Texas placed Jon Gray on waivers, with the 33-year-old right-hander going unclaimed and continuing to occupy a $3 million slice of the Rangers’ payroll this season. The move could be revisited before the Aug. 31 cutoff, as Texas weighs the CBT consequences while trying to stay beneath penalties tied to overages.

The club has previously used waivers to manage payroll, a tactic echoed last year with Robbie Grossman and Travis Jankowski—Grossman claimed by Kansas City, Jankowski remaining with Texas after an unclaimed waiver.

At the trade deadline, Texas added Danny Coulombe, Phil Maton and Merrill Kelly to bolster relief depth. Gray has struggled, posting a 7.71 ERA across six bullpen appearances since returning from a spring-hand fracture, including a rough 2 1/3-innings stint in a 14-2 loss to Toronto.

Offense has sunk post-deadline, and the bullpen is being asked to adjust, per Bruce Bochy. Texas has four straight losses in a slide that complicates postseason math and payroll considerations as Marcus Semien heads for X-rays after a pitch hit him.

Overall, the waiver move underscores a payroll-management tilt while Texas navigates late-season roster volatility and tries to salvage meaningful innings from a bullpen-impaired stretch run.

The Kansas City Royals concluded their postseason run with a 3-1 defeat against the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the ALDS. Despite winning 86 games and clinching the second American League Wild Card, their journey ended after a victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

As the offseason approaches, the Royals will focus on retooling for 2025. One notable addition was outfielder Robbie Grossman, who struggled significantly during his time with the team, leaving little impact on the field.

With a disappointing regular season average of .212 and no postseason at-bats, Grossman is unlikely to return to Kansas City next year, as he is on an expiring contract.