Royals add pair of veteran relievers

The Kansas City Royals on Friday signed veteran relievers Luke Jackson and Genesis Cabrera to minor league contracts as the team deals with injuries and inconsistent pitching throughout May.

The bullpen has been one of Kansas City’s biggest concerns. Royals relievers own a collective 4.51 ERA this season, placing them in the bottom third of Major League Baseball. The situation has worsened with relievers Carlos Estevez, Matt Strahm and James McArthur all currently on the injured list. Starting pitchers Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic are also unavailable, potentially forcing long relievers Bailey Falter and Luinder Avila into larger rotation roles.

Jackson, 34, recently opted out of his minor league agreement with the New York Mets after scuffling in Triple-A. He allowed six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings with Triple-A Syracuse after making three scoreless appearances at Single-A. Jackson missed all of spring training before signing with New York in April.

Kansas City is banking on Jackson’s major league resume. Across 10 MLB seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers, he owns a 4.22 ERA in 409 1/3 innings. His best season came in 2021 when he recorded a 1.98 ERA and 31 holds for Atlanta before making 11 postseason appearances during the Braves’ World Series run. After missing 2022 following Tommy John surgery, Jackson returned with a 2.97 ERA for San Francisco in 2023 before finishing with ERAs of 5.09 in 2024 and 4.06 in 52 appearances last season.

Cabrera, 29, arrives after being released from a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. He surrendered 20 earned runs in 17 1/3 Triple-A innings this year. The left-hander has flashed strikeout ability during his career, including a 27.8% strikeout rate across the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but command issues have remained a problem, as shown by his 11.1% career walk rate.

Cabrera spent most of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals before later pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays, where he recorded a 3.34 ERA across 86 1/3 innings during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Both pitchers are expected to report to Triple-A Omaha and could become options for the Royals later this season.