The Royals are bringing in a familiar veteran arm, signing Vince Velasquez to a minor league contract and sending him to Triple-A Omaha, according to Velasquez’s MLB.com profile page.
Velasquez had been in the Cubs organization after signing a minor league deal with Chicago in February, but his path there kept bouncing around. The Cubs selected his contract to the active roster twice, then designated him for assignment and outrighted him after he cleared waivers. Because he has been outrighted before, Velasquez had the right to refuse another outright assignment and choose free agency, which he did on June 30 rather than accept a trip to the Cubs’ Triple-A club.
This time, he’s taking a different route and landing in Kansas City’s system. The move gives him a new organization, and it may also offer a clearer path to a big league opportunity if the Royals open spots later in the season. The source notes that Chicago’s constant pitching injuries could have created a chance for Velasquez to return there, but Kansas City may have looked like the better bet if the Royals deal away players at the trade deadline.
Velasquez’s time on Chicago’s 26-man roster was brief but clean. In two appearances, he threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings. That was his first Major League action since 2023, and it added another chapter to a career that now spans parts of 10 MLB seasons since his debut with the Astros in 2015.
Since his last big league stint with the Pirates in 2023, Velasquez has had a winding road back. He missed 2024 while recovering from elbow surgery, then pitched in 2025 in both the KBO League and the Guardians’ farm system.
The 34-year-old gives the Royals some depth, whether they want him as a starter or a long reliever. The results at Triple-A Iowa this season haven’t been pretty: a 6.15 ERA and a 16.2% walk rate across 33 2/3 innings. He has missed more bats, though, with a 26% strikeout rate.
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