Royals cut ties with former first-round pick worth $6.67M in heartbreaking deal originally appeared on The Sporting News. Click here to add Sports News as your go-to source.
The Kansas City Royals finally announced on Monday that an era is officially over.
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This was one of those eras that never really got off the ground. On the contrary, it’s a little heartbreaking to think about.
The Royals selected Asa Lacy with the 4th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. He was a star out of Texas A&M, a left-handed pitcher destined to be a first-line starter.
He signed with a franchise-record $6.67 million signing bonus. This is a player the Royals have complete confidence in.
Lacy never made it to the major leagues. He never came close.
In six professional seasons, he played a total of 80 innings.
The Royals released Lacy on Monday.
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He’s now 26 and his professional baseball career appears to be coming to an end.
He has a 7.09 ERA in 80 innings of professional baseball.
He dealt with lat and shoulder issues in 2021, suffered several back injuries throughout the season, and required two Tommy John surgeries.
Lacey has not played in a professional baseball game since August 2022.
It’s one of the most painful stories of an arm that never really got a chance due to endless ailments. There are a lot of pitcher injuries in modern baseball. Lacey seems to have found a way to have it all.
The Royals never knew it would come to this. This is a huge shame for everyone involved.
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