KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals outfielder Hunter Renfroe and reliever Chris Stratton picked up their player options on Monday, and right-hander Kyle Wright was reinstated from the 60-day injured list.
Renfroe made $5.5 million last season and will make $7.5 million next season, when the 32-year-old outfielder hopes to bounce back from a subpar season. He hit just .229 with 15 homers and 18 doubles and was frequently relegated to the bench during the stretch run, when Kansas City was locking up a wild-card playoff berth.
Stratton made $3.5 million last season and will make $4.5 million next season. He also will try to bounce back after posting a 5.55 ERA and struggling with his command before ending the season on the injured list with a right forearm flexor strain.
Wright was acquired in a trade with the Braves last year, even though the Royals knew he would miss the entire season while recovering from shoulder surgery. Their hope all along has been that the 29-year-old right-hander, who won 21 games with a 3.19 ERA in 2022, would be ready for spring training and potentially claim the last open job in the starting rotation.
The Royals previously declined their mutual option on utilityman Adam Frazier, paying him a $2.5 million buyout rather than bringing him back on an $8.5 million deal next season. He hit just .202 during his lone year in Kansas City.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
The Associated Press
