The Royals have released righty Clay Buchholz from his minor-league deal, per a club announcement. He had been pitching in the minors in hopes of earning a call-up to the MLB roster after signing late in Spring Training.
Buchholz, 33, would have earned at a $1.5MM annual rate had he cracked the MLB roster. The contract also came with $250K in available incentives and a May 1st opt-out date.
Clearly, the Royals decided against bringing the veteran hurler onto the major-league roster. Buchholz, in turn, evidently felt he could find greater opportunity with another organization. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of opportunities he fields now that he’s back on the open market.
Buchholz, who has certainly had his fair share of success at the game’s highest level, has produced good results in the upper minors thus far. He has worked 16 innings over three starts, permitting just two earned runs on ten hits. But he’s also carrying a middling 9:7 K/BB in that stretch, and Rustin Dodd of The Athletic tweets that the team has “seemed less bullish about his stuff” over time.
JDC
Why the hell did they release him????? Did he request it?
ba2929
He had a May 1st opt out if he wasn’t on the 25 man roster.
It’s May 1st. He opted out because they weren’t putting him on the 25 man roster because he isn’t good.
CubsRebsSaints
He was definitely worth bringing up and paying 1.5m to try and get production and be able to flip him at the deadline for a prospect
JDC
I agree!
3rdStrikeLooking
Dont comment ever again, please.
charliesnutlikker
Lmao
Solaris601
He had a May 1 opt out in the minors deal he struck with KC in mid April. Have to think he didn’t feel he’d be called up any time soon. Maybe thinks the Reds, O’s, or Texas might give him a shot?
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Padres or Angels
oct27
A lot can change in a month. Especially a month where you go 7-21. He could have helped the pen at the ML level. But now that we have a clear picture of what the Royals are this year – may as well develop younger pitchers that may be part of the future.
The only thing that’s slightly surprising is that they didn’t try to get him on the roster until July and try to get a lower level prospect for him if he was effective and healthy. Of course those are big Ifs when making the current 25 and 40 man roster choices.
dodgerskingsfan
maybe the dodgers should get him…. hill has an infected finger… they need all the pitching they can get….
prestigeworldwide
Headed to AZ…hopefully
The Inmate
What do you have against the D-Backs. Or do you say that bc he lives there?
BrandonGregory74
I’d think the Reds would be willing to take flier on him.
schellis 2
Why. Reds aren’t competing already have a vet and they have plenty of young arms they need to try. At this point buchholz is a fringe starter aaa filler.
tylerall5
Noncontending teams still need innings eaters. Those young guys will get shutdown towards the end of the season.
CubsRebsSaints
And prospects
julyn82001
A’s written all over the place…
Jesse Ray
He could go sign with the Colorado Rockies who desperately need pitching.
Psychguy
Dodgers could sign him and stick him in their pen right now.
xabial
I was rooting for him after he came back from that convoluted injury, I have never heard any MLB player — let alone any athlete, in any sport — endure before. (He missed almost all 2017 with Torn flexor pronator mass)
3rdStrikeLooking
Adding some more downvotes to your not so stellar historical score. You are welcome.
PopeMarley
Averages 5-7 per post.
Speaking the truth..I like your style my man.
3rdStrikeLooking
Bonus is he is slightly narcissistic, evidenced by his comments, so downvoting causes internal turmoil for him.
PopeMarley
Be careful cause you’re gonna get accused of attacking him. Well at least he didn’t answer his own post this time.
deweybelongsinthehall
If he didn’t force their hand, he could have been stuck there. He got what he mainly wanted, an opportunity. Despite his SO/walk ratio, he’s now free to sign an MLB contract and move onto a roster should an injury open a spot.
Gwynning's Anal Lover
For 1.5, I would take a flier on him. If it turns out to be a good hit, flip him before the trade deadline for some prospects.
JDC
Now you watch….he will sign with another team and put up some really good numbers for that team. That will make the Royals and Dayton Moore look bad by not giving him a chance to help them.
GareBear
Joe Blanton written all over it…except they gave Blanton a cup of coffee
Bjoe
Talk about a stupid move.
jgoody62
I feel Tampa would make sense. If he takes league minimum it could be the beginning of the end of “bullpen days”
SanDiegoTom
Pads could use an innings eater, balsley could help him out possibily…
rocky7
Yankees may make a move with Buchholz as Montgomery just left his Houston start with elbow tightness.
Doesn’t sound good and the Yankees may make the obvious move here as insurance.
I guess Red Sox Nation would Sh_t if they saw him on the mound the next series the Yankees have with them.
luclusciano
Was thinking the same. Nice and up to date.
Groggydogs
Orioles need help.
Danthemilwfan
Brewers would be perfect for him if Wade Miley sucks tonight.