Why the Royals swapped one pitcher for another in midweek trade with Athletics
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals traded prospect A.J. Causey for veteran RHP Mitch Spence to boost starting depth.
- Spence brings five pitches, starting experience and multiple years of team control.
- Move adds depth amid WBC absences; Marsh was placed on 60-day IL separately.
The Kansas City Royals added a veteran pitcher to their spring camp on Thursday, acquiring right-handed starter Mitch Spence from the Athletics in exchange for right-handed prospect A.J. Causey.
Spence, 27, will report to Royals camp in Surprise, Arizona. In a corresponding move, the Royals shifted right-handed starter Alec Marsh — who is out due to shoulder surgery — to the 60-day injured list.
“You’re always looking for starter depth,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “I think in a year where you’ve got guys (participating) in the WBC (World Baseball Classic), you never have enough starting pitching anyway.
“Mitch was the first pitch of the Rule 5 Draft in 2023 going into the 2024 season. He’s a strike-thrower with multiple pitches. He has starting experience and you want to have that depth in your organization.”
Spence had a 5.10 ERA in 32 games (eight starts) with the A’s last season, striking out 66 in 84 2/3 innings.
The Royals certainly found value in the trade. Spence has experience as both a starter and reliever and is also under team control for multiple years. He has minor-league options remaining as well, which gives him a chance to stick in the organization longer-term.
“The main attraction is that he has been a major-league starter,” Picollo said. “He has starts in the major leagues and sometimes you look at guys like that, you know, if they were free agents, how would you view them? And with somebody that has the amount of starts and the options, he would be valued pretty high.”
Picollo said KC’s scouts liked Spence a lot. Earlier this week, when he was designated for assignment by the Athletics, the Royals decided to pursue him.
It’s easy to see why. Spence has five pitches in his repertoire. He offers a cutter, slider, curveball, sinker and changeup. Opponents registered a .189 batting average against his curveball while posting a 35.2 whiff percentage.
Spence faced the Royals in September 2025. He allowed three earned runs and seven hits across three relief innings. Now he gets a chance to log innings for the Royals, who will be without Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha due to their WBC responsibilities.
“We’ve had discussions about him before going back to the Rule 5,” Picollo said. “So it’s a name that I’m personally very familiar with just from those discussions.”
Sending Causey to Oakland in return for Spence wasn’t easy. He was in his first big-league camp as a non-roster invitee this year after being selected in Round 5 of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Tennessee.
“I’m sure he is trying to process it right now,” Picollo said of Causey. “He’s a young guy and he’s got upside. He’s got a bright future and he’s gonna do good things. And I think the ultimate goal is you want to benefit, but also when you draft a guy — and he was a high pick for us — you want him to do well wherever he goes. That’s what we shared with him.”
It’s possible the Royals will continue to strengthen their roster this spring. Picollo noted that the addition of Spence wasn’t owing to any particular injury, but rather to bolster an already-strong organizational tent pole.
The Royals could, for instance, turn their attention to adding a right-handed bat. This offseason, the club brought in two new outfielders, in Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas. But another hitter wouldn’t hurt.
“Our own people have made the case that, you know, (we’ve) probably got to keep our eyes out maybe on a right-handed hitter more so than left,” Picollo said. “Doesn’t mean we eliminate every left-handed hitter, but I think it’s how does that player fit on our current roster to make it make sense. Right-handed, it’s a little bit easier to slide in a piece.”
While the Royals haven’t closed the door on acquiring a lefty bat, Picollo expressed confidence in KC’s current roster. He said adding a left-handed hitter would entail a prominent move.
For now, the Royals will continue to evaluate their big-league camp roster. Cactus League play begins next week, with newcomers like Spence poised to prove impactful during the regular season.
This story was originally published February 12, 2026 at 2:59 PM with the headline "Why the Royals swapped one pitcher for another in midweek trade with Athletics."