Why Grichuk’s happy to join Royals: ‘Heard great things about (the) organization’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals trade reliever Andrew Hoffmann to acquire outfielder Randal Grichuk
- Grichuk expected to face left-handed pitchers and provide veteran outfield depth
- Front office eyes playoff push with more trades likely before Thursday deadline
Randal Grichuk learned he was headed to the Kansas City Royals midway through the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Saturday game against the Pirates in Pittsburgh.
After exchanging farewell hugs with his now former D’backs teammates, Grichuk brimmed with anticipation on his way to the airport. He was joining the Royals ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium.
He was embarking on a new path.
“I guess it almost happened in the first (inning),” he said of the trade, “and there were kind of rumblings of me being pulled, and it didn’t happen. And then I kind of was on edge, knowing something was going to happen. And then in the fourth or the fifth (inning), it happened.”
The Royals acquired Grichuk from the Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed reliever Andrew Hoffmann. KC needed another right-handed bat and had interest in Grichuk that dated back to last offseason.
Now Grichuk will help fill the void left by injured Royals outfielders Jac Caglianone, Mark Canha and Nick Loftin.
On Sunday, his first game with KC, Grichuk sported his customary No. 15 jersey while starting in right field against the Guardians. But he needed to do some convincing in order to get his desired number from teammate Luke Maile, who had been wearing the 15 jersey.
“I texted him immediately when they (Royals) called and said, ‘15 is taken, do you want a different number,’” Grichuk recalled. “I said, ‘That’s fine, but out of curiosity, who has it?’ And they said, ‘Luke Maile.’
“I said, ‘That’s my guy, let me text him. If he wants to keep it, he can have it, by all means.’ But it’s been my number my whole career, so I’m going to try. And he graciously gave it to me.”
Sure enough, Maile switched to wearing No. 17 for Sunday’s game. Both players were in the starting lineup as the Royals beat Cleveland 4-1.
“We are in a playoff race and I told him, ‘Hey man, we will figure out the details later,’” Maile said of the jersey switch. “’Let’s just get you rolling and get you up in the outfield.’ It’s still on the table.”
Grichuk went 1-for-4 in his Royals debut. He singled in the second inning against Guardians starter Joey Cantillo. The Royals are expected to play Grichuk against left-handed pitching due to his strong splits.
Since 2022, Grichuk owns a .573 slugging percentage against lefties.
“We haven’t really talked about roles yet, but I imagine it will be something similar to how it was in Arizona,” Grichuk said. “Playing every day against lefties and coming in off the bench against lefties, if a righty started.”
The Royals could remain active ahead of the Major League Baseball trade deadline, which arrives at 5 p.m. Central Time on Thursday. The club is down three starting pitchers and could look to acquire a fresh arm to fill innings as Cole Ragans, Michael Lorenzen and Kris Bubic work through their respective injuries.
KC general manager J.J. Picollo reiterated the Royals will not be sellers ahead of Thursday’s deadline. It’s possible they’ll attempt to improve on the margins to solidify their place in the American League Wild Card standings.
For now, Grichuk is a step toward an improved Royals roster. He has five seasons of at least 20 or more home runs and is a veteran leader on the bench.
“I feel good with my mechanics and I feel good with my bat and body-wise,” Grichuk said. “So I’m excited to finish strong.”
This story was originally published July 27, 2025 at 5:58 PM with the headline "Why Grichuk’s happy to join Royals: ‘Heard great things about (the) organization’."
