Royals Trade Kris Bubic To Dodgers

The Dodgers are picking up another depth piece for the pitching staff, as they’re acquiring left-hander Kris Bubic from the Royals, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Right-hander Carlos Duran goes to Kansas City in return, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Bubic was on the Royals’ 60-day injured list, so he won’t count against the Dodgers’ 40-man roster until he gets activated.

Bubic has spent his entire seven-year career with the Royals, working a decent 4.14 ERA in 522 innings with a 22.1% strikeout rate and a 45.7% ground ball rate. He’s more or less matched that in limited action this year. The 28-year-old has tossed 50 1/3 frames over nine starts with a 4.11 ERA. Bubic is striking out 24.6% of opponents, a modest increase over last year’s 24.4% mark, though he’s giving up walks a career-high 12.6% of the time. He’s also benefitting from good luck on batted balls. Opponents are hitting .256 on balls in play, well below league average and Bubic’s career .309 mark.

He’s also dealt with his share of injuries. Bubic landed on the IL in May for soreness in his throwing elbow. He attempted a rehab assignment in late June/early July, but that was interrupted by shoulder soreness, which led the Royals to shut him down for ten days. Per the Royals’ official injury report, Bubic is currently in the early stages of a throwing program. After a months-long absence, he’ll need another rehab assignment before returning to pitch in the majors.

Bubic had an excellent 2.55 ERA in 116 1/3 innings last year for Kansas City, earning an All-Star nomination for his effort. He is a free agent after this season. The Dodgers are betting that he can return before the end of the season and improve on his so-so 2026 numbers. Per Jack Harris of the California Post, the team is expecting Bubic back around the end of August. That would give him about a month of the regular season to get settled with his new team.

The team certainly doesn’t need Bubic for the rotation. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the recently-acquired Tarik Skubal, Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and Roki Sasaki make up the current starting five. Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell are currently on the IL, but they’re expected back this month and will factor into the playoff rotation as well. Shohei Ohtani is dealing with a knee issue that’s limiting him to just hitting at the moment. The Dodgers hope to have him back in the rotation by the end of the year, according to manager Dave Roberts.

It would take at least two or three injuries to open a spot for Bubic in the rotation. He’ll more than likely compete for a bullpen role. The Dodgers currently have Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Jack Dreyer, and Eric Lauer on hand as lefty options. The first three are all doing well, posting ERAs under 3.00 in 38 innings or more. Lauer has also pitched well since coming over from the Blue Jays. In that context, it could be hard for Bubic to work his way onto the playoff roster, even in a bullpen role.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if Bubic doesn’t make an impact for the Dodgers, considering they’re only giving up a minor league depth arm. Duran, 25, joined the Dodgers on a non-roster pact in December after pitching in the Athletics’ organization last year. L.A. selected him to the 40-man roster in July, though he hasn’t appeared in a big league game this year. He has a 3.38 ERA in 42 2/3 innings at Triple-A. He’s struck out 31.1% of opposing hitters but also walked them 14.3% of the time.

The Royals, well out of a playoff spot and having no need for a rental player, are content to trade Bubic for a depth option in Duran. They’re also happy to shed his remaining $1.83MM in salary. The Dodgers, meanwhile, are well above the highest level of luxury tax penalization, so they’ll pay an additional 110% fee to acquire Bubic, bringing the total value of the deal to $3.84MM.