City’s pitching has been in flux all year. The rotation absorbed the losses of Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic, and the bullpen has taken just as many hits, with Carlos Estévez, Nick Mears, and Connor Seabold all on the injured list. That’s forced the Royals to lean on fringe options like Eli Morgan, Randy Dobnak, and Beck Way to soak up innings.
The timing matters. Kansas City sits two weeks from the Aug. 3 trade deadline and looks the part of a conservative seller, with the bullpen shaping up as a logical place to cash in assets while regrouping for 2027 and beyond. Selling relievers means the club has to backfill the depth those trades would drain, which is where a signing like Bummer’s fits.
Bummer’s 2026 has been a rough ride. Atlanta released him on May 19 after he posted a 7.63 ERA across 19 appearances, and he caught on with the Cubs on a minor league deal a couple of weeks later. He threw just four innings at Chicago’s Triple-A level before opting out last Thursday.
The track record underneath the bad year is better than the recent numbers suggest. Bummer turned in sub-4.00 ERA seasons with Atlanta in 2024 and 2025, and his seven years with the White Sox from 2017 to 2023 included a 2.13 ERA over 67â…” innings in 2019 and a 2.36 mark across 26â…” innings in 2022. There’s a useful reliever in there if he finds the form.
Why the Depth Matters
Arms like Bummer, along with other recent minor league additions in Scott Barlow, Easton McGee, and Vince Velasquez, gain importance if Kansas City moves relievers over the next two weeks. The Royals have shown reluctance to deal starters like Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, and Bubic’s injury takes a prime rental off the board, so the front office may have to get creative on the selling side.
That points the bullpen toward the block. Alex Lange, John Schreiber, and breakout arm Daniel Lynch IV all profile as candidates to move while their value is high. If those trades happen, Kansas City will need experienced innings-eaters to hold the staff together down the stretch, and a reclamation flier like Bummer is the kind of name built for exactly that job.
