Kansas City added another arm to its thinning pitching staff on Tuesday, acquiring right-hander Easton McGee from the Milwaukee Brewers for cash considerations. The Royals optioned him to Triple-A Omaha and, in a corresponding move, transferred reliever Nick Mears to the 60-day injured list. Milwaukee had designated McGee for assignment last Friday.
McGee threw only two innings for the Brewers this season and didn’t allow an earned run, but the rest of his profile explains why he was available. His matching 4.50 K/9 and 4.50 BB/9 point to command issues, and he posted a 5.52 ERA over 14â…” innings with Milwaukee last season. He’s become a journeyman, with brief major league stints for the Mariners and Rays before 2025 and long stretches in both organizations’ minor league systems.
Depth Over Everything
The McGee pickup fits a pattern. Kansas City has spent the season patching its staff, and he joins a long list of depth additions that includes Connor Seabold, Randy Dobnak, Matt Moore, Scott Barlow, Dan Altavilla, Génesis Cabrera, Anthony Gose, and, most recently, Vince Velasquez.
The need is real on both sides of the staff. Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic are on the major league injured list, minor league depth pieces Ryan Bergert and Ben Kudrna are on season-ending injured lists, and Alec Marsh has been out since the start of the year. The bullpen carries its own losses, with Carlos Estévez, Nick Mears, Connor Seabold, and James McArthur all sidelined. Underperformance has compounded the injuries, with arms like Mitch Spence and Eli Morgan struggling and Aaron Sanchez’s comeback bid ending recently.
There’s a case for optimism with McGee, modest as the acquisition is. His Triple-A numbers offer some encouragement, including a 9.29 K/9 this season and a 10.01 mark the year before with a 3.59 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and a .189 opponents’ average. He also still has a minor league option, giving the Royals the roster flexibility to move him between Omaha and Kansas City as needs shift down the stretch.
