More former KC Royals players find new teams before Opening Day

February has been a busy month for notable former Kansas City Royals seeking new baseball homes. Brad Keller and Nicky Lopez are now Chicago Cubs, Scott Barlow and Josh Staumont caught on with the Cincinnati Reds, Jakob Junis is headed for the Cleveland Guardians, and Michael A. Taylor signed with the Minnesota Twins. In addition, Garret Hampson hooked on with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tommy Pham with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Nick Anderson with the St. Louis Cardinals.

February's flurry of ex-Royal signings continued over the first full weekend of spring training, too. On February 16, former Kansas City utility man Paul DeJong joined the Washington Nationals and reliever Amir Garrett reportedly agreed to a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Paul DeJong helped the KC Royals get back to the playoffs

DeJong is an established journeyman utility player with some power — he's hit at least 13 home runs in six of his eight major league seasons, including 24 while splitting last season between the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City, and boasts a career-high 30 with the 2019 Cardinals.

Royals fans will remember him most for helping their club return to postseason play last year for the first time since 2015. Acquired from the White Sox on the same eventful day that KC picked up Lucas Erceg from the Oakland Athletics, DeJong clubbed six homers, drove in 15 runs, and played third base and shortstop in 37 games down the stretch. DeJong will make at least $1 million on his new single-season contract.

DeJong has 140 homers and is slashing .229/.295/.419 across stints with five big league clubs. Signing non-roster spring training invitees and utility men Cavan Biggio and Harold Castro earlier this winter probably extinguished any thoughts the Royals might have had about the possibility of bringing DeJong back for 2025.

Amir Garrett pitched in two seasons for the KC Royals

Looking to strengthen their 2022 bullpen, the Royals traded starter Mike Minor to Cincinnati for Garrett with a couple of weeks left in spring training. The energetic and enthusiastic fireballer went 3-1 with a 4.96 ERA in 60 games that season but, despite improving his ERA to 3.33 through 27 games the following year, found himself released well before the campaign ended.

A constant battle with his control hindered Garrett throughout his two KC seasons. He walked 32 batters in 45.1 innings in 2022, then 20 in 24.1 frames in 2023. That more than anything else probably best explains why the Royals deemed him expendable.

Garrett is 13-19 with a 4.95 ERA and eight saves over a 328-game major league career stretching across eight seasons and stops with the Reds, Royals, and Los Angeles Angels.

Now, he'll give Toronto a try. His is reportedly a minor league contract.