The Kansas City Royals acquired left-handed pitcher Cole Ragans and minor league outfielder Roni Cabrera from the Texas Rangers in exchange for left-handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman. Ragans, who is 25 years old, has been optioned to Triple-A Omaha, while Cabrera, who is 17 years old, has been assigned to the Royals Dominican Summer League team.
Ragans had an impressive performance last season, being named the Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He posted an 8-5 record with a 3.04 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 18 starts across Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock. He also made his Major League debut in August of the same year, starting in nine games for the Rangers.
Cabrera, on the other hand, is a young outfielder who signed with the Rangers as an international free agent in 2022 from the Dominican Republic. He played in 37 games last season for the Rangers Blue Dominican Summer League team. In the current season, through 16 games in the DSL, Cabrera has shown promising performance with a .315 batting average (17-for-54), 11 extra-base hits, 10 RBI, 6 stolen bases, and more walks (13) than strikeouts (7).
Chapman is a 35-year-old left-handed pitcher who signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals in January. In the current season, Chapman has made 31 appearances, compiling a record of 4-2 with 2 saves, a 2.45 ERA, and 53 strikeouts in 29.1 innings pitched.
