Getty

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MARCH 30: Manager Matt Quatraro #33 of the Kansas City Royals and general manager and president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo talk in the dugout prior to the game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium on March 30, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Kansas City Royals are cutting ties with former first-round draft pick Asa Lacy. 

The move was a mutual decision between Lacy and the team. Both hope he can rebound next year as a Minor League free agent. 

Asa Lacy was a Top Prospect in Kansas City

Lacy, 26, was the Royals’ fourth overall pick in the COVID-19 year. During 2020, there were fewer rounds in MLB’s annual amateur draft. This led top talent to be filtered upward, and most picks were thought to be ‘can’t miss.’ 

Other top talents selected around Lacy include Spencer Torkelson (DET, 1B), Garrett Crochet (BOS, SP), and Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC, CF). Crochet and Crow-Armstrong were taken after Lacy. Most Royals fans look back in disgust after such a tragic miss. 

Lacy was drafted out of Texas A&M University, where he dominated for three years. In his last season leading up to the draft, he held an ERA of 0.75 in 24 innings. After being picked fourth overall, Lacy signed for a bonus of $6.67 million. His signing bonus marked the highest for a pitcher picked by Kansas City. 

As a prospect, Lacy was highly touted. He made appearances in the Arizona Fall League, where teams often send top-end talent, yet he never made it higher than Double-A as a professional.

In 80 minor league innings, his ERA perched north of seven. The only blink of talent came via the strikeout.  

Lacy’s career was derailed early on by things out of his control. 

Asa Lacy Dealt with Injuries his Entire Professional Career 

During his tenure with the Royals, Lacy suffered multiple significant injuries. He missed the entirety of the 2024 and 2025 seasons due to arm-related injuries. The age-old saying is that a pitcher only has so many bullets.’ In Lacy’s case, he’s running out of ammo. The Royals clearly saw the cause for concern and have deemed it better for both sides to cut ties. 

The first sign of injuries came in 2021 with a lat and shoulder issue. It then persisted through 2024 with sporadic back problems. The final blow came in two Tommy John surgeries in succession, in 2024 and 2025. 

When it’s all said and done, Lacy never got a fair shot. Who knows what he could’ve morphed into without so many injuries? Now that the organization has moved on, fans have other arms to be intrigued by. 

The Royals have Plenty of Young Talent on the Come up

Kendry Chourio (KC, #2) and David Shields (KC, #3) headline the next group of young arms on the way. 

Chourio is currently in single-A and has a 1.42 ERA in three games started. What excites most scouts about the still-developing Chourio is his advanced pitchability. Most 18-year-olds who top out at 97mph aren’t locating multiple pitches in the zone. Chourio has an effective curveball and kick-change that both differ in speed from his heater with natural cut. With such a diverse pitch-mix and control to spare, the potential is a frontline starter. 

Shields is a soft-tossing lefty who averaged 90mph on his four-seamer in 2025. Scouts and coaches believe he has room to add velocity as he matures, but he’ll never be a strikeout arm. His plus-slider and advanced control give him quite the high-floor as a prospect. 

The Royals’ system and the rotation on the big club likely played a major role in the team’s decision to move on from Lacy.