The Kansas City Royals traded Taylor Clarke to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for a pair of Minor Leaguers. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, right-hander Ryan Brady and infielder Cam Devanney will be headed to the Royals. The trade of Clarke opens a spot on Kansas City’s 40-man roster for newly signed pitcher Seth Lugo. Neither Bradt nor Devanney is on the 40-man roster. Clarke is already under contract for 2024 after avoiding arbitration with a $1.25 million deal earlier this offseason.
Brewers Acquire Righty from the Royals
After opening his career with a three-year tenure with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Clarke spent the past two seasons in Kansas City. He threw 49 innings of 4.04 ERA baseball with a 23.6% percent strikeout rate in 2022. Last season with Kansas City, Clarke logged a 5.95 ERA in 58 appearances, two of which were starts. He recorded 65 strikeouts against 24 walks in 59 innings as he limited right-handed hitters to a .242 batting average with a .698 OPS and ranked in the 98th percentile over chase rate (34.9). Clarke has turned in a 5.03 ERA over 183 games, spending the past three years as a reliever. In 2023, Clarke added a sweeper to his pitch arsenal that features a slider, fastball, and a changeup.
Royals Are Doing Some Underground Work This Offseason
Brady joined the Brewers as an undrafted free agent in 2022. The 25-year-old debuted with Milwaukee’s affiliate in the Arizona Complez League in 2022 after splitting the 2024 season between High-A and Doubel-A. He managed a sub-3.00 ERA at each level, earning a respectable 2.67 ERA in 81 innings. He will bring a solid track record to the upper levels of the Royals’ farm system.
Devanney is Milwaukee’s 15th-round draft pick back in 2019. He has experience at both shortstop, second, and third base. He batted .271/.361/.451 in 390 plate appearances with the Brewers’ Triple-A club in Nashville. Devanney isn’t a threat on the basepaths, but he could be a lefty-hammering utility infielder if things go well with his development.
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