Free Agent Chris Stratton Becomes Latest Texas Rangers Reliever to Join Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals continue to reshape their bullpen, signing veteran right-hander Chris Stratton to a two-year deal coming off his World Series run with the Texas Rangers.

Sam Connon | Dec 12, 2023

Free Agent Chris Stratton Becomes Latest Texas Rangers Reliever to Join Kansas City Royals /

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The Kansas City Royals are finalizing a deal with relief pitcher Chris Stratton, MLB.com's Anne Rogers reported Tuesday afternoon.

Per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, Stratton is signing a two-year, $8 million contract. Stratton is due $3.5 million in 2024, then he has a $4.5 million player option for 2025.

Stratton finished 2023 with the Texas Rangers, taking part in the team's World Series victory. In 22 regular season appearances with the club, the 33-year-old Stratton went 1-0 with a 3.41 ERA and 1.103 WHIP.

After starting his career as a part-time starter with the San Francisco Giants, Stratton bounced around between the Los Angeles Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals before landing with the Rangers, and now the Royals. Stratton is 37-24 with a 4.43 ERA, 1.411 WHIP, 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings, 12 saves and a 1.8 WAR in 302 MLB appearances.

The move comes in the wake of the Royals signing Will Smith over the weekend. Stratton and Smith were both part of the Texas bullpen this past fall.

On top of the two former Rangers, the Royals also acquired Nick Anderson in a trade with the Atlanta Braves in November. Kansas City then poached Matt Sauer from the New York Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft.

Royals relievers had the second-highest ERA in all of baseball last season at 5.23. By bringing in Stratton, Smith, Anderson and Sauer, there will be plenty of fresh blood in Kansas City's bullpen in 2024, at the very least.

The starting rotation is also undergoing a makeover of its own, as the Royals signed free agent Seth Lugo to a three-year deal mere minutes before they locked up Stratton.

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Published Dec 12, 2023

SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.