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The Kansas City Royals added pitching depth on Wednesday. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Kansas City is acquiring right-handed pitcher Joey Krehbiel for cash considerations.
“Krehbiel, 32, was not on Rays’ 40-man roster and had been pitching at Triple A,” Rosenthal added on X, formerly Twitter.
The 32-year-old pitcher made his big league debut in 2018 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has since pitched for the Rays and Baltimore Orioles in MLB. Overall, he has recorded a 3.65 ERA across 70 total appearances out of the bullpen throughout his big league career.
The Royals have underperformed in 2025. They are currently 49-53 and in fourth place in the American League Central. As a result, the Royals could be a seller at the MLB trade deadline.
Meanwhile, the Rays are also in fourth place in the American League East. However, Tampa Bay has a better chance of earning an American League Wild Card spot given their 53-49 record. The Rays could still end up selling, but buying is not out of the question either.
Both teams will likely be active ahead of the trade deadline. Krehbiel provides the Royals with added pitching depth, but the trade doesn't signal either teams' deadline direction. With that said, the deal could prove to be impactful. Perhaps Krehbiel will find his footing in Kansas City and make an impact.
The Royals' next game is scheduled for 2:20 PM EST in Chicago against the Cubs on Wednesday afternoon. As for the Rays, they will host the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday evening at 7:35 PM EST. With the trade deadline drawing near, both teams' performances over the next week and a half will be pivotal for determining their strategies.
The Royals and Rays' final trade decisions could prove to make a significant impact for the entire landscape of the league at the deadline.
