Orioles acquire right-hander Jonathan Heasley in trade with Royals

Nearly a year ago, the Kansas City Royals needed to make room on their 40-man roster, so they traded first baseman Ryan O’Hearn to the Orioles for cash considerations.

On Monday, the Royals needed to make room on their 40-man roster, so they traded right-hander Jonathan Heasley to the Orioles for an 18-year-old pitcher in rookie ball.

The likelihood of Heasley playing as big a role on the 2024 Orioles as O’Hearn did on the 2023 club is small, but the 26-year-old will likely provide Baltimore additional bullpen depth and flexibility.

Heasley, who sports a pitch mix featuring a mid-90s fastball, curveball, sweeper and changeup, has struggled the past three seasons bouncing between Triple-A and the majors. In 2022, he went 4-10 with a 5.28 ERA and a well-below-average 15% strikeout rate. He spent most of 2023 in the minors, posting a 6.85 ERA as both a starter and reliever. In 12 big-league relief outings, the 6-foot-3 Heasley posted a 7.20 ERA and struck out nine batters across 15 innings.

The Orioles sent right-hander Cesar Espinal to Kansas City in exchange for Heasley. Espinal isn’t among Baltimore’s top prospects on public lists. He posted a 3.18 ERA in 34 innings with Baltimore’s team in the Dominican Summer League this year.

Baltimore went into the MLB winter meetings with four open spots on their 40-man roster. They have half as many after acquiring Heasley on Monday and signing right-hander Craig Kimbrel on Dec. 6.

Kimbrel will slot in as Baltimore’s closer in 2024 with Félix Bautista out for the year recovering from Tommy John elbow reconstruction. It’s unclear where Heasley fits into Baltimore’s pitching plans, although it’s more likely as a reliever than as a starter given the Orioles’ rotation options.

Heasley could join Jacob Webb, Mike Baumann and others as fringe candidates for the club’s bullpen. Unlike Webb, Baumann and several other members of the Orioles’ relief corps, though, Heasley has a minor league option remaining, potentially providing the organization flexibility throughout the season.

While the $13 million paid to Kimbrel is the largest guarantee the Orioles have made in a free agent since general manager Mike Elias took over in November 2018, that’s nothing compared with how much the Royals, another small-market franchise, has spent this offseason. After struggling the past few seasons, Kansas City has spent more than $100 million this offseason to bolster its lineup and starting rotation. The Royals on Monday finalized a two-year, $32 million deal with right-hander Michael Wacha, forcing the organization to make space on its 40-man roster by sending Heasley to Baltimore.

Around the horn

• Two former Orioles pitchers signed recently signed with other teams. Right-hander Jack Flaherty, the starter the Orioles acquired at the trade deadline who struggled down the stretch, signed a one-year, $14 million deal with the Detroit Tigers. Right-hander Spenser Watkins, an Orioles starter in 2021 and 2022 who was traded to the Houston Astros last summer for cash considerations, signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals
• Catcher Adley Rutschman, right-hander Kyle Bradish and Bautista were honored Saturday as All-MLB honorees. Rutschman and Bautista were first-team selections, while Bradish made the second team as voted by fans and a media panel. Infielder Gunnar Henderson, outfielder Anthony Santander and reliever Yennier Cano were also finalists.
• The Orioles have announced the Birdland Caravan, the team’s replacement for FanFest, will take place from Jan. 25 to 28. The caravan provides fans the opportunity to meet Orioles players during a four-day tour that features events throughout the region.