Royals part ways with Luke Jackson and Aaron Sanchez in minor-league transaction, add Andrew Velazquez

Kansas City made a trio of minor-league adjustments that, while unlikely to affect the major-league lineup in the short term, report continued tinkering with its pitching depth and infield options. According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Royals released right-handers Luke Jackson and Aaron Sanchez from minor league contracts in recent days, citing the transaction tracker. The releases come as teams routinely prune minor-league rosters in-season, especially when performance and organizational need point in different directions.

Among the players moved, Luke Jackson stands out because MLB Trade Rumors notes he was in the big leagues as recently as last season. That detail matters because it frames Jackson not just as organizational depth, but as a pitcher the Royals had previously seen at the highest level. Still, the Royals’ decision to release him reflects the club’s choice to open a spot elsewhere in its pitching pipeline rather than keep him on a minor-league deal.

Aaron Sanchez, also a right-hander, is grouped in the same release as Jackson, which suggests Kansas City chose to consolidate minor-league resources in the bullpen ecosystem. Without additional detail from a primary team transaction page in the available reporting, the only verifiable point is that both players were removed from minor league contracts, leaving the Royals to replace their roles within the organization’s broader pitching inventory.

In a separate move announced Wednesday, the Royals added infield depth by signing Andrew Velazquez to a minor league deal, again per MLB Trade Rumors. Velazquez’s presence in the infield pecking order matters because utility-type middle-infield options often become the connective tissue for an organization’s injury coverage, roster flexibility, and matchup planning across multiple minor-league levels.

These transactions also help clarify roster math within a baseball organization. Minor-league contracts are not static, and releases allow clubs to adjust who is available to play, pitch, and develop when plans shift due to promotions, demotions, and the ever-changing needs of each affiliate. For Kansas City, moving on from two right-handers while bringing in a position player indicates the Royals want a recalibrated mix of arms and infielders.

What to watch next is whether the Royals turn these openings into more activity. In the near term, Kansas City will likely use the released players’ roster space to add other organizational arms or depth pieces, while Velazquez’s assignment to a specific affiliate level will determine how quickly he can contribute in games and practices.

For now, the cleanest confirmed takeaway is straightforward: Kansas City released Luke Jackson and Aaron Sanchez from minor league contracts and added Andrew Velazquez on a minor league deal, changes that reflect ordinary roster management but also the Royals’ ongoing search for effective depth across both pitching and infield roles. Further confirmation on assignment destinations and the immediate organizational impact will depend on follow-up transaction and roster postings from the Royals and the minor league system.