Report: Royals Sign Mike Minor to Two-Year Deal

Minor, who turns 33 in December, went 1-6 with a 5.56 ERA in 12 games while pitching for the Rangers and Athletics in 2020.

The Kansas City Royals have reportedly agreed to a contract with left-handed pitcher Mike Minor, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal is reportedly for two years, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

Minor, who turns 33 in December, went 1-6 with a 5.56 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) while pitching for the Rangers and Athletics in 2020, struggling to replicate his success from 2019. That season, he made his first career All-Star team by going 14-10 with a 3.59 ERA and 200 strikeouts in 32 starts.

The deal returns Minor to Kansas City, where he experienced a career resurgence in 2017. He missed the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons while recovering from shoulder surgery, finally making it to the mound in 2017 as a relief pitcher. He pitched 77.2 innings over 65 games, striking out 88 batters with a 2.55 ERA.

That earned him a three-year, $28 million deal with Texas. He was durable for the duration of the contract and performed well in the first two seasons, though 2020 represented a step backwards. The Royals ranked 12th in the majors last season with a 4.30 ERA, and their starters ranked 18th with a 4.70 ERA.

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