Royals declined RHP Carlos Estévez’s $13 million club option for 2027.

Instead, they’ll pay the 33-year-old right-hander a buyout of $2 million. After a brilliant 2025 season in which he notched a league-leading 42 saves and posted a 2.45 ERA across 66 innings of work, Estévez was limited to just one appearance in 2026 due to recurring shoulder issues. He finally underwent surgery in early September, which puts his outlook for the start of the 2027 season in jeopardy.