KC Royals Release Former Silver Slugger, Becomes Free Agent

He posted back-to-back 25+ home run and 80+ RBI seasons with an.800+ OPS recently. But this is now the third straight year that Brandon Drury has not been able to break a big league roster. And now the Kansas City Royals have cut ties, releasing the 10-year veteran. 

Brandon Drury is back on the market.

• The Royals released the 34-year-old infielder from Triple-A Omaha, making him a free agent.

• His overall numbers this season were modest at .226/.354/.362, but he had been better lately with a .231/.379/.392 line over his most recent… pic.twitter.com/4Q6Z1Q76DN

— PinkDragonSports (@PinkDragonMktg) September 8, 2026

The 34-year-old infielder has spent the year at Triple-A Omaha, where he didn't do anything to attract the attention of any other major league club, with a slash line of .226/.354/.362 with only six homers in 212 at-bats. 

It was back in 2022 that Drury, after a middling early career as a nice depth piece but not a star, exploded for a career-high 28 homers and 87 RBIs split between the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres. He won the Silver Slugger award for the Utility spot. The following year, 2023, he hit another 26 long balls with 83 more RBIs for the LA Angels and it looked like he could be a legit power source in the second half of his career. 

But 2024 saw him fall off a clip with the Halos, to a .169 average and .469 OPS with just four homers in 360 plate appearances. He has since bounced around with minor-league contracts with other organizations in subsequent seasons, but hasn't had an MLB at-bat since 2024. 

He'll now hit the open market to see if there's another team willing to give him a shot. He would not be eligible for the postseason, however, as it is past the Aug. 31st deadline for that.