Royals Acquire AL Central Rival's Former Closer After Recent DFA

And a local kid at that...

Detroit Tigers closing pitcher Alex Lange celebrates striking out Oakland Athletics second base Zack Gelof to seal their 5-4 win over Oakland for the Detroit home opener at Comerica Park on Friday, April 5, 2024. | Mandi Wright / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Kansas City Royals are always looking for bullpen depth, and on Thursday, they found some.

Right-handed relief pitcher Alex Lange spent the last five years with the Royals' American League Central rivals, the Detroit Tigers. But after spending the vast majority of the last year and a half on the injured list, he was designated for assignment last week.

The Royals saw an opportunity, and they took it. According to a report from Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Lange and Kansas City agreed to a one-year contract for the 2026 season on Tuesday.

What Lange brings to Royals

Sep 24, 2023; Oakland, California, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Alex Lange (55) reacts after the final out of the game against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Though Lange has a history of high-leverage work in Detroit, he suffered a lat injury in 2024 that has sent his career into a bit of a tailspin. He went on the injured list on Jun. 27, 2024, then made his return to the majors on Aug. 18 of this year -- only to be optioned to Triple-A after a single appearance in a blowout against the Houston Astros.

Then, after finishing the season with Triple-A Toledo, Lange was DFA'd on Nov. 12 and released on Tuesday.

The Tigers were in a playoff race and didn't feel there was a spot for Lange in their crowded bullpen, but if he rebounds to form, he'd surely love to show Detroit what a mistake it made by letting him go.

Lange was born in California, but he attended Lee's Summit West High School about 15 miles from Kauffman Stadium. The 30th overall pick in the 2017 Draft of the Chicago Cubs, he's got 196 major league appearances to his name, pitching to a 3.70 ERA and striking out 222 batters in 184 2/3 innings.

Kansas City isn't necessarily banking on Lange returning to his 2023 form, when he racked up 26 saves and struck out 79 batters in 66 innings. If he could be a serviceable seventh-inning guy, that would be extremely valuable in a bullpen that also includes righties Carlos Estévez, Lucas Erceg, and John Schreiber.

While there are surely bigger moves to come, it's exciting for Kansas City fans to see the Royals making opportunistic signings so quickly.

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