KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – The Kansas City Royals made another move over the weekend to add help in the outfield and relief pitching departments.
Kansas City announced Sunday that left-handed reliever Angel Zerpa was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed pitcher Nick Mears.
The trade brings the Royals Major League Reserve roster list to 39 players and gives the club a switch-hitting outfielder in Collins who finished in fourth in last year’s National League Rookie of the Year ballot.
Collins, 28, had a .263 batting average, .368 on-base percentage and 16 stolen bases in 130 games for Milwaukee in 2025. He made 100 starts, with 91 of them in left field, where the Royals didn’t have an every day player slotted to play at for 2026 prior to acquiring Collins.
Mears, a 29-year-old pitcher who has played for three teams in six seasons, had career highs in wins, holds and ERA last season.
Earlier this offseason, Kansas City announced that it had hired Connor Dawson to work on its hitting coach staff. Dawson, an Olathe East alum, previously worked in Milwaukee with Collins.
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Angel Zerpa throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)(Charlie Riedel | AP)
The trade sends Zerpa, 26, to the NL Central after had had a career-high 69 appearances and a 4.18 ERA in 2025. He signed with the Royals as an international free agent in 2016 and spent his entire career with the organization.
Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.