Report: Homer Bailey Traded to Athletics from Royals Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline

The Kansas City Royals have reportedly moved on from pitcher Homer Bailey.

On Sunday, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported the Royals traded the right-handed starter to the Oakland Athletics. Passan pointed out Bailey is making the league minimum, which means his new team will have to pay him just $250,000 for the remainder of the campaign. 

Bailey spent the first 12 seasons of his career on the Cincinnati Reds but signed a minor league deal with the Royals this past offseason. The deal included an invitation to spring training, and he showed enough to earn a spot in the starting rotation.

He has a 4.80 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 81 strikeouts in 90 innings this season, which is a marked improvement from the end of his tenure with the Reds. He sported an ERA north of 6.00 in each of his final three seasons with Cincinnati and hasn't finished with an ERA below 5.56 since the 2014 campaign.

Bailey never fully lived up to expectations after entering the league as a highly regarded pitcher, but he does have three seasons with an ERA below 4.00 in his career, two no-hitters and is still just 33 years old.

He has also pitched well of late, allowing two or fewer earned runs in four of his last five starts.

Oakland will now turn its attention toward a playoff push with additional pitching depth following this trade. It is six games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West and a half-game ahead of the Cleveland Indians in the race for the second wild card.

Bailey also provides further injury insurance to the pitching staff as Sean Manaea and Jharel Cotton work their way back from injuries.