The Royals announced that outfielder Bubba Thompson has been claimed off waivers by the Reds and that left-hander Taylor Hearn cleared waivers and elected free agency.
The Royals have been trying to trim down their roster before the offseason. Players on the 60-day injured list don’t take up a spot on the 40-man, but the IL goes away between the World Series and Spring Training, which can lead to a squeeze. Yesterday, they outrighted catcher Tyler Cropley and lost left-hander Tucker Davidson off waivers to the Orioles. Today’s moves clear a couple more spots but they are still slated to be at 41 once the offseason begins.
Thompson, 25, just came over to the Royals via a waiver claim in August, having previously spent his entire career with the Rangers. He’s a speed-and-defense specialist but his work at the plate isn’t quite as strong. He received 241 plate appearances with the Rangers over the past two seasons but hit just .242/.286/.305 in those. Between the Rangers and Royals organizations, he hit .259/.338/.395 in 302 Triple-A plate appearances this year, a line that translates to a wRC+ of 82. He has had some better results in past minor league seasons, but often with high strikeouts and few walks.
His speed does seem to be elite, however. He racks up double-digits steals with ease, including 31 last year between the majors and minors. On Statcast’s Sprint Speed leaderboard, he trailed only Elly De La Cruz and Bobby Witt Jr. in 2023. At worst, it seems like Thompson can serve as a speedy fourth outfielder, while any step forward at the plate would only increase his value. He is still optionable, meaning he can be sent to the minors to get regular reps if the Reds so choose.
Hearn, 29, also spent most of his career with the Rangers prior to 2023. He served as a solid swingman in Texas over 2021 and 2022 as the club wasn’t competitive. He tossed a combined 204 1/3 innings over those two campaigns with a 4.89 earned run average. He struggled in 2023, eventually going to Atlanta in a cash deal, then to Kansas City in exchange for infielder Nicky Lopez. He tossed 15 innings on the year between those three clubs with an ERA of 11.40 in that small sample.
The lefty has more than three years of service time, giving him the right to elect free agency rather than accept an outright assignment. His rough 2023 results in the majors obviously limit his appeal, but he was much better in Triple-A. Between the Rangers and Royals, he tossed 54 innings at that level in 2023 with a 3.33 ERA and 30.9% strikeout rate, though the 13.4% walk rate is concerning.
Bubba Red sounds like one of those horrible store brand soft drinks.
Dr. Bubba. Bubba Lightning.
I would drink any of those.
You would drink Dr. Bubba? You do know that’s a person, right, Dracula?
I’m sure he won’t mind seeing that it is Halloween next week but you might want to offer a personal courtesy and ask for permission first.
Are there any other bubbas looking for a job? If my Bubbie were still alive, shed probably be better than both.
They love collecting outfielders when they really need pitching.
The can still look at adding pitching. This doesn’t prevent it.
Looking at it is one thing. But will they actually DO it?
Po Boy’s history doesn’t show a favorable outcome.
Best Bubba in Royals history.
Barely edged out Starling. No trubba for Bubba
Knew a guy who used to call everyone Bubba.
I also knew a guy who called everyone Bubba. His name was Bob Keegan.
Turns out Bubba’s real name is Leslie. If that was my given name I’d go by Bubba, too!
Reds love picking up former 1st Rd picks that other teams already figured out aren’t worth a roster spot. Haha
Guy looks like a breakout candidate next year.
In louisville maybe
Having watched him play with the Rangers I can say he is Billy Hamilton light.
Billy! Billy!
Not somebody you want starting many games, but as a late inning defensive replacement/pinch runner they could do worse.
i mean you got the bar set with a guy like that maybe the reds let him tryout in spring, or use his option.
I mean he has elite speed and Good defense he could be a defensive replacement pinch runner and still provide “value”
He is only 25 so Im being optimistic. Not a bad pickup by any means.
I’ve always wondered how a team full of slick fielding, speedster, contact hitting, leadoff-type hitters would do over the course of a season. Imagine like 1-9 Hoerners in a lineup. I wonder if that would be a winning recipe or just absolutely horrible hehe
That’s exactly the team Whitey Herzog built in St Louis. They went to 3 World Series in the 80s.
And just like that the Reds acquire a middle of the line up bat.
Maybe some of our outfielders are about to be traded for pitching?
He should have gone to Ten. to play QB…..
Those guys used to be named Billy Joe and end up backups in the NFL.
I think Bubba Thompson needs more ABs than the Rangers gave him. He’s hit in MiLB.
Many have. But the breaking stuff is a lot better in MLB. That is a lot of AAAA guys’ Kryptonite.
And Jake Cave has just entered the chat…….
Bubba Thompson, Jacob Hurtubise, & Blake Dunn would be 1 base-stealing outfield for Louisville next year.
Learn how to lay a bunt down, or learn how to take a base on balls.
Either way. In today’s game, with your speed, a walk can put you on second it’d be like a double. And if the infield at third had to play in just in case, it would put some pressure on the defense.
Learn to be a slap hitter, too. Just push it over the heads of the infielders. Then when everyone plays in, split the gaps. Be this generation’s Ralph Garr! I used to love watching Ralph Garr hit even if I was always rooting against the Braves.
His bat that just flared wider at the end, no real knob.
Pretty much what I said about Billy Hamilton. Oh what could have been.