Zach Davies throws a pitch against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 26, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
The organization reported that the Kansas City Royals signed right-handed pitcher Zach Davies to a minor league contract on April 8 and was assigned to Triple-A Omaha.
Davies, 31, was born in Puyallup, Wash., and has played nine seasons in Major League Baseball with the Milwaukee Brewers from 2015-19, the San Diego Padres in 2020, the Chicago Cubs in 2021, and the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2022-23.
Scott Boras represents Davies.
Davies signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals on February 17 before being released on March 24.
During spring training, Davies started in four games and posted a 2-2 record with a 9.00 ERA, throwing 14 innings, allowing 20 hits, 14 earned runs, two home runs, seven walks, 17 strikeouts, and a 1.929 WHIP.
Last season with the Diamondbacks, Davies posted a 2-5 record, throwing 82.1 innings with a 7.00 ERA in 18 starts. He allowed 98 hits, 64 earned runs, 10 home runs, 39 walks, 72 strikeouts, and a 1.664 WHIP before he was released on September 29, 2023.
Davies was twice on the 15-day injured list in 2023: on April 9, 2023, with a left oblique strain and on July 19, 2023, with a lower back inflammation.
During his rehab assignments, Davies played between Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno and started in four games. He had a 1-0 record and a 6.50 ERA, throwing 18 innings and allowing 25 hits, 13 earned runs, one home run, eight walks, and 13 strikeouts.
In his first season with Arizona in 2022, Davies started in 27 games and posted a 2-5 record with a 4.09 ERA. He pitched 134.1 innings, allowing 122 hits, 61 earned runs, 21 home runs, 52 walks, 102 strikeouts, and a 1.295 WHIP after he signed a $1.75 million contract for one year on March 24, 2022.
During his nine seasons in MLB, Davies has a lifetime record of 60-58 with a 4.36 ERA in 200 starts, throwing 1,408.1 innings, allowing 1,055 hits, 508 earned runs, 135 home runs, 365 walks, 785 strikeouts, and a 1.355 WHIP.
The Kansas City pitching staff, including starting pitchers Cole Ragans, Brady Singer, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Alec Marsh, and second-year manager Matt Quatraro, has averaged a 2.53 ERA and threw 89 innings to start 2024.
Davies is currently not on the 40-man roster for the Royals.
Davies will have to perform well enough in Omaha for Quatraro to see a spot for him in the starting rotation and to get called up at some point in the season.
