Royals right-hander returns home to KC after brutal 2024 season

While the Kansas City Royals have spent plenty of time this season turning over every rock they can for pitching help, the latest rock they turned over in Jonathan Heasley seems to be a long shot to ever actually help them.

On the other hand, if Kansas City has proved anything this year, it's a club can never have too much depth in the minor leagues.

Heasley started the 2025 season with the Chicago White Sox organization after he signed a minor league deal with them this winter. However, despite a fairly decent showing in Spring Training that included 4 innings in 3 outings and a win, he was released by the Sox and hasn't thrown a pitch for anyone since the spring.

Kansas City Royals add organizational depth in former farmhand Jonathan Heasley

Now, Heasley returns to the Kansas City Royals, the organization that selected him in the 13th round of the 2018 draft. After a solid showing in Double-A Northwest Arkansas the Oklahoma State product by passed Triple-A Omaha and made the jump straight to big leagues his MLB in 2021, spending his first two years in the majors as a starter. He started 21 games in 2022, posting a 4-10 record with a 5.28 ERA and 1.49 WHIP and moved to the bullpen a year later.

In 2023, he appeared in 12 major league games. However, he struggled mightily, posting a 7.20 ERA. Kansas City would then cut ties with him, trading him to Baltimore that same winter.

While he was quite effective after his move to the Orioles organization in Triple-A Norfolk, when he was called up to the Orioles squad in 2024, his outings can only be described as utterly disastrous. In four relief appearances, he threw 5.1 innings and posted a 16.88 ERA, 8.79 FIP, 2.44 WHIP and .400 BAA.

In all, the 28-year-old righty owns a 5.89 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP through 139 career innings in the majors and will likely serve as organizational depth while pitching for Triple-A Omaha after signing a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals.