A once-promising arm hangs in the balance as the Royals cut ties with Kyle Wright. The Kansas City Royals have placed right-handed pitcher Kyle Wright on outright waivers, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. This move comes after Wright, now 30, missed the past two seasons due to shoulder surgery performed in October 2023. If he clears waivers, Wright can reject an outright assignment and become a free agent, thanks to his 4.151 years of service time. But here’s where it gets controversial: is this the end of the road for a pitcher who once showed so much promise, or could another team see enough potential to take a chance on him?
Wright joined the Royals two years ago in a swap with the Braves, trading places with fellow first-rounder Jackson Kowar. At the time, Wright was just a month removed from surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder. The Royals knew he wouldn’t pitch in 2024 but hoped for a 2025 comeback. Unfortunately, that didn’t materialize. His recovery dragged into 2025, and a minor league rehab stint in May was cut short due to fatigue in his surgically repaired shoulder. To add insult to injury, he also suffered an oblique injury, further delaying his return.
Despite spending two years in the Royals organization, Wright never took the mound for Kansas City in the majors. Projected to earn the same $1.8MM salary as in 2025, the Royals were unwilling to commit after two lost seasons. Could another team roll the dice on him? The Braves, for instance, have a history of bringing back former players as depth options. If not, Wright will likely sign a minor league deal elsewhere. And this is the part most people miss: before his injury, Wright looked like a breakout star. Drafted fifth overall, he finally seemed to find his stride in 2022, pitching 180 1/3 innings with a 3.19 ERA, a 23.6% strikeout rate, and a 7.2% walk rate for Atlanta.
The big question now is whether Wright can ever return to that form. It’s been over two years since he last pitched in the majors, and his fastball velocity has dropped from an average of 95.1 mph to a flat 92.0 mph during his limited Triple-A appearances in 2025. While there’s little risk in a team signing him to a minor league deal if he clears waivers, he’s currently seen as nothing more than a depth option. But is that all he can be? Or could a change of scenery and a fresh start reignite his career? Let us know what you think in the comments—is Kyle Wright worth the gamble, or is his best baseball behind him?