'Chance to strike': Royals acquire reliever Erceg, infielder DeJong

CHICAGO -- The Royals’ 2024 Trade Deadline strategy was all about balancing the now and the future. When the clock struck 5 p.m. CT on Tuesday, they felt like they had accomplished both.

The Royals acquired righty Lucas Erceg, one of the hardest throwing relievers in the Majors with five years of control beyond ‘24, from the A’s for three prospects and infielder Paul DeJong from the White Sox for a Minor League pitcher on Tuesday.

Add in reliever Hunter Harvey, acquired earlier this month from the Nationals, and pitcher Michael Lorenzen, acquired Monday from the Rangers, and the Royals (59-49) added four Major League players to help them keep contending this year.

Those were the moves that invigorated the Royals’ clubhouse Tuesday, right before beating the White Sox, 4-3, at Guaranteed Rate Field thanks to more clutch hitting from Bobby Witt Jr. and a go-ahead two-run single from Vinnie Pasquantino in the eighth inning.

“When you’re in our position as a winning team, it’s exciting,” reliever Will Smith said. “It’s almost like you’re sharpening your sword before you go to the real war. It pumps everybody up.”

The club also believes it set itself up for future success with who was added -- and who stayed.

“We wanted to do what we could to help this club, but we also had in mind our prospect value and how we needed to protect that,” general manager J.J. Picollo said.

TRADE DETAILS
Royals acquire: RHP Lucas Erceg
A’s acquire: RHP Mason Barnett (Royals No. 4-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 rankings), RHP Will Klein (Royals' No. 18), OF Jared Dickey

TRADE DETAILS
Royals acquire: SS/3B Paul DeJong
White Sox acquire: Minor League RHP Jarold Rosado

DeJong packed up his stuff and moved from the home clubhouse to the visiting clubhouse at Guaranteed Rate Field. Royals starter Michael Wacha, who allowed two runs in seven innings, told his former Cardinals teammate, “Thanks for wasting my time,” after Wacha prepared to face DeJong with the Sox on Tuesday.

“And then he rattled off exactly what I was going to do to him,” Wacha said. “Good thing I wasn’t facing him. He’s a great guy, and a real asset for us.”

The Royals optioned infielder Nick Loftin to Triple-A Omaha to make room for DeJong on the active roster and designated right-handed reliever John McMillon for assignment as the corresponding 40-man move.

“I could have gone across the country, but instead I go across the field,” DeJong said. “It’s a day I’ll always remember.”

The Royals are expecting Erceg to be able to join them for Wednesday’s series finale. Jonathan Bowlan was called up Tuesday to fill the hole in the ‘pen until Erceg gets here.

Lorenzen and DeJong are free agents at the end of the year, aiming to make the Royals better this season. Lorenzen is available to help in the rotation or bullpen and DeJong offers a right-handed bat off the bench while being able to play third base.

The Royals targeted Harvey and Erceg not only for this year, but looking ahead to ‘25 and ‘26.

The 29-year-old Erceg has a 3.68 ERA across 36 2/3 innings this season with the A’s, giving Kansas City a high-leverage option at the back of the bullpen. He averages 98.4 mph on his fastball and generates a ton of whiffs with his slider and his changeup. He’s brought a worrisome walk rate down to 8.3% this year, while his strikeout rate is 26.3%.

A converted position player drafted in the second round by the Brewers in 2016, Erceg became a full-time pitcher in ‘21, so the Royals don’t think he’s reached his potential yet. He’ll slot immediately in high-leverage situations, giving manager Matt Quatraro another option in the seventh, eighth or ninth innings to combine with Harvey, James McArthur and now Sam Long, who earned his first save as a Royal on Tuesday.

“I like to think about it as we’re planning to win games, so you’re not going to be able to use the same guys every night,” Quatraro said. “There are going to be opportunities for people to pitch in all kinds of roles. Winning helps define those roles.”

Perhaps most importantly in the deal: Erceg is not a free agent until 2030. That’s five years of control for a pitcher the Royals believe could be a “legitimate closer,” according to Picollo. Adding Erceg and Harvey, who isn’t a free agent until ‘26, to the bullpen addresses an offseason priority right now.

“Sometimes you think you know what’s going to happen, but when you get a chance to strike, you just got to strike,” Picollo said. “That was a chance to strike, and hopefully lock down our bullpen here not just this year, but years moving forward.”

In an effort to balance both the now and the future, Picollo and his team had one list of players they weren’t willing to trade this summer and one they would be willing to deal if the acquisition came with years of control.

That meant they saw some trade targets sent to other contenders. It also meant they maintained depth in the Minor League system and kept nearly all of their top prospects, including catcher Blake Mitchell (No. 1) and righty Ben Kudrna (No. 2).

“We felt like this was the year to stick to our guns at a higher level than maybe sometime in the future,” Picollo said. “Right now, we’re trying to have a farm system that can supply our Major League team with a lot of value, whether in a trade or on the field. We’re also trying to win at the Major Leagues right now. I like the way our team is positioned. I feel like we have the necessary pieces to continue to compete at a high level.

“We made some upgrades, particularly in the bullpen, that’s going to serve us well in ‘24 and moving forward.”

DeJong, who turns 31 on Friday, also fits the profile of what the Royals have been looking for to upgrade their bench: A right-handed bat with some power. DeJong has 18 home runs this season with Chicago and entered Tuesday slashing .228/.275/.430 in a bounce-back year. He’s played the majority of games at shortstop in his career, but given the Royals have an MVP-caliber shortstop in Witt Jr, it’s more likely DeJong will be playing third base, with the Royals even discussing a move to the outfield given his athleticism.

The Royals had targeted the outfield as a place to upgrade, but deals never evolved there, Picollo said.

“The right-handed bat, whether it be off the bench, whether it be starting a couple games a week, it was something we valued,” Picollo said. “He’s got some power.”