Royals fans may be underwhelmed with what the club has done to address its outfield offensive needs, but even with Opening Day just over a week away, it’s not too late for the Royals to make a move. Teams around baseball are still sorting through roster crunches, injuries, and late-camp competitions, which can create opportunities for trades right up until the end of spring training. It would not be unprecedented for the Royals to make a trade in camp. Throughout their history the Royals have pulled
off a number of spring training deals, some minor and some quite significant, that reshaped the roster just days or weeks before the season began.
Here are some notable trades the Royals made while players were tuning up for the season in camp.
April 1, 1969 – Acquired Lou Piniella
Piniella was originally signed by the Cleveland Indians, but bounced around to the Senators and Orioles organizations before the Indians reacquired him. But they left him unprotected for the expansion draft in 1968, and the new Seattle franchise selected him. Piniella had a fiery attitude that rubbed manager Joe Schultz the wrong way, so near the end of spring training, the Pilots traded him to the other expansion team, the Royals for outfielder Steve Whitaker and pitcher John Gelnar. Piniella would be the starting left fielder and collect the first hit in Royals history, on his way to hitting .282 and winning Rookie of the Year.
March 30, 1982 – Acquired Vida Blue
The Royals were quite active in the weeks leading up to the 1982 season, trading infielder Rance Mullinks to the Blue Jays in a trade for minor leaguer Phil Huffman, and sending infielder Manny Castillo to the Mariners for a player to be named later, a shrewd deal that would net them left-hander Bud Black.
The Giants were looking to get younger in their rotation, and the Royals considered a deal for veteran Doyle Alexander. But he refused to report unless he got a new contract, and the Royals were unable to meet his high demands. Instead, near the end of spring training, they acquired former Cy Young winner and six-time All-Star Vida Blue from the Giants in a six-player trade that included pitcher Atlee Hammaker and outfielder Renie Martin. Blue was just 32 years old and coming off a season in which he posted a 2.45 ERA, and gave the Royals an ace to pair with Dennis Leonard, Larry Gura, and an aging Paul Splittorff. Blue would win 13 games that year, but would soon be embroiled in a drug scandal that would rock the Royals’ clubhouse.
March 27, 1987 – Traded David Cone and Jim Sundberg
The Royals decided to go young behind the plate, having lost confidence in veteran Gold Glove catcher Jim Sundberg in 1987. Ed Hearn was a young Mets catcher who impressed many when he filled in for Gary Carter when the All-Star was injured. The Royals acquired him late in spring training in a five-player trade for a young pitcher named David Cone, a Kansas City native who had some control issues and posted an impressive 5.56 ERA in 11 games the previous season.
Just a few days later, the team sent Sundberg to the Cubs in a deal that saved the Royals some money and gave them sorely needed outfield depth in Thad Bosley. The deal stunned players in camp, and gave the Royals an unproven catching tandem of Hearn and Larry Owen. But the overlooked part of the move was Cone, who went on to New York and became a 20-game winner and All-Star pitcher.
March 10, 1992 – Traded Kirk Gibson
The Royals had long coveted Kirk Gibson and his fiery attitude, nearly signing him after the 1987 season before owners decided collectively not to sign free agents. But he instead went to Los Angeles and won MVP and a World Series with the Dodgers. He didn’t join the Royals until 1991, after his knees were banged up and he missed half the prior season with a hamstring injury. He signed a two-year, $3.3 million deal, but slumped badly in September. He also clashed with new manager Hal McRae, who told him the next spring he would not be a starter. The Royals shipped him to the Pirates for high-priced lefty reliever Neal Heaton. Gibson spent just 16 games in Pittsburgh before they released him in March, but he would rebound the next year back in Detroit.
March 27, 1997 – Traded Michael Tucker for Jermaine Dye
The Royals had a young, up-and-coming, but very left-handed-heavy outfield in 1996 with phenom Johnny Damon, speedster Tom Goodwin, and former first-round pick Michael Tucker. They sought a right-handed bat to balance things out, and found a match with the Braves. Atlanta was fresh off a National League pennant, but GM John Schuerholz was making bold moves to revamp the outfield, sending David Justice and Marquis Grissom to Cleveland for Kenny Lofton. He needed another outfielder to platoon with rookie Andruw Jones, and acquired Tucker from the Royals for young right-handed bat Jermaine Dye.
Dye had impressed in his rookie season in 1996, but many observers felt the Braves had gotten the better of the deal. Star columnist Jeffrey Flanagan wrote “the Royals have lost their minds” while the usually optimistic Joe Posnanski slammed the deal.
“This was just one of those moves that hurts a team, even if Dye turns out to be good, which is no guarantee by the way. Dye had a reasonably good half-season for the Braves, but they were not sold on him. It’s hard to be sold on a guy who walks less than Marlon Brando.
This guy chases bad pitches like Tommy Lee Jones going after the Fugitive.”
-Joe Posnanski
Dye would struggle for a few seasons, but he hit 27 home runs in 1999, and started the All-Star Game the next year.
March 16, 2022 – Traded Mike Minor for Amir Garrett
Minor was a valuable reliever for the Royals in 2017, as he recovered from shoulder surgery. He went on to have a great stint in Texas, but returned to the Royals before the 2021 season on a two-year, $18 million deal. He struggled with a 5.05 ERA, and with young pitchers like Brady Singer, Kris Bubic, and Daniel Lynch IV coming up, the team no longer needed his innings. The Royals were able to free up some money by sending him to the Reds for animated lefty reliever Amir Garrett. He struggled with his command and had mixed results in two seasons with the Royals, while Minor made just 19 starts with the Reds with an ERA over six.
February 17, 2024 – Acquired John Schreiber
After losing 106 games in 2023, the Royals sought to revamp the bullpen, adding Will Smith, Chris Stratton, and Nick Anderson in the offseason. Just after pitchers reported to camp, they brought in another reliever, acquiring sidearmer John Schrieber from the Red Sox for pitching prospect David Sandlin. Schrieber was a late bloomer, having a terrific 2022 season, with mixed results in 2023. He posted a 3.66 ERA in 59 games, and had five scoreless outings in the postseason that fall.
Other notable spring training trades:
February 18, 2000 – Traded Jeremy Giambi to the Oakland Athletics for Brett Laxton.
March 23, 2007 – Traded Erik Cordier to the Atlanta Braves for Tony Pena Jr.
March 26, 2008 – Traded Jorge de la Rosa to the Colorado Rockies for Ramon Ramirez.
