New signings just keep coming for the KC Royals

What's a franchise to do when its big league club isn't very good and its farm system is ranked lower than almost every other? Hit the market and sweep up some players, that's what. And that's precisely the path the KC Royals are taking.

The trend, if it's not too early to call it that, began a week ago when the team signed free agent relief pitcher Andrew McInvale and, just days later, traded minor leaguer Junior Marin to the Phillies for James McArthur, who's worked chiefly as a minor league starter.

Their fresh player-acquisition business unfinished, the Royals then picked up pitcher Jackson McClelland in a close-to-home contract assumption from the Kansas City Monarchs.

And now, with the ink hardly dry on the McClelland move, the Royals have added another pitcher and an outfielder-infielder to the organization.

The KC Royals' latest pitching acquisition has major league experience

In yet another deal designed to bolster its pitching ranks, Kansas City signed righthander Brett de Geus, who in 2018 started 14 of his 15 games in Rookie ball after being drafted by and signing with the Dodgers in 2017. Since then, though, all of his 95 appearances have been out of the bullpen.

de Geus' best season remains 2019, a 6-2, 1.75 ERA campaign split between Low-A and High-A; he also enjoyed a 10.51 K/9 and 1.90 BB/9, and the performance undoubtedly had much to do with the Dodgers' decision to include him in their 60-man Player Pool for the 2020 summer. But LA lost him to Texas in the 2020 Rule 5 draft.

de Geus hardly distinguished himself with the Rangers that season, giving up 25 runs in 26.2 innings, an unsightly effort that resulted in a midseason DFA. Arizona picked him up, though, and he went 3-2 in 28 appearances, but with a still too-high 6.56 ERA. His tendency to yield too many runs continued in 2022 when, back in the minors at Triple-A Amarillo, he yielded 27 in 35 innings and found himself unemployed by early June. de Geus played unaffiliated ball until the Royals signed him.

He's been assigned to Omaha and, considering his major league experience, could see Kansas City before the season ends.

The KC Royals also added some infield and outfield organizational depth

Greyson Jenista, a lefthanded-hitter who can play first base and in the outfield, comes to the franchise from the Braves, who released him in March. A second-round draft pick of Atlanta in 2018, Jenista hit only .216 at triple-A Gwinnett last season.

However, and as the 14 homers he clubbed in 96 games for the Stripers, and the 19 he hit in 89 contests at Double-A Mississippi in 2021 prove, he has power. But as evidenced by his career (four seasons) 30.28% strikeout rate, he fans too much, a flaw he'll need work on to get to the majors.

Jenista's first stop with the KC organization will be Double-A Northwest Arkansas.