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Royals acquire minor league pitcher James McArthur, designate DH Franmil Reyes

Franmil Reyes
Posted at 10:51 AM, May 08, 2023
and last updated 2023-05-08 11:51:27-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Franmil Reyes' time in Kansas City has come to an end as the Royals have designated him for assignment Monday morning as a corresponding move after acquiring minor league pitcher James McArthur from the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies will receive minor league outfielder Junior Marin and cash considerations from the Royals in the trade.

For Reyes, it ends a disappointing tenure with the Royals.

Reyes signed a minor league contract with the Royals in February, but a strong spring training in which he posted a slash line of .340/.404/.617 with three home runs in 18 games propelled him to make the Royals' Opening Day roster.

However, his spring training success would not translate to regular season play, as Reyes posted a .186/.231/.288 slash line with two home runs in 65 plate appearances. Reyes' OPS+ was 57% lower than the OPS+ of a league-average hitter.

McArthur was a 12th-round draft pick by the Phillies in the 2018 MLB Draft. The 6-foot-7-inch pitcher out of Ole Miss has struggled so far this season, pitching a 7.31 ERA in 16 innings for the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs, the Phillies Triple-A affiliate.