Royals' Matt Quatraro Makes Statement After Team Cuts Ties With $4.5 Million Vet

The Kansas City Royals are in the winning business now, and they're not keeping anyone around who can't contribute to that objective.

So far this season, the Royals' bullpen has been one of the team's biggest strengths. But veteran Chris Stratton was lagging behind, and though they owed him $4.5 million this season, the Royals felt it was finally time to cut bait.

On Sunday, the Royals designated Stratton, the 34-year-old right-hander, for assignment. In a corresponding move, they recalled right-handed pitcher Jonathan Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha.

Stratton had a 7.94 ERA in 17 innings this season, good for -0.5 WAR. That meant even though the Royals had a bit of money invested in him, he simply had to go if the team was going to keep pace in the suddenly-surging American League Central.

“Strat was the consummate pro,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said, per Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star. “He did a lot for us, not only on the field but behind the scenes in stabilizing the bullpen.

"Last year, we talked a lot about that leadership. But at this point, we felt it was the right thing to get Bowlan up here and get him some exposure.”

If Stratton clears waivers, he can reject an outright assignment to the minor leagues, because he has more than five years of service time. That makes him eligible to sign a new contract with any team searching for bullpen help.

“(The conversation was) exceptionally professional,” Quatraro said, per Thompson. “He was very disappointed but understanding of the decision.”

Bowlan, 28, only has 7 2/3 innings of big-league experience under his belt. But the Royals are willing to take the chance on the unknown rather than continuing to roll with someone who wasn't getting the job done.

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