KC Royals Trades: Adalberto Mondesi is headed for Boston

Mike Gillespie

Lindsey Wasson-USA TODAY Sports

Adalberto Mondesi, the seemingly can't-miss, superstar-in-the-making infielder who just couldn't stay on the field with the KC Royals, has been traded. A day after dealing Michael A. Taylor to Minnesota, the Royals picked up a bullpen piece by sending the frequently-injured Mondesi to Boston.

It is a sensible and probably overdue move for Kansas City, and one we suggested in this space late last season. Mondesi, who signed a new employer-friendly, one-year, $3.045 million deal last month, will begin his last campaign under team control when Boston opens against Baltimore March 30. Because that makes his testing free agency almost inevitable, today's trade enables Kansas City to get something in return for him. The move also frees the club of the seemingly never-ending uncertainty surrounding Mondesi.

For Mondesi and the unknown PTBNL, the Royals are obtaining lefthanded relief pitcher Josh Taylor who, unlike relievers Evan Sisk and Steven Cruz, KC's return in Monday's deal with the Twins, has major league experience.

Tuesday's trade gives the KC Royals an immediate addition to their bullpen.

Although a back issue sidelined Taylor for the entire 2022 campaign, expect him to assume an immediate spot in the Kansas City bullpen. He brings a three-season 4-3, 3.40 ERA record to the Royals. He owns an excellent 11.35 K/9 and fairly pedestrian 3.87 BB/9. He went 2-2, 3.04 and struck out 62 in his 47.1 inning rookie season with the Red Sox, 1-1 with a 9.82 ERA in eight appearances during the pandemic-abbreviated 2020 campaign, and 1-0, 3.40 with 60 strikeouts in 47.2 innings two seasons ago.

Consider Taylor's four-pitch repertoire pretty standard: he relies primarily on a slider but also throws a four-seam fastball, sinker and curve. Assuming he performs well, KC fans should get to see a lot of those pitches: Taylor isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2025 season.

The deal brings an end to Adalberto Mondesi's disappointing KC stay.

That Mondesi's Kansas City career isn't what anyone expected from such a talented, potential-packed player understates what's happened in the seven years since he made his big league debut in the 2015 World Series. Not counting 2020, when he played in all but one of the Royals' 60 games, the 102 contests in which he appeared in 2019 remain the most time he's spent on a big league field. An unfortunately long list of injuries, capped by the season-ending torn ACL he suffered last April, blocked him from becoming the player the franchise always hoped for.

Mondesi leaves the only club he's played for with 38 home runs, 133 stolen bases, and a .244/.280/.408 line. His best overall Kansas City season was 2018 when he hit .276 with 14 homers and stole 32 bases in 75 games. He also had 43 steals in 2019.

The Royals have traded Adalberto Mondesi and gained another relief pitcher.

Mike Gillespie

Mike Gillespie is a Contributor at Kings of Kauffman, where he began writing about the Royals in 2019. He's also served as a Site Expert and Site Co-Expert and has written almost 1,500 stories about the Royals since joining the site. He also makes occasional radio guest appearances to talk about the Royals. Mike has followed baseball since watching his first game on TV in 1963. Among other interesting life pursuits, he's been an award-winning sportswriter for a Kansas daily newspaper and a police officer, and is now a semi-retired lawyer who spends most of his time writing about baseball and playing golf.