37. We weighed that risk when we signed them to the extensions.”

For what it’s worth, Wacha is committed to the Royals as much as they’re committed to him. And he believes in the same core that Picollo does for next year.

“You just look around the clubhouse: Bobby [Witt Jr.], Maikel [Garcia], Vinnie [Pasquantino], some guys that are coming back that are injured this year,” Wacha said. “We have a lot of optimism in those guys. We miss them out there on the field. It gives me hope that an offseason of getting healthy, another year of experience, that we can put it all together and go make a run.”

The Royals added some pitching depth at the Trade Deadline, so new names have entered the system. Here’s a rundown of who went where:

• RHP Lucas Braun (from the Lane Thomas/Bailey Falter deal with Atlanta): Triple-A Omaha

• LHP Carter Holton (from the Thomas/Falter deal with Atlanta): Single-A Columbia

• RHP Carlos Duran (from the Kris Bubic deal with Los Angeles): Triple-A Omaha

• RHP Nolan Hoffman (DFA’d by the Phillies): Triple-A Omaha

Kansas City also made a waiver claim on Tuesday, grabbing lefty pitcher Connor Thomas off waivers from the A’s and optioning him to Triple-A Omaha. The 28-year-old Thomas began the season in the Braves’ organization and made two relief appearances over two big league stints with Atlanta. He was claimed off waivers by the A’s on Thursday and designated for assignment two days later. In 17 appearances (two starts) this season with High-A Rome and Triple-A Gwinnett, Thomas posted a 2.09 ERA (nine earned runs in 38 2/3 innings). He was originally selected by the Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2019 Draft out of Georgia Tech.

Duran, Thomas and Hoffman are on the 40-man roster already, so expect to see them at some point this season in Kansas City as the Royals start to turn over their bullpen and figure out what they have for next year.

The Kansas City Royals Foundation held its annual fundraising gala on Monday night and raised a record $1.65 million for the Kansas City community. Celebrating 25 years of the Royals’ foundation, the money raised Monday night will go toward the foundation’s core initiatives: Advancing literacy and education, promoting healthy and active communities and uplifting service members and veterans across the region.

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