After Vinnie Pasquantino injury, Kansas City Royals acquire veteran first baseman

The Kansas City Royals aren’t quite done reshaping their roster.

After claiming two veteran outfielders on waivers, the club announced late Saturday afternoon it has acquired infielder Yuli Gurriel from the Atlanta Braves on a minor-league deal for cash considerations.

“He is another veteran guy, and he has been in playoff races, winning the World Series,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “Hopefully, he can provide a spark for our offense.”

Gurriel has played eight seasons in the majors, most notably with the Houston Astros (seven seasons) and last season on the Miami Marlins. He has not appeared in a major-league game this season.

The Royals were able to trade for Gurriel due to him remaining in the minor leagues. While the trade deadline has passed, MLB teams can still swing trades for minor-league players.

The Royals are expected to add him to the active roster once he reports to the organization. His arrival will constitute another roster move as he joins new additions Tommy Pham and Robbie Grossman with the club.

The trade comes after the injury to Vinnie Pasquantino, who will miss the rest of the regular season based on the recovery timeline the Royals provided (six to eight weeks) for his broken thumb. Both Pasquantino and Gurriel, 40, are first basemen.

The Royals searched for another veteran to fill in at first base. They were limited due to the inability to trade for any player on a major-league roster. However, Gurriel fit the bill as a veteran option who has also won a batting title in his career.

“You’ve got to look at guys on minor-league contracts,” Picollo said. “You’ve got to look at guys overseas and, you know, we identified Yuli as a guy that could help our club.”

A career .281 hitter, Gurriel slashed .245/.304/.359 last season in 108 games with the Marlins. He hit .292 with 12 home runs and 48 RBIs in 75 games for the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers this season.

Gurriel is a two-time World Series champion and won a Gold Glove in 2021.

The Royals spent the last 24 hours looking for potential offensive options. The additions of Gurriel, Pham and Grossman give the Royals three veterans with postseason experience.

KC is currently in a three-team race for the American League Central crown. They trail the Cleveland Guardians by 2.5 games prior to Saturday’s game against the Houston Astros.