The Kansas City Royals on Monday agreed to trade Kris Bubic to the Los Angeles Dodgers for right-handed pitching prospect Carlos Duran, a league source told The Athletic.Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman signaled Sunday that the club was “less likely” to make further big-league additions after trading for two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.But Bubic represented a unique flier with seemingly little risk. The Dodgers have to clear 40-man roster spots soon as they get healthier, and Duran was not a lock to survive those cuts despite carrying a 3.38 ERA in 37 outings with Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. Duran generated enough interest for the Dodgers to add him to their 40-man roster last month.Rather than potentially lose Duran on waivers if they need to clear a 40-man spot, they’ll take a chance to see if a former All-Star in Bubic can get healthy from a shoulder injury and give the Dodgers even more high-upside pitching depth.
This marks the second straight year the Dodgers have traded Duran away, having dealt him to the Athletics in April 2025 for outfielder Esteury Ruiz.When Bubic has been healthy the past four years, he has pitched well, to the tune of a 3.04 ERA, with more than a strikeout per inning. However, a variety of shoulder and elbow issues have limited him to 213 innings during that span.This year, Bubic hasn’t pitched since May 14 because of elbow soreness. His shoulder then started barking during the first outing of his rehab assignment. He ramped back up with two appearances, but felt soreness again, so the Royals shut him down and transferred him to the 60-day injured list.Before his injuries, Bubic had logged a 4.11 ERA in nine starts, with 51 strikeouts and only 36 hits allowed in 50 1/3 innings. Injuries spoiled his 2025 season, too. He was enjoying his best year, with a 2.55 ERA in 20 starts and his first All-Star Game nod, before a rotator cuff strain wiped out his final couple months.Perhaps he’ll heal quickly and regain his form down the stretch. It did work for the Toronto Blue Jays last summer. They traded for Shane Bieber, who hadn’t pitched yet as he wrapped up his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Bieber wound up playing a key role in Toronto’s rotation during their run to the World Series. Bubic would certainly sign up for that sort of sequence of events, considering he can become a free agent this winter.Bubic was ranked No. 26 on The Athletic’s trade deadline big board.Bubic was the No. 40 pick in the 2018 draft. The Royals selected five pitchers in the first 58 picks that year: Brady Singer, Jackson Kowar, Daniel Lynch, Bubic and Jonathan Bowlan. That largely didn’t work out, and Lynch is the only one remaining with the Royals.The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline.
