By MATT PIKE
The Kansas City Royals made another trade ahead of this afternoon's trade deadline, trading left handed pitcher Kris Bubic to the Los Angeles Dodgers for right hander Carlos Duran.
Duran has spent all of this season in Triple-A, where he has a 3.38 ERA and 61 strikeouts across 42.2 innings in 37 appearances with two starts. Duran signed a Minor League contract with the Dodgers this offseason after the A’s released him. In one major league apperance with the A's in 2025, he allowed three earned runs in 0.1 innings. Duran utilizes a 95-97 mph four-seam fastball and a swing-and-miss slider. However. he does struggle with command and has a 14.3% walk rate this season. There is potential he is ready for an opportunity right now, which could come with the Royals in the final stretch of the season.
Bubic is on the 60-day injured list and has been sidelined since May 15th, first with a left forearm strain that was originally categorized as left elbow soreness, and then with left shoulder soreness that pushed back his return timeline. Bubic made his major league debut in 2020 with the Royals, and had an injury riddled first half to his career, but the back half of Bubic's Royals career was incredibly effective when he was on the mound, including as part the bullpen in 2024 He helped Kansas City make the postseason that season and posted a 2.67 ERA in 30.1 innings. Bubic was an All-Star in 2025, with a 2.48 ERA across 18 starts in the first half. In nine starts this season, Bubic posted a 4.11 ERA.
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