Royals sign former Yankees, Blue Jays infielder to minor-league contract

The Kansas City Royals have already made a number of moves this winter to retool their major league roster before 2025, and on December 3, the team made a minor-league transaction that likely foreshadows bigger things to come. On Tuesday, the Royals signed infielder Jordan Groshans to a minor-league deal, according to MLB insider Robert Murray — but that may just be the first step in a larger plan.

With the Winter Meetings slated to start in less than a week and the Royals in the market for a middle-of-the-lineup bat, Groshans' time with his new organization is likely to be short. The 25-year-old's acquisition is almost certainly a move to ensure the Royals have enough disposable depth in the system to bolster a trade package over the coming days or weeks, so perhaps bigger news is on the horizon for Kansas City fans.

KC Royals sign Jordan Groshans to minor-league deal

The Royals will be Groshans' fifth franchise since he was as a first-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, with the 25-year-old having already spent time in the Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins, New York Yankees, and Oakland Athletics organizations. The infielder started his professional career with the Blue Jays' Rookie-level affiliate, and spent 2018 to 2021 working his way up through the team's Advanced-Rookie, Class-A, and Double-A affiliates to reach the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in early 2022.

In August 2022, Groshans was traded to the Marlins and assigned to their Triple-A affiliate, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, before being promoted to the majors just a month later. He went hitless in his MLB debut on September 13, 2022, but his bad start didn't last long — he went 3-3 the very next day in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, and just one day after that, he hit his first career home run off of Noah Syndergaard.

During his brief MLB stint in 2022, Groshans slashed .262/.308/.311 in just 61 at-bats — and unfortunately, he hasn't return to the majors since.

Groshans was optioned to Triple-A to start 2023, where he posted a .243/.339/.330 line with 6 home runs and 60 RBI in 460 at-bats (125 games). Despite a decent season, he was designated for assignment on February 6, 2024, when the Marlins acquired infielder Jonah Bride.

The Yankees claimed Groshans off waivers on February 13, but he was designated for assignment — once again — less than two weeks later. After clearing waivers, Groshans was sent outright to the minors, where he slashed .234/.314/.262 in 107 at-bats with the Yankees' Double-A affiliate, and .228/.302/.316 in 57 at-bats with the organization's Triple-A team.

On June 23, Groshans was traded to the Athletics in exchange for J. D. Davis and cash considerations. He was assigned to the organization's Double-A team, where his stats marginally improved from those he'd posted earlier in the season — .239/.312/.352 line in 176 at-bats.

Throughout his career, Groshans has been plagued by injuries, but more than anything else, his skills simply haven't developed in the way scouts expected. His lack of power at the plate has held him back in the upper-levels of the minors, keeping him from advancing for a second stint in MLB.

If the Royals are planning to keep Groshans in their system, he will likely be assigned to the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals, at least for a while. While he will almost certainly earn a promotion to the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers during the season, Groshans is very unlikely to make an appearance in the majors in 2025.

However, it's very likely that the Royals have no intention of keeping Groshans in the organization at all. The Winter Meetings are slated to be held in Dallas, Texas from December 8-12, and with Kansas City looking to add a middle-of-the-lineup bat, Groshans is a minor-league player who can be thrown in to bolster a trade package.

Only time will tell what the team's exact plans are for Groshans, but one thing's for sure — it's an exciting time to be a fan of the Kansas City Royals.