Royals signed RHP Ross Stripling to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
Stripling was hit hard last year with the Athletics, struggling to a bloated 6.01 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 49/22 K/BB ratio across 85 1/3 innings (22 appearances, 14 starts). However, there’s a glimmer of optimism in his underlying data, most notably a respectable 3.89 FIP and an impossibly low 54.8 percent strand rate, which suggests he still has something left in the tank. The 35-year-old figures to operate in a versatile swingman-type role for Kansas City, if he makes their season-opening roster. He’s a non-factor for fantasy purposes given his lackluster strikeout rates, but he represents a quality depth addition for the Royals.