Kansas City Royals Release 7-Veteran Infielder

In a slightly surprising move, the Kansas City Royals have decided to release infielder Hunter Dozier, parting ways with him despite having one year remaining on his four-year, $25 million contract signed in 2021.

Dozier's performance in recent seasons has been underwhelming, with a lackluster .679 OPS over his last 345 games.

We have requested unconditional release waivers on INF/OF Hunter Dozier.

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) May 27, 2023

This season, he has struggled at the plate, posting a slash line of .183/.253/.305 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 25 games.

As a result of his release, Dozier is now a free agent and may need to settle for a minor-league deal due to his underwhelming performance. However, there remains a possibility that he could find a new opportunity elsewhere, potentially as a bench player.

Hunter Dozier's last at bat as a Kansas City Royal pic.twitter.com/hPNSEBdn8E

— Tucker D. Franklin (@tuckerdfranklin) May 22, 2023

It is worth noting that despite his release, the Royals will still be responsible for paying the remaining $16.25 million owed to Dozier through 2024, as stipulated in his contract.

Over his seven years with the Royals, the 31-year-old posted a .238/.305/.420 triple-slash line, with 73 home runs, 235 RBIs, 19 stolen bases, and 258 runs scored across 594 games. Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports