The Royals introduced this morning they’ve positioned reliever Brooks Kriske on unconditional launch waivers. In keeping with Kansas Metropolis, he’s pursuing a chance with a Japanese membership. The transfer drops the Royals’ 40-man roster depend to 39. Whereas the Royals didn’t announce which crew Kriske will likely be becoming a member of, a Japanese-language Yahoo! Japan report suggests he has agreed to phrases with the Seibu Lions.

Kriske spent the 2022 marketing campaign in Japan. The precise-hander first signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. He posted a 2.57 ERA by way of 21 innings, placing out 29.2% of batters confronted. He walked opponents at a lofty 14.6% clip, although, and bounced between NPB and their farm crew.

Final winter, the 29-year-old returned to the affiliated ranks on a non-roster pact with Okay.C. He pitched to a 5.52 ERA throughout 29 1/3 frames with Triple-A Omaha. The Royals chosen his contract in mid-June, plugging him into 4 video games. Over 6 2/3 innings, he allowed three runs with six strikeouts and 4 walks.

Kriske was optioned again to Omaha two weeks in the past. Whereas he remained on the 40-man roster, he presumably obtained a stronger monetary package deal from the Lions than he’d have made bouncing on and off the Okay.C. lively roster. His maintain on a 40-man spot may need been tenuous as a low-leverage reliever, so it’s comprehensible he’d want the assured deal to return to Japan for a second season.