KC Royals reunite with towering Rule 5 pick after DFA

The Kansas City Royals have brought a familiar face back into the organization — and they didn’t have to burn a 40-man roster spot to do it. Following a quick and turbulent stint with the Athletics, 6-foot-8 right-hander Noah Murdock is back with Kansas City, assigned to Triple-A Omaha after going unclaimed on waivers. For the Royals, this is the best-case scenario after watching Murdock leave in December’s Rule 5 Draft.

The A’s had taken a low-risk swing on Murdock’s upside — betting on his size, heavy sinker, and groundball potential — but ultimately ran out of patience after 14 rough appearances this season. Because of the Rule 5 rules, the A’s were forced to keep Murdock in their big-league bullpen or risk losing him. After posting a 13.24 ERA over 17 innings, with nearly as many walks (20) as strikeouts (21), the A’s had no choice but to pull the plug.

KC Royals ready to reboot Murdock’s development

Murdock’s struggles were no surprise to those familiar with his profile. The towering righty has long been a volatile arm. His 2024 campaign in the Royals' system showed flashes of promise, splitting time between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha with a combined 3.16 ERA, 27 percent strikeout rate, and a blistering 59.7 percent groundball rate.

What’s held him back — and continues to — is his control. Murdock issued free passes to 15.4 percent of batters last year, a number that somehow ascended to 20.4 percent during his time with the A’s. Despite a solid 11.1 K/9 strikeout rate and inducing grounders with his sinker (thrown 53.5% of the time), the walks have consistently been his undoing.

Yet, the underlying metrics suggest there’s still reason to believe. His 5.22 expected earned run average (xERA) indicates that his 13.24 ERA may have been inflated by poor defense or just simple bad luck. The strikeouts, the groundball ability, and that massive frame all point to a pitcher who could still figure things out with more seasoning.

Now back with the Royals, Murdock is no longer tied to Rule 5 restrictions. Kansas City can take its time and work with him in Omaha to iron out his command without the pressure of carrying him on the big-league roster. The raw stuff is clearly there — it’s just a matter of harnessing it. If Murdock can tame that walk rate, even slightly, the Royals may have stumbled back into a valuable bullpen piece.