The Royals and Houston Astros reportedly agreed to a deal on Wednesday.
Nate Pearson was selected 28th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2017 MLB Draft. He was a very highly-touted prospect coming up through Toronto’s system, finally making his debut in 2020.
Making five appearances that year, four starts, he surrendered 12 earned runs, 14 hits, and 13 walks in just 18 innings pitched. It was a rocky arrival to the big leagues and one that would unfortunately set the stage for one of his weaknesses that has plagued him since, which is command.
For his career, Pearson owns a 4.4 BB/9, which ballooned to 6.1 last season and 5.4 this season.
Beginning this season with the Houston Astros, who he signed with as a free agent after being released by the Chicago Cubs in September 2025, Pearson made 16 appearances, all out of the bullpen, posting a respectable 3.60 ERA but with a 1.40 WHIP that shows some of his underlying issues with putting runners on base.
This led to him being designated for assignment by Houston on July 19, and on Wednesday, it was announced that the Astros and Kansas City Royals had agreed to a trade that will land Pearson in Kansas City (via Chandler Rome of The Athletic).
It’s not a bad flyer for the Royals, considering where they are at. Entering Wednesday, Kansas City is last in the American League Central division with a 42–60 record. This type of move is not exactly what it means to buy at the deadline, as it is more so an opportunity to get a look at a former top prospect and see if there is something still in there.
At 29 years old, Pearson is far removed from his days in the minor leagues, when he was dominant en route to an eventual call-up in Toronto. But the talent is still tantalizing, and the Royals are taking a chance on it for the relatively low price of a High-A pitcher.
For Houston, the deal costs pretty much nothing. Pearson was already out after the DFA, and they get to stash a little bit of organizational pitching depth with Max Martin.
Martin is a 22-year-old, 6-foot-5 right-hander who was selected in the 10th round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of UC Irvine. He has very solid minor league career numbers, owning a 7-2 record with a 1.72 ERA and 0.98 WHIP.
This season, he is 6-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 26 games out of the bullpen. He also has two saves and 36 strikeouts in 40.1 innings pitched.
This is certainly not a bad return for Houston in exchange for a player who was no longer in its future plans. For Kansas City, the Royals clearly feel Pearson has more upside at the big league level.
