Former promising Royals pitcher opts to join bitter division rival 

For sports fans, the idea of ever switching allegiance to a divisional rival is almost unimaginable. There is almost no greater act of betrayal in the fandom world. But the truth is, professional sports are a business, and baseball is no different. For players and team personnel, a job is a job. And that’s exactly the mindset that former Kansas City Royals pitcher Alec Marsh had when he decided where to continue his baseball career. 

According to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, Marsh has agreed to a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox. The right-handed pitcher will also receive an invitation to spring training as well. It’s not exactly a glamorous move for a once-promising young pitcher that the Royals thought very highly of. However, it could represent a major step forward in rebuilding Marsh’s career. 

Marsh has experienced a nightmarish ordeal with a lingering shoulder injury over the past two seasons. After reporting shoulder tightness in the spring of 2025, Marsh developed right shoulder impingement which would eventually shut down his entire season. By November 2025, Marsh’s shoulder had not improved. He then chose to undergo labrum repair surgery, which all but guaranteed a lost season in 2026 as part of his recovery timetable. 

It was a tough break for a pitcher who looked to have a promising future in Kansas City. With a fully repaired shoulder, Marsh will now look to pick up where he left off in 2024. But this time, it’ll be as part of the White Sox organization. 

Alec Marsh could have been a much-needed arm for the Royals in 2026

Just two years ago, the Royals appeared to be sitting in prime position to stake their claim in the AL Central. With a fresh crop of young talent in the minor leagues and one of the top pitching staffs in baseball, the Royals had a lot going for them. That included having Marsh continue to develop as a starting pitcher. 

After being selected by the Royals in the 2nd round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Marsh slowly began to climb the prospect rankings throughout his first four seasons in the minor leagues. This culminated in Marsh being named to the American League roster in the 2022 All-Star Futures Game. However, this didn’t translate to consistent success on the mound for Marsh. He sported a 6.88 ERA in 124.1 innings pitched across two minor league levels. 

Despite that hiccup, Marsh made his MLB debut with the Royals in 2023. While he struck out 85 batters in 74.1 innings, Marsh became prone to surrendering the long ball, allowing 16 home runs on the season. But with a solid repertoire of above-average pitches and the ability to keep hitters off balance, the potential was there. 

In 25 starts for the Royals in 2024, Marsh appeared to take a sizable step forward in his development as a pitcher. After cutting his walks-per-nine rate by nearly half from the year before, Marsh was starting to look like a valuable back-of-the-rotation arm. His shoulder injury has temporarily derailed the progress that he made in the 2024 season. It’s unfortunate considering that with the excess of injuries to the pitching staff in 2026, Marsh could have been one of the team’s top arms this past season.  

With Marsh set to make a little over $1 million in 2027, the Royals didn’t feel like it was worth the investment. As a result, Marsh will now look to restart his career in Chicago. It’s a low-risk, high-reward move that could net the Southsiders a capable strikeout pitcher. It will certainly be interesting to see how the time off will impact Marsh on the mound. It would also be bittersweet if he can break out in 2027 with the White Sox.  

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