Royals land three veteran hitters with World Series experience to aid playoff push

The Kansas City Royals have been all sorts of busy this week, especially on Saturday.

In the wake of Friday's news that first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino would be out six-to-eight weeks with a broken thumb, the Royals added three new position players in a flurry of transactions just ahead of an important deadline.

Saturday was the final day teams could add players to their rosters for them to be postseason eligible. The Royals certainly hope to be headed to the postseason, so they made sure to act quickly.

First, the Royals claimed former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham off waivers. Pham, a 36-year-old outfielder, will join his ninth team while still seeking his first World Series ring. He won a National League pennant with the Arizona Cardinals in 2023.

Next, the Royals made another waiver claim, this time outfielder Robbie Grossman, formerly of the Texas Rangers. Grossman won a World Series ring with the Rangers just a season ago. The 34-year-old will be playing for his eighth team in Kansas City.

Infielder CJ Alexander and catcher Austin Nola, who had both been playing with the Royals' Triple-A affiliate, were designated for assignment.

Finally, the Royals made a surprising trade, acquiring 40-year-old infielder Yuli Gurriel on a minor-league deal from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash considerations.

Gurriel has not appeared in the big leagues this season, but has impressed at Triple-A with the bat while experimenting part-time at third base. He is a two-time World Series champion with the Houston Astros, and won the American League batting title in 2021.

The Royals also lost pitchers Will Smith, Michael Lorenzen, and Lucas Erceg to the IL this week, so it truly has been a whirlwind. Kansas City hopes the trio of veteran bats can provide some stability.

After a 106-loss season in 2023, this season has been all about shocking the world for these Royals. If they can go on a magical postseason run, Saturday will be a day heavily mentioned in the World Series DVD.

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