Royals' Lefty Angel Zerpa Attracting Trade Interest

After a solid season in the Royals’ bullpen, left-hander Angel Zerpa has started drawing attention from rival teams, as reported by MLB.com’s Anne Rogers. While there’s no indication that a deal is imminent or that Kansas City is even open to trading Zerpa, the Royals' apparent surplus of left-handed pitching could make a deal possible.


Currently, Cole Ragans is the ace of the Kansas City rotation and is unlikely to be moved. Kris Bubic, also probably not going anywhere, is set to return to starting pitching after recovering from injury. Zerpa, along with fellow left-handers Daniel Lynch IV, Sam Long, and prospects Noah Cameron and Evan Sisk, round out the Royals' 40-man roster. Both Lynch and Cameron are expected to compete for a rotation spot during Spring Training.


The Royals may want to see how their rotation shapes up before making any trade decisions. This includes evaluating Bubic’s health as he moves further away from his Tommy John surgery in April 2023, and monitoring Kyle Wright’s recovery after missing the entire 2024 season due to shoulder surgery. Zerpa stands out as the top left-handed option currently in the Royals’ bullpen, which might make the team hesitant to trade him. Given that the bullpen’s performance was middling overall in 2024 and the team’s pitching depth was already affected by the trade of Brady Singer to the Reds, the Royals might prefer to bolster their pen rather than diminish it further.