The Kansas City Royals are taking a flier on a former All-Star pitcher on the mend.
The Royals announced Friday that they are signing left-handed pitcher John Means to a two-year minor league contract. Means suffered a torn Achilles tendon in December.
We have agreed to a two-year minor league contract with LHP John Means.
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) February 13, 2026
It’s not very often that teams sign players to a multi-year minor league agreement. But with Means not expected to be healthy enough to return this coming season, the deal makes sense.
The contract gives Means, well, the means to recover from his injury within the Royals’ minor league system. The Royals, meanwhile, are playing the long game with Means, signing him for cheap with an eye toward the 2027 season.
Means looked like a rising star during his rookie season with the Baltimore Orioles in 2019. He made the All-Star team and was second in AL Rookie of the Year voting behind Yordan Alvarez. But injuries have since derailed what had been shaping up to be a promising career.
Means was named the Orioles’ Opening Day starter in 2022 but suffered an elbow injury two games into the season that eventually required Tommy John surgery. Means spent most of 2023 recovering before once again needing Tommy John surgery in 2024.
The Kansas native has not pitched since 2024 and has yet to start more than four games in a season since 2021. He spent the 2025 campaign in the Cleveland Guardians’ minor league system but never got called up to the majors.
Means has a career 3.68 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 78 games (73 starts), all with Baltimore. Orioles fans remember Means’ no-hitter in 2021 that was a wild pitch away from being a perfect game.
