When a team is struggling late in the season with an eye on the future, the final weeks often serve as a trial period for players. The Royals have experimented with several pitchers over the past couple of months, finding promising results with Randy Dobnak, Nate Pearson, Craig Kimbrel, and Anthony Gose. On Saturday, they expanded their pitching trials by claiming Spencer Bivens off waivers from the Giants and assigning him to Triple-A Omaha.
Bivens, a 32-year-old right-handed reliever, has appeared in parts of the last three seasons with the Giants. In 85 major league appearances—all out of the bullpen—he carries a 4.08 ERA. His career strikeout rate is relatively low at 7.1 per nine innings, while his walk rate stands at a respectable 2.7. Most of this season saw him in the minors, where he recorded a 4.92 ERA over 75 Triple-A innings. His brief stint with the Giants this year included four games, during which he surrendered ten runs in five innings.
Bivens’ journey to the big leagues was unconventional. Raised in State College, Pennsylvania, he started college baseball at Louisburg College and then transferred to Penn State. After being dismissed from the Penn State team due to a failed drug test, he continued his career at Rogers State. Post-college, he played across various independent leagues, including a stint in France. The Giants signed him in 2022, and he made his MLB debut in 2024. In 2025, he earned a spot on the Giants’ Opening Day roster and pitched in 54 games, posting a 4.00 ERA. The Giants designated him for assignment last week to make room for Duncan Davitt, whom they claimed off waivers from the Braves.
Bivens is known as a sinker and slider specialist, recording a 52.8% groundball rate last season. He also tied for 12th in the league for multi-inning relief appearances in 2025, with 26 outings. He fills the last available slot on the Royals’ 40-man roster, requiring no additional roster moves. He will still have one option year remaining after the 2026 season.
Fan Take: This move underscores the Royals’ commitment to building pitching depth by giving opportunities to overlooked players with unique backgrounds. Bivens’ story and pitching style could make him an intriguing piece for Kansas City’s bullpen, reminding fans that perseverance and adaptability often pave the way for success in baseball.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
