Seven hundred and one days is a long time to spend away from a big-league mound. Jose Cuas knows that better than almost anyone.
Now back with the Royals, the right-hander has returned to Kansas City after a stretch that would have ended plenty of careers. Instead, Cuas kept climbing, kept adjusting and kept finding another way forward.
His road to this point has been anything but straight. The Brewers drafted him in 2015, and he eventually switched from infielder to pitcher.
He was released multiple times. During the COVID-19 shutdown, he even delivered packages for FedEx.
Then came his MLB debut with the Royals in 2022.
The path got rough again after Kansas City traded him to the Cubs in July 2023 for outfielder Nelson Velázquez. Cuas spent the next two seasons moving through the minor-league systems of the Phillies, Blue Jays and Braves, but never got back to the majors.
The Royals gave him another shot in December with a minor-league deal, and he earned it the hard way. Cuas put up a 3.31 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings for Omaha, enough to get the call he had been chasing for nearly two years.
Even with nearly three years gone since he last wore a Kansas City uniform, Cuas said the place still feels familiar.
“I’m comfortable with the staff, comfortable with the players here, comfortable with the stadium and comfortable with the fan base,” Cuas said. “This organization has a special place in my heart.
It’s the team that gave me a chance to debut. So Kansas City will always be a home for me.”
He also remembered the human side of his first run with the club - the fans, the community, talking with youth, and yes, the barbecue that comes with being in Kansas City.
Away from the majors, Cuas said he learned something important about himself.
“One thing I’ve learned is I’m resilient. … I don’t give up,” Cuas said.
“I believe in myself more than anyone can. Over the past year and a half, I’ve dealt with struggles on the field, and I’ve learned more about myself and what I can actually do.
When I put my mind to something, I get better.”
A big part of that growth came on the mound. Cuas focused on refining his delivery so he could better keep hitters off balance, working specifically on his quick pitch, hesitation pitch and sweeper.
“I worked on a few things in my delivery, something you guys will get for the first time out here today,” Cuas said. “The quick pitch and the hesi is something I’m excited for. It’s something that’s allowed me to have success this year, and build up my confidence to allow me to believe in myself.”
That confidence arrives at a useful moment for Kansas City. The Royals’ bullpen has been hit hard by injuries and inconsistency, and the club has been leaning on a relief group that has been stretched thin.
Kansas City posted a 5.60 ERA in June, the third-worst mark in baseball, and has given up an average of 10.2 runs over its last five games.
Cuas, though, is only thinking about doing his part.
“I’m looking to help the team any way I can,” Cuas said. “Obviously, I want to go out there and have success.
I think that if I succeed, I will put the team in a good position to succeed. That’s what I’m going after.”
In Other News...
Royals May Be Cornered Into A Risky No. 6 Draft Choice
With the 2026 MLB Draft still ahead, the Royals are already being pulled into a familiar kind of debate at No. 6 overall: take the best talent available, or lean toward a college bat that could move quickly enough to help a big-league club with obvious needs. That tension has made the scouting process especially important, because Kansas City is trying to balance long-term upside with the temptation to draft for a faster timeline.
Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress is among the names in that mix, and the appeal is obvious for a team looking for impact. The concern, as always with a pick this high, is whether forcing the board toward immediate help creates more risk than reward, especially with other college options still in play. The Royals will have to settle that question when the draft unfolds July 11 in Philadelphia. [Read more 🡒]
One Royals Raffle Win Could Lead To Something Much Bigger
A Royals 50-50 charity raffle has already done more than hand out a prize. The winning ticket, tied to the American Red Cross earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela, brought in $13,679, and the money now carries a chance to reach far beyond one ballpark drawing as its winner looks to direct it toward aid work in a country still in need of help.
Working with a law firm to keep the donations transparent, the Sedalia businessman behind the ticket wants the proceeds aimed at medical relief for hospitals in Venezuela. What makes the story worth watching is how a one-night raffle windfall could become the start of something larger if other major league teams and players decide to get involved. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Standards Are Being Put To The Test Again
The Royals entered the 2026 season with higher expectations than this much of the summer has delivered, and the gap between the preseason projection and the actual results has become harder to ignore. Kansas City has stumbled to a poor record and a bad run differential, leaving the club well behind the standard it set for itself, yet the response from the front office has been muted compared with the kind of urgency other struggling teams tend to show.
Executive JJ Picollo has pointed to a coaching staff that is prepared, curious and working hard, while framing the situation as one that still calls for more conversation than for a major shakeup. It is a familiar sort of public posture, but it also leaves the Royals in an awkward spot: a team underperforming badly enough to raise questions, and a leadership group not ready to make the kind of move that would signal those questions have been answered. [Read more 🡒]