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Royals Sign Veteran Reliever Trevor Rosenthal to Minor-League Deal

By Steven Kubitza

Trevor Rosenthal is looking to jumpstart his career with the Royals.
Trevor Rosenthal is looking to jumpstart his career with the Royals. / Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Trevor Rosenthal had a nice run with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2012-2017. He was an All-Star in 2015 and had 48 saves that season.

Then came a UCL tear in 2017 that began his long road of regression. He struggled mightily in 2019, posting a 13.50 ERA in 22 appearances. The veteran failed to record a single out through his first four outings of the season with the Nationals.

Well, Rosenthal hit free agency after his disappointing season, and the reliever managed to find a new home relatively quickly. The Kansas City Royals scooped him up on a minor-league deal.

Per Jon Heyman, Rosenthal will be earning $2 million in base salary but could earn an addition $2.25 million via incentives.

Rosenthal certainly has the track record to be worth another shot in the league after a dismal 2019 campaign, and hopefully he's able to find his footing on the mound once again in KC.

This move could be a coup for the Royals if he can regain his past form. A midseason trade for a rebuilding team could bring plenty of talent back in return, and Rosenthal could wind up being a useful asset for a contending team.

This low-risk, high-reward move for the Royals could pay off for them down the stretch.