The Royals got their offseason moving a bit on Friday. The team pulled of a trade with the Atlanta Braves, acquiring reliever Nick Anderson in exchange for cash considerations. Anderson is 33 but under team control through the 2025 season. He is currently in his second year of arbitration, estimated to make around $1.6 million.
It’s been a long path to the major leagues for Anderson. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Twins in 2015 and played in the Minnesota system until 2018. The Marlins acquired Anderson via trade in exchange for third baseman Brian Schales. Miami flipped Anderson a year later, along with RHP Trevor Rogers in the trade that sent Ryne Stanek and Jesus Sanchez to Miami.
Anderson caught on with Tampa Bay, working through his share of injuries in the process. He put himself on the map in 2020 for the Rays, pitching in 16.1 innings with a 0.53 ERA. 2021 was a rougher showing and he missed all of 2022 with injury. The Braves signed Anderson as a free agent on November 11, 2022. He pitched in 35.1 innings for Atlanta in 2023, finishing the year with a very respectable 3.06 FIP. He struck out 9.17 batters per nine innings and limited walks, culminating in a fantastic 19.1% K-BB%.
Anderson’s fastball velocity averaged 94.2 mph in 2023, just a tick above league average. He pairs the 4-seamer with a great curveball. It’s mostly just the two-pitch mix for Anderson but it’s worked to this point. Last season, he threw the curveball 50% of the time. Opponents hit just .161 against the pitch with a sky-high 40.4% whiff%. Baseball Savant compares Anderson to other major league arms based on batted ball profile, a list that includes Mariners starter Logan Gilbert and Angels pitcher Griffin Canning.
For the Royals, the move almost certainly signals more moves are on the way today ahead of tonight’s non-tender deadline. With the addition of Anderson, the 40-man roster sits at 41, although that number will drop by the end of the day. Reliever Josh Taylor is the safest bet to be non-tendered by Kansas City and could be the only move in the cards to clear space for the newly acquired Anderson. Players who aren’t eligible for arbitration could still be non-tendered to clear space on the 40-man roster but remain with the organization on a minor league contract.
