Royals Lose Promising Young Pitching Prospect In Rule 5 Draft
The Kansas City Royals won 86 games during the regular season and snatched the second American League Wild Card spot after losing 106 games in 2023. They went on to defeat the Baltimore Orioles in the first round before falling short in the ALDS against the eventual American League champion New York Yankees.
This offseason, they've re-signed Michael Wacha to a three-year, $51 million contract and traded for Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer. They will continue to look for ways to improve their offense as they set their sights on the postseason in 2025.
However, on Wednesday, they lost a prospect in the Rule 5 Draft. Right-hander Noah Murdock was taken fourth in the draft by the Athletics. The results can be seen on MLB.com.
Murdock was a promising young pitching prospect in Kansas City's system. He had ascended to Triple-A Omaha this past season. Between Double-A and Triple-A, the 26-year-old right-hander won his only decision in 46 appearances and posted a 3.16 ERA over 62 2/3 innings pitched.
Kansas City drafted the young right-hander out of the University of Virginia in the seventh round in 2019. He has quickly risen through the ranks of the minor league system since then.
However, his time with the Royals officially came to an end on Wednesday afternoon. The Royals did not pick until the second round of the Rule 5 Draft.
Kansas City took outfielder Bryan Gonzalez from the Boston Red Sox with the 17th pick in the second round.
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Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.