KC Royals add redemption-seeking reliever to list of spring training invitees

With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training in just two days, the Kansas City Royals have extended yet another non-roster invite to camp. On February 7, the Royals announced they'd signed pitcher Thomas Hatch to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training — but was it a good move?

Coming off a year with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball, Hatch is looking to revive his career in MLB, but first, he'll have to prove himself in Arizona. Between his history of underperformance and recent health red flags, earning another chance in the majors won't be easy.

Thomas Hatch joins KC Royals on minor league deal

Hatch was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft, and after working his way up through the minors to Double-A, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 30, 2019. The right-hander made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays on July 26, 2020, and finished his rookie season with a 3-1 win-loss record, 2.73 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts in 26.1 innings of work across 17 games.

Spending the large majority of the next three seasons in Triple-A, Hatch made just three major league appearances for the Blue Jays in 2021, and in 2022, he had only one abysmal big league outing where he allowed 10 runs (all earned) and 12 hits in 4.2 innings of work. In 2023, he posted a 4.26 ERA in 6.1 innings before Toronto designated him for assignment in August, and he was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Between the two teams, Hatch finished 2023 with a 4.08 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and 26 strikeouts in 28.2 innings, and he was released by the Pirates at the end of the season.

In December 2023, Hatch signed with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball for the 2024 season, but didn't fare any better in Japan than he did in America. In just five appearances, Hatch posted a 0-3 win-loss record, 7.46 ERA, and 18 strikeouts in 22 innings of work, and at the end of the season, the team announced that he wouldn't be retained for 2025.

Aside from his continuing underperformance, there appears to be another reason why signing Hatch was a risky move for the Royals.

In November 2024, Hatch signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the Korea Baseball Organization’s Doosan Bears for the 2025 season, but just one month later, Yonhap News' Jeeho Yoo reported that the contract had been voided due to an issue with the pitcher's physical. No further details have been made public, so the nature of the concern isn't known.

Going into spring training, Hatch will have a lot to prove, and even if he manages to impress, he's almost certain to start the season in Triple-A. If injuries thin the bullpen throughout the year, there's a chance he could get called up to Kansas City, but there will likely need to be a lot of development before that's a consideration.