Royals Lose 27-Year-Old Depth Arm To Braves In Free Agency

Three years in the Royals organization never quite paid off

Aug 13, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; A general view of the cap and glove of Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson (28) on the dugout steps in the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Jacob Wallace came to the Kansas City Royals in a trade three offseasons ago, and despite striking out a lot of batters in the upper levels of the minors, he never got a shot at the big leagues.

Wallace, 27, was acquired in the December, 2022 trade that sent fellow right-handed pitcher Wyatt Mills to the Boston Red Sox. In a way, the trade worked out evenly, because Mills never wound up making it to the big leagues in a Red Sox uniform.

After electing free agency earlier this month, Wallace found a new opportunity on Tuesday, as he signed a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves, per the transactions log on his official roster page.

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Jacob Wallace joins Braves after 3-year Royals stint

Wallace made 26 appearances for the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers this past season, totaling 42 1/3 innings. He had a 3-1 record, 45 strikeouts, 17 walks, 34 hits allowed, and a 4.46 ERA.

In all three of his seasons with the Royals organization, Wallace always struck out more than a batter per inning, peaking a year ago with 86 punchouts in 63 2/3 innings. Unfortunately for the righty, he also had an ERA over four in each of those seasons.

At this time of year, every team is in the business of stockpiling pitching depth, and perhaps the Braves saw something in Wallace's arsenal this year that they believe they can tweak or exploit. He was once a third-round pick for the Colorado Rockies in 2019 after attending the University of Connecticut.

Wallace stands 6-foot-1, weighs 190 pounds, and has dialed his fastball up into the high 90s in years past.

Kansas City has yet to sign a minor-league pitcher in free agency this season, but they did acquire righty Mason Black from the San Francisco Giants in a trade earlier this month. More small moves are certainly coming, though the offseason will be judged mostly by whether or not they acquire a big outfield bat.

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