KC Royals add reliever Evan Sisk to 40-man roster before free agency

It's been mere days since the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2024 World Series over the New York Yankees, and the 2024-25 MLB is already ramping up. As expected, a number of Kansas City Royals players have left the organization to become free agents, and now, the team has made its first move to protect a minor-league player from doing the same.

On Friday, the Royals announced they had selected the contract of left-handed reliever Evan Sisk from the organization's Triple-A affiliate, the Omaha Storm Chasers. Along with the reactivation of starter Kyle Wright, the total number of players on Kansas City's 40-man roster now sits at 34.

KC Royals select contract of Evan Sisk

Sisk was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2018 before being traded to the Minnesota Twins in 2021. The Royals acquired the left-hander, along with pitcher Steven Cruz, in a trade before the 2023 season, sending outfielder Michael A. Taylor to the Twins in return.

Since Sisk now has six years of service under his belt, he was set to enter minor-league free agency at 4 p.m. CT on Monday. By adding him to their 40-man roster, the Royals have ensured the left-hander stays in the organization.

This season in Triple-A, Sisk posted an impressive 1.57 ERA with a 1.03 WHIP and 81 strikeouts, leading the team in saves (15). Despite his strong overall stats, the 27-year-old has battled control issues over the last few seasons, particularly in relation to his high walk-rate — in the past three years in the Triple-A , he has walked 12.6% of batters faced. Still, Sisk struck out 28.9% of batters faced in that same time, including 35.4% in 2024.

Considering the ongoing questions surrounding the Royals' 2025 bullpen, there's a decent chance Sisk could stay on the 40-man roster and get a shot in the majors next season.

In 2024, the Royals bullpen ranked 20th in MLB with a combined 4.13 ERA, 23rd in WHIP at 1.33, and dead last in strikeouts at 463. Other than closer Lucas Erceg, who the team picked up at the trade deadline, there were very few bright spots in Kansas City's relief corps, and bolstering the bullpen before next season is likely to be a top priority for general manager J.J. Picollo.