REPORTS: Braves trade Kyle Wright to Royals for Jackson Kowar

Instead of tendering the righty a contract, Atlanta moves Wright to fortify their bullpen with a former top prospect of the Royals

The Atlanta Braves have reportedly traded right-handed pitcher Kyle Wright to the Kansas City Royals for right-handed reliever Jackson Kowar, per reports. 

Source: #Royals have acquired RHP Kyle Wright from the Braves for RHP Jackson Kowar.

— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) November 18, 2023

Wright, 28, led all of MLB in wins in 2022 with 21. But after a cortisone injection in January 2023, he started the season on the injured list and never regained his previous form. 

Pitching to a 6.97 ERA in nine appearances (seven starts), Wright finally debuted in mid April. He pitched in five games, going 0-1 with a 5.32 ERA before being placed directly on the 60-day injured list in early May. He worked in relief after returning in September, but couldn't seem to get into a groove, pitching to a 8.76 ERA in four appearances and 12.1 innings.

Wright was announced as having shoulder surgery in September that will prevent him from pitching in 2024. He is arbitration eligible for the first time this season, with a projected salary of more than $1M. He will reach unrestricted free agency in 2027 at the age of 31. 

Kowar, 27, was a 1st round pick by Kansas City out of the University of Florida in 2018. Debuting in 2021, he never found a groove in the majors as a starter and eventually returned this season as a reliever. In 28 major league innings in 2023, all single inning relief stints, Kowar was 2-0 with a 6.43 ERA and 1.929 WHIP. 

Kowar's struggled from walk issues since 2022; he walked 6.3 batters per nine innings in 2022 and 6.4 per nine in 2023 after being recalled from AAA Omaha and moved to the bullpen. He has exceptional velocity - his four-seam fastball velocity sits at 97 mph, in the 91st percentile in all of baseball, but he's struggled to harness both it and his secondaries (a changeup and a slider). 

It's a swap of a player that couldn't help Atlanta in 2024 (Wright) for a former top prospect that still shows flashes of his pedigree (a career 13.7% strikeout rate) but struggles with command, with some minor cost savings as Kowar's still in his cost-controlled minimum salary years. Additionally, the timing of Kowar's call-ups means that he's still under one full year of service time, giving Atlanta six years of team control. He has one minor league option available (a 4th option year is given to players who use all three option years within their first five full seasons in professional baseball)

UPDATE: The team has made it official, announcing the transaction on social media.

The Atlanta #Braves tonight acquired RHP Jackson Kowar from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for RHP Kyle Wright: pic.twitter.com/TcyaC7Epl9

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) November 18, 2023

Thank you, @Kyle_Wright44 💙 pic.twitter.com/fb7UYPp8uI

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) November 18, 2023

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