The Kansas City Royals are bringing back a bargain arm for next season.
James McArthur, a familiar face for K.C., avoided salary arbitration on Thursday.
According to MLB.com's Anne Rogers, McArthur signed a contract for $810,000 rather than go through the arbitration process.
McArthur missed the entire 2025 season with an injury to his throwing elbow.
He's 29 now and a couple seasons removed from his MLB debut.
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McArthur first arrived in the majors in 2023 with a 4.63 ERA.
In 2024, he had a chance to be the Royals' closer but didn't pitch great. He threw 56.2 innings but only had a 4.92 ERA.
He initially went on the IL with an elbow sprain in September 2024.
In the offseason after that campaign, he had surgery on a fractured olecranon in his throwing elbow that required two screws.
By July, McArthur hadn't responded to the screws and had them removed.
It ended up being a lost year, but the Royals will have club control of McArthur through 2028, so they've got time to work him back to health and get a solid usefulness out of the talented right-handed relief pitcher.
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