The Royals have traded reliever Dylan Coleman to the Houston Astros. News of the trade broke early Wednesday, just over an hour ahead of this year’s Rule 5 Draft. Coleman, who was acquired from the Padres along with Edward Olivares, has had a rather up-and-down career thus far. He debuted for the Royals in 2021, pitching 6.1 innings with a 1.42 ERA. That strong showing over a handful of outings led Coleman to spend most of the 2022 season in the Major Leagues.

That season, Coleman went 5-2 with a 2.78 ERA. He struck out 9.40 batters per nine innings over 68.0 IP. The walks were a tad high, however. Coleman’s average fastball velocity that season was 97.7 mph. Since, the fastball velocity has dipped and along with it, the results have as well. In 2023, Coleman’s average fastball velocity was down to 95.3 mph. He went on to pitch in just 18.1 innings for the Royals and was demoted to the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers.

In Omaha, the results were mixed. Coleman had an impressive 32.7% K% for the Storm Chasers, but the walks were worse than ever. He walked 9.39 batters per nine innings. That was a big culprit behind his 5.43 FIP on the year. There was long a hope that Coleman could become a late-inning reliever for the Royals. His fastball had great life, and his slider/sweeper combination could be dominant when he was commanding it well.

Instead, Coleman will continue his career with the Astros organization. The move opens a 40-man roster spot for the Royals, who will now be able to make a selection in Wednesday’s Rule 5 draft. Word on what will be heading back to Kansas City in the trade has not been made public yet, but MLB Trade Rumors reports the deal could just be for cash.

EDIT: The Royals have reported they’ve acquired RHP Carlos Mateo in exchange for Dylan Coleman. Mateo will turn 20 this month and had a 5.19 ERA in the Complex League last season. That showing was over just 8.2 innings pitched, leaving a lot of questions about what his future potential could be.