Former AL Central rival reliever joins KC Royals on minor league contract

The Kansas City Royals are rolling of late, but amidst all of that success, another narrative has been somewhat flying under the radar.

The Royals have been making smaller moves to add to their organizational depth in recent days. On Tuesday, it was speedy outfielder Rudy Martin returning the organization. On Wednesday, it was veteran right-handed reliever Stephen Nogosek signing a minor league deal. Then on Thursday, a familiar face in the AL Central made his return to the division, as the Royals added Trevor Richards, their second veteran right-handed bullpen arm signed to a minor league contract in as many days.

Trevor Richards joins KC Royals on a minor league contract

Richards comes to the Royals after starting the 2025 season in the Chicago Cubs organization, signing a minor league deal with them this winter, before being released over the weekend. In 8 2/3 innings of work in for their Triple-A affiliate in Iowa, the soon-to-be 32-year-old threw to a inflated 7.27 ERA and 1.62 ERA, but managed a respectable 3.15 FIP and .206 BAA.

Richards has become somewhat of a veteran journeyman, as Kansas City will be his seventh organization. Apart from the Royals and the Cubs, he's spent time with the Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins.

His time in the majors hasn't been the most memorable, as since becoming more of a full-time relief option post-COVID in 2021, it's been an array of mid-4.00s to mid-5.00s ERA campaigns for the most part.

That being said, there are a few things for the Royals to dream on, should he become more than just a Triple-A depth down the road. His 2021 season - split between the Rays, Brewers and Blue Jays - saw him throw to a career-best and respectable 3.50 ERA. From 2021 to 2023, Richards was also somewhat of strikeout merchant with 10.91 K/9 in 2021, 11.53 K/9 in 2022 and 13.00 K/9 in 2023. On top of that, the past two seasons have seen some favorable expected metrics for the righty, specifically his xBA where he's ranked above the league's 89th percentile each of those years.

The need for relievers at the major league level, especially one with a string of overall lackluster results like Richards, isn't pressing for the Royals right now. After a somewhat shaky start to the 2025 season, their bullpen now ranks 5th in MLB in ERA and 8th in WHIP.

That being said, depth is depth and it's never a bad thing to have a surplus of arms familiar with the major leagues should the need ever arise to call upon that depth. Whether or not the Royals will call upon Richards remains to be seen. For now though, the veteran will look to improve upon his lackluster Triple-A numbers in 2025 and make a good impression on his new major league organization in an attempt to make a return to big league action.