Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals reliever Amir Garrett is facing the consequences after he was seen on video throwing a drink at a Chicago White Sox fan during a game earlier this month.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Garrett has received a three-game suspension and a fine for the incident.

In response to a tweet containing video of the incident, Garrett said "the disrespect is insane in these parks" from "grown men talking slick." He later issued an apology, saying he "[realized] my actions were uncalled for and that as players we are held to a higher standard and the chirping from fans is a part of today's game."

After spending the first five seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Reds, Garrett has struggled in his first season in Kansas City. In 40 appearances out of the bullpen entering Monday, the left-hander has a 4.60 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and 25 walks in 31.1 innings.

Garrett had developed a reputation for not being afraid to mix it up with opposing players. Fans might remember him most for charging the entire Pittsburgh Pirates bench by himself during a game in 2019. He had also formed a rivalry with Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez, who was then with the Chicago Cubs. The two had multiple exchanges, with Garrett once receiving a five-game suspension for his involvement in a benches-clearing incident.

Garrett's latest fracas with the White Sox fan could be the result of frustrations boiling over amid a disappointing season. Kansas City is fourth in the American League Central with a 48-68 record and is on the verge of missing the playoffs for the seventh straight year.

Kansas City Royals pitcher Amir Garrett was apparently tired of a fan at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago during Tuesday's game and threw his drink at the heckler.

Garrett replied to a tweet featuring video of the incident that happened during the Chicago White Sox's 9-2 win and said "the disrespect is insane in these parks" from "grown men talking slick."

Garrett later apologized for his actions, per TMZ.com:

I owe the fan from last night's incident an apology. I realize my actions were uncalled for and that as players we are held to a higher standard and the chirping from fans is a part of today's game. I hope he can forgive me.

With that being said, I'm a human that makes mistakes. I will continue to grow and learn from any and all mistakes I make and appreciate everyone's support while doing so.

Again, I sincerely apologize to last night's fan and all fans who were around. This is a beautiful game that we share, as fans and as players. Let's continue to cherish our beautiful game together.

The southpaw pitched a scoreless eighth inning in the loss, allowing two walks.

He has struggled during his first season in the American League following five years with the Cincinnati Reds and has a 5.27 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 27.1 innings. It is more of the same after he posted a 6.04 ERA last year, though he was excellent during the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season with a 2.45 ERA.

Garrett has something of a reputation as someone who won't back down. That has been with fellow players, however, and not fans.

He famously charged the entire Pittsburgh Pirates bench during a 2019 game, and the photograph of him fighting his National League Central rivals was chosen as one of CNN's photographs of the year.

The 30-year-old also had multiple run-ins with Javier Baez when the latter was a member of the Chicago Cubs. The two exchanged words multiple times, and Garrett was even suspended for five games for his role in a benches-clearing incident.

He was back in the headlines with another Chicago team Tuesday, though his frustration was apparently with at least one fan this time.

Garrett and the Royals are playing out the string at this point of the season with a 41-63 record, which is good enough for fifth place in the American League Central.

The Kansas City Royals have reportedly decided against dealing veteran starting pitcher Zack Greinke before Tuesday's MLB trade deadline.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted that while Greinke "probably could help someone," the Royals have chosen to keep him.

In 17 starts this season, the 38-year-old six-time All-Star is 3-6 with a 4.41 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 50 strikeouts over 87.2 innings pitched.

While Greinke has had an ERA over 4.00 in each of the past three seasons, the 19-year MLB vet put together a resume that could potentially be worthy of a Hall of Fame induction over his first 16 seasons.

Greinke owns a career record of 222-138 with a 3.44 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. He has also struck out 2,859 batters in 3,197.2 innings.

Along with his six All-Star nods, Greinke is a six-time Gold Glove winner, a two-time ERA champion and won the American League Cy Young award with the Royals in 2009.

Greinke began his MLB career in Kansas City in 2004 after the Royals selected him with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2002 draft.

