The Diamondbacks have acquired outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for reliever Andrew Hoffmann.

Today at Kauffman Stadium, the Guardians and Royals battled through 19 innings: in the first game, Jonathan India hit a walk-off three-run homer to lead the Royals to a 5-3 victory; in the second game, Kris Bubic made the shortest start of the season, and the Royals lost 6-4, raising concerns about his health.

Off the field, the action was equally intense: during the night game, the Royals completed a trade, sending reliever Andrew Hoffmann to the Diamondbacks in exchange for veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk. The 25-year-old Hoffmann made his MLB debut this season and was just sent down to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.

Trade Details

Royals receive: Outfielder Randal Grichuk

Diamondbacks receive: Right-handed pitcher Andrew Hoffmann

Grichuk is expected to arrive in Kansas City tomorrow to participate in the series finale, likely starting against left-hander Joey Cantillo. The Royals' key reason for acquiring him is his ability to handle left-handed pitching—despite posting a .243/.280/.462 batting line in 69 games this season, he has an OPS of .750 against lefties (with a career OPS of .827 against lefties).

With Mark Canha (elbow injury) placed on the 10-day injured list and utility player Nick Loftin sidelined for 7 days due to a concussion, the Royals' 26-man roster now includes only Tyler Tolbert as the lone right-handed outfielder (who primarily plays infield and serves mainly as a pinch runner).

“The roster needs flexibility,” explained General Manager J.J. Picollo, “when our left-handed hitters struggle against lefties, Grichuk can deepen our bench.” This 33-year-old veteran entered the Royals' radar last offseason and ultimately signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Diamondbacks (including a $5 million mutual option or a $3 million buyout for 2026).

The Royals currently sit at 51 wins and 54 losses, ranking fourth in the American League wild card race, 4.5 games behind the final spot. With next week's trade deadline approaching, Picollo emphasized, “We are not traditional buyers or sellers; our goal is to continue enhancing our competitiveness. We must keep an open mind to seek improvements.”

Grichuk is a targeted enhancement: with a 12-year career spanning teams like the Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Rockies, he has a career OPS of .767 and has contributed 14.4 wins above replacement (bWAR). His hitting quality remains high—his 14.6% barrel rate and an average exit velocity of 92.6 mph both outperform the league average.

The outcomes of the Royals' remaining four games will directly influence their strategy before the deadline, and Bubic's shoulder injury is also critical. This All-Star pitcher only pitched 2.2 innings today and issued four walks to start the game, later admitting, “Shoulder stiffness has been bothering me for some time; I will decide on future plans after tomorrow's evaluation.” The team already has two starters (Cole Ragans and Michael Lorenzen) on the injured list.