Royals trade pitcher Taylor Clarke to the Brewers
The move opens up a spot for Seth Lugo.
The Royals have traded reliever Taylor Clarke to the Milwaukee Brewers, according to Fansided reporter Robert Murray. In return, the Royals receive right-handed pitcher Ryan Brady, and infielder Cam Devanney. The move would open up a 40-man roster spot for Seth Lugo, who the Royals officially announced the signing of to a three-year $45 million deal today.
Brady signed with the Brewers as an undrafted free agent out of BYU in 2022. In his first full pro season this year, he posted a 2.69 ERA with 72 strikeouts and 19 walks in 77 innings, splitting time between High-A and Double-A as a reliever.
Devanney was a 15th-round pick in 2019 out of Elon College. He has shown good on-base skills and smacked 23 home runs in 2022. This year in Triple-A, he hit .271/.363/.461 with 11 home runs in 103 games as a 26-year-old. He is a right-handed bat capable of playing all over the field, but mostly played shortstop this season. In 2021, Eric Longenhagen at Fangraphs wrote Devanney “has a great frame and big raw thump”
Clarke got off to a terrific start with an improved breaking ball that led him to post a 2.70 ERA over his first 27 starts through mid-June. But he was awful after that, giving up 32 runs in 29 innings, with opponents hitting .344/.410/.623 against him. Clarke spent the first three seasons of his career with the Diamondbacks before they non-tendered him and he signed with the Royals. In two years in Kansas City, Clarke had a 5.08 ERA in 105 appearances, including a 5.95 ERA this year. The Royals signed him to a $1.3 million deal last month.
The Royals still have to open up a roster spot for Chris Stratton, who is reportedly close to a deal with the team.