Former Brewers reliever resurfaces with Royals as September call-up

Easton McGee has always possessed a fair bit of talent, slowly climbing from a fourth-round pick to an MLB reliever over the past decade. He just hasn't been able to stick anywhere yet, as the Milwaukee Brewers were the latest organization to give up on him back in July, when they sent him to the Kansas City Royals for cash considerations (he had been designated for assignment beforehand).

After making a handful of appearances with the Royals after the trade, he went back down to Triple-A for most of August, continuing to tinker with a profile that is starting to scream "Quad-A pitcher." Despite struggling following that demotion (12.38 ERA in eight innings), he's getting another chance to prove his major-league bona fides, as he's rejoining the big-league club in Kansas City as one of their September call-ups.

The 6'7" right-hander has pitched to a 4.41 ERA and 3.79 FIP over 32.2 MLB innings in his career, though this could be one of his final opportunities to carve out a role in a big-league bullpen.

Easton McGee's is running out of opportunities to prove he can handle MLB hitters

After logging a 3.27 xERA and 26.4% strikeout rate in Triple-A Nashville last year -- his first full season after Tommy John surgery in 2023 -- there was quite a bit of momentum building around McGee's case for the 2026 Opening Day bullpen during the offseason.

Sure enough, he looked good in Spring Training, recording a 4.35 ERA over 10.1 innings. Much like his brief return to the majors (5.52 ERA, 3.27 FIP) in 2025, it wasn't always a smooth ride, but it seemed as though he had earned the benefit of the doubt.

Then, a trade for Jake Woodford cost him his roster spot, though not for long. McGee came back up in mid-April and... promptly got sent right back down as part of the early season bullpen shuffle. He wound up making just two appearances for the Brewers this year, though he didn't exactly force the issue in Triple-A (6.03 xERA).

Perhaps the Royals will prove to be his long-awaited reprieve from the up-and-down shuttle. He certainly has a lot to pitch for, as he hasn't been able to sustain success with the Rays, Mariners, or Brewers to this point, three organizations widely revered for their ability to develop and get the most out of pitchers. The Royals also are well-regarded in that domain, though they have a crowded bullpen and younger arms to offer innings to at the end of a lost season.

With any luck, McGee will impress enough people in September to earn an MLB job in 2027. If not, continuing his career as a minor-league journeyman might be the best-case scenario.

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