The Royals’ latest roster move says a lot about where this season has gone - and it makes their deadline approach look even shakier.
With Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia expected back on the active roster entering Monday, Kansas City had to clear space. Once the club made those returns official, it also confirmed the corresponding move: Starling Marte was designated for assignment.
On paper, the decision tracks. Marte has been a limited defender in a corner-outfield role, and the bat hasn’t carried enough weight to make up for it. His numbers tell the story: a career-low 71 wRC+ and a .242/.298/.314 slash line.
The issue is what the Royals did not do with him a few weeks ago.
Marte was on an expiring deal, which made him the kind of player Kansas City could have dangled at the trade deadline. Even with the down season, he still fit a profile some contenders might have considered - a veteran with plenty of major league experience who could add some presence to a postseason clubhouse.
Instead, the Royals are now likely to lose him for nothing. It wouldn’t have taken much to get a return, but even cash considerations would have been better than walking away empty-handed.
Now the focus shifts to the two players coming back.
Pasquantino and Garcia are both important pieces of the offense, even if neither has put together the kind of season the Royals were hoping for. Pasquantino has shown flashes after a rough start, but he hasn’t come close to repeating the 30-plus homer, 100-plus RBI year he posted in 2025. In 79 games, he’s hitting .232/.318/.345 with six homers, 33 RBI and an 84 wRC+.
Garcia has still been excellent on defense at third base, piling up eight DRS and four OAA, but his bat hasn’t matched the All-Star form he showed the year before. In 69 games, he’s slashing .261/.320/.373 with three homers, 30 RBI and a 92 wRC+.
At 23 games under .500, the Royals aren’t chasing anything meaningful in the standings. But with Pasquantino and Garcia back, they at least get a chance to finish with some life. For a fan base looking ahead to 2027, seeing those core bats closer to their best would count for plenty.
In Other News...
Royals Just Made A Telling Decision On A Veteran Outfield Bet
The Royals reshaped their roster by bringing in fresh arms and infield help, recalling left-hander Connor Thomas while making room with a pair of Triple-A moves. Josh Rojas and Jose Cuas were optioned to Omaha as Kansas City continued to sort through a roster that has had to absorb injuries and patch holes while trying to stay competitive into the season.
The more telling move came in the outfield, where Starling Marte was designated for assignment after a disappointing run in his lone season in Kansas City. Signed to a one-year deal, Marte never gave the Royals the kind of return they were hoping for, and the decision suggests the club is ready to move on quickly rather than keep waiting for a turnaround. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Clear Space As Recent Pitching Addition Nears Abrupt Exit
The Diamondbacks made a roster move this week that could close the door on Andrew Hoffmanns time in Arizona. The right-hander was designated for assignment as the club created room on the 40-man roster for Justin Martnez, who was reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Hoffmann had not established himself in the majors and was already on the minor league injured list when Arizona made the move.
Hoffmann arrived from Kansas City over a year ago in the deal that sent Randal Grichuk to the Royals, but the path forward now looks bleak. Because he is injured and the trade deadline has already passed, Arizona cannot simply send him outright to the minors, which means the next step is expected to be release waivers. For a pitcher brought in as part of a notable swap, it is a abrupt turn that underscores how quickly roster churn can erase a once-promising fit. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Suddenly Have A Late-Season Boost Fans Have Been Waiting For
The Royals are starting to get some encouraging signs at exactly the right time, with manager Matt Quatraro saying Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia are both working out as they recover from injuries and could be back in the lineup soon. For a Kansas City club still trying to sort out its late-season rhythm, the prospect of getting two key regulars back offers a real boost, especially after the offense has had to keep moving without them.
There is also a longer-view piece to this moment, because the organizations pipeline still has names worth watching even as the big-league roster waits on reinforcements. MLB Pipelines midseason update pointed to Kendry Chourio, Josh Hammond and Angeibel Gomez among the systems prospects, while former Royal Carlos Santana is back on the open market after getting his release from Triple-A Gwinnett and looking for another landing spot. [Read more 🡒]