Former Blue Jays Top Prospect Jordan Groshans Inks Minor League Deal With Royals

Infielder Jordan Groshans, who was the Toronto Blue Jays' first round pick in 2018 and made his MLB debut with the Miami Marlins in 2022, is looking to latch on with the Kansas City Royals.

Jul 17, 2020; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays infielder Jordan Groshans (86) gestures to a teammate during an intra-squad game at Rogers Centre. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals have signed infielder Jordan Groshans to a minor league contract, FanSided's Robert Murray reported Tuesday evening.

Groshans, who turned 25 years old last month, has presumably earned an invite to the Royals' big league Spring Training camp as part of his deal.

It has been a busy year for Groshans, who was part of the Miami Marlins' organization as recently as February. After getting designated for assignment, Groshans joined the New York Yankees via the waiver wire, only to get demoted to Triple-A in March.

The Yankees traded Groshans to the Oakland Athletics in June in exchange for J.D. Davis and cash considerations. At the end of the year, he hit free agency.

The Royals have signed infielder Jordan Groshans to a minor-league deal, sources say. Groshans, a former top prospect, was the No. 12 pick by the Blue Jays in the 2018 draft.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) December 4, 2024

Groshans got his start with the Toronto Blue Jays, going No. 12 overall in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He was soon named a top-100 prospect in all of baseball, sitting atop Toronto's farm system after eventual All-Stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette graduated to the big leagues.

However, Groshans struggled upon reaching Triple-A in 2022. He was ultimately traded to the Miami Marlins for veteran reliever Anthony Bass, sophomore reliever Zach Pop and a player to be named later at that year's deadline.

Groshans turned his season around when he got assigned to the Marlins' Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville, batting .301 with an .814 OPS. That helped the infielder earn his first call-up to the big leagues, and he proceeded to hit .262 with one home run, two RBI, a .619 OPS and a -0.1 WAR in 17 MLB contests.

That marked Groshans' only major league action, as he spent all of 2023 back in Triple-A batting .244 with a .669 OPS. He fared even worse in 2024, batting .235 with a .628 OPS mostly in Double-A.

Over the course of his minor league career, Groshans has hit .262 with a .619 OPS, averaging nine home runs, 31 doubles and 76 RBI per 162 games. While he is primarily a third baseman and shortstop, Groshans has logged plenty of time at first and second base as well.

The Royals are unlikely to need Groshans to contribute in the majors in 2025, but he is a high-upside addition who can bring organizational depth to the table at the very least.

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.