Royals release former Silver Slugger fans had forgotten was even in the organization

In what was a fairly under-the-radar move in the grand scheme of the Kansas City Royals' season, the organization released MLB veteran Brandon Drury this week.

If you just took a second to head over to Baseball Reference to double check if Drury really was in the Royals organization this year, you wouldn’t be alone. The 34-year-old played most of the 2026 season in Triple-A Omaha, where he struggled to really make a significant impact. Since the Royals can only play spoiler at this point, his release makes sense for both parties.

Drury hit a disappointing .226 in 212 at-bats for Omaha. His .715 OPS on the season didn’t exactly turn any heads either. While he is now free to sign with any Major League club, he wouldn’t be eligible to play in the postseason. It’s tough to see Drury making any significant contribution at this point in his career, but he once possessed the pedigree.

With 10 years of MLB experience, Drury could provide a team in contention with a decent at-bat or two down the stretch. He reached the pinnacle of his career during his 2022 season when he secured his first and only Silver Slugger award as a utility player. He notched career highs in hits, home runs, and RBI. 

While no longer that same type of player, he does offer some defensive versatility around the diamond. He has logged time at every defensive position except for center field and catcher throughout his career. However, Drury has never really been known as a stellar glove, so he likely wouldn’t be used as a late-inning defensive substitution. 

Brandon Drury couldn’t help the Royals, but he had his moments in MLB 

Following a forgettable 2025 season, Drury signed a minor league deal with the Royals back in February. He was viewed as a low-risk signing that could eventually net them a useful player during the 2026 season. Though looking back, that might have been some wishful thinking from the front office.  

Drury hasn’t been an MLB-level player in three years. During his 2023 season with the Los Angeles Angels, Drury hit 26 home runs and drove 83 runs. His 2.7 fWAR seemed to indicate that he had plenty left in the tank. He seemed to really relish in his role as an effective bat-first utility player. 

Unfortunately for Drury, he saw a sharp and sudden regression in 2024 that essentially ended his big league career. In 323 at-bats, Drury featured an abysmal slash line of .169/.242/.228, making him one of the worst offensive players in all of baseball. He suffered a hamstring injury early in the season, which may have contributed to his struggles, but the fact he’s never been able to find his swing over the last three years is pretty telling. 

If Drury was able to return to the player he was during the 2023 season, he could have been the Royals best offseason signing in years. He would have certainly been better than Starling Marte. Instead, he’ll become the smallest of footnotes when looking back on the 2026 season.

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