He remained with the Royals for seven seasons before enjoying stints with the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Houston Astros.

Greinke spent parts of three seasons in Houston before going back to where it all began by signing a one-year deal with the Royals.

The one major missing piece from Greinke's list of accolades is a World Series title, and if he does indeed remain with the Royals this season, he won't achieve that goal in 2022.

At 41-62, the Royals are 13.5 games out in the AL Central and own one of the worst records in MLB.

That, along with Greinke's status as an impending free agent, seemingly would have made him an ideal trade candidate at the deadline.

Given that Greinke is little more than a back-of-the-rotation starter at this point in his career, however, the return likely wouldn't have been great, and that may have contributed to the Royals' reported decision to keep him around as a veteran leader.

The New York Yankees are reportedly ramping up their pursuit of Kansas City Royals All-Star left fielder Andrew Benintendi.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported Saturday that the Yankees have emerged as "serious contenders" to land Benintendi before the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

New York has been linked to Benintendi in recent weeks, in part because of the offensive struggles of left fielder Joey Gallo.

The 28-year-old Benintendi is a former Yankee rival, having played with the Boston Red Sox from 2016-2020.

Benintendi enjoyed a great deal of success in Beantown, including finishing second in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2017 and helping the Red Sox win the 2018 World Series.

His Boston tenure came to an end prior to the 2021 season when he was traded to Kansas City after he hit just .103 in 14 games for the Red Sox during the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

Benintendi has rebounded nicely in two seasons with the Royals, hitting .276 with 17 home runs, 73 RBI and 63 runs last season as well as winning his first Gold Glove Award for his play in left field.

This season, Benintendi is slashing .319/.389/.402 with three homers, 39 RBI and 37 runs, plus he earned his first All-Star nod.

The Yankees outfield is populated by a pair of All-Stars in leading AL MVP candidate Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, who splits his time at designated hitter, but there is less certainty beyond them.

Aaron Hicks has picked things up since a slow start, but he is hitting just .238 with six homers and 29 RBI. New York has been using Matt Carpenter lately to get his bat in the lineup, but the veteran is a defensive liability.

Gallo is the outfielder whom the Yanks would most benefit from upgrading since he has had a miserable season at the plate.

Though he is a plus defender and has speed, he is hitting just .164 with 12 homers and 24 RBI, which isn't unlike what he did last season after New York acquired him from the Texas Rangers (.160, 13 homers, 22 RBI in 58 games).

Gallo is a two-time All-Star who has hit 38 or more home runs in a season three times, but he has been a detriment to the Yankees.

Benintendi has been the anti-Gallo in that he makes contact and gets on base. He hasn't displayed much power, but that could change for the lefty at Yankee Stadium thanks to the short porch in right field.

The Yankees have the best record in baseball (65-30) and don't have glaring needs with a 12-game lead in the AL East, but adding a player such as Benintendi would make their outfield and lineup even more versatile.

Fresh off making his first All-Star Game appearance for the Kansas City Royals, Andrew Benintendi could find himself playing for a new team before the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

Per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, there are "multiple teams" interested in acquiring Benintendi for the stretch run this season.

One interesting note from Feinsand's report is "some" American League East teams are among those looking at Benintendi.

The Royals recently played a series against the Toronto Blue Jays without 10 players, who had to be placed on the restricted list.

Benintendi, who was among the players unavailable for the series, did not specify if he was vaccinated against COVID-19. He told reporters getting vaccinated is a "personal choice" and he'd "leave it at that."

Due to Canada's COVID-19 vaccine travel requirements, unvaccinated MLB players and coaches are unable to travel with their team for games against the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Networked noted the New York Yankees were "unlikely" to continue their pursuit of Benintendi. The Yankees still have six games remaining in Toronto during the regular season.

Despite his potential unavailability for games against the Blue Jays, Benintendi could be one of the best players moved before the trade deadline. The 28-year-old is hitting .317/.386/.401 with three homers and 37 RBI in 87 games with the Royals.

Unlike the Juan Soto trade market, which could be limited by virtue of the number of high-level prospects it will take to acquire him and the money he can make over the next two years through arbitration, Benintendi should be on the radar for all playoff contenders looking for an outfield upgrade.

Benintendi is making $8.6 million this season, his final year of team control before being eligible for free agency. At this point, he is owed around $3.7 million for the remainder of the regular season.

The Kansas City Royals will be without All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi and nine other players for their upcoming series against the Toronto Blue Jays because they are unvaccinated for COVID-19.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported Wednesday that Benintendi, Whit Merrifield, M.J. Melendez, Hunter Dozier, Brad Keller, Brady Singer, Michael A. Taylor, Kyle Isbel, Dylan Coleman and Cam Gallagher are ineligible to enter the country.

Canada requires nearly all people over the age of 18 to be vaccinated to enter the country. While there are some exceptions which require testing and a 14-day quarantine, MLB players do not qualify and have been forced to sit out games in Toronto throughout the 2022 season.

The Royals have by far the highest concentration of unvaccinated players so far this season. There had been only 25 players combined from all visiting teams traveling to Toronto not allowed to enter the country before Kansas City players are added to the list. No other team had more than four players added to the list.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at preventing serious outcomes. The virus has seen an increase in cases in recent weeks due to BA.4 and BA.5 variants.

Vaccine efficacy aside, MLB players who remain unvaccinated are impacting their teams' chances of winning. Kansas City will go into Toronto with a grab bag of players plucked from Triple-A and Double-A just to get them through the series. While the 35-53 Royals were not in playoff contention, there's no question the vaccinated players on the roster are being put at a significant disadvantage.

Players who are unvaccinated and are forced to miss games forgo their salary and service time for the games missed.

Atlanta will acquire the No. 35 overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for three minor leaguers, the Royals announced Monday.

Kansas will receive center fielder Drew Waters, pitcher Andrew Hoffmann and infielder CJ Alexander as part of the return package.

ESPN's Jeff Passan first reported news of the trade.

Waters is considered Atlanta's No. 1 prospect, according to MLB.com, while Hoffman is rated No. 23.

Before the 2021 season, Waters was considered a top-40 prospect by multiple publications and earned a spot on the 2021 Futures Game roster.

The 23-year-old has struggled at the higher levels of the minors, however. In three different stints in Triple-A, he has recorded a .246 batting average and a .324 on-base percentage in 178 games.

Waters has dealt with hamstring issues in 2022 and has a .246/.305/.393 slash line in Triple-A, adding just five home runs in 49 games.

He will now get a fresh start with the Royals organization, which is looking to add high-upside talent as it heads toward a sixth straight losing season. Kansas City enters Monday in last place in the AL Central with a 32-52 record.

Hoffmann could also help after a strong start in High-A, producing a 2.36 ERA in 15 starts this year. The 22-year-old has 90 strikeouts in 80 innings.

Alexander, 25, has 15 home runs and 13 stolen bases in 68 appearances at Double-A this season.

Draft picks are not often traded in baseball, but the 35th selection is moveable as a competitive-balance-round pick, as Passan noted. As one of the 10 teams with the smallest revenue, the Royals had received that selection ahead of the start of Round 2.

Acquiring that selection from K.C. helped Atlanta add to its bonus pool thanks to the $2.2 million slot for the pick, per Passan. The team moved from 19th to 10th in overall bonus money for the draft, which could allow it to be more aggressive in targeting tough-to-sign players.

The 2022 draft is set to begin Sunday and run through July 19.

The New York Yankees have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Kansas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi and trading away outfielder Joey Gallo ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

According to Dan Martin and Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees have had talks with the Royals focused on Benintendi and have likely discussed trades for other available outfielders, but they have considered the "price tag too high" for Benintendi thus far.

The Yankees have reportedly spoken with multiple teams about trading Gallo as well, with the Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres emerging as potential landing spots.

Last season, New York acquired Gallo from Texas, but the move has not paid dividends thus far.

