Kansas City Royals’ 19-year-old Bryce Eldridge making his mark…
One day after losing first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino to a broken thumb, the Kansas City Royals claimed veteran outfielders Tommy Pham and Robbie Grossman off waivers, the team announced. Pham comes from the St. Louis Cardinals, Grossman from the Texas Rangers. The Royals also acquired first baseman Yuli Gurriel from the Atlanta Braves for cash, reports the New York Post.
Because the additions come before the Sept. 1 roster deadline, all three players will be eligible to play in the postseason, should the Royals qualify. Pasquantino’s injury, plus a recent hamstring injury suffered by Hunter Renfroe, left the Royals in need of lineup help.
The 40-year-old Gurriel had played the entire season in Triple-A with the Braves. He was eligible to be traded because he’s on a minor-league contract and has not been on a 40-man roster or the MLB injured list at any point this season. Gurriel hit .292/.378/.485 with 12 homers in 75 Triple-A games. He’ll help replace Pasquantino at first base.
Pham, 36, was acquired by the Cardinals from the Chicago White Sox leading up to the July 30 trade deadline. However, the Cardinals failed to make a jump up the standings after the deadline, and that led to Pham’s first being placed on waivers and then being designated for assignment. Pham had expressed a desire to play for a contender down the stretch, and Royals will give him just that.