In 58 games for the Yankees last season, Gallo hit just .160 with 13 home runs and 22 RBI. He has perhaps been even worse this season, hitting .166 with 10 homers and 21 RBI in 70 games.

Gallo has been solid defensively and on the bases, but the prevailing thought was that his lefty power would play well in Yankee Stadium, and that hasn't been the case.

With Gallo struggling, the Yankees have often deployed an outfield of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks, while Marwin Gonzalez and Matt Carpenter have seen a bit of time in the outfield as well.

Gallo slugged 40 homers in back-to-back seasons with the Rangers in 2017 and 2018, and he hit 38 bombs combined last season. Given his status as a two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner in Texas, the Rangers' reported interest comes as little surprise.

The Padres also have a link to Gallo since their general manager, A.J. Preller, was previously part of Texas' front office.

As noted by Martin and Heyman, both the Rangers and Padres need outfield help and are in the playoff race, and Gallo would undoubtedly be a cheap addition with upside, as he doesn't have much trade value and the Yankees would likely pay a good portion of the prorated portion of $10.275 million left on his contract this season before becoming a free agent next offseason.

Like Gallo, Benintendi is in the final year of his deal, but he is seemingly a much better fit for the Yankees at this point.

In the midst of his second season with the Royals, the 28-year-old Benintendi is slashing .317/.387/.402 with three home runs, 34 RBI and 34 runs scored. He is also a great defender, having won his first career Gold Glove Award last season.

Benintendi is a left fielder by trade, but he is capable of playing some center field as well, which would take some pressure off Aaron Judge, who has been the Yankees' primary starter in center this season.

While the power hasn't been there for Benintendi this season, he hit 17 home runs this year and a career-high 20 homers in 2017 with the Boston Red Sox, and he could see an uptick in power as a lefty playing the majority of his games in Yankee Stadium.

Benintendi was once a bitter rival of the Yankees, playing for the Red Sox from 2016 to 2020, and helping them win a World Series title in 2018.

The Yanks have a World Series win on their minds this season, as they own the best record in baseball at 61-24, and while they don't have many glaring needs, adding some quality outfield depth would make them even tougher to beat.

Kansas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi is reportedly a potential target if the Philadelphia Phillies dip in to the trade market to help replace Bryce Harper, who's out indefinitely after suffering a broken left thumb on Saturday.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported Wednesday that Benintendi is a "name to watch" given the limited financial impact of his expiring contract and his connection to Phillies president Dave Dombrowski after four years together with the Boston Red Sox.

A single trade isn't going to fill the massive void left by Harper. The reigning National League MVP was putting together another terrific season with a .318/.385/.599 slash line, 15 home runs and nine stolen bases through 64 games before the injury.

That said, Benintendi could provide a stabilizing force for a Phillies lineup that lacks depth.

The 27-year-old Cincinnati native posted his best season with the World Series-winning Red Sox in 2018 when he compiled a .830 OPS with 16 homers and 21 steals in 148 games en route to a 5.0 WAR, per FanGraphs.

He's lacked that type of all-around production with the Royals this season, tallying just three long balls and one swipe in 72 appearances, but he's maintained a .303 average and .368 on-base percentage.

Benintendi could slot in nicely in the second spot in the Philly order behind leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber (.344 OBP) to give the club a pair consistent on-base threats ahead of Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto.

The 2021 Gold Glove Award winner may also be available at a reasonable cost since he's set to become a free agent at season's end and the Royals are already fading from playoff contention with a 26-47 record.

Philadelphia is in the thick of the playoff race as the campaign approaches the halfway mark with a 39-36 record, which is third in the NL East and three games behind the final wild-card spot.

The goal is trying to remain within striking distance of a postseason berth with the hope Harper can return at some point in the second half for a late-season charge.

Benintendi would help in that quest, though trying to find another power bat would still remain on the Phils' to-do list ahead of the Aug. 2 MLB trade deadline